Introduction  

Jandarshan The Chhattisgarh Media Centre grew out of a digital video access course, which was part of a three year project funded by the EU-India Economic Cross-Cultural Programme. Jandarshan was the Hindi name of the project, known in English as Images in Social Change Network , or ISCN. The aim was to promote use of digital media in research, education and development relating to social change : management was by a network consisting of a British Co-ordinator, one British, one German and one Indian partner. The course was run from a training unit in Bhilai, close to the Chhattisgarh Capital, Raipur. In 2002, after the project was completed, the Indian partner, The Deshbandhu Newspaper, with the agreement of the European partners, set up a community video Centre which acquired the assets of the training unit, employed as staff the former students and set out to continue and develop the work started under the project. The organisation, which is constituted as an educational society, kept the name, ‘Jandarshan’. 

Vision 

Jandarshan is based on a vision of human society organised by principles of democracy, social justice, secularism, human dignity and plurality of cultures. 

Mission 

Our Mission is to work with digital video and new media to promote  those principles in Chhattisgarh, in India and beyond by pursuing the following objectives :- 

To increase access to careers in professional audio visual media for men and women from deprived communities, 

To improve the visibility in the media of women and people from deprived communities, 

To document the realities of social and cultural life  during the period of rapid social and economic change, 

To improve public education about film and television and their role in forming opinion.

Strategy  

Jandarshan’s strategy combines training, production, and education. The training is oriented to help people from relatively deprived backgrounds to enter the professional media. Production is focused as far as possible, on documenting and expressing the experiences of a wide range of people in central India. It is also, however, an important way of generating income to support Jandarshan and therefore, some productions are undertaken more to provide work and experience for the staff than because their subject or context is directly related to the overall mission. Education is linked with production since the process is often educational for participants and the end product may be used in education or may be educational in a broader sense of widening horizons or stimulating debate. 

Programme 

Jandarshan runs a one-year diploma course in digital video for up to 12 students the majority of whom receive scholarships to pay for their training.

Jandarshan undertakes paid production commissions from a variety of sponsors and also shoots material on its own initiative and develops potential productions for which it seeks commissions.

The production work feeds in to the development of a video archive, which is a reasource for research and education as well as for further productions.

Jandarshan arranges screenings of its own and other films, contributes to conferences and other events and assists organisations wishing to use video in social or educational programmes. 

Staff and Management

There are 6 permanent faculty members. In addition to this, visiting faculties are invited for teaching Sociology, History, Culture etc. Some of them are Shri Sushil Gautam , Dr.Anil Kalele, Shri Hemant Sehgel. 

Shri Rajeev Ranjan Srivastava is working as a part time C.E.O assisted by a part time Manager and a full time office assistant who looks after archives, equipments and day-to-day needs.
 

Training

The twelve students of the 04/05 batch completed the course and will shortly take their final exams, For financial reasons a full time dedicated teacher was not appointed but teaching was done by visiting faculty and by the production staff. Although in some areas the lack of permanent faculty was felt the students were able to turn out good work and even before officially graduating nine of the students are working in the local media.

One of Jandarshan staff successfully applied to participate in an advanced training programme run by the Thompson Foundation, UK under the EU-India Economic Cross-cultural programme, Together with a Danish student he designed and carried out a film about alcoholism in Denmark and India.

Production

In the year in review Jandarshan completed nine sponsored commissions.These include films about important Chhattisgarh issues:a docu-drama challenging the belief in Tonhi,witchcraft,and Kharun Nadi Yatra which follows one river to make points about water and the environment. Production teams also went outside Chhattisgarh.One went to Rajasthan to make a Rain in the desert on educational camps run by Seva Mandir another went to South India to make  a film for the Internation Federation or Builders and Woodworkers (IFBWW) about projects their affiliates run with construction workers.

Finance

The main sources of finance continue to be production commissions and students fees. This year as before only the students in receipt of scholarships paid fees and without an additional grant this resulted in a shortfall which accounts for the decision not to appoint full time permanent faculty.

Income from production has also been unstable and not sufficient for the needs of development. During the first half of the year there were relatively few production commissions and the shortfall arising then has not completely been made up since the flow of work improved. There in a backlog of repairs and purchases needed but with orders already on the books the situation is expected to improve.

In this year grants by way of  scholarships were received from Chhattisgarh state government, and National Foundation for India, New Delhi. 

Future

Jandarshan intends to continue and develop its present activities. In the area of education, Jandarshan hopes to improve the training course and expand its role in public education by offering more screening and workshops for specialist and general audiences. 

Management

An Executive committee elected by the general body of the society oversees the setup. It includes eminent men and women from media, education, performing arts and civil society. The staff consists of one project co-ordinator, seven technical hands, an office clerk, and a part-time accountant. Jandarshan accounts are duly audited by a chartered accountant.