New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS): The Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, which promotes information and communications technology for education and training, has announced a competition titled "Community Radio Video Challenge" for media students in India.

"This competition will aim at promoting understanding and importance of community radio as an alternative medium. Students are expected to produce a video through mobile phone, camcorder or video camera on the 'Why Community Radio Matters'," the centre said.

"The duration of the video can be up to a maximum of 3 minutes. The last date of online submission is Dec 30 -- http://crvc.cemca.org.in (the website). It can be in any language. There are about 18 cash prizes," added the centre, which was established by the Vancouver-based Commonwealth of Learning.

The video challenge is a first of its kind joint initiative of the centre, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi.

The centre has been promoting community radio in Commonwealth countries of Asia, more particularly in India and Bangladesh, for the past seven years. It played a crucial role in facilitating and setting up of several such stations that are currently in operation in India.

In 2012-13, the centre developed a community continuous improvement toolkit in association with the UNESCO Chair on Community Media at the University of Hyderabad.
This toolkit is being tested in India and Bangladesh.

Established by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) in Canada in 1994, the centre, headed by Sanjaya Mishra, also receives diplomatic privileges and immunities in India under Section 3 of the United Nations (privileges and immunities) Act, 1947.