FTII row: I&B Ministry examining recommendations of three-member committee

New Delhi: With the impasse at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) continuing, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry is examining the recommendations of a three-member committee on the issue related to assessment of the 2008 batch.

The Ministry had formed the panel to examine the aspects related to assessment of the 2008 batch at FTII, Pune which is one of the key areas of contention between students and the administration.

It is learnt that the committee, which recently submitted its report to the Ministry, has held that FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe’s decision to carry out the assessment process was as per norms.

The committee, which comprised three senior Ministry officials, has, however, cautioned the Ministry that initiating the assessment process could also create an unpleasant situation similar to what happened last month, sources said.

While protests at the country’s premiere film school began after the name of actor Gajendra Chauhan was announced as the head of FTII Governing Council, the issue related to assessment of the 2008 batch was an area where the students and the administration disagreed.

While the administration has been holding that it is time that the assessment process should be completed with regard to the 2008 batch after which they would have to move out of the campus, the students have been questioning the timing of the move.

Last month, a group of students had gheraoed FTII Director Prashant Pathrabe over his decision to carry on with the assessment of the 2008 batch. The situation had then take an unpleasant turn and police was called and some of the students were even arrested.

PTI