FTII Row- Government Ready to Settle

The students protesting against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan finally forced the government to take a decision. The current government is ready to compromise on the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, said a media report.
Noted filmmaker Raju Hirani could replace him as head of the council responsible for decisions on academics, including the ongoing revision of syllabus.

Actor-turned-BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha said at FTII on Friday that while anyone can visit the institute and show concern, Gandhi’s entry has politicized the matter.

FTII students don’t pay any fee after the completion of three years but can avail all facilities for free until they complete their projects. The government spends about Rs 12 lakh per student every year.

According to rules framed by the general council last year, if a student does not complete the project in three years, his or her work could be assessed on an as-is-where-is basis by the faculty to award diplomas. But 49 of the protesting students are resisting this.

“The move to asses our projects on as-is-where-is basis is aimed at getting rid of us. This way the government wants to weaken our strike,” said 2008-batch student Ajayan Amey Gore, blaming inadequate infrastructure and faculty for the delay.