FTII students continue protest as talks with govt remain inconclusive

FTII students have resumed their protest against the government as talks with the Information and Broadcasting ministry ended fruitlessly. The next round of talks have been scheduled for 1 October.

The latest meeting was conducted at the Films Division premises, between Vikas Urs, spokesman of the FTII Students' Association (FSA), ministry officials and seven FTII students.

The students have been agitating since the last 109 days against the appointments of Gajendra Chauhan, Dr Narendra Pathak, Anagha Ghaisas and Pranjal Saikia, among others. According to them, the appointees are nor qualified for the posts and have been appointed due to their affiliation with the current government.

FTII students have demanded that the present committee set up to look into the appointments of chairperson, staff etc should be dissolved and a new search committee should be formed through a transparent process.

The students have also included making FTII a premier national institute like the IITs and IIMs to ensure that no bureaucrat is appointed the institute's director.

"We don't have any personal animosity against Gajendra Chauhan and the other members. We want someone who truly has a body of work of national and international standards," a former FTII student was quoted in a media report.