Amid students' protests, FTII gets down to business

Comments [ 0 ] By IANS | 07 January 2016 | 5:20pm

Pune (Maharashtra), Jan 7 (IANS) The first meeting of the newly-appointed Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and its governing council was held here on Thursday under the chairmanship of filmmaker Gajendra Chauhan, even as students protested against him outside the campus.

Eminent television serial maker B.P. Singh was elected vice president of the FTII Society, also as vice chairman of the Governing Council. The "C.I.D." producer, an FTII alumnus, will be new chairman of the institute's Academic Council.

The FTII also nominated filmmakers and film personalities Rajkumar Hirani, Satish Shah, Pranjal Saikia, Narendra Pathak and film journalist Bhawana Somaaya to the governing council.

Prominent persons attending the FTII Society meeting included =additional secretary and financial advisor Subhash Sharma, Satish Shah, Rahul Solapurkar, joint secretary (Films) Sanjay Murthy, Hirani and B.P.Singh.

Additionnally, there were Anagha Ghaisas, Narendra Pathak, Bhawana Somaiyya, Urmil Thapliyal, Pranjal Saikia, ex-officio members Director-General of Films Division Mukesh Sharma, FTII director Prashant Pathrabe, officer on special duty to Information & Broadcasting minister Chaitanya Prasad, Childrens Film Society of India CEO Shravan Kumar and Kolkata-based Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) director Sanjay Pattnayak.

The governing council approved the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts of FTII for 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, while revised estimates for 2015-2016 and Budget Estimates for next year 2016-2017 were also sanctioned.

Earlier, the new FTII chairman Chauhan, whose appointment to the post has been staunchly opposed by students, was accorded a warm welcome by the staff, administration and faculty on his first visit to the prestigious institute.

Addressing the gathering, Chauhan said he would do his best to solve the problems of the FTII, including the long-standing demand of pension for the staff.

Chauhan's arrival was marred by huge student protests leading to mild caning and alleged manhandling by police, as also at least 20 detentions when the students attempted to block his entry to the campus Thursday morning.

Copyright IANS

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