FTII puts row behind, implements reforms

India’s top film school seeks to ensure timely completion of courses; FTII had to declare 2014 and 2015 ‘zero years’

After being embroiled in several controversies, the Film and Television Institute of India has quietly made a turnaround over the past few months.

The information and broadcasting ministry has implemented several initiatives to impart quality education through FTII, which includes introduction of a syllabus to ensure timely completion of courses as the institute was forced to declare 2014 and 2015 as “zero years”.

A new academic session could only begin in the film wing in 2016.

Taking a cue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Skill India vision, FTII has also taken a unique initiative to reach out to students in tier 2 cities through its SKIFT (Skilling India in Film and Television) initiative, which was launched in Guwahati. With the handson

approach of I&B minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, all efforts have been focussed on imparting quality education in the domain.

The basic aims are to “reform, perform and transform”, sources said.

In an effort to fill up vacant faculty positions, the institute also held walk-in interviews with prospective candidates. Construction of classrooms, theatres and acting studios on the Pune campus has started, sources added.

Recently, in a significant achievement for the FTII, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) equated six postgraduate diploma Programmes of the institute with Master’s degree.

The Master’s equivalence introduces a new dimension for students who can now leverage this attribute for higher studies, in India and abroad.

FTII had been making efforts since 2011 for securing the Master’s degree for its programmes. The institute’s programmes are of twoand three-year duration in cinematography and editing, among others.