FTII denies scholarships to dissenting students

PUNE’S FILM and Television Institute of India (FTII) has denied scholarships and participation in foreign exchange programmes to students facing “disciplinary action”. This has been done apparently to punish students who held protracted protests against actor Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as FTII head in 2015.

Documents accessed by The Indian Express under the RTI Act show that nominations of eight students, with “disciplinary matters” pending, had been scrutinised. Of them, four who had gheraoed then FTII Director Prashant Pathrabhe in August 2015 — Payal Kapadia, Satchit Poulose, Jithin Das and Lavanya Ramaiah—wererefusedscholarships despite their academic record.thefourareamong35students facing trial in a Pune court.

Release of scholarship money has been denied to four others. They include three students accused of “consuming alcohol and creating disturbance”. The scholarship of another student, who was accused of “talking disrespectfully to and shouting at the Proctor”, was approved after he submitted a written apology.

Students were denied scholarships after FTII director Bhupendra Kainthola directed routing offilesforthepurposethroughthe proctor. The proctor’s office was created a few months after the strike to maintain on discipline.

Kainthola acknowledged that scholarships had been held back but insisted that this was only done in cases of serious indiscipline, or where inquiries are incomplete. He said this was being done as per rules. “It is equally true that scholarships have been released for students who have apologised in writing and promised good behaviour,’’ he said.

Kainthola disqualified Kapadia, Poulose and Das from getting scholarship amount of Rs 22,000 on December 21. The same day, he wrote to AP State Television and Theater Development Corporation: “Lavanya Ramaiah is among students chargesheeted by Pune Police in August 2015... FTII is not in a position to release this scholarship in view of the above (citing Students’ Handbook 1995)’’.

Express Scholarship denied to eight who took part in protests.