Resolution in sight for students fighting for resources at FTII
PUNE: In a respite to the agitating students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the institute authorities finally held a meeting on Friday to discuss the widespread concerns about lack of facilities on campus.
Since the start of the new semester, students from the batch of 2017 and 2016 were vexed by the lack of basic resources on the campus which are needed to pursue the course.
According to them, the institute had failed to provide a transparent curriculum plan. With several classes, practicals and projects devoid of a set timeline, different departments and batches found it difficult to carry on with the classes.
“We don’t want to abandon classes, but we can’t help it, because the lack of infrastructure and planning has caused many of our classes to clash with the others, thus creating a shortage of resources. We are at one of the top institutes in the country, and we don’t deserve to work on scrap,” said a 2016 batch student from the camera department, requesting anonymity. After several attempts to communicate the issues to the authorities, the students then decided to boycott the classes, as a sign of protest.
With almost two weeks of follow-ups, the students were finally given an audience, when the heads decided to meet and resolve the matter on August 31.
“While, on the positive side, the heads did hear us through, the solutions provided till now, are not long-term. For instance, we are forced to use high-tech software on old versions of Windows, instead of an upgraded version, which is not fair. When we put this forth, the authorities assured us that new machines will be brought by December 10. But, how are we supposed to conduct our classes and finish our projects without those machines?” added another student.
In order to address all the issues and reach a consensus, the institute has organised a meeting on Tuesday. “We want to resolve their issues at the earliest so that the classes can begin to function properly, but we cannot get all the equipment as quickly as they are demanding. There are government proceedings before the procurement can be done which is bound to take time,” said Bhupendra Kainthola, director of the institute.