FTII's 2008 batch students yet to submit projects, despite notices

More than 50 students of the Film Television Institute of India (FTII)'s 2008 batch are yet to complete their diploma programmes as they kept their film-shooting projects pending despite the institute authorities serving several notices seeking early submission of the projects for final assessment. 

The institute began trying to conduct these students' final assessment in early 2013 as they had gone much beyond the time-frame under which they were required to submit their projects despite being given several opportunities.

Finally, the FTII's academic council, decided in its 67th meeting on April 26, 2013, that the 2008-batch diploma assessment would be done in February 2014 on “as-is-where-is basis”. Accordingly, the students were asked to submit their projects.

The council, then, in its September 2013 meeting, decided to complete this final assessment by July 2014.

As the students continued delaying submission of their projects citing some reason or the other, the council, in April 2014, gave a deadline of 4-8 weeks.

The institute later decided to act tough, and on May 28 issued a “final notice” to the students directing them to complete their projects by July 30, noting that they had “repeatedly” postponed their shooting dates.

In a separate notification the same day, the institute also informed the students that the 2008 batch would be closed on October 31, 2014, making it clear that all of them would have to vacate the hostels and leave the campus after that.

The FTII then sent a reminder of its decision once again, but to no avail.

As the impasse continued, the institute extended the date for final assessment by 20 days, notifying the students that they would have to leave the campus and hostels by November 27.

The students reportedly got yet another chance, with the institute extending the last date to December 11, 2014, asking them to submit their projects — even incomplete — for final assessment.

“The projects will be assessed on ‘as-is where-is basis’ and marks will be given on pro rata basis,” it notified the students.   

The institute, which has been non-functional for last 69 days over the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman, had issued another notice to the students in April 8 this year, asking them to submit their projects, but failed to elicit a response.

The students had on Monday evening stormed into FTII director Prashant Pathrabe's office after the institute issued a fresh directive asking them to submit their projects. They allowed Pathrabe to leave his office only after the police arrived and dispersed them.

The striking students described the notice as a “witch hunt”.