The prestigious Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) has refused to grant scholarships and the opportunity to participate in foreign exchange programmes to students against whom disciplinary matters are pending.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the move is seen as part of the administration’s crackdown against students who had taken part in over four-month-long stir against the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the chairperson of institute.
The report claimed that FTII Director Bhupendra Kainthola has issued an order directing the all heads of departments and deans to route all applications through the office of the Proctor which is responsible for maintaining discipline within the premises of the institute.
The latest order is questionable because the office of the Proctor was formed only after the end of 140-day long strike by the students against the appointment of actor and BJP member Chauhan as its Chairman.
The daily claimed to access the file notings of various departments, showing that the nomination of eight students, who have disciplinary matters pending against them, have been denied scholarships by the institute.
Of these, the four ‘disqualified’ students for scholarships are Payal Kapadia, Satchit Poulose, Jithin Das and Lavanya Ramaiah. All four of them are accused of participating in gheraoing then FTII director Prashant Pathrabhe in August 2015. They are from the 2012 batch.
The report claimed that though they were qualified for scholarships due to their academic performance, the authorities refused to grant clearance for their scholarships.
The noting further showed that funds were not released to four more students who were eligible for scholarships. While three of them are accused of consuming alcohol and creating hindrance, the other student was accused of talking disrespectfully to and shouting at the Proctor.
Incidentally, the scholarship of the fourth student was cleared after he submitted a written apology.
All these eight students are among the 35 students, including some who have since completed their course in FTII, undergoing trial at a Pune court on charges related to the agitation.
Apart from this, names of six students from the 2011 and 2012 batches, who were nominated for Student Exchange Programmes in foreign universities, were shot down by the director, as they were involved in disciplinary matters and have court cases pending against them.
They are: Raju Biswas, Vikas Urs, Prabhati Gharat, Satchith Poulose, Ranjit Nair and Payal Kapadia.
Defending the action, Kainthola said that scholarships have been released for students who have apologised in writing and promised good behaviour.
“It’s true that scholarships have been held back, but only in cases of serious indiscipline or when the inquiry is incomplete. It is equally true that scholarships have been released for students who have apologised in writing and promised good behaviour. It is our belief that an academically bright student must also learn to function within the framework of institutional rules and good behaviour. The two cannot be disjointed, hence the Proctor’s role,” the Director said.
