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Saturday, October 10, 2015

FTII , Students and staff struggling with drug induced problems, appoints psychiatrist

Film Television Institute Of India ( FTII) may be the India’s first educational institute that has appointed psychiatrists to treat students ailments related to addiction. The number of students and staff affected with addiction was so high that governing council of FTII had to take note of it in the meeting. In October 2012 governing council resolved to deal matters related to drug consumption and drinking alcohol, seriously. However instead of dealing with it seriously institute appointed two psychiatrists in August 2013 to provide consultation to students and staff struggling with emotional and behavioral problems

There is no secret now that many FTII students consume drugs openly without any restrictions. Rampant drug use has caused a lot of problem in recent years here. Many of them in recent years have sought psychiatric intervention for drug induced depression. It is very difficult to guess that when the first incidences of drinking alcohol & drug consuming actually were detected. However it is clear from the available proof that this “legacy” is being followed since long.

Photo Courtsey picsant.com

If filmmaker, former FTII graduate and faculty Uday Shankar Pani is to be believed, when he was in theinstitute, he had attended a class of a big filmmaker who would place a liquorbottle on the table and then begin his class. Pani agreed to that mindset as a student and made an adjustment. He later felt that even if the filmmaker was sitting there in a drunken state, he was delivering some great lessons in filmmaking. Later on Pani became faculty of FTII.

Photo Courtsey thehindu.com

It appears that as time passed the things became so worst that the Governing Council of FTII had to take serious note of drinking and drug consumption. Additional agenda Item on 124th governing council was ‘discipline in campuses’. The meeting resolved that ‘drinking alcohol, taking up drugs and any unbecoming behavior in campus and public places has to be stopped; also very strong action will be taken against those staff or students for breach of rules and law in the campus’ . Noted screenwriter and director Saeed Mirza presided over this meeting and was attended by Dr. Kiran Seth, Ms. Rama Vij, Aseem Sinha, then Director of institute Dr. Narain and present director Prashant Pathrabe was special invitee.

The resolution though does not elaborate much but definitely throws light on what exact situation was in the institute. Actually it was moral and legal responsibility of all those bigwigs and authorities who attended this meeting to convey this situation to the police. However nobody felt it necessary because it would have caused damage to institutes stature. Though strong action was warned it was just eyewash. The only thing then director did was that he appointed two psychiatrists.

Photo Courtsey druglibrary.org

Actually FTII has on its panel two doctors for student’s minor ailments. In such case the Medical Officer diagnoses and treats illness injuries as far as possible. In serious case/cases ordinarily requiring treatment for longer than four days he has to refer the cases to other appropriate Institutions, specialists, Municipal Dispensaries or Government Hospitals for outdoor and other treatment.

The advertisement published in August 2013 by FTII to appoint psychiatrists says “The Institute wants to engage Psychiatrists (one male and one female) on contract on urgent basis. The duties of Psychiatrist would be to spread awareness, provide counselling for the students and staff struggling with emotional and behavioral problems. They have to support student's emotional and behavioral health, give treatment including counselling and medication.”

Photo Courtsey 1.bp.blogspot.com/

This may be the India’s first educational institute that has appointed psychiatrists to treat students ailments related to addiction. Big question is why FTII on its own appointed psychiatrists to treat students? Why didn’t they refer students to other public or private hospitals? Why did they hide this information from police? .Was it more important to protect institutes dignity than addressing countries’ most serious problem like drug addiction.The students are not allowed to do private job while they are learning , then who provides them money purchase drugs and alcohol. They consume drug means they are in contact with drug peddlers and this chain can lead to any type of serious crime. Were these bigwigs waiting for serious crime to happen? .The bigwigs who headed this institute and the authorities now have to answer these questions.

The Government is now having rounds of talks with student on so-called issues faced by this would be “center of excellence’. However none of them i.e the students or their supporters have addiction subject on their addenda. No authority has ever informed government about this issue. At least now FTII administration has to make clear whether any of the students and staff who are involved in talks with government is consulting with FTII appointed psychiatrist or not.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

FTII logjam, Government is negotiating with students on the issues that they are barred to interfere in.

The adverse publicity may be the reason why government is compromising with situation that has occurred due to Film & Television Institute of India’s (FTII) students strike. Otherwise no students are allowed to choose their administrator or principal anywhere in the world. FTII student can enjoy this privilege because it is a public institute. In private organization, they would have thrown these students out of the campus .

Actually as per rules FTII students are barred from any interference in administrative matters of the Institute. Such Interference in administrative matters is major breach of discipline for which the student is liable for expulsion. However students in last some years have not only interfered in the administrative matters but also taken total control over it. Moreover the Government is also negotiating with these students on the issue that they are barred to interfere in. If followed properly there are several rule in FTII , that would have kept the students ‘student’ status intact . However compromising with these rules has raised their status from students to dictators.

Photo Courtsey atodblog.files.wordpress.com

There are several rules of this institute that nobody follows except only one, and that has turned this institute in a ghetto like society. As per this rule students are barred from complaining or reporting of any incidence, no matter of whatsoever nature be taken to the outside agency like Police & Other organizations. They are allowed to do so only after approval of the director, FTII in writing. Everybody including students, staffs & administration follow this rule religiously. Hence incidences of whatever serious nature including deaths , thefts, sexual harassments, intimidation, alcoholism, vandalism, and nuisance etc. got buried in the institute itself.

Photo Courtsey cliparthut.com

One may not believe but as per FTII rules no students of the Institute is permitted to accept any professional assignments before he/she completes training .Failure to complete course assignment on given frame due to individual reasons leads to de-enrollment. No student is allowed remain absent from classes or the examination without the permission in writing of the HoD or Dean. Adhering to strict course schedule is compulsory, only HoD’s are empowered to relax the same in deserving individual cases, depending upon circumstances. No alcoholic drinks or narcotic drugs are allowed to be brought to or consumed in the Hostel and the Campus. However Institute authorities for reason best known to them compromised with each of these rules.

All above situation was encouraging for those students who wanted to make this institution a way of their survival and they succeeded with help of faculty, HoD’s & Directors. Not all students are on strike but a group of few dominate the others. Actually the film wing of this institute dominates the others, especially the television wing. Students of film wing do not respect television guys. That may be another reason that striking students are opposing Gajendra Chauhan as he is mainly known for contribution in television.

Photo Courtsey http://www.glamsham.com/

It is difficult to comment on when actually this stale mate will end. But while thinking on this strike one should not forget that, earlier students sent ministry a proposal to solve the crisis but latter on they denied it. They also denied that they had given any type of commitment to interlocutor Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Raju Hirani . Vidya balan denied that she had signed any proposal to support student’sstrike. Pallavi josh, Jahnu Baruah, Santosh Sivan resigned from the FTII society to support students but students didn’t request government to reinstate them.

Meanwhile Striking FTII students have now told the Government that Secretary of Information & broadcasting ministry can be the chairman of the premier Institute till revamped process of appointment is put in place. Earlier these students had demanded to put the FTII Society in abeyance. These both demands are childish. Government cannot appoint a new chairman or keep the present appointment on FTII in abeyance unless it first cancels earlier appointment. Whatever may the situation at present, The very fact is that right now Gajendra Chauhan is the Chairman of FTII.It is highly unlikely that the Government will climb down on its decision. If they do due to political reasons, that will be a pretty damning precedent to set for themselves.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

FTII row - Khan committee blames nexus between students, alumni, external faculty for entire mess

The majority of contract/external faculty who happen to be alumni of the institute as well as some other alumni who frequently visit and stay in the campus, they fuel the students without any responsibility towards orderly conduct of courses and passing out of students. The academic faculty keeps on changing its stand, this kind of wavering stand on the part of the faculty only aggravates the situation, putting extraordinary pressure on the present Director. These are some of the observations drawn by S M Khan committee that was appointed to assess the ground status of Film and television Institute of India ( FTII).

The committee also expected contract faculty to restrict themselves to academic activities only rather than indulging in activities which are not academic in nature and are beyond their scope of work. It asked the administration of the Institute to seriously look into the behavior of the contract faculty.

If we look at the submissions made before the khan committee & it’s observations, some questions arise in mind i.e. who are these students with whom Government is holding talks? What is their locus standi? Are they the only stake holders or well wishers of the institute? How come mere 3-4 defaulter students are being allowed to decide future of the FTII., why government is not taking action against the students , faculty , staff who have duped institute for lacs of rupees? . Why government didn’t question director of FTII for not lodging complaint of contempt of national anthem against students? . Present students demands are to expel or throw out everything that they don't want or like, then instead of succumbing to that why don't government throw these students out ?

Khan Committee Report

While deposing before this committee some members alleged that for some student’s participation in the strike is a way of survival. Not all students are on strike and a group of few dominate the others. Students are virtually running the institute encroaching even on the administration’s domain. Over the past few years, the entire decision-making process in the Academic Council has been taken over by the students. The guest contract faculty freely mixes with students in “all their activities” and there is no control over production schedule or adherence of academic discipline. Contract faculty [who happen to be ex-students] instead of enforcing strict academic discipline, they accommodated all requests of the students in violation of norms.

Some staff members said that although the reason behind the delay in completing students projects was being told the infrastructure, this was not the main issue. The existing infrastructure is sufficient if schedules are strictly followed and all exercises are completed on time. There were always excuses resulting in exercises being re-scheduled which had a cascading effect on subsequent groups.

Photo Courtsey http://images.jagran.com/

There were also allegation of the students having long practice of a method called “interrogation technique" which is passed on by seniors to juniors and also “FTII Anthem” being sung by the students which is full of vulgar words. Some members also deposed that although the TV students are in favor of continuing their studies since a majority are staying in hostels, they are to toe the line of others.

Some members even suspected that the students follow a "secret cult" and alleged that use of abusive language, liquor & drugs by students was common and number of dignitaries were humiliated in the institute by them.

Photo courtsey http://vecto.rs

Students were not clear on their stand while deposing before the committee. On a speciﬁc query about the decisions of Academic Council meetings by committee, one of the student stated that the AC in its 72nd meeting gave time to some students to complete the project. However, when he was asked to show the relevant paper, it was the agenda paper for the meeting which mentioned this item as one of the agenda. The student was told that the minutes of the meeting do not show any such decision. When asked about the final notice of December 2014, for taking over of the projects by the institute and notice for vacation of hostel, the students did not give any clear reply and stated that there were many notices and they were not given serious note of as a tradition in FTII.

The students requested for the matter that was not within the domain of committee, administration or even minister. They asked the casual (contract) labourers may not be stopped from work as they are working in the institute for a long time and they are being penalized for no fault of theirs.

The alumni stated that they stand by the students with respect to their core demands. They also mentioned about the inclusion of some members in the Society. When asked about the various AC decisions and the subsequent notices, they had no clear answer and only stated that this was not the opportune time. They ﬁnally requested for withdrawal of FIRs against the students and address their core demands.

The Former Director (Shri D. J. Narain) was requested to submit a Report on the status of the 2008 batch .following points emerged from his report-

a) The reasons for delay of ﬁnal year projects were primarily due to non- submission of scripts (from students) . Special workshops were also conducted for this purpose.

b) Infrastructure was not an issue and additional infrastructure was made available to enable both 2008 and 2009 Batch to undertake their projects. While 2009 completed, 2008 is still in the campus. No preference was given to any Batch over the other.

c) Director did not interfere with any academic decision. These decisions were taken in meetings where the faculty participated and in the academic Council meetings.

d) The assessment of 2008 batch is legitimate. There are instances when the assessment was made on ‘as is where is’ basis including the second year of 2008 Batch.

The committee also considered previous committee reports that were constituted under similar circumstances. There are a number of places in the report where the behavior of the students and conduct of the faculty were highlighted.

Photo courtsey drawnbyfire.files.wordpress.com

After taking into considerations, all the stake holders' views the committee further observed that the unfortunate incidents that led to the lodging of FIR were due to the constant shifting of stand by the faculty. Earlier HoDs unanimously agreed with the proposal to assess the projects of 2008 on “as is where is’ basis however while interacting with the Committee they stated that this was not an opportune time to do the assessment. Another clear example was when they spoke to the Committee; they put the entire blame on the previous Management including the former Director. However, subsequently they “clariﬁed” that everybody should be responsible for academic delays. Committee also noted that all the documentation from 2013 onward in this regard had been by consent and under the signature of the faculty. Committee also noted that faculty may be changing its stand frequently due to populism or intimidation.

Committee also put the onus of delay in projects on students it observed that the Academic Council meeting minutes, the notices issued thereafter and the Report of the former Director clearly indicate that the reasons for delay for completion of the 2008 Batch are attributable to the students

Saturday, October 10, 2015

FTII , Students and staff struggling with drug induced problems, appoints psychiatrist

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015

FTII logjam, Government is negotiating with students on the issues that they are barred to interfere in.

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Saturday, October 3, 2015

FTII row - Khan committee blames nexus between students, alumni, external faculty for entire mess

Khan Committee Report

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