Post campus protests, FTII adopts tough measures, makes new students sign ‘decency’ affidavit

The Pune-based Film and Television Institute has adopted a slew of tough measures aimed at creating a peaceful environment for its students.

Pune: After months of protests over the appointment of Gajendra Chouhan as the chairman of the Film and Television Institute, the prestigious institution has now adopted a slew of tough measures aimed at creating a peaceful environment for its students.

An Indian Express report on Thursday said that the FTII administration has now made it mandatory for all new students to submit a “general conduct” affidavit that restricts them from violating the “decorum and decency on the campus” and “insulting” faculty members.

As per the report, the new entrants will have to sign as many as five affidavits on a Rs-100 stamp paper. 

“…I agree to maintain decorum and decency on the campus, including in hostel and staff residential areas, and in any circumstances would not be insulting to the faculty, staff members and elders,” reads one of those affidavits.

“I understand that the institute has full right to initiate disciplinary proceedings against me for violation of any of its rules & regulation by me,” says the “self-declaration affidavit by the candidate for general conduct on FTII campus”.

The affidavit also makes it clear that hostel accommodation is not the right of a student. 

“I understand that accommodation in FTII may be provided only on the basis of its availability, subject to fulfilling other terms and conditions,” it says.

Another important clause of the affidavit states that the students must pay “pay all kinds of fees 100 per cent in advance” and “not bring any kind of external and/or emotional pressure on FTII for any exemption”.

Besides, the new students and their parents will now have to give an anti-ragging undertaking to the institution – a measure aimed at curbing the menace of ragging.

The new measures have evoked sharp reactions from senior students, who say that ''these are obviously a knee-jerk reaction by the administration to the protests against Gajendra Chauhan.''

''We don’t agree with such arm-twisting methods employed by the administration, aimed at instilling fear in the minds of the freshers,'' one of the senior FTII students was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the FTII governing council also recently cleared the appointment of a Proctor who would have the power to rusticate students.