Supposed to begin from June 15, classes now unlikely to start before mid-July

The 2011 batch of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was supposed to start by June 15 but has been postponed by a month. As the new hostel opposite the campus is yet to be completed, classes are unlikely to begin before July 15.


Taking too long: The new hostel building for FTII students is still under
construction.pic/jignesh mistry

According to students on campus, the management had assured them the hostel would be completed by the second week of June, but this now looks increasingly impossible. "The institute officials a month ago met the PWD (Public Works Department) and made the assurance that the hostels would be ready by June 15, but looking at the construction activity, it does not look like a possibility," said Ajayan Adat, president, FTII Student's Body. "They cannot complete the remaining work in 10 days' time."

The new hostel has more than 45 rooms and can accommodate around 135 students. A student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that initially it was declared that the new courses would start by the second week of June, but because of lack of hostel facilities these had been pushed to the third week of July.

"Classes won't start before third week of July because of lack of hostel facilities. We are already over-packed. So it has been decided that as soon as the hostels starts functioning, the students will shift," said the student.

Delay upon delay
After the institute had introduced two new courses, students of various courses had protested against the increase in student numbers. They had demanded new hostel facilities and the institute management had assured them that the new hostel would be ready in December, which got delayed by six months.
Around half the students from each batch were made to stay outside because of lack of space.
FTII director Iftikar Ahmed confirmed the development.

"We will be meeting the PWD officials in the next two days and will get to know the exact status of the building. They had earlier maintained that the building will be handed over by June, but we are not sure. It's true that the classes have been postponed."

He added that the new students had not been given any tentative dates. "No we haven't given the dates because we are waiting for the meeting to happen. It's going to be an expensive affair for the students to stay outside the hostel, so we are waiting for completion of the work," said Ahmed.