Lights, camera, inaction: In Arunachal, first batch of Film and Television Institute has a rough start

Indian Express

22-05-2025

Eight years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the institute, the first batch of students arrived at the Film and Television Institute, Arunachal Pradesh (FTI AP) in March this year. Two months in, most students are on academic strike after finding that the institute was far from ready to welcome them: From incomplete classrooms and technical infrastructure to hostels and even the main gate of the campus still under construction.
The FTI AP is an academic institute under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, administered by the prestigious Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. It is slated to be the first national institute of its kind after SRFTI and FTII Pune and is located in Jote, 24 kilometres from Arunachal Pradesh capital Itanagar.
Offering two-year PG diploma courses in screen acting, screenwriting and documentary cinema, it completed its three-stage admission process for the first batch in October 2024. Fourteen faculty members, all experienced hands in the industry, have been brought on board the institute, including filmmakers Bishnu Dev Halder and Dominic Sangma, and actor-academic Meenu Hooda. However, as months passed, the new students found themselves without information on when the session would commence.
'The institute told us that classes on the campus would begin after we all went for the IFFI (International Film Festival of India) in November. We attended the festival, but for three more months, there was no clarity on when we would be called to the campus. In January, they suddenly said they would begin some online modules, but we said we had enrolled for a campus experience,' said one of the students.
In an email correspondence with students in January this year, the institute authorities said the campus was not 'fully ready for handover' and that nine of the 23 structures in the master plan were being readied for basic needs for the first semester. Two months later, the batch of 45 students was called to the campus in March to begin a semester initially meant to start in December 2024.
'When we came, we found that the hostels were not ready. The boys stay in the guest house and transit block, and the girls in the faculty quarters. That is manageable. But the biggest issue is that the classroom theatre (CRT), where our classes are supposed to be held, is not ready. The ground floor of the library is not ready, and the first floor has been divided into two halves with a curtain. On one side is the library, and on the other, 45 students have classes. The practical component of the acting course has not been possible because the performance lab is not ready. And then on the weekend, we had 12-13 hours of power cuts. The institute authorities do listen to our concerns, but the work is just not happening. We don't have a main gate or a boundary wall. We haven't even been given student ID cards,' said another student.
The students declared an 'indefinite academic halt' starting May 15, citing 'months of sustained administrative apathy and broken promises regarding even the most basic infrastructural and academic necessities.'
The institute's Deputy Registrar Deepak Kumar attributed the lack of readiness to delays by the Central Public Works Department, which is tasked with constructing the campus.
'At the time of admissions, in coordination with the CPWD, we got a timeline of when essential buildings would be ready to welcome students. So, admissions and the construction work were happening simultaneously. We admitted the students, but the CPWD could not complete the work. Once students are admitted, we can't go back. While we waited, some classes were done online, but students were not happy with that, and rightly so. We are in constant touch with them, and the Chief Engineer has said that the girls' hostel, a CRT classroom and a performance lab will be ready by the end of the month,' he said.
The CPWD's Executive Engineer in Itanagar cited reasons tied to the location of the campus as factors slowing down the progress of work in the institute.
'There are certain reasons for this. One is the remote location, where even mobile network is an issue. Because of the lack of local labour, all the labour is coming from outside Arunachal, which also brings with it Inner Line Permit issues. Materials are not easily available. There are two small bridges required to be taken to the site, so the construction material has to be loaded in small vehicles. All of this has contributed to work being slower than required, but it is progressing, and we handed over 10 of the 21 buildings, after which the students were brought to the campus,' said Executive Engineer Devesh Budhani.
'We explored the option of shifting the students to Kolkata or Pune, but they don't have enough infrastructure there to accommodate all of them. We have a monsoon break in June, and we hope they will be able to deliver some more buildings by the end of that,' said Deputy Registrar Kumar.
Another demand the students have raised is fee concessions because of the lack of facilities. Kumar said that the proposal has been forwarded to the ministry for consideration.
In a detailed response to The Indian Express's query about concerns raised by students, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that 'while there have been delays, the institute is closely coordinating with CPWD, the contractor and state departments to expedite the process'.
'Buildings are being handed over in a phased manner, and full completion is expected by December 2025,' it said. The process for finalising the institute's 'official name' is still underway, after which students will be given their ID cards, and a logo, website and social media handles will be published, it said. The ministry added that the institute is working on addressing other student concerns, such as electricity and water supply, and internet connectivity.