The Indian Express: Pune: Saturday, January 06, 2018.
While his
appointment as chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in
2015 had triggered massive student protests, Gajendra Chauhan and his team had
sought an extension of their tenure, according to information obtained under
the Right To Information Act. Chauhan and his team argued that due to student
protests, they had assumed charge late and effectively got a shorter term than
usual, which ended in March 2017.
The I&B
Ministry turned down the request.
Documents
from the ministry reveal that institute director Bhupendra Kainthola had
written to it, two months before the tenure of FTII Society, led by Chauhan,
ended. The letter sent to then joint secretary (films) Anshu Sinha on January
3, 2017, stated, “In 54th meeting of FTII Society, held on November 8, 2016…(it
was resolved that) a proposal may be sent to the Ministry for counting of block
of three years of FTII Society from the date of 1st meeting, that is January 7,
2016, instead of March 3, 2014.”
The ministry
decided to “relieve the non-official members of the Society” including Chauhan,
of charge.
Chauhan told
The Indian Express that it was the governing vouncil’s decision to write to the
Ministry. “…Whatever I could in that limited tenure, I did. I received a
certificate of sorts from CAG, which appreciated my work…”
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