BENGALURU: From this year onwards, students who want admissions into the Government Film and Television Institute (GFTI) will need to have done their schooling in the state itself. Observers say that this tilts the balance in favour of those who belong to Karnataka, but the college principal sees nothing wrong with this and says that people from other states should study there.
Clarifying the new rules Prof Vijayakumar R, principal, GFTI says, “Only students who have done their schooling from classes one to 10 in the state in either state board schools or even CBSE or ICSE schools will be eligible to apply for the Institute.”
The institute has two three-year diploma courses – in cinematography and sound engineering – with each having around 30 seats. “We have already filled 50 per cent of the seats in each of the courses and admissions will be carried on till August 14.”
Asked if the new rules will be harmful to the diversity of the institute, Vijayakumar says, “States such as Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have their own film institutes. Some of these states have more than one film institutes. So I think students belonging to these states should study in their own places.” In any case, majority of the students in government-run film institutes in other states are usually residents of the respective states, claims Vijayakumar. “Our fees are only `4,000 for general students and `1,300 for students from backward categories. At such low rates, we are giving students a very good film education. In other institutes, the fees are as high as `1 lakh per year” adds Vijayakumar.
A senior student from the institute who is from Kerala says that it was totally wrong on the part of the government to allow such a move to restrict students from other states to join the Institute. “I admire film artistes from Karnataka and other parts of India. A move such as this will affect the diversity and learning experience of the students and inturn impact the kind of work they bring out,” says the senior.
Pradeep KP, from Pedestrian Pictures, says he is against this restrictive admission policy. “It is well known that GFTI has a number of problems such as lack of staff and facilities,” he says.
“The administration should concentrate on solving such issues rather than bringing about policies that are harmful to film education in the state.” According to him, many of the students who have been protesting against such problems at GFTI are those from outside the state. “I think there is a general feeling that there will be greater control if only students from the state study at GFTI,” he adds.
Minimum qualification lowered
Another change in the admission rules is the minimum eligibility which has been reduced from class 12 till last year to SSLC or other equivalent examination.