Film and Television Institute, Arunachal Pradesh Students Launch Indefinite Academic Strike; Demand Basic Facilities

The FTI ArP, recently granted Deemed University status along with FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata, was envisioned as a premier institution for aspiring filmmakers.

The inaugural batch of students at the Film and Television Institute, Arunachal Pradesh (FTI ArP), has initiated an indefinite academic halt starting May 15, 2025, protesting severe administrative apathy and unfulfilled promises regarding basic infrastructure and academic necessities. This marks the second such action by the students, following a similar protest in March 2025, which yielded no tangible progress despite assurances from the administration.

In a strongly worded statement, the students highlighted critical issues plaguing the institute, including the absence of clean drinking water, unreliable electricity, lack of power backup, inadequate campus security, and incomplete academic facilities such as the Classroom Theatre (CRT) and post-production blocks. Students report falling ill due to unsafe water, facing frequent internet outages, and attending classes in unfinished, unsafe spaces. The institute also lacks a formal name, logo, website, student ID cards, and a full-time director, leaving administrative functions in disarray due to understaffing and mismanagement.

“This second academic halt is not a symbolic act,” the students declared. “It is a refusal to continue learning in conditions that are physically unsafe, emotionally draining, and academically untenable.” They demand immediate completion of essential infrastructure, safe drinking water, uninterrupted electricity, functional academic spaces, and formal accountability from the administration. The students have vowed not to resume academic activities until these basic rights are met.

The Arunachal Film Collective (AFC) has expressed strong support for the students, condemning the “systemic failure” and urging the state government and the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to act swiftly. The AFC emphasized the lack of institutional leadership and basic recognition for students, such as identity cards and a dedicated logo, as a “denial of identity to future filmmakers and storytellers.”

JNUSU Extends Solidarity

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has also voiced unwavering support for the FTI students, condemning the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the BJP-RSS government for their “gross negligence and systematic abandonment” of the institute. JNUSU labeled FTI ArP a “symbol of deliberate underdevelopment,” pointing to the lack of basic amenities like clean water, proper classrooms, and campus security. They argue that the students’ strike is a “desperate outcry for dignity, accountability, and justice.”

JNUSU contextualized the crisis within a broader attack on public education, citing a 61% cut in the University Grants Commission’s budget for 2024-25, from ₹6,409 crore to ₹2,500 crore, which has impacted institutions nationwide, particularly those serving marginalized communities. They referenced similar struggles at JNU, where entrance exams have been scrapped and new academic programs launched without adequate infrastructure.

JNUSU demanded that the Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting immediately address the students’ demands, including providing proper infrastructure, a safe campus, clean water, stable electricity, official recognition, and a full-time director. “These are not extraordinary demands; they are the bare minimum that a national institute must provide,” the statement read. “Anything less is a betrayal of the students and the very idea of public education.”

Wider Support and Ongoing Crisis

The students’ plight has gained attention on platforms like X, where users have criticized the lack of media coverage and described the campus as resembling a construction site with no access to clean water or proper facilities. The New Indian Express reported that the 45 students, pursuing two-year diploma courses in Screen Acting, Documentary Cinema, and Screen Writing, were meant to begin their academic year in August 2024 but were delayed until March 2025 due to incomplete infrastructure.

The FTI ArP, recently granted Deemed University status along with FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata, was envisioned as a premier institution for aspiring filmmakers.

As the indefinite strike continues, the students remain resolute, supported by allies across the country, in their fight for a safe, dignified, and academically viable environment. The ball is now in the court of the administration and the government to address this crisis and fulfill their obligations to these students and the future of Indian cinema.

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