Govt grants FTII Pune, SRFTI Kolkata deemed-to-be university status
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan called the decision to grant deemed-to-be university status to FTII Pune and SRFTI Kolkata as a historic leap towards world-class film and media education in India
New Delhi: The Union education ministry on Wednesday granted deemed-to-be university status to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata.
With this, both the institutes will now be eligible to launch doctoral, research, and innovative academic programmes besides their diploma programmes. They will adhere to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 guidelines. They will also participate in the National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, integrating the programmes with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), which allows students to accumulate, transfer, and redeem credits earned from various educational institutions and learning experiences.
Currently, FTII, Pune offers one undergraduate (UG) certificate course in animation and visual effects, five postgraduate (PG) certificate courses under its TV wing, and seven PG diploma courses under its film wing. SRFTI, Kolkata, offers PG programmes in cinema in six specializations of filmmaking and PG programmes in Electronics and Digital Media (EDM) in six specialisations.
On the advice of UGC, the education ministry grants deemed-to-be university status under the distinct category to institutions which offer courses and programmes with a unique focus and excellence in specific areas like Indian cultural heritage, skill development, sports, or languages, among others.
Calling the move a “historic leap towards world-class film and media education in India,” Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in a post on X said, “...The recognition will empower them, offer greater autonomy and flexibility, lead to research, innovation, and academic excellence in alignment with the vision of NEP 2020 and ensure these prestigious institutions transform into 21st-century temples of knowledge, innovation, research, and cinematic brilliance.”
Both these institutions will also be eligible for National Assessment and Accreditation (NAAC) accreditation.