Protest by 2020 batch of FTII Pune students enters sixth day

In a distressing turn of events, the condition of three students on a hunger strike at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India worsens as they enter their sixth day. 

Concerns are growing for their health, as one of the students has been advised by a doctor to seek immediate hospitalization. Shockingly, despite the severity of the situation, no representatives from the administration have visited the protesting students yet.

These students have been demonstrating against a recent decision made by the Academic Council, which pertains to the expulsion of a student from the 2020 batch. 

The council’s decision proposes to admit the affected student to the next batch under discriminatory supernumerary conditions.

As per the students, the administration has scheduled an Academic Council meeting for the 30th of May 2023, however the current circumstances demand urgent resolution. 

It is crucial for the administration to promptly address the students’ concerns, engage in dialogue with them, and ensure their immediate well-being. 

Given the urgency of the matter, one of the students on hunger strike requires immediate medical attention and should be transferred to a hospital without delay. Additionally, two more students from the 2020 batch have decided to join the hunger strike, further intensifying the protest.

The demands put forth by the 2020 batch students include several key points. First, they demand that the expelled student be reinstated in the 2020 batch without any discriminatory conditions, following the remedial measures recommended for four other students. Furthermore, the students insist that the semester for the 2020 batch should restart from the beginning once the strike ends.