SRFTI to become a university soon

The highly respected institute for film studies in West Bengal, the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) may very soon become a deemed university. It may also be given the status of an institute of national institute.

"We expect to achieve university status very soon," veteran actor Ranjit Mallick, who is also the president of SRFTI society, said at the institute's convocation today.

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, who was also present on the occasion, said both the two institutes under her ministry, Pune-based Film and Television Institute (FTII) and SRFTI, are being upgraded to cater to the ever-increasing, highly skilled and specialised manpower requirement of the film and TV industry.

"Measures are being taken to declare these two institutes, as Institutions of National Importance through an Act of the Parliament," she said.

As part of the curriculum restructuring at SRFTI, a short-term course on cinema acting is going to be introduced in the next academic session for the first time.

Adding a separate TV wing to the institute, the government has decided to introduce a 'Centre for TV Excellence' at SRFTI at a total cost of Rs 65 crore through the 12th Five Year Plan, the minister said.

This centre will have two TV floors to cater to the requirement of students.