IIMC, SRFTI and FTII to get national tag

NEW DELHI: In a move that is likely to give a boost to international collaborations and funding, three premier institutes — Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) — will be awarded status of institute of national importance and the power to award degrees.

The proposals mooted by the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry that will give greater autonomy to the institutes is likely to come before the Union Cabinet soon. This will put the institutes in the league of IITs and AIIMS. 

Sources said the cabinet notes for SRFTI and FTII had been cleared by the law ministry while the one for IIMC was in the final stages. The proposals were announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the Union budget on July 10. Sources said that the three institutes are reputed organizations in the media education sector but could only grant diplomas. 

“Our institutes are already well known across the country and the world. With this decision, we will be able to increase international collaborations, award degrees, improve infrastructure and funding for research,” one source said. 

Plans are also afoot to introduce advanced academic programmes in the institute such as MA, MPhil and PhD in IIMC. IIMC is headquartered in Delhi and has five regional centres in Aizawl (Mizoram), Amravati (Maharashtra), Dhenkanal (Odisha), Jammu & Kashmir and Kottyam (Kerala). 

The decision is likely to give a significant thrust to film education in the country with both noted institutes being made institutes of national importance. The proposals have been pending for several years now under the UPA regime but sources said the approvals are now likely to come soon. Once approved, the three proposals will require parliamentary sanction.