The storm over Gajendra Chauhan’s appointment as chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is unlikely to blow over soon. FTII students are protesting against the arbitrary nature of the appointment and the perceived unsuitability of Chauhan — a functionary of the Bhartiya Janata Party — for the job.
The appointment is also contrary to the BJP’s pledge in the education section of its election manifesto: “The procedures to make appointments to senior positions shall be made transparent and merit and ability shall be the sole criterion.” In many other higher education institutes (such as the Indian Council for Historical Research), the BJP has installed party supporters and sympathisers, disregarding the vow to keep “merit and ability” as deciding factors.
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