Pathrabe gets additional charge of FTII director

Senior Indian Information Service officer Prashant Pathrabe, currently director of Press Information Bureau, Pune region, was on Friday given additional charge as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII).

"Patharbe has been given only the additional charge as the Director of the premiere institute (FTII). As far as I know, in spite of the ministry order, he has not joined his new office today. May be he will do it on Monday," FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.

The appointment comes after FTII students went on strike over Chauhan's selection as the institute's chairman.

A meeting between the students' representative body and the information and broadcasting ministry was held early this month over the issue. However, the ministry refused to change its decision about the appointment.

Pathrabe, a 1992 batch officer, takes over from D.J. Narain whose term is ending this week.

A senior teacher at FTII told IANS that Pathrabe had visited the institute on Friday after receiving the order, but did not join work.