NEW DELHI: The ongoing strike in FTII has brought focus on the badly-run state of affairs in the premier institute. What comes as a shocker is that with a spending of Rs 12 lakh per student a year, a film student is subsidized more than one studying medicine, management or engineering. The expense on about 350 FTII students is over three times higher than on an IIT student , which is around Rs 3.4 lakh a year. Spend on an IIM student is a shade higher at roughly Rs 5 lakh a year as compared to the IITs.The government spend on medical education at Rs 6 lakh a year per student is only half the money spent on budding filmmakers. Sources say the government devotes an estimated Rs 30 lakh over 5 years to a student to get an MBBS degree.The reason for this is the need for an attached hospital for every medical college accompanied with funds to recruit doctors, nursing and other hospital staff that add up to high recurring costs. Besides hospital maintenance, there is significant requirement for chemicals, infrastructure and equipment for medical students to undertake practical sessions.The subsidy burden for medical education is likely to go up further as the government plans to expand the number of seats in existing medical colleges such as AIIMS over the next three years.In its defence, FTII can claim to have given the Indian film industry well-known cinematic figures like Shyam Benegal, Raju Hirani and Jahnu Barua among many others. It also adds to the country’s soft power to supplement diplomacy.However, there is a case to be made for effective management of the institute. A cost review by the I&B ministry chief advisor found that the extent of recovery through fees, hostel rent and other expenses as a percentage of expenditure in academic activities in FTII has decreased from 25% in 2006-2007 to as low as 11% in 2010-2011. Add to that is the fact that 32 strikes in 50-odd years crippled the organization.Some of the illustrious alumni have expressed concern over the state of affairs and emphasised that it couldn’t be at the cost of the institute itself.