The Film & Television Institute of India has roped in a state-run security agency to replace a private security agency for guarding its sprawling campus here.
In a fleet of 42 security men, two would carry arms on special occasions, it said.
"There were instructions from the police department to upgrade the security and carry out a security audit for the last many years. After a letter bomb was received by my office in April this year, we thought of upgrading the security, and to safeguard the students and the staff, we decided to rope in Maharashtra State Security Corporation, a state government undertaking," said Bhupendra Kainthola, director of FTII.
There would be two armed security guards in the team.
"Though the two security guards are equipped with .303 rifles, instructions have been given that they will be deployed only on specific occasions such as Republic Day, Independence Day or if there are security alerts in the city," he said.
FTII being a national institute, it was the responsibility of management to safeguard the students and staff, he said.
However, a member of students association took exception to provision of armed guards. "Security guards with arms and camouflage attire on education campus is an intimidating image. It seems the government is trying to convert the education institutes into jail or army camp," he said.
FTII had witnessed a 139-day-long strike by the students last year against the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman. Police had booked some of the students for 'illegal confinement' of the then director Prashant Pathrabe.
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