Hearing the plea of a colour blind student, the Supreme Court has directed the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and other institutes to allow admission to students with the condition. The admission of Ashutosh Kumar, a student from Patna, was cancelled by the FTII after he was found to be colour blind, a leading news agency reported.

The institute had cited its rules that don’t allow colour blind candidates to apply for a few courses like film editing. Challenging the move, Kumar approached the Bombay High Court in 2016 which rejected his plea. The court noted that FTII had set up an admission committee to review its admission criteria. After assessment, the committee found 6 out of 12 courses at the FTII to be not suitable for colour blind candidates.

Also read| TISS, CGF Offer Fellowship for Transgender Community with Stipend Up to Rs 2.4 Lakh

As the matter was brought before the Supreme Court, it formed a 7-member expert committee to look into it. Subsequently, the court observed that aspiring filmmakers cannot be denied admission just because they are colour blind. The court also rejected the submission of the institute and said that a change was needed.