Leadership

Hon'ble Cabinet Minister; Hon'ble Minister for Railways; Information & Broadcasting; Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw (born in 1970) is a Member of the Rajya Sabha from Odisha. He served the people of Sundergarh, Balasore, Cuttack, and Goa. He earned a Master’s in Technology from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from Wharton. He brings a combination of skills in technology, finance, and its application to the weakest sections of society. He firmly believes in the philosophy of ‘Antyodaya’, i.e., transforming the lives of the marginalized sections of society.

Hon'ble Minister of State, Petroleum and Natural Gas; Tourism, Government of India.

Shri Suresh Gopinathan, widely known as Suresh Gopi, is an Indian actor, politician, and television presenter. Born on June 26, 1958, in Kollam, Kerala, he has made significant contributions to the Indian entertainment industry and politics.

Shri Suresh Gopi initially gained fame as a versatile actor in the Malayalam film industry. He made his acting debut in the film "Odaruthammava Aalariyam" in 1984 and went on to establish himself as one of the leading actors in the industry. Known for his intense performances, he has acted in numerous successful films across various genres, earning several accolades for his work.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha in 2016, representing the state of Kerala. His entry into politics brought a new dimension to his public persona, and he has been an influential figure in Kerala's political landscape.

Apart from his work in films and politics, Shri Suresh Gopi has also been associated with television. He has hosted popular shows and has been a familiar face on the small screen.

Shri Suresh Gopi's career is characterized by his ability to excel in diverse fields, showcasing his versatility and commitment. Whether it is delivering powerful performances on the silver screen, actively participating in politics, or engaging audiences on television, Shri Suresh Gopi continues to be a prominent and respected figure in Indian public life.

email: chairman@srfti.ac.in

Shri Santosh Ajmera, a senior Indian Information Service officer, has assumed the charge as Additional Director General, Press Information Bureau (PIB), and Vice-Chancellor, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata. Prior to these assignments, Shri Ajmera, served on various important positions in Govt of India, including as Joint Secretary, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Director, Election Commission of India, OSD for National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM) and as In-charge of Maharashtra and Goa region for publicity and campaign activities. He also served the then Union Ministers, Shri Prakash Javadekar and Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore. His prior experiences also include Government communication, media engagement, public outreach and of films during his earlier stints, and during the mission mode project for conservation, preservation, digitisation and restoration of filmic heritage for the country, during NFHM project, would come handy while serving at both the organisations at PIB and SRFTI in Kolkata. Shri Ajmera is a 2008 batch, Indian Information Service officer, received an UK-based International Electoral Award for Citizen Engagement, 2024 from the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies, for his exemplary contribution towards the conduct of Indian elections and voter engagement activities, during the Parliamentary Elections 2024. Earlier, Shri Ajmera headed the National Film Heritage Mission, the Government of India’s flagship programme for preserving, restoring and digitising India’s filmic heritage. It was one of the biggest projects in the world, towards preservation and promotion of India’s Cinematic heritage. Shri Ajmera is also known for his contribution to digital public communication. He conceptualised and established the Social Media Communication Hub and Talkathon, a platform designed to strengthen direct engagement between the Government and citizens through social media. For this work, he received the Web Ratna Platinum Award in 2014. An accomplished author, Shri Ajmera has written 10 books on governance, ethics, public administration, leadership and electoral processes. His publications include Electing the First Citizen: An Illustrated Chronicle of India’s Presidential Elections, published by the Election Commission of India and presented as the first copy to the Hon’ble President of India, and a book titled Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude, published by McGraw Hill Education, among few other publications. Shri Ajmera has completed his Masters in International Electoral Management and Practices and also did the certification courses through IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, and IIT Mumbai. He has done a Film Preservation Programme also through International Federation of Film Archives.

email: vc@srfti.ac.in

Shri Vipin Vijay, a multiple award-winning filmmaker, is an alumnus of SRFTI. He has been engaged in his search for new cinematic forms since 2000, working in the domain of creative documentary , film essay, feature film, and video art. He has participated in seminars, conferences, and workshops on various themes related to cinema, visual culture, and pedagogy of cinema, and has taught extensively at national film schools across the country. Also served as an Academic committee member, Board of Studies, University of Calicut, Syllabus Committee Member FTIl Pune, and was a Jury member on several occasions in national and international film festivals. He has made several nationally and internationally acclaimed and awarded non-fiction and fiction works, which were exhibited in film festivals of Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary, Oberhausen, São Paulo, Nantes, Montreal, Japan, Vladivostok, IFFL, IFFK etc. Recipient of film grants from Rotterdam, Gothenburg, Global Film Initiative, PSBT, IGNCA, IFA, etc, his works have also been shown under curatorial programs in art museums like Serpentine Gallery, London, Alserkal Arts Foundation, Dubai, Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UGCA), Beijing. He has received International awards, several National Awards, Kerala State Awards, Sanskriti Award for his works. The prestigious Oberhausen International Film Festival, Germany, 2015, honored him with a specially curated retrospective of his works. He was the ‘Film Maker in Focus’ at the IDSFFK, 2017.

email: dean@srfti.ac.in

Shri Deepak Kumar is an engineering graduate who joined the Indian Information Service in 2018. As a civil servant, he has held key positions across various media units under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.

He served as Assistant Director at DD News, where he was responsible for newsroom operations and programming, and also worked as the Editor-in-Charge of the bilingual news channel. He was later posted to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as a Reference Officer.

Prior to joining SRFTI, Shri Kumar was posted in Itanagar, where he headed the Regional News Units of Doordarshan and All India Radio.

His diverse experience across broadcasting, institutional administration, and policy communication adds a unique perspective to his role at SRFTI.

email: registrar@srfti.ac.in