Ending months of speculation, Pankaj Rag will take over as director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, on January 31. Rag, a 1990 batch IAS officer, will take charge from Tripurari Sharan, the outgoing director.

Confirming the news, Sharan said the notification to the effect had been issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. At present with with the Directorate of Archaeology and Archives in Bhopal, Rag,43, belongs to the Madhya Pradesh cadre. He has served as District Collector of Shyopur Kalan and Betul.

“I had applied for the post and was looking forward to coming to FTII and Pune,” said Rag, a voracious reader and author of a widely acclaimed book on Hindi film music directors. Titled Dhuno Ki Yaatra and published by Rajkamal Prakashan, the book in Hindi traces music directors in the film industry right from 1931 to 2005. “It’s the first book of its kind with the profile of many little-known music directors. It was released in 2006 with the second edition printed last year,” said Rag.

He also takes keen interest in culture and history. About his priorities, Rag said, “I am sure there is a lot we can do at a premier national institute like FTII as regards film research. I also plan to look at teaching modules and suggest improvements if needed”.