The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has not renewed the contracts of more than 100 teaching and non-teaching staffers, according to claims made by some faculty members, which has sparked sharp criticism from both teachers and a students’ body.
“Some faculty members told PTI on condition of anonymity that the contracts of the teaching and non-teaching staff at four TISS campuses — Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati — were due to end on June 30,” they said.
“A bulk of them worked on the TISS campuses other than Mumbai,” the faculty members added.
Explaining the situation, one faculty member stated, “These contracts were initially issued for teaching and non-teaching staff using grants from the Tata Trust. Over the last 10-15 years, we have received funding to employ additional faculty for various courses. However, the renewal and extension of these grants have not occurred in a timely manner.”
“We were informed about the non-renewal of contracts on June 28. Despite our request to delay issuing termination letters until hearing from the Tata Trust and exploring solutions, our appeal was not accepted by the TISS administration,” the faculty member continued.
“Some teaching staff members participated in the recent interview process for selecting candidates for academic sessions last month,” they added.
“We raised concerns about funding status last month and were assured there was no cause for concern. Suddenly, notices were issued citing lack of funds for non-renewal of contracts. This indicates serious mismanagement by the administration,” claimed the faculty member.
Another faculty member expressed, “Usually, contracts expire and teaching staff continue to work without receiving termination notices in the past. This seems to be a deliberate action.”
“It’s a distressing situation here. Everyone is shocked,” said yet another faculty member.
In response, a students’ body of the institute released a statement demanding the immediate revocation of the “termination” of faculty and staff members by the TISS administration.
“The mass termination will create a scarcity of teaching and non-teaching staff, directly impacting the future of enrolled students. It may also pave the way for politically motivated appointments in the future,” the Progressive Students Forum warned.
“The BJP-led central government and the current TISS administration are squarely responsible for depriving nearly a hundred employees of their livelihoods and jeopardising the future of its students,” the forum asserted.
“The recent mishandling of nationwide entrance examinations by the Ministry of Education only underscores the incompetence of the central government,” they concluded.
With inputs from PTI