The contracts for both teaching and non-teaching staff across the four TISS campuses—Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati—were set to expire on June 30.
Mumbai: The notices given to 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff of non-renewal of contracts have been withdrawn and they have been asked to continue their work, said the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Sunday.
TISS announced in a circular that all 55 faculty members and 60 non-teaching staff had been appointed through programs financed by the Tata Education Trust (TET) on a contractual basis for a specific program duration. The contracts for both teaching and non-teaching staff across the four TISS campuses—Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati—were set to expire on June 30.
The circular stated that ongoing discussions with the Tata Education Trust have assured that resources will be allocated to TISS for resolving this issue. Furthermore, the Trust has pledged to release funds for the salaries of faculty and non-teaching staff involved in TET projects and programs.
“The letter numbered Admn/5(1) TET-Faculty & Staff/2024, dated 28th June 2024, addressed to all concerned TET Programme faculty and non-teaching staff, is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect. They are requested to continue their work, and salaries will be released as soon as the TET Support Grant is received by the institute,” the circular said.
The decision not to renew contracts has drawn severe criticism from both the student body and fellow faculty members. A faculty member noted that the contracts for teaching and non-teaching staff were funded by grants from the Tata Trust. The TISS administration has been accused of a lack of foresight regarding the situation.
“It is over the last 10-15 years that we have been receiving grants for employing additional faculty to teach various courses. That funding was to be renewed. The no-cost extension and renewal of grant doesn’t seem to have happened in a timely manner,” the person said.
“We were apprised on June 28 about the non-renewal of contracts. We told the TISS administration not to issue the letters (pertaining to non-renewal of contracts) till it hears from the Tata Trust. Let us try to find a solution. But our appeal did not find favour,” the faculty member said.
Last month, some of the teaching staff members participated in the interview process that selects candidates for academic sessions across various courses, according to the person.
“We asked the administration about the status of funding last month and we were told there was no reason to worry. But, suddenly notices were issued that contracts have not been renewed due to lack of funds. This is sheer mismanagement on part of the administration which could not foresee what was coming,” the faculty member claimed.
Another faculty member stated that contracts typically expire while teaching members carry on with their work. Historically, no notice for contract termination was provided. “It appears to have been done intentionally,” he alleged.
The Progressive Students Forum on Saturday claimed the episode is a complete failure of the current TISS administration in running the institute and apathy of the BJP-led Union government. “The recent blunders made by the Ministry of Education in conducting nationwide entrance examinations only add to the incompetence of the central government,” it charged.
(With PTI inputs)
