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After TISS notice on faculty joining protests, teachers say took leave to go to August Kranti
A day after Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) issued a circular stating faculty and staff members cannot join any demonstrations, teachers said they had taken
A day after Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) issued a circular stating faculty and staff members cannot join any demonstrations, teachers said they had taken half-day leaves to participate in the protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in August Kranti Maidan on Thursday.
More than 25 faculty members had joined the protest on Thursday, said Bal Rakshase, president of the teachers’ association.
TISS’s circular, signed by the institute’s acting registrar MP Balamurugan, was released later on Thursday evening. The circular stated that as TISS is funded by the government of India, staff and faculty members cannot join any protests against the government during working hours. It added that participation of faculty members in protests during working hours was against the conduct rules and absence owing to the same would be treated as unauthorised.
On Friday, TISS faculty members told HT they had taken a half-day leave to participate in the protest and so, there was no breach of conduct rules. “We are aware of the conduct rules. I had instructed teachers willing to participate in the protest to take a half-day leave so we don’t break any rules,” said Rakshase. He said faculty members took classes till 4pm, after which they proceeded to join the protest. “Some 20-25 faculty members, including me, went to the protest, but we did so in our own time, after taking a leave. That is not unauthorised,” Rakshase said.
Meanwhile, students slammed the institute’s administration for issuing the circular. “Look at the hypocrisy of the institute. When it comes to protests, we are a public-funded institute. While increasing our fees, the institute compares itself to private ones,” said a student on the condition of anonymity. The matter of fee revision has been a bone of contention between the institute and students, sparking protests over the past two years.
