TISS staff retain jobs as TET secures funding extension

TISS extends employment for 115 staff until March 2026 after securing a ₹5 crore grant from Tata Education Trust, ensuring stability and quality education.

Mumbai: The services of 115 teaching and non-teaching staff at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), funded by the Tata Education Trust (TET), will now continue until March 31, 2026. This decision follows a successful effort by the administration to secure a grant of ₹5 crore from TET.

TISS staff retain jobs as TET secures funding extension

Earlier this year, on June 28, 2024, TISS terminated the contracts of 55 faculty members and 60 non-teaching staff across its four campuses. Termination letters issued at the time indicated that their contracts would not be renewed, and their services would end on June 30, 2024. However, widespread concern arose after students and staff highlighted that many of the affected teachers were actively involved in ongoing projects and conducting classes across various courses.

In response, TET initially extended funding for the 115 staff members until December 31, 2024. Subsequently, TISS announced in late December that the contracts would be further extended until March 31, 2025. With the recent ₹5-crore grant from TET, the staff will now remain employed through March 2026.

Expressing gratitude, Shankar Das, pro-vice chancellor of TISS, said, “TISS expresses its deepest gratitude to TET for their unparalleled generosity and visionary support. This grant will further amplify TISS’ impact, enabling the institution to expand its reach, elevate its research capabilities, and design cutting-edge programmes that address the ever-evolving challenges of our times.”

A senior TISS official added, “We are working on a sustainability plan, which will be developed in the coming months. This plan will include innovative ideas and courses designed to help raise additional funds for the institute. With this grant, TISS will move closer to becoming financially self-sustainable.”

The extension offers much-needed stability to the affected staff and reinforces TISS’s commitment to delivering quality education and research.