TISSTA accuses TISS administration of misrepresenting staff appointments
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences Teachers Association (TISSTA) has strongly criticised the TISS administration for allegedly distorting facts regarding the employment status of 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff members
Mumbai: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences Teachers Association (TISSTA) has strongly criticised the TISS administration for allegedly distorting facts regarding the employment status of 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff members. According to TISSTA, these employees were appointed in accordance with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations and are not ‘project staff’ as claimed by the administration.
In a statement, TISSTA condemned TISS administration’s press release on July 10, which aimed to address concerns raised by alumni and TISSTA following the termination of 115 staff members. The association asserted that the staff in question have taken on full-time roles across various campuses, schools, and centres, akin to UGC-supported permanent positions. They have significantly contributed to academic programs, including teaching, workshops, dissertation guidance, and admissions processes.
TISSTA also criticised the administration for the lack of consultation with affected employees regarding the expiration of TET program grants on March 30, leading to termination notices and confusion. They demand clarity on the employment status of these staff members beyond December 31, 2024.
Furthermore, TISSTA highlighted the administration’s failure to revoke termination letters issued to faculty and non-teaching staff of the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies, despite assurances from the UGC about grant continuation. Requests for a faculty meeting to address these issues have been ignored, along with delays in declaring results for graduating students, jeopardising their careers.
Questioning the administration’s management of TISS’s transition to full funding by the Government of India, TISSTA called for transparency in negotiations with the Ministry of Education to ensure institutional stability and program continuity.
The association also criticised attempts to discredit student protests by the Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), asserting the students’ constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression. TISSTA emphasised the importance of upholding TISS’s values and called on the administration to ensure transparency, taking responsibility for securing the institute’s future and maintaining the quality of its academic programs.