TISS sacks 26 staffers from Hyderabad campus; 100 across India

Hyderabad: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has terminated over 100 teaching and non-teaching staff members across its campuses with a notice period of just two days.

In the Hyderabad campus, termination notice has been served to 19 faculty members and seven non-teaching staff.

This abrupt decision has sparked outrage within the TISS community and has been condemned by the Progressive Students’ Organization (PSO).

Why were the TISS faculty terminated?

On Friday, TISS dismissed 55 faculty members and nearly 60 non-teaching staff members across its four campuses. This includes 19 faculty members and seven non-teaching staff from the Hyderabad campus, half of the teaching staff and all non-teaching staff from the Guwahati campus. The dismissed staff members were all contractual employees, some of whom had been with the institute for over a decade.

The institute cited the non-receipt of grants from the Tata Education Trust, which was funding their salaries, as the reason for the terminations.

An email from the office of the officiating registrar, Anil Sutar, explained, “The institute tried its best for the release of a grant from Tata Education Trust for the purpose of salary. The institute made several attempts for the release of the grant through official correspondence and personal meetings with the Tata Education Trust and the decision regarding further extension of the grant period has not yet been received from Tata Education Trust.”

Students condemn sudden mass termination

The Progressive Students’ Organisation has strongly condemned the decision and urged the TISS community to unite against it.

In a statement, they said, “We condemn the decision taken by TISS of mass termination and urge the TISS community to unitedly raise their voice against such unjust decisions taken under the BJP-led Union government. This decision blindsided the teaching and non-teaching staff and created a situation of panic among students, thereby putting the future of TISS at risk.”

Faculty link terminations to changes in UGC

Faculty members have linked the terminations to changes in the University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, which last year brought TISS under the Central government’s purview of appointments. However, the TISS administration has denied any connection between the UGC regulations and the dismissals.

According to the TISS administration, they have approached the Tata Education Trust multiple times over the past six months to secure the continuation of grants. They were required to submit a proposal for the continuation of the grants, which they claim to have done.

The email from the registrar’s office stated, “In the event of non-receipt of approval/ grant from Tata Education Trust, their services would come to an end with effect from June 30.”

Immediate actions

In response to the mass termination, the TISS Teachers Association held an urgent meeting on Saturday to discuss the matter and strategise their next steps.