The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) today said it has withdrawn the notices of non-renewal of contracts to 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff and asked them to continue their work.
In the circular, TISS said all 55 faculty and 60 non-teaching staff were appointed under programmes funded by the Tata Education Trust (TET) and were on a contractual basis with an exact programme period.
The contracts of the teaching and non-teaching staff at four TISS campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati were due to end today.
Ongoing discussions with the Tata Education Trust have assured that resources will be made available to TISS to resolve this issue, the circular said, adding that TET has committed to release funds for salaries of TET project/programme faculty and non-teaching staff.
“The letter numbered Admn/5(1) TET-Faculty and Staff/2024, dated 28th June 2024, addressed to all concerned TET Programme faculty and non-teaching staff, is hereby withdrawn with immediate effect.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 non-renewal of the contracts had invited sharp criticism from students body and fellow faculty members.
These contracts were issued for the teaching and non-teaching staff from grants received from the Tata Trust, a faculty member said and accused the TISS administration of not foreseeing 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 on time,” 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 (of 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.
Some of the teaching staff members were even part of the interview process which selects candidates for academic sessions for various courses last month, the person said.
“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 the part of the administration which could not foresee what was coming,” the faculty member claimed.
Usually, contracts expire and teaching members continue to work, another faculty member said, adding that in the past, no notice of termination of contracts was given. “It seems this was done deliberately,” he claimed.
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.
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