TISS Reverses Decision to Terminate Over 100 Staff Contracts:Tata trust to release funds

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has announced that contracts for over 100 teaching and non-teaching staff at its campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati, set to expire on June 30, will now continue. This decision comes after strong opposition from faculty and students.

TISS initially issued a notice to terminate these contracts, which prompted significant backlash. However, after discussions with the Tata Education Trust (TET), the institute secured the necessary funding to extend the contracts.

In a statement, TISS confirmed, “Ongoing discussions with the Tata Education Trust have provided assurance that resources will be made available to TISS to resolve this issue. TET has committed to releasing funds for the salaries of TET project/programme faculty and non-teaching staff.”

TISS, established in 1936 and funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), operates under the TISS Society governed by UGC guidelines. The Tata Trust funds the contracts for its teaching and non-teaching staff.

The notice to terminate contracts has now been withdrawn, and staff are requested to continue their work. TISS assured that salaries would be disbursed once the TET Support Grant is received.

The Progressive Students Forum criticized the TISS administration, demanding the immediate reversal of the termination notices. They blamed the current leadership and the Union government for the situation, warning that the “mass termination” would lead to a staff shortage and negatively impact students’ futures, potentially paving the way for “politically motivated” appointments.