In a partial relief, the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) has extended contracts of faculty members appointed under Tata Education Trust (TET)-funded projects, till March 31, 2025. All these faculty members–over 100 teaching and non-teaching staff, were individually sent the new contracts on Monday, days before their contracts were scheduled to end on December 31, 2024.
Confirming the extension in contracts, a senior official from the TISS administration, said, “Even as the grace period for TET-funded-projects was scheduled to conclude by December end, the institute had funds to continue for another couple of months. Accordingly, the contracts have been renewed for another three months. A sustainability committee constituted by the administration is working for a long-term solution to make the projects self-sustainable.”
The official also said that the institute is hopeful to meet with the Tata Trust in January to discuss funding in future.
Earlier this year in June, citing lack of funds, TISS had discontinued contracts of over 100 staff members appointed under the TET-funded projects. The decision was withdrawn within days as TET assured extended funding. While the issue was resolved temporarily with additional funding, the institute had initially said this would allow the administration to continue TET-funded projects until December-end, and a committee of senior professors was constituted to find sustainable ways to continue the projects thereafter.
As December approached, talks began on campus on what happens to these faculty members after the grace period ends. Students had also sounded alarm bells as they feared losing faculty members in the middle of the academic year. But earlier this month, emphasising that there was no reason to worry for students and staff, the TISS administration assured that it had enough funds to continue TET-funded projects for another couple of months.
Welcoming the decision, a member from the Progressive Students Forum, a students’ group on TISS campus which has been raising the issue, said, “Not extending contracts would lead to a huge crisis at TISS with the term of 115 staff members ending in the middle of an academic year. But this is a temporary extension. We believe a permanent solution is extremely necessary and urge the administration to devise a long-term plan for the same.”
Why should you buy our Subscription?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be misled and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package
