TISS DISMISSES OVER 100 STAFFERS AS TATA TRUSTS STOP FUNDS, SAY REPORTS

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has dismissed more than 100 staffers across its four campuses over the lack of funds, according to reports.

The TISS has four campuses in Maharashtra's Mumbai and Tuljapur, Telangana's Hyderabad, and Assam's Guwahati.

Among more than 100 staffers dismissed are 55 teachers and 60 non-teaching staff members, according to The Indian Express.

Among the teachers, the newspaper reported that 20 were dismissed from the Mumbai campus, 15 from Hyderabad, 14 from Guwahati, and six from Tuljapur.

All of them were contractual staffers who have been let-go as there have been no funds from the Tata Education Trust which funds their salaries. The permanent teachers at the TISS have not been affected as they are on the payroll of then Union government's University Grants Commission (UGC).

The TISS is a deemed university and is funded by the Union government. Last year, the government changed the UGC's norms such that it would appoint the chiefs of all deemed universities funded to the tune of above 50 per cent by it instead of their own governing bodies. This also included TISS. The paper reported that the dismissals were linked to this but the institute denied any connection between the two developments.

'We tried our best'

The TISS tried its best to get the funds released from the Tata Trusts, but it could not happen, said an email to the dismissed staffers.

"The institute tried its best for the release of grant from Tata Education Trust for the purpose of salary. The institute made several attempts for the release of grant through official correspondence and personal meetings with the Tata Education Trust and the decision regarding further extension of grant period has not yet been received from Tata Education Trust," said an email from the officiating registrar's office to the dismissed staffers, as per The Express.

Separately, Professor Manoj Kumar Tiwari, the head of TISS, told the Hindustan Times that the dismissed staffers were working on projects that were funded by the Tata Trusts and, as the funding stopped, the means for their salaries also stopped and they had to be let go. He further said that they would reappointed if the funding from the Tata Trusts resumes.

2024-06-30T07:16:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd