As a partial relief, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has extended the contracts of faculty members appointed under projects funded by the Tata Education Trust (TET) till March 31, 2025. All of these faculty members — more than 100 teaching and non-teaching staff — were personally sent new contracts on Monday, days before their contracts expire on December 31, 2024.
Confirming the extension in the agreement, a senior official of the TISS administration said, “Though the grace period for TET-funded-projects was scheduled to end by the end of December, the institute had funds to continue for another two months. Accordingly, the contract has been renewed for another three months. The sustainability committee formed by the administration to make the project self-sustainable is working for a long-term solution.”
The official also said that the institute hopes to meet the Tata Trust in January to discuss future funding.
Earlier this year in June, He said there was a lack of fundsTISS had canceled the contracts of more than 100 staff members appointed under TET-funded projects. The decision was withdrawn within days after the TET assured of extended funding. Although the problem was temporarily solved by providing additional funds, the institute initially told the administration that it would continue the project under the TET grant until the end of December and then a committee of senior professors was formed to find a sustainable way to continue the project.
As December approached, discussions began on campus about what would happen to these faculty members after the grace period ended. Fearing the loss of faculty members in the middle of the academic session, students also raised alarm bells. But earlier this month, stressing that there was no cause for concern for students and staff, the TISS administration assured that there was sufficient funds to continue the TET-funded projects for another two months.
Welcoming the decision, a member of Progressive Student Forum, a group of students who have been raising the issue on the TISS campus, said, “Not extending the contract will lead to a major crisis in TISS as the tenure of 115 staff members expires. in the middle of an academic year. But this is a temporary extension. We believe that a permanent solution is very necessary and urge the administration to make a long-term plan for it. “
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