The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), citing lack of University Grants Commission (UGC) funding, has terminated the contracts of around 16 faculty in three of its academic centres — Inclusive Policy, Human Rights and Women’s Studies.
Director of TISS S. Parasuraman said these positions were set up as a part of the 11th and 12th Five Year Plans, and the UGC has not given funds to these centres in two years. Due to this, the institute is facing a loss of ₹5 crore and the TISS cannot afford to pay the salaries, he said. “The current Five Year Plan expires on March 31, and as such, the faculty members’ contracts will lapse on that date. In the absence of information that confirms the renewal of funding for the centres, faculty members’ contracts stand lapsed.”
However, many TISS faculty members feel the issue reveals uncertainty and lack of transparency in the institute’s administration. “For a long time, faculty members have felt that the governance at our institution has been unclear. Faculty members whose positions are terminated felt unprepared, and were not aware of the gravity of the situation. We still don’t know exactly how many faculty members this will affect, or how this process was begun. Many of us were at work in TISS on Friday, but were not informed of these developments,” a professor, who declined to be named, said.
Bindhulakshmi P., a professor at the Women’s Studies Centre whose contract has lapsed, said she cannot comment on the status of her employment as she is awaiting further developments.
In an email to faculty, Professor Parasuraman said he would be in New Delhi from March 29 to March 31 to meet the authorities at the UGC and the Ministry for Human Resource Development on what is being planned for the three TISS centres. Faculty members whose contracts are currently terminated could resume their teaching positions if UGC funding and confirmation could be secured, he said.
