TISS Lays Off 115 Staff Members Across Four Campuses Amid Funding Shortfall.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has reportedly dismissed 115 staff members from its four campuses due to a lack of funds from the Tata Education Trust, according to Indian Express. Among the teaching staff let go, 20 were from the Mumbai campus, 15 from Hyderabad, 14 from Guwahati, and six from Tuljapur.

The dismissals affected 55 faculty members and approximately 60 non-teaching staff, with the Mumbai campus being the hardest hit. These staff members, many of whom had been with the institute for over a decade, were all on contractual terms.

Interestingly, TISS posted a vacancy for an Associate Professor on contract the day after the mass dismissals, specifically for the School of Habitat Studies, with a deadline for applications set for July 9, 2024. Additionally, a few days prior, TISS had advertised for temporary guest faculty positions for its Tuljapur campus, which were also affected by the dismissals.

An email from the office of acting registrar Anil Sutar informed the dismissed staff that TISS had made extensive efforts to secure grant funds from the Tata Education Trust to cover salaries. Despite multiple correspondences and meetings, the decision regarding the extension of the grant period remained pending, leading to the termination of services effective June 30.