After withdrawal of contract non-renewal notices, TISS teachers seek service regularisation

Mumbai, Jul 1 (PTI) A teachers association at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has termed the withdrawal of notices issued to faculty members and staff for non-renewal of their contracts as short-term relief and sought regularisation of services of Tata Education Trust faculty members and staff.

It also demanded filling the backlog of positions and new UGC posts.

Tata Institute of Social Sciences Teachers Association (TISSTA) on Monday expressed concern about the lack of clarity on financial sustainability and the future of faculty members and staff under TET along with the 7th Pay Commission parity.

TISSTA also claimed the notices issued to staff in the Advanced Centre for Women Studies have still not been retracted.

TISS on Sunday said it had withdrawn the notices given to 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff of non-renewal of contracts and asked them to continue their work.

TISS had stated all 55 faculty and 60 non-teaching staff were appointed under programs funded by Tata Education Trust (TET) and were on a contractual basis with an exact programme period.

"TISS has withdrawn the notices issued to the faculty and staff over the lack of funding from the Tata Education Trust (TET). Following a meeting between TISS administration and TET on Sunday, the order for termination of faculty and staff receiving salaries from this source has been withdrawn," TISSTA stated.

The teachers association, however, termed the move as a temporary relief to their colleagues.

"We are concerned about our colleagues being projected as project staff. We clarify that our colleagues under Tata Trust positions are integral members of our Schools and Centres.

"They are appointed through a proper selection process and engaged through contracts, and have been contributing to the core teaching and educational activities of the Institute, in many cases for more than a decade," the TISSTA statement said.

This is short-term or temporary relief and there is no clarity on the way forward, it said and sought a meeting with the TISS Vice Chancellor to seek clarifications.

According to TISSTA, termination letters issued to staff in the Advanced Centre for Women Studies have still not been retracted.

"As a UGC/Government of India scheme, there is a regular annual delay in receipt of grants, among others. Under the circumstances, such letters of termination should not have been issued to them. We reiterate that these letters must be retracted with immediate effect and they need to be reinstated and pending salaries released (March to June 2024)," said the statement.

Expressing concern over the lack of clarity on financial sustainability and their future, the TISSTA claimed the present situation was precipitated on account of administrative delays in taking timely action and ensuring academic continuity, especially when the institute is about to begin its new academic session and transitioning to NEP frameworks for all its teaching programmes.

"We seek a holistic roadmap from TISS Administration for regularisation and absorption of TET faculty and staff with mapping and filling of vacant backlog positions and new UGC posts," the statement said. PTI