TISS withdraws termination notice of over 100 staffers; Tata Education Trust to release funds
Tata Education Trust has committed to releasing funds for salaries of TET project programme faculty and non-teaching staff, said the press release issued by TISS registrar
In a reversal of events, premier education institute Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) withdrew its notice firing nearly 100 teaching and non-teaching staff, who had been appointed under programmes funded by the Tata Education Trust (TET). They were being laid off due to the non-release of funds, the institute had said earlier.
But now, the TISS registrar has confirmed in a press release that the notice firing the staff has been withdrawn. The move comes after TET has assured that the resources will be made available to TISS,
A controversy had erupted over the letter of discontinuation of services for 55 facultymembers and 60 non-teaching staff across four campuses.
Acting vice-chancellor Manoj Kumar Tiwari has also assured the staff that they will be retained effective immediately, as the TET has agreed to release the funds.
The press release said, "Ongoing discussions with the Tata Education Trust have provided assurance that resources will be made available to TISS to resolve this issue. TET has committed to releasing funds for the salaries of TET project programme faculty and non-teaching staff."
Further, the release added that they have been told to continue their work and salaries will be released as soon as the TET support grant is received by the institute.
Established in 1936 as a Deemed University and fully funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), TISS is governed by the TISS Society under UGC guidelines. The contracts for its teaching and non-teaching staff were funded by grants from the Tata Trust.
The contracts of teaching and non-teaching staff at TISS campuses in Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad, and Guwahati, which were set to expire on June 30, will now continue.
Earlier, the Progressive Students Forum, a student body, had slammed the TISS administration demanding the immediate revocation of the "termination" of over 100 faculty and staff members.