Without notice, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) dismissed 55 faculty members and nearly 60 non-teaching staff across its four campuses. This includes half of the teaching and non-teaching staff at the Guwahati campus.

Some of these employees, who had worked at TISS for over a decade, were all on contracts. The reason given for their dismissal was the non-receipt of grants from the Tata Education Trust, which funded their salaries.

Among the teaching staff dismissed, 20 were from the Mumbai campus, 15 from Hyderabad, 14 from Guwahati, and six from Tuljapur. The remaining teaching staff at TISS are permanent faculty members on the University Grants Commission (UGC) payroll.

Faculty members believe the dismissals are linked to changes in UGC regulations, which brought TISS under the central government’s purview for appointments and other deemed-to-be-universities receiving over 50 per cent funding from the Centre. However, the TISS administration denies this connection.

In an email sent to those dismissed, Anil Sutar, the officiating registrar, explained that the institute tried its best to secure the grant from the Tata Education Trust but has not received approval. As a result, their services would end on June 30.

A faculty member from TISS Guwahati expressed shock at the sudden dismissal, stating that despite their contracts ending in May, they were asked to continue working until the funding was renewed. They had been involved in essential tasks such as online admissions and revamping the Master’s program per the New Education Policy.

Another faculty member from Guwahati said they had no warning that their contracts would not be renewed. Faculty members across campuses, including those in Mumbai, are unsure how TISS plans to continue running courses after dismissing such many employees.

The TISS Teachers Association held an urgent meeting to discuss the issue. The administration has approached the Tata Education Trust multiple times over the past six months for grant continuation but has received no clear response. Acting Vice Chancellor Prof Manoj Tiwari stated that a committee has been formed to pursue the matter with the Trust. If the grants are received, the dismissals could be reversed.

There are also plans to propose that the dismissed faculty members work hourly to ensure teaching continues while a roster of required positions is prepared for regular appointments.

A senior TISS official in Mumbai explained that the dismissed faculty were highly qualified individuals selected by the Tata Education Trust based on their social backgrounds and commitment to social sciences. Many had turned down lucrative offers from private universities due to their dedication to TISS’s mission. According to the official, this situation results from the push for uniformity in the education sector.