Extension for four TISS centres remains uncertain

The future of some of the prominent centres at Mumbai's Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai looms in uncertainty yet again with the UGC's decision to extend the plan schemes under various universities only upto September this year.

The UGC's recent circular states that all the plan schemes under the various universities whose approvals ended on March 31 have only been given a 6 months approval which would not be extended .

On May 24, faculty members from four prominent centres at TISS- Advance Centre for Women's Studies,Centre for Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policies, Centre of Excellence for Human Rights Education and the School of Law, Rights and Constitutional Governance were sent termination letters signed by the institute Registrar CP Mohankumar stating that their term would end on March 31 as the UGC had not notified the institute about extending the tenure of all the centres that these teachers were a part of.

While the institute later reinstated all the faculty members hoping that the UGC extension received would be for a year, the future of these centres now looms in uncertainty post September as the UGC plans to continue them only after a review.

Students are meanwhile anxious about what would happen to the centres if the UGC does not give an extension post September. "The centres are at a threat if they fail to get an extension post September. In such a case, faculty members might lose their jobs again. This uncertainty should come to an end" said a research scholars at one of the centres on the condition of anonymity.

Dr S Parasuraman, Director, TISS said, "These centres are facing a threat time and again as the UGC has not given long term extensions nor released funds for these centres for a long time now. As an institute, we will try our best to get an extension for these centres, and will write to the UGC."