TISS protest continues even after two months

Two months after students at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, started protesting against the issue of fund cuts at the institute, the situation seems to have entered a deadlock. Student claim that the administration has failed to take note of their issues, and hence they will have to continue with the protest.

Recently, the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had urged the institute administration to resolve the deadlock with students who are protesting against the institute's decision to withdraw financial aid to students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Protesting students are demanding that the institute give a fee waiver to students from these sections in all the upcoming batches. Students are also demanding a white-paper on earnings and expenditure of the institute.

"We are telling the authorities that if they continue to charge all the future batches, it would be against the policy of reservation as many SC/ST/OBC students would not be able to afford the huge fees levied by the institute. Since the institute has said that it has a huge fund deficit, we have asked the authorities to give us a break up of total earnings and expenditure, which we ought to know as students," said Fahad Ahmed, General Secretary, TISS student union.

A spokesperson of the institute said: "We have already given all the support that we could to the students from our end. The remaining demands can only be met with provided the Centre approves funds." Meanwhile, a committee appointed by the institute's governing council will meet this week to discuss the issue.