Students accuse TISS of abruptly terminating prof's contract

Ankita Bhatkhande





Resentment is brewing among the students on the Deonar campus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences after the administration decided to discontinue the services of an associate professor. The students on Thursday night started a campaign on social media to bring back the professor.The students have alleged TISS abruptly terminated the contract of Sanober Keshwar (in pic), who was handling modules on law and social work since 2009. In a post on Facebook, they said Dr Sanober was informed about the “termination“ only in mid-May. “Sanober's phone was disconnected, her email ID blocked by the administration without any written or spoken word. How are others putting up so silently? Is this how TISS admin is honouring hard working profs who have an ideology and a spine to speak up?“ wrote a student.
The students have demanded immediate reinstatement of the professor and appointment of an external committee to look into the “termination“. TISS administration cited fund crunch as the only reason for its decision and denied that Dr Sanober was terminated. An associate professor on contract is paid nearly Rs 90,000, said sources. Mirror could not independently verify the figure.The institute has issued a statement saying it did not renew the contracts of a few temporary faculty. “The authorities have spoken to the faculty members concerned before the contracts were allowed to lapse.“
It said the TISS campus also houses the Maharashtra National Law University. The authorities have not been able to renew the contracts of two law professors, read the statement.~

Source: Mumbai Mirror, 10-06-2016