In a groundbreaking move, six student organizations at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai have joined forces to address critical issues affecting students. The coalition highlights concerns over the non-implementation of the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for the current academic year, restrictions on financially disadvantaged students due to unpaid semester fees, and an apparent ban on organizing events within the institute.
This unified stance, represented in the first joint statement issued by all student unions at TISS, reflects a broader sentiment that government initiatives, including CUET-PG, align with a centralized control agenda over education. The student coalition asserts that these changes jeopardize the institute’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and social justice.
One of the significant issues arising from the implementation of CUET-PG is its potential impact on the diversity and inclusivity of TISS. The decision to replace TISSNET with CUET is criticized for potentially favoring privileged candidates with access to specific coaching and undermining TISS’s commitment to social justice.
The coalition also raises concerns about the erosion of the student aid fund, the introduction of domain-specific papers disadvantaging diverse academic backgrounds, and the imposition of financial barriers through high registration fees.
The students’ union, backed by various student organizations, has called for an immediate dialogue with the administration to address these concerns. Key demands include rolling back CUET-PG, reinstating TISS-NET, addressing the new system impacting students’ class attendance, and lifting the ban on organizing events within the institute.
The unified stand is a collective call for larger changes in favor of students’ rights and a commitment to providing fair and equal opportunities for quality education at TISS. The coalition urges a reconsideration of decisions, emphasizing TISS’s core values of inclusivity, diversity, and social justice.
In response, a TISS official informed Hindustan Times that outstanding fee amounts have reached into crores due to students failing to pay fees upon joining the semester and some graduating without clearing their dues.
