Mumbai: TISS students' strike in four campuses enters 8th day

Students on strike across four campuses of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have refused to call it off even after the institute's administration allowed them to use college facilities despite the pendency of dues. A section of students have been on strike since February 21 after the TISS administration asked many of them, who have been chosen for government scholarships but are yet to get the money, to clear their dues related to tuitions, dining and hostel fees.

Issuing a statement, TISS said, "Students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), who are yet to receive their Government of India Post Matric Scholarship, can continue with their respective courses, stay in TISS hostels and use the dining facilities, despite their dues on account of these charges to the institute." Over half of the 3500 students in all the four TISS campuses, located in Mumbai and Tuljapur in Maharashtra, Hyderabad in Telangana and Guwahati in Assam are part of the protest, said student union office bearers. They have also been protesting against the withdrawal of financial aid provided to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) scholars.

TISS's submission that it did not determine who was eligible for the scholarship, nor did the institute fund it, cut no ice with students, who said they would continue with the strike. TISS, in its statement, added that it was also financially impacted by these dues. "In fact, it is TISS which has been financially impacted, laden with dues of over Rs 20 crore since 2012-13, on account of exemption given to SC/ST students for tuition fees, hostel and dining hall charges of students under the Government of India¿s Post Matric Scholarship. Still, we are doing our best to provide all facilities," the statement said. Fahad Ahmed, general secretary, TISS Students¿ Union, told PTI, "This offer does not address our charter of demands.

The administration is not bothered about out concerns. Several universities and scholars are supporting us except the TISS administration. We are not going to budge from our stand or our charter of demands." The union's charter of demands include the rollback of the notification asking students from the 2016-18 and 2017-19 batches eligible for the Post Matric Scholarships to pay their dues and the scrapping of a new rule which stipulates that these students pay their fees upfront.

The union also demanded that SC, ST and OBC students be included in the social protection office of the TISS. Ahmed also lashed out at the Modi-led union government and said that their fight was not just against the TISS administration, but the Union government as well. He said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi played the OBC card in the last elections to come to power, but his policies are now against the marginalised sections." The institute, however, claimed that admissions and examinations were continuing, as per the regular schedule, in all its campuses.

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