Hyderabad: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) administration has issued a show cause notice to Dr Arjun Sengupta, an assistant professor at the Hyderabad campus, regarding his alleged involvement in a student protest organized by unrecognized student groups.
In a memo dated October 8, the institution requested Dr Sengupta to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for participating in activities considered disruptive to the campus environment.
This action follows the circulation of a short video on social media showing Dr Sengupta among students voicing concerns over impending staff terminations.
TISS stated that the video reflects behaviour that disrupts the “peaceful academic environment” of the campus. The memo highlighted that Dr Sengupta’s support for the Progressive Students Organization (PSO) and Progressive Students Forum (PSF) violated the institute’s norms, as these groups are not officially recognized.
The issue behind the protest involves termination notices received by over 50 faculty members at the Hyderabad campus, raising concerns about the future quality of education.
Several student groups, including the Ambedkar Students Association (ASA), PSO, and PSF, organized a discussion regarding these terminations, fearing their impact on students and the campus environment.
The TISS Teachers Association (TISSTA) has publicly expressed solidarity with Dr Sengupta. In a statement released on October 19, TISSTA criticized the administration’s decision, labelling it a hasty move based on an “unverified” video without context.
“TISSTA is surprised that a faculty member has been targeted based on a short video. This action seems to threaten academic freedom and discourage open dialogue on campus,” the statement read.
TISSTA emphasized that Dr Sengupta’s comments were in line with discussions surrounding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and called for the immediate retraction of the memo.
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