MUMBAI: Students from the Centre for Human Rights of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) are against the removal of one of their faculty after the recent external review of performance. The students have claimed that the institution is depriving them of the chance to learn from a 'fine' teacher. While contracts of the temporary teachers from three centres were terminated last month, all of them, except one have been re-instated after the UGC gave a year's extension. The 'hire and fire' policy will affect the academic stability, claimed students.The students have raised a pertinent question in their letter. "With job security in question, teachers will not be able to engage in critical research nor will they be able to engage students in critical thinking. As students, we are apprehensive that this trend will not prompt any good academicians to choose TISS. We are appalled at the casual manner in which our faculties are being treated," wrote the students. "The students' body was not consulted in the process and we would like to know the rationale of singling out one faculty...A good number of students have benefited from the guidance and knowledge of the faculty in question," they added. The students are planning to submit the letter to the director.The director of the institute, S Parasuraman, however, said that the review of the teacher was done by a senior criminologist from Madras University. "Each one of the teachers was evaluated based on their performance by external review committee. We had also taken into consideration the students' evaluation of their performance. There are several teachers who were appointed for temporary positions but moved to the permanent ones whenever there were openings," said the director. He added that the institute does not have any say in the recruitment of temporary teachers. "If teacher get a permanent opportunity elsewhere, they are free to move out," he said.

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