Six student organisations from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, have penned an open letter to the Teachers' Association, raising alarm over recent changes in the postgraduate (PG) admissions process for the academic year 2025–26.
The letter, dated April 6, criticises the complete removal of the interview process and an 80 per cent hike in application fees, calling it a step towards “elitisation” of the institute.
The admission brochure was released on April 4, reportedly after demands from student bodies for greater transparency.
The signatories, including Adivasi Students’ Forum (ASF), Ambedkarite Students’ Association (ASA), Fraternity, Muslim Students’ Forum (MSF), Northeast Students’ Forum (NESF), and Progressive Students’ Forum (PSF), argue that the interview process had long enabled students from diverse social and regional backgrounds, especially those without access to coaching centres, to find a place at TISS.
“Removing interviews risks cutting out these voices and making our campus inaccessible,” the letter reads, citing changes in campus demographics since the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) replaced the TISS-NET last year.
The shift to CUET, they argue, not only undermines the autonomy of the institute but promotes a coaching-centre culture that disadvantages marginalised groups.
Students have also highlighted a lack of transparency during the 2024-25 admissions cycle, alleging that cut-off scores were not announced, final scorecards were withheld, and ambiguity remained around admission categories and waiting lists.
Calling this a “crucial time” for the institution, the organisations have urged the TISS Teachers’ Association to stand in solidarity with students and advocate for reinstating the interview process, which they believe upholds the institute’s legacy of social justice and inclusion
