Mumbai: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) abruptly postponed its 86th annual convocation, scheduled to be held on Sunday, August 2. In an email sent to students after around 12.50am Friday, TISS said that the convocation had been postponed due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant was the chief guest at the event.Hundreds of students who had travelled to Mumbai, or were on their way to the city with their parents and relatives, were upset about the financial losses they incurred on travel and accommodation. They claimed that many bookings were non-refundable or involved substantial cancellation charges. Many had to take leaves from their workplace to attend the convocation ceremony.Students’ collective, Progressive Students’ Forum, also claimed that there had already been a delay in the declaration of final results, which has adversely affected students. They sought accountability from the institute for the last-minute cancellation, and the losses suffered by students.While the official statement put out by TISS on Friday evening does not specify any reason, students claimed that authorities may have been concerned about possible protests linked to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Students, however, added that there was no plan or discussion of protests on or off campus. They also said they had not been officially informed about the CJI being the chief guest.TISS statement mentioned that it had to take the difficult decision in the best long-term interests of the institute, as well as to preserve the well-being of students, faculty, staff, dignitaries, guests, and campus life. Acknowledging the hardships caused to graduating students and their families, the institute claimed that it would examine requests related to financial hardship arising from the postponement on a case-by-case basis. It added that it was in the process of rescheduling the event and was also exploring diverse modes of organising the convocation.Students, however, said that the last-minute communication had caused considerable inconvenience and was also ‘disrespectful’ to them.“I was in Mumbai for work, but my parents travelled all the way from my native town. It was a big day for us. TISS is a prestigious institution and to secure admission here and then graduating after two years was sort of an achievement. We were all looking forward to the ceremony,” said one student, adding there is no clear direction on compensation.Another student pointed out that several from the graduating batch were yet to be placed and, therefore, the losses could have been more severe. “A group of students sought the final semester marksheets and convocation degrees without the ceremony, but that was declined too. Not many of us can afford travelling again on a later date,” said the student.
