Mumbai:

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Wednesday said it has asked PhD scholars from 2017, 2018 and 2019 batches to vacate their hostel rooms for staying beyond the allotted five-year period.

These students collectively owe lakhs of rupees in unpaid semester fees as well as hostel and dining hall dues, the premier institute said in a statement.

The statement came in response to a media report that some students had been asked to vacate the hostels.

A student said 11 people were issued notices.

“All the “students” who have been sent the notices are PhD scholars. The scholars have not been sent an “eviction” notice but have been asked to vacate the hostels as they have been overstaying beyond the allotted five years as per the date of their registration,” it said.

A professor at the institute said on the condition of anonymity that there was a feeling among the students that those affiliated to the Progressive Students Forum, a left-leaning association, were being targeted.

As per the institute, PhD scholars from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 batches had been served notices to vacate the hostel in the past too.

“The 2017 batch has been served six notices, the 2018 batch three notices, and the 2019 batch two notices,” the TISS statement said.

The institute has always supported all its students and research scholars, and “we care extra about each one’s academic and personal needs,” it said.

“However, by overstaying in the hostels, these PhD scholars have deprived many deserving new scholars,” the statement added.

The institute is already saddled with financial liabilities of Rs 18.14 crore due to unpaid fees, including Rs 2.28 crore owed by 809 PhD scholars from 2007 till July 2024, it said.

While many students and scholars have successfully completed their academic programmes, got their degrees and are gainfully employed, they have abdicated their moral responsibility of repaying their outstanding dues to the institute, the statement added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)