Professor Shalini Bharat has stepped down from the post of Director of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) after completing her term of five years. Monday was her last day of service at the institute, headquartered in Mumbai’s Deonar locality.
The director of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai, Professor Manoj Tiwari is given additional charge of Director TISS until the new full-time director is appointed.
This new appointment will be the first one through the process following changes to the regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) which brings TISS under the central government’s purview of appointments; along with other deemed-to-be-universities receiving over 50 per cent funding from the Centre.
Talking to The Indian Express on her retirement, Professor Bharat said, “I am honoured and privileged to have served the institution as Director after joining here as a lecturer in the year 1984. It has given me a great sense of achievement.” Professor Bharat shared that with the term-end she is also retiring from the institute after having a fulfilling association of nearly four decades.
Prof Shalini Bharat was appointed as Director of the Institute in September 2018 after the retirement of Prof S Parsuraman in February of the same year. Prof Bharat was acting director of the institute after her predecessor retired, until she was appointed as full-time Director after seven months.
Confirming that there is no extension in her service at TISS, Professor Bharat shared that she will continue her research work at other platforms. “There is no limit to continuing research,” she said.
Prof Bharat is known for her work on equity and access issues with special reference to reproductive and women’s health; social determinants of HIV and TB, including stigma, discrimination and human rights issues; multi-purpose prevention technologies for HIV epidemic; self-testing for HIV prevention; young people’s health and wellbeing; family studies and child adoption; women, work and family; and demography of the Indian Parsi community. As a member of several national scientific advisory committees and boards Professor Bharat is actively engaged with a wide range of national level programs, schemes, policies and field interventions in health and public health, social development, gender, HIV/AIDS, TB prevention among others.
According to the changes to UGC regulation, the sponsoring body, which is the governing body chaired by Tata Trust representatives, in case of TISS; will no longer be the deciding authority. Until now, for director’s appointment, the governing body headed by the sponsoring body would set up a selection committee which had a UGC nominee. Now the governing council would be replaced by an executive council headed by the government appointed Vice-Chancellor as a chairperson.
Courtesy : The Indian Express