TISS PG admissions 2025 through CUET scores only? Students question scrapping of interviews

NEW DELHI: In a major announcement, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has decided to admit students to its postgraduate programmes through the Common University Entrance Test - Postgraduate (CUET PG) 2025 only. The institute has issued the academic calendar for PG admissions which does not mention interviews.

The institute will use CUET PG scores for admissions to all PG programmes except three including Master of Arts in Human Resources Management & Labour Relations, Master of Arts in Organisation Development, Change and Leadership, and Master of Hospital Administration.

CUET PG 2025 was from held from March 13 to 31 for admission to central, state, private, and deemed universities. Aspirants can check the programme-wise eligibility criteria for TISS PG programmes and TISS PG admission calendar 2025 on the official website, admissions.tiss.edu.

The student organisations at TISS Mumbai campus strongly opposed the institute’s decision to scrap interviews from the TISS PG admission process 2025. In a joint statement, the students argued that doing away with the interviews would compromise the inclusivity and diversity.

TISS PG admission calendar 2025

TISS PG admission calendar 2025 does not provide any information regarding the online assessment and the CUET PG 2025 information brochure has not been released yet, the students noted and remarked that this “inefficiency” from the administration has sent a wave of concerns amongst the aspirants.

“The shift to CUET with further scrapping of the interview process would compromise the inclusive and diverse character of TISS campus. In the last admission cycle for the 2024-25 batch we witnessed a sheer lack of transparency from the administration. The final scorecard (CUET result + Interview) was not declared, cut-offs were not announced, students did not know which category they got admission under and concerns were raised with the waiting list as well,” the students said.

The student groups also recalled how TISS replaced the “traditional” entrance test, TISSNET, with CUET last year and argued that the exam is promoting coaching culture and those students who cannot afford the additional expenses or lack access to coaching classes are especially at loss.

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“Online Assessment, especially interview in TISS admission process always helped students from varied social backgrounds, including those from vernacular mediums, those without access to coaching, and those who express their thoughts through subjective understanding rather than objective answering skills. Removing interviews risks cutting out these voices, and making our campus inaccessible to a large section of students. We are witnessing the changes in the campus demography since CUET was implemented. These changes will deepen if interviews are removed altogether,” the students further stated.

Sharing their views, the student organisations urged TISS to provide a clarification on the admission process, release admission brochure immediately, and ensure interviews and transparency in the admission process.