TISS Mumbai Makes More Changes in Admission Process for coveted M.A. (HRM & LR) Program; After cancelling TISSNET, drops CAT too!

The high RoI Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, the oldest institute for professional social work education offers low fee M.A. programs with high placements. Its M.A. HRM & LR program is one of the most sought after management programs and is at par with IIMs, XLRI and other top B-schools. While the total program fee is only Rs.185,000, average and highest package in TISS Placements 2023 have gone up at Rs.27.22 LPA and Rs.49 LPA respectively. TISS Mumbai has been ranked #98 among top 200 universities in India in Govt of India NIRF Ranking 2023.

TISS offers number of Post graduate programs and the admission used to be through the TISSNET exam. However, from the academic session 2024, Tata Institute of Social Sciences had earlier cancelled its own TISSNET entrance exam and announced to accept CAT 2023 score. But, suddenly, TISS now has also dropped CAT 2023 score for admission 2024 to its most sought after PG programmes – M.A. (HRM & LR) and M.A. (ODCL). In its Notification dated November 17, 2023, TISS has further announced that it will accept only CUET PG 2024 score for admission 2024 for all the M.A. Programs.

  This announcement came just a few days before the CAT 2023 exam which was conducted on November 26. It reflects the institute’s lack of concern for the future of students who are now subjected to not only to wait for another six months to appear in an unpredictable CUET PG 2024 exam but will also have to face the uncertainty on admission as thousands of them will have to compete for 68 seats, that too when the academic session in most of the institutes will have already commenced.

TISS back tracks from its Earlier Announcement: CAT Takers Worried
In its notification dated November 14, 2023, Tata Institute of Social Sciences had announced, “The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), has decided that admission for the forthcoming 

Academic Session 2024-25 for all its Postgraduate Programmes will be based on the CUET (PG)-2024 scores, except for the following programmes, which will consider CAT scores.

• Master of Arts in Human Resource Management & Labour Relations
• Master of Arts in Organisation Development, Change and Leadership.”

Close on the heels TISS sent another blow on November 17 in the form of another Notification that back tracked its earlier announcement. As per the recent Notification, TISS now has made CUET PG 2024 (Conducted by NTA) as the mandatory exam for admission 2024 and has clarified that the admission 2024 for all the PG programs including the above two will be based only on CUET (PG) 2024 scores. So, CAT 2023 score will not be considered by TISS for admission. 

Disappointment Amongst CAT Aspirants
The latest announcement by TISS regarding Non-Acceptance of CAT 2023 has created panic among the candidates who have been aspiring to apply for TISS Admission 2024 through CAT 2023 score. The CAT exam takers will not be given the opportunity to apply for TISS admission and will have to wait for CUET PG 2024.

TISS Academic Session 2024-25 Likely to Delay
Given the reputation of National Testing Agency which conducts CUET, it is unlikely that the exam will be conducted before May/June 2024. By then, most of the candidates would have taken admission to their other dream B-schools. The academic session would have already commenced in all the top B-schools by the time CUET is conducted.

TISS to Lose Cream of Talent
With TISSNET gone for good and CAT score not to be considered for admission, while CUET 2024 is expected in May/June, the cream of talent which used to place TISS as their top priority institute, may no longer be available for admission 2024. The top M.A. programs of Tata Institute of Social Sciences shortlist thousands of candidates for very limited seats. No aspirant would like to take risk and wait so long for admission after taking CUET PG 2024 which is an unpredictable exam. The top talent would have taken admission with best available options by the time the TISS completes its shortlisting and admission process.

No TISSNET; No CAT Accepted for Admission: Adverse Impact on TISS Admission Process 2024
With the cancellation of its own TISSNET 2024 exam, and CAT score not to be accepted for admission 2024, PG admission process at Tata Institute of Social Sciences may be affected adversely as below:

• Admission Process may be delayed further as CUET-PG is conducted much later than TISSNET and CAT
• Candidates need to apply separately for TISS admission. Earlier Applying for TISSNET was sufficient

Limited Options Available for TISS Aspirants
Tata Institute of Social Sciences has released the public notice very late regarding cancellation of TISSNET 2024 and not accepting CAT score either. Now the limited options that are left with TISS 2024 admission seekers, are:

• Either wait till the CUET PG 2024 registration process opens at NTA website. The expected date for the start of CUET PG 2024 registration process is Feb/March 2024
• Apply Separately for TISS Admission 2024 and Wait till the CUET PG 2024 result is declared in June/July 2024
• Or, With the limited seats at TISS, consider to apply in other institutes also

Why TISS Cancelled the TISSNET 2024? Key Reasons
The key reason due to which Tata Institute of Social Sciences has cancelled the conduct of TISSNET 2024 exam, as shared by TISS, is “The Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission have mandated the National Testing Agency to conduct the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admission to Postgraduate Programmes in Central, State, and other participating Universities, Institutions, Organisations, and Autonomous Colleges. The CUET (PG) provides a single- window opportunity for all Postgraduate students seeking admission to any of the Central Universities (CUs) or other participating organisations, including State Universities, Deemed to be Universities, and Private Universities across the country.

In compliance with the above, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), has decided that admission for the forthcoming Academic Session 2024-25 for all its Postgraduate Programmes will be based on the CUET (PG)-2024 scores, except for the following programmes, which will consider CAT scores - Master of Arts in Human Resource Management & Labour Relations; Master of Arts in Organisation Development, Change and Leadership.”

Established in 1936, as the Sir Dorabji Tata Graduate School of Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences was renamed as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in 1944. In the year 1964 it was declared Deemed to be a University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act (UGC), 1956. Since its inception, the Vision of the TISS has been to be an institution of excellence in higher education that continually responds to changing social realities through the development and application of knowledge, towards creating a people-centred, ecologically sustainable and just society that promotes and protects dignity, equality, social justice and human rights for all.

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