The Tata Institute Of Social Sciences (Tiss)

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences is over on V.N. Purav Marg in Deonar, Mumbai. It’s a well-known spot in this part of the city. The campus has a lot of old trees and it feels very different from the crowded streets just outside the gate. We get people coming here from all sorts of backgrounds to study things like social work and policy. Most of our day-to-day work involves keeping the campus running and making sure the students have what they need in the hostels or the classrooms. It’s an old institution, so some of the buildings have that classic look, though they need constant maintenance like anything else in Mumbai's humidity. You'll often see groups of students sitting on the benches or under the trees on V.N. Purav Marg talking about their field projects or upcoming exams. It's not a corporate kind of place at all; it feels more academic and a bit grassroots. The traffic in Deonar can be a nightmare during rush hour, so getting in and out sometimes takes longer than you’d expect. Inside, it’s a bit more peaceful despite the busy schedule. We have a canteen that stays pretty busy, and the library is usually full of people reading. It’s just a place where people come to learn how to deal with real-world problems. We stay busy with the paperwork and the general upkeep of the grounds throughout the year.