- University of Delhi objects to St. Stephens College principal appointment process
- DU says selection committee did not follow UGC Regulations 2018 norms
- College asked to form a new committee as per UGC rules and university ordinances
The University of Delhi has objected to the appointment process of the new principal at St. Stephen's College, days after the institution announced Professor Susan Elias as its first woman principal in its 145-year history.
The university denied approval saying the Selection Committee was not constituted according to UGC norms and the panel's recommendations "cannot be implemented upon."
In a letter dated May 14 addressed to the Chairman of the Governing Body of the college, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university was "constrained to observe" that the Selection Committee formed for the appointment was "not in accordance with the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018."
"The University has not been requested for nomination of experts as per the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018," the letter said.
The university further directed the college "not to proceed with the appointment of the new principal" and asked it to constitute a fresh selection committee "strictly as per UGC Regulations 2018 and University Ordinances."
Citing provisions of the University Grants Commission Regulations, the university said appointments to the post of principal require a selection committee comprising a nominee of the vice-chancellor, members of the governing body and subject experts nominated through the university process.
"The recommendations made by the Selection Committee constituted by the college cannot be implemented upon," the DU letter said, adding that the communication had been issued with the approval of the "Competent Authority."
Founded in 1881, St. Stephen's College is one of the most prominent colleges under the University of Delhi and has frequently asserted its minority institution status in matters related to admissions and appointments.
The latest row is significant because it revives the long-running friction between the university administration and the college over institutional autonomy and regulatory oversight.
In recent years, the college and the university have clashed over CUET admissions, faculty appointments and administrative procedures. In 2022, St. Stephen's challenged DU's admission guidelines after the university insisted on full weightage to CUET scores for undergraduate admissions. Media reports also noted disagreements over recruitment procedures in faculty appointments in recent months.
Professor Susan Elias, whose appointment triggered the latest dispute, is a senior academic from the college's computer science department and had been selected by the governing body earlier this week. Her appointment was widely seen as a landmark moment for gender representation in the institution's leadership.
