NEW DELHI: In a fresh flashpoint with St Stephen’s College, Delhi University has asked the college to stall the appointment of Susan Elias as principal – days after she was named as the first woman to head the 145-year-old college – citing violation of norms.In a letter to the college’s governing body chairman Thursday, DU said the appointment process did not comply with University Grants Commission’s 2018 regulations, making the recommendation “untenable”. The college was asked not to proceed with the June 1 joining. DU noted that for the appointment, the varsity “hasn’t been requested for nomination of experts” as required under clause 5 of 2018 UGC rules, particularly the inclusion of the vice-chancellor’s nominees in the selection committee.It appears that the selection committee… has not been constituted in accordance with provisions,” the registrar wrote, adding that “the recommendations of such a committee cannot be implemented.”DU told the college to “not proceed with appointment of new principal”, and instead “convene a meeting of the selection committee constituted as per the provisions” of the regulations.TOI reached out to the college’s chairperson and the newly appointed principal, Susan Elias, but did not get a response.The move throws into uncertainty Elias’ high-profile and symbolic appointment, which was cleared bythe college’s supreme council on May 12 and signed off by Bishop of Delhi and chairman Paul Swarup.
The standoff comes against the backdrop of an ongoing tussle between DU and St Stephen’s over appointments and institutional autonomy. The university and the college were already at loggerheads over the extension of outgoing principal John Varghese, whom Elias was set to succeed. Varghese was appointed in 2016 for a fiveyear term and was granted an extension for a second tenure by the college’s supreme council — a move the university had objected to, citing procedural violations. The matter has remained contested, with DU stating that it did not recognise Varghese as principal of St Stephen’s.Tensions have also played out on the admissions front. In 2024, the college and DU were again at odds after St Stephen’s refused to admit 12 students allotted under the ‘single girl child’ quota, citing that it had already exceeded its sanctioned intake. The college also initially declined to accommodate 10 additional unreserved candidates on similar grounds. The university, however, had asked colleges to allow up to 5% extra admissions to offset dropouts. The dispute escalated to court, which directed the college to admit certain students.As a minority institution, St Stephen’s enjoys constitutional protection under Article 30 to administer its affairs, including the right to make appointments to preserve its character. However, this autonomy operates within a regulatory framework — particularly on qualifications and selection procedures.DU’s latest objection rests on this boundary: while the college may exercise discretion in choosing its principal, it cannot bypass mandated procedures such as constituting a selection committee with university-nominated experts and approved panels.Under the 2018 UGC regulations, the selection committee for appointing a college principal must be chaired by the governing body head and include nominees of the vice-chancellor, along with multiple higher education experts drawn from panels approved by the university. Crucially, at least one VC nominee must be external to the affiliating university. In the case of minority institutions like St Stephen’s, the rules allow some flexibility — including the chairperson nominating a member and subject experts from panels recommended by the vice-chancellor, preferably from minority communities — but they do not dispense with the requirement of involving university-recommended panels and VC-linked nominees in the selection process.
