DU asks St Stephen's to halt principal appointment, says selection panel not constituted as per UGC norms
By Vishu Adhana, New Delhi, May 14
Days after St Stephen's College announced Prof Susan Elias as its first woman principal, the University of Delhi on Thursday wrote to the college's governing body asking it not to proceed with the appointment, saying the selection committee was not constituted in accordance with UGC Regulations 2018.
In a letter dated May 14 addressed to the Chairman of the Governing Body of St Stephen's College, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university had not been requested to nominate experts as mandated under UGC norms and, therefore, the recommendations of the selection committee "cannot be implemented upon."
"The University has not been requested for nomination of experts as per the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018," the letter stated, adding that "the Selection Committee for the appointment of new principal in the college has not been constituted in accordance with the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018."
The university further directed the college "not to proceed with the appointment of the new principal" and asked it to convene a meeting of a selection committee constituted as per UGC Regulations 2018
The development comes just two days after St Stephen's College announced that Prof Susan Elias would take charge as the Principal of the college from June 1, 2026, making her the first woman to head the institution in its history.
In an announcement issued on May 12, the college's Supreme Council had said, "Prof Susan Elias will take charge as the XIV Principal of the College and as its first lady Principal with effect from the 1st of June 2026." The announcement was signed by the Bishop of Delhi and the Chairman of the College, Rt Rev Dr Paul Swarup.
In its communication, DU cited Clause 5.0 of the UGC Regulations 2018 governing the appointment of college principals and detailed the composition required for the selection committee, including nominees of the Vice-Chancellor and subject experts approved by the university's statutory bodies.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Interesting how UGC regulations from 2018 are suddenly being enforced now. These rules exist for a reason - to ensure transparency and merit. St Stephen's should have followed the proper process from the start rather than making announcements prematurely. The first woman principal deserves a clean appointment without procedural controversy.
As a Delhi University alumna, this is embarrassing. St Stephen's has such a legacy but keeps getting into these procedural tussles with DU. On one hand, I'm happy about the first woman principal - that's a big deal for an institution founded in 1881. On the other hand, following rules shouldn't be optional. Hope both sides work it out amicably 🤞
Why is this even a dispute? The UGC regulations are clear - the selection committee needs VC nominees. St Stephen's is either willfully ignoring this or made a genuine oversight. The fact they announced the appointment before getting DU's approval shows poor governance. This needs to be resolved quickly for the students' sake.
This is why Indian higher education has so many problems - too much bureaucracy and power struggles between institutions rather than focusing on quality education. Professor Elias was probably the best candidate, but now her appointment will be delayed by months of legal wrangling. Sadakh aur syllabus par focus karo, yahan appointment pe ladai chal rahi hai.
The bigger issue here is UGC trying to micromanage autonomous colleges. St Stephen's has its own constitution and ethos dating back centuries. If the college followed its internal procedures and the person is qualified,
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