New Delhi, June 12
Delhi's St Stephen's College has barred 54 first-year students from appearing in their semester exams for not meeting the minimum attendance requirement of 66.7 percent.
The decision, taken on June 4, has triggered outrage among students who claim they were denied a fair hearing and treated with hostility by the college administration. There has been no immediate response from the college administration.
A group of students calling themselves "Concerned Students of St. Stephen's College" said on Thursday that many of those barred had legitimate reasons for their shortfall, including medical emergencies, personal crises, participation in college events, and the recent attack in Pahalgam. Despite this, they were not given the opportunity to explain their circumstances.
"Our parents travelled from different cities and waited outside the Principal's office from 8 am to 4 pm, only to be yelled at and denied even a few minutes of meeting," the statement from the group said.
Students are alleging that the Principal left the college without notice for ten days after releasing the detained list, leaving them with no authority to appeal to.
One student reportedly suffered a panic attack and nearly collapsed after being shouted at and physically intimidated by security personnel. "Even when she was struggling to breathe, the administrative staff refused to arrange for an ambulance or a wheelchair," the students claimed.
They also criticised what they called "arbitrary and inconsistent" attendance policies, stating that rules are often announced only at the end of the semester and exemptions for medical or extracurricular reasons are either delayed or ignored.
The students further alleged that the Principal has centralised authority to the point where the post of Vice Principal has remained vacant for nearly a decade, leaving no mechanism for grievance redressal in his absence, "This is not the first time such detentions have happened. Last year, over 100 students were penalised for missing morning assemblies. There is a pattern."
Calling the administration's behaviour "disrespectful and unaccountable," the students have demanded that all barred students be immediately allowed to sit for exams and that the college restore its earlier system of departmental review for attendance issues.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an alumnus of DU, this is shocking! St. Stephen's was always known for its student-friendly approach. The 66.7% rule exists in all DU colleges, but most understand genuine cases. The way parents were treated is unacceptable in our culture. Principal should show some compassion.
Rules are rules, but where is the humanity? If students had medical emergencies, they deserve consideration. My cousin studies there and says the attendance system is very rigid compared to other DU colleges. Also, no VP for 10 years? That's just poor administration. 😕
Stephen's is an elite institution - students should know what they signed up for. In professional courses like engineering, 75% is mandatory everywhere. That said, the way administration handled this is very unprofessional. Shouting at students? Really? This isn't some sarkari office.
As a parent, I'm horrified! Making elderly parents wait from 8am-4pm and then refusing to meet? This is not our Indian values. Even government offices treat people better. The college must set up proper grievance mechanisms. Education isn't just about rules, it's about shaping good citizens.
There are two sides to every story. While the college should be more transparent, students also need to take responsibility. Many treat college like a picnic spot after getting admission. But denying medical cases is wrong - hope UGC looks into this properly.
This is so sad! St. Stephen's was my dream college. If they can't show basic humanity during crises, what are they teaching students? The panic attack incident is especially worrying. Our education system needs more empathy. Hope the administration reconsiders its approach ðŸ™
Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article: We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.