Delhi University (DU) has written to the governing body of St. Stephen’s College directing it not to proceed with the appointment of its new principal. According to DU, the selection committee to appoint the principal was not constituted in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2018.

The college on May 12 had announced the appointment of Susan Elias as its first woman principal. Ms. Elias is due to take charge on June 1, succeeding John Varghese, who has been serving as principal since 2016. DU Registrar Vikas Gupta, in a letter to the chairman of the governing body, stated that the university had learnt about the appointment from media reports. He pointed out that UGC regulations to appoint a principal had not been followed.

Advocate Romy Chacko, who has previously argued for the college in a similar dispute over principal appointment, said that in 2008 the Delhi High Court had held that the college, as a minority institution, could appoint its own principal so long as qualifications were met. He said the newly appointed principal had met all necessary qualifications.