DU questions St Stephen’s principal appointment process, seeks fresh selection panel

The University of Delhi has raised objections to the appointment process of Professor Susan Elias as the new principal of St Stephen’s College, asking the institution not to move forward with the appointment and to form a fresh selection committee in line with UGC regulations.

The development comes just days after St Stephen’s announced Elias as its first woman principal in the college’s 145-year history.

In a letter dated May 14 to the chairman of the college’s governing body, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university found that the selection committee constituted by the college did not comply with the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2018.

The university stated that it was “constrained to observe” that the 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.

DU further instructed the college “not to proceed with the appointment of the new principal” and directed it to create a new panel “strictly as per UGC Regulations 2018 and University Ordinances.”

Referring to UGC norms, the university said the appointment of a college principal requires a selection committee that includes a vice-chancellor’s nominee, governing body representatives, and subject experts nominated through the university’s prescribed process.

“The recommendations made by the Selection Committee constituted by the college cannot be implemented upon,” the DU letter said.

The university also noted that the communication had been issued with the approval of the “Competent Authority.”

The latest disagreement adds to a series of disputes between the college administration and the university over autonomy and regulatory control.

Over the past few years, the two sides have differed on CUET-based admissions, faculty recruitment, and administrative procedures.

In 2022, St Stephen’s challenged DU’s admission policy after the university pushed for complete weightage to CUET scores in undergraduate admissions. Reports in recent months have also highlighted differences over faculty recruitment procedures.

Professor Susan Elias, a senior academic from the college’s computer science department, was selected earlier this week by the governing body.

Her appointment had drawn attention as a historic milestone for the institution, marking the first time a woman had been chosen to lead the college since its establishment.