Two days after Susan Elias was named as the first woman principal of St Stephen’s College in the national capital, the Delhi University has halted the appointment citing violations of UGC Regulations, 2018, in the constitution of the selection committee.
Intimating the decision to the Chairman, Governing Body, St Stephen’s College, a letter from the DU Registrar read: “You are requested not to proceed with the appointment of a new principal and convene a meeting of the selection committee constituted as per provisions of UGC Regulations, 2018."
The regulations prescribe the mandatory composition of the committee as follows — chairperson of governing body of the college to be the chair; two members of governing body of the college to be nominated by chairperson with one being an academic administrator; two nominees of V-C who will be higher education experts.
Highlighting the procedural lapse, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the selection committee constituted for the appointment of the principal did not comply with the provisions laid down under the UGC Regulations, 2018.
DU reiterated that the entire selection procedure must be conducted transparently during the selection committee meeting itself, with proper documentation, scoring records, merit-based recommendations and signatures of all committee members.
The university has now asked the college to convene a fresh selection committee meeting strictly in accordance with UGC norms.
The communication, issued with the approval of the competent authority, has brought fresh attention to governance and appointment procedures at one of Delhi University’s most prestigious colleges.
