St Stephen's College Defies Delhi University With Historic Appointment

Unfazed by Delhi University's objections, St Stephen's College is set to go ahead with the appointment of its 14th principal, Susan Elias, according to official sources.

Elias's appointment was announced through a notification issued on May 12, following which DU wrote to the college asking it not to proceed with the appointment, claiming that University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations had not been followed. The university also wrote to the UGC seeking intervention.

Elias is expected to be the first woman principal of St Stephen's college in its history of 145 years, since it was founded in 1881.

Sources within the college confirmed on Tuesday that Elias is set to assume charge from June 1, as stated in the May 12 notification by the college.

An official, on the condition of anonymity, told PTI, ''Elias is expected to take over charges as the 14th principal from June 1. Meanwhile, John Varghese, the last principal has been absorbed as a faculty in the English department, though there are a lot of ambiguities surrounding that and not much is clear to us either.''

The development adds to the long-standing tussle between DU and the college, including an ongoing court matter over the recognition of former principal John Varghese's second term in office, which ended in February 2026.

The latest dispute centres around DU's objection that the selection committee constituted for Elias's appointment was not in accordance with UGC regulations. However, college authorities are understood to have relied on the institution's minority status in proceeding with the appointment process.

The issue has also revived discussions around a 2008 Delhi High Court judgment delivered during the appointment of former principal Valson Thampu. In that ruling, the court had held that St Stephen's College, as a minority institution, was not bound by provisions of the Delhi University Ordinance relating to the constitution of selection committees for appointing principals.

A second official told PTI, ''Even after Thampu had taken over as the principal and the court had passed its judgement, in the initial phase, he was not formally recognised as the principal and his salary would not come from UGC but from a private fund of the college.''

The official added that it was much later that Thampu was formally recognised by the university.

''The university has even refused to recognise Varghese's second term but he did continue as the principal. Likewise, Elias is expected to take over too,'' the official said.

The latest standoff is expected to further deepen tensions between the university administration and the college over the extent of autonomy enjoyed by minority institutions in matters related to appointments and governance.

(With inputs from agencies.)