In response to the petition filed by the professors of St. Stephens College, opposing the inclusion of a member from the Church of North India (CNI) in the admission process of Christian students, the Delhi High Court has sought response from the Varsity.
The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, 24th September, requested a response from the Delhi University (DU) and St. Stephen’s College on a plea opposing the inclusion of a members from the Institute’s Supreme Council in the interview panel for admission of Christian students.
The Delhi High Court sent a notice to St. Stephen’s College following a plea by three faculty members challenging the decision of the College to have an additional member, from its Supreme Council, in the interview panel for admissions of students.
The decision was challenged in the High Court by the members of the Governing Body of the college- Nandita Narain, Associate Professor from Department of Mathematics, N.P. Ashley, Assistant Professor from the Department of English, and Abhishek Singh, Assistant Professor from the Department of Economics, for allegedly going against the Constitution of the College.
A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar has issued a notice to the DU, the College, its Supreme Council, its Principal, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking their stand by 16th October on the petition by three professors of the institute.
The petition filed by the Governing Body opposed the increased involvement of the CNI in the admission process by including a member of the Supreme Council in the interview panel. The Supreme Council includes six members from the Governing Body of the CNI. The Chairperson of both the Governing Body and the Supreme Council is the Bishop of Delhi, Bishop Warris K. Massih, and the Member Secretary of both is the Principal of the college, Professor John Varghese.
According to the petitioners this decision is in direct violation of the Clause 4 and 5 of the Constitution of the College, which reads
- The Supreme Council of the college shall have the control of the religious and moral instruction of students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian College of the Church of North India; and, in addition, shall appoint, after proper advertisement, the Principal of the College who shall be a member of the Church of North India or of a church that is in communion with the Church of North India.”
- The Supreme Council of the college shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college.”
The response by the University, St. Stephens College, Supreme Council, and the UGC is awaited, which would be clear only by 16th October.
Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat
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