The Delhi University (DU) has asked St Stephen's College not to proceed with the appointment of the new principal, saying the selection committee was not constituted in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations, 2018.

In a letter dated May 14, signed by the DU registrar and addressed to the chairman of the college's governing body, the university referred to recent media reports regarding the appointment of a new principal at the college.

According to a notification released by St. Stephen's on Tuesday, the Supreme Council of the college had announced that Susan Elias would be taking charge as the 14th and the first woman principal of the college from June 1.

DU Registrar Vikas Gupta told PTI, "The college is 100 per cent funded by the central government and has to come under the UGC Rules. The regulations cannot be violated." In Thursday's letter to the chairman, the university cited provisions under the UGC Regulations, 2018, on minimum qualifications for the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges and measures for maintenance of standards in higher education.

"The Clause of 5.0 of the UGC Regulations, 2018, provides the constitution of selection committees and guidelines on selection procedure. The Sub-clause VIII-A of the Clause 5 provides for the selection committee for appointment of College Principal and Professor," the letter noted, and further detailed the prescribed composition of the selection committee for the appointment of a college principal, including two nominees of the vice-chancellor, higher education experts and subject experts.

It further said that in the case of minority educational institutions, certain members are required to be selected from panels recommended by the vice chancellor and approved statutory bodies.

"In case of Colleges notified/declared as minority educational institutions, one nominee of the Chairperson of the College from out of a panel of five names, preferably from minority communities, recommended by the Vice-Chancellor of the affiliating university of whom one should be a subject expert," it said.

The letter added that the university has not been requested for the nomination of experts according to the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018.

"In view of the above, it appears that the Selection Committee for the appointment of a new principal in the college has not been constituted in accordance with the provisions of UGC Regulations 2018," it added.

The university also said that recommendations made by such a committee "cannot be implemented upon".

Accordingly, the registrar directed the college not to proceed with the appointment process and asked it to convene a meeting of a selection committee constituted according to the UGC norms.