Why was the recruitment of professors at St. Stephen’s halted, and how long will this stay in effect?

The Delhi High Court has stayed the recruitment process at St. Stephen’s College following the discovery of irregularities in the appointment of 25 assistant professors—appointments that took place in May 2026, during the final days of the former principal’s tenure.

The controversy surrounding the recruitment of assistant professors at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, has reached a critical juncture. Following the revelation of major irregularities in the appointment of 25 assistant professors—made in May 2026, toward the end of former principal John Varghese’s term—the Delhi High Court has halted the entire recruitment process. Meanwhile, following an internal investigation, the college administration has taken action by dismissing two assistant professors from the Hindi and Chemistry departments. A probe committee, constituted by the University’s Executive Council and chaired by Professor Indra Mohan Kapahi, revealed in its report that the college had violated the University of Delhi’s established recruitment rules and procedures to favor specific, preferred candidates.

Allegations of arbitrariness and malpractice in the faculty recruitment process prompted ad-hoc faculty members to approach the Delhi High Court. During a hearing on May 13, 2026, the High Court stayed the recruitment process, observing that the matter involves significant policy-related questions that require a thorough investigation. The Court issued strict instructions that the recommendations of the selection committee cannot be implemented without the Court’s permission. This stay will remain in effect until the High Court delivers a final verdict, based on further hearings and the ongoing investigation.

Major revelations in the committee’s report

The report by the five-member committee, chaired by Professor Indra Mohan Kapahi, has brought to light several instances of arbitrary conduct by the St. Stephen’s College administration. The report reveals that, under Delhi University (DU) regulations, the minimum academic score for the unreserved category should have been 55; however, the college unlawfully reduced this threshold to 50. According to DU’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), 40 candidates should have been called for an interview for the first vacancy, with 20 additional candidates for each subsequent vacancy. Contrary to this, the college invited more than 70 candidates per seat for interviews. Furthermore, points were awarded for publications in general peer-reviewed journals, rather than those listed in UGC-CARE or Scopus. During the interview process, a DU-appointed subject expert refused to sign the final score sheet, alleging that non-expert committee members were arbitrarily assigning marks to their preferred candidates. Additionally, on April 29, 2026, the DU Registrar had strictly advised the college against issuing appointment letters; nevertheless, the college announced the results on May 9 and allowed the candidates to join on May 11.

Two Assistant Professors Lose Their Positions

Following an internal inquiry initiated by the new Principal of St. Stephen’s College, Susan Elias, and a subsequent decision by the Governing Body on September 29, 2026, action was taken against two faculty members. A teacher in the Department of Chemistry was asked to resign after it was determined that they lacked the necessary academic qualifications and eligibility; the individual subsequently resigned from their post, though they were later engaged as guest faculty. A similar irregularity was identified in the case of a faculty member from the Department of Hindi.

The College’s Argument and DU’s Stance

In this matter, St. Stephen’s College maintains that, as a minority institution, it possesses the authority to determine its own selection processes and criteria. On the other hand, Delhi University maintains a clear stance that, regardless of whether a college is a minority institution, it is mandatory for it to adhere to recruitment rules approved by DU’s statutory bodies, UGC guidelines, and the prescribed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).