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In a letter to the college management, accessed by CNN-News18, the DU administration has warned that the move completely bypasses established recruitment protocols
By directly designating the former principal as a professor outside of this framework, the college has allegedly disrupted the legally mandated promotion ladder. File pic/PTI
In a major escalation of the ongoing bureaucratic standoff, Delhi University (DU) has officially called out St Stephen’s College for a “gross violation of statutory regulations”. The dispute centres on the college’s decision to directly “absorb” its former principal, Professor John Varghese, into its faculty ranks as a professor following the conclusion of his administrative tenure. In a sharply worded letter addressed to the college management, accessed by CNN-News18, the DU administration has declared the appointment unauthorised, warning that the move completely bypasses established recruitment protocols.
The university’s leadership has made it clear that neither the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines nor DU’s own institutional frameworks permit a college to unilaterally hire or retain an individual as a professor. Such appointments strictly require a sanctioned, vacant post and the oversight of a formal, legally constituted selection committee. By circumventing these mandatory institutional checks, the university asserts that St Stephen’s College has acted in direct violation of all applicable rules governing higher education appointments. The college is yet to issue a response.
The Promotion Protocol and Funding Safeguards
Central to the university’s objection is the structural breakdown of academic hiring. The DU Registrar highlighted that the UGC—the apex government body responsible for funding the college—strictly provides financial grants earmarked for entry-level teaching positions, such as assistant professors. Under standard academic trajectories, educators are required to earn the title of “professor” through a rigorous timeline of promotions spanning over many years, governed explicitly by the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS).
By directly designating the former principal as a professor outside of this framework, the college has disrupted the legally mandated promotion ladder. Furthermore, DU has issued a severe financial warning to St Stephen’s management regarding the long-term implications of this decision. The university explicitly stated that zero UGC funds or university grants will be permitted to cover the retirement benefits, salary, or pension of the former principal if the college persists in keeping him on the faculty rolls through this unauthorised arrangement.
Sub-Judice Disputes and the Call for Repatriation
The confrontation is further complicated by a history of administrative friction regarding the former principal’s leadership timeline. The university’s letter notes that Professor Varghese’s prior extension for a second term as the head of St Stephen’s was already a significant point of contention, with DU long maintaining that the extension violated the UGC’s 2018 regulations. Because this primary dispute remains “sub-judice” and is currently under active consideration by the Delhi High Court, the university argues that the college cannot legally act as if his past tenure was standard or undisputed.
Consequently, the registrar has directed that Professor Varghese must be immediately repatriated to his original parent institution, the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad. According to DU, this formal return to his baseline institution is the only legitimate channel through which he can legally claim his rightful retirement benefits. By drawing a hard line on this appointment, Delhi University has signalled that it will not allow premier constituent colleges to bypass federal education frameworks or establish independent hiring precedents.
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