NEW DELHI: Serious irregularities have come to light in the faculty recruitment process at St. Stephen’s College after an inquiry committee appointed by Delhi University flagged multiple violations of prescribed recruitment norms and standard operating procedures. According to the committee’s findings, several decisions taken during the screening and selection of candidates deviated significantly from established university rules, giving rise to concerns that certain applicants were granted undue advantages.
Screening Norms Diluted and Candidate Lists Inflated
The inquiry report noted that the college administration unilaterally altered the benchmark academic score required for shortlisting applicants. Under Delhi University regulations, candidates must secure an academic score of at least 55 to be eligible for shortlisting, but St. Stephen’s College reduced this threshold to 50. The committee identified this reduction as a clear deviation from prescribed university standards.
The scrutiny process also revealed major discrepancies in the number of candidates called for interviews. Standard university guidelines stipulate that colleges may invite 40 candidates for the first vacancy and 20 additional candidates for each subsequent vacancy. The administration at St. Stephen’s College allegedly invited 70 applicants per post, creating an excessively broad pool in non-compliance with the established framework. The inquiry also questioned the allocation of extra marks for research papers published in ordinary peer-reviewed journals, noting that the original recruitment advertisement contained no provision for such weightage.
Expert Dissent and Ignored Executive Council Directives
The selection proceedings for the Physics Department encountered direct internal resistance when an external subject expert nominated by Delhi University refused to sign the final score sheet. The expert recorded serious objections, stating that non-expert members of the selection board had awarded marks arbitrarily to favour preferred candidates over others. This refusal highlighted deep concerns regarding the objectivity of the interview assessments and the integrity of the evaluation process.
The timeline of administrative actions has further intensified scrutiny over the institution. On April 29, 2026, Delhi University’s Executive Council formally advised St. Stephen’s College against issuing appointment letters to the selected candidates. The college administration proceeded regardless, announcing the recruitment results on May 9, 2026, and allowing the appointees to join their positions on May 11, in direct disregard of the council’s advisory.
High Court Intervenes as Committee Calls for Accountability
The recruitment dispute quickly reached the judiciary, leading to an interim directive from the High Court on May 13, 2026. The court ordered that the appointments should not be given effect without its explicit prior permission, placing the entire selection under legal restraint pending further review.
The probe committee, headed by former Delhi University Teachers’ Association president Prof. Inder Mohan Kapahi, has recommended robust safeguards to ensure transparency, uniformity, and strict procedural compliance in future appointments. Committee member Aman Kumar stated that repeated correspondence had been sent to the college administration seeking clarification on these discrepancies, but no satisfactory response was provided, leaving crucial questions regarding institutional accountability unresolved.
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