St Stephens to get a new principal

NEW DELHI: With its officer on special duty (OSD) Valson Thampu caught in the eye of a storm, the administration of the elite St Stephens College, has finally started the procedure for inducting a new principal for the college.

The decision came in just days after the National Commission for Minority Education Institutions (NCMEI) asked Delhi University (DU) to start the process for the appointment of a principal at the college, upholding the university’s contention that Thampu’s appointment was “patently illegal.” Thampu had been appointed OSD in 2006 for a term of three years after former principal Anil Wilson took over as the vice-chancellor of Himachal Pradesh university.

The Church of North India (CNI), which governs the college, met members of the college’s supreme council on Thursday, and decided to induct a new principal by March 15. The church contends that the controversy on Thampu’s appointment has given a strong beating to the college’s reputation.

“The college’s unblemished reputation has certainly taken a beating due to this controversy. The appointment of a principal is now inevitable,” said Reverend Enosdas Pradhan, general secretary, CNI.
 
Pradhan, however, firmly backed Thampu’s appointment, adding  Thampu was welcome to apply for principal’s post, but will have to go through the screening procedure. “He (Thampu) is a priest of our church and is responsible for bringing the college back into the folds of the CNI. We would be happy if he applies for the post,” Pradhan said.

y_puneet@dnaindia.net