A resolution has been passed by Delhi University’s St Stephen’s College’s Supreme Council stating that its alumni have not right to interfere in its internal matters. This comes in the backdrop where a group of former students, Association of Old Stephanians, have alleged “rampant illegalities” in the functioning of the college.
The college’s Supreme Council, which is the decision making body of the institution, resolved that certain alumni are resorting to “false propaganda” and the college shall not be forced to deviate from “its time-tested traditions, conventions and convictions, nor forego its Constitutional rights, through any tactic or strategy based on it.”
The alumni body, which is not recognised by the college, has released a ‘White Paper’ detailing alleged financial and administrative illegalities in the college and also sent copies of the same to the PMO and the HRD Ministry seeking their intervention. The ‘White Paper’ has raised several allegations including the appointment of Thampu being illegal in view of improper qualifications, illegal appointment of college chairman, improper functioning of the Governing Body and victimisation of several persons by principal leading to litigation in courts.
The alumni association has been joined by Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) which alleged inaction by DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh despite repeated complaints to him regarding principal Thampu. The association’s media coordinator, Ashish Joshi, has said that given the rampant illegalities that plague the running of the college, it had become imperative for urgent intervention by the HRD Ministry as well as a comprehensive audit by the office of CAG.
Furthermore, an administrative officer of St Stephen’s College who had earlier accused principal Thampu of forcing him to convert to Christianity has now served him a legal notice alleging that he was being made to work in a store room.
“It is pertinent to mention that the office allotted to (Subhas Kumar Dash) was in the nature of a store room…wherein laptops (over 350 laptops) that were issued by Delhi University to be distributed to students since 2013 were being stored as the same were not allotted,” the notice read.
