St Stephen's college row: AC, EC members of Delhi University write to V-C

Members of Delhi University's Academic and Executive Councils Friday wrote to the varsity's vice-chancellor, saying the decision of St Stephen's college to include a member of Supreme Council in the interview panel for students "will compromise with the academic integrity in the admission process".

The letter addressed to Professor Yogesh Tyagi was written by Executive Council members J L Gupta and Rajesh Jha, Academic Council members Seema Das, Richa Raj, Sudhanshu and Pradip Kumar, and Finance Committee member Rajpal Singh Pawar.

"We request you to preserve and protect the academic integrity in the admission process and dignity of the teachers of St Stephen's college, which is under serious threat by some recent decisions of the college administration," the letter read.

"We respect the status of the minority institution, but we also demand respect for the university's statutory framework and service conditions of the teachers," the members said in the letter.

It stated that the warning letters issued to the three teachers must be withdrawn immediately as they were performing their duty as the members of Governing Body.

"Including a member of the Supreme Council in the admission panel is clearly an encroachment on the administration of the college and will compromise with the academic integrity in the admission process," the members said.

Students and staff members of St Stephen's college Friday staged a protest against the alleged interference of the church by including a member of the institution's Supreme Council in a panel to select students.

The Supreme Council is a subset of six members of the Governing Body (Managing Committee) and comprises all members of the church of North India.