St. Stephen’s bends its constitution for Church

The 102-year-old constitution of St. Stephen’s College is headed for a big change with the Church of North India likely to get a bigger say in its functioning. A draft amendment circulated by principal Valson Thampu proposes to hand over student admissions and faculty appointments to the college’s supreme council, leaving the governing body toothless. It also empowers the principal to take disciplinary action against students or staff, independent of the governing body, which till now had a say in the matter.

The current supreme council is made up of five Church of North India (CNI) members and the principal. It was earlier responsible only for appointing the principal and safeguarding the college’s minority status.

The draft amendment, a copy of which is with HT, will be presented for voting before the 16-member governing body on November 23. Sources said the body, which has been looking after admissions and appointments so far, is largely loyal to Thampu. Teachers fear that the amendment, if passed, would destroy the “secular and intellectual” fabric of the Delhi University college. “This is being done to establish oligarchy of Christians who will run the institution as they like. The new constitution removes the system of checks and balances. The secular and intellectual interest of the institution is being compromised by vested interests who have already brought bad name to the college,” said a senior teacher, who has been a governing body member.

“All of a sudden, the principal will also have the power to decide on staff increments,” said Nandita Narain, a teacher.

“Now what is the legitimacy of the changes that are being brought? Moreover, the college is a government-funded institution and CNI does not even give 5% that they are supposed to give, so why is so much power being vested in them,” she asked. The amendment also plans to replace the St Stephen’s College Trust, which currently runs the college, with a proposed St Stephen’s Educational Society which will have the power to establish Stephen’s-like private institutions across India.

The proposed society will comprise at least 11 members -- the Bishop of the diocese of Delhi (CNI) as the chairman, the CNI general secretary, one member from the Delhi diocesan board of education, a nominee of the CNI moderator, a nominee of the executive committee of the Delhi diocese, three persons of eminence from the Christian community, two more Christians from the field of education, management and finance nominated by the principal, and the principal himself.