NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a plea challenging the inclusion of a supreme council member of St Stephen’s College here in the interview panel for admission of Christian students to the institute.
The plea which was moved by three professors of the college was dismissed by Justice Anu Malhotra.
The decision to decline the stay of the interview process for admission of Christian students to the college under the Delhi University (DU) was also made by the court earlier.
The professors who had moved the plea were NP Ashley, Abhishek Singh and Nandita Narain of the college’s governing body.
The three had challenged a decision taken by the college’s supreme council at its March 12 meeting.
The petition stated that, at the said meeting, it was decided that an additional Christian member, nominated by the supreme council or the governing body, was to be part of the interview panel with respect to admission of Christian students across all streams.
The supreme council is higher in authority than the governing body of the college, comprising members from the Church of North India and also those nominated by it.
The petitioners had contended that the church’s “interference” was against the norms of the college.
The judge bench had claimed that the petition was not maintainable, as neither any fundamental right, nor any statutory or legal right of the petitioners was violated in the process.
The court was urged by the college to dismiss the petition, alleging that the petitioners had moved the plea with oblique motives.
The petitioners had earlier said that the decision went against the constitution of the institution, which expressly prohibited interference of the council in its administration.