NEW DELHI: A students’ body on Wednesday condemned the Church of North India for its attempts to interfere in the admission process of St Stephen’s College.
The statement by All India Students’ Association (AISA) came in the wake of the warning received by the three governing body academics at the college for objecting to the principal’s decision to include a member of the institute’s Supreme Council in the interview panel for selection of students.
It said that the CNI’s decision to move one of its representatives from the Supreme Council to the admission committee, was passed “despite facing resistance from all permanent teachers, violating all procedures”.
“This is an attempt by the Church to intervene in academic matters of the colleges, whereby the Constitution of the college mandates that the Church has the right to intervene only in matters relating to religious and moral instructions in the college,” the AISA said in a statement.
“AISA stands in solidarity with the teachers, Nandita Narain (former DUTA President), NP Ashley and Abhishek Singh,” it added.
St. Stephen’s College, though a minority institution, is a government funded college. It is funded by the UGC. “And in no way can the church intervene in matters related to academics and admissions,” AISA said.