NEW DELHI: The prestigious St Stephen’s College reportedly passed its new constitution on Monday, notwithstanding the controversy around it.
Sources said the governing body, which met for a discussion on proposed amendments in the constitution, gave a go-ahead on Monday. Teachers slammed the move, terming it “illegal”.
Sources said the decision came after the college principal, Valson Thampu, pushed hard for the controversial change before his term expires in February 2016. Rejecting the move, president of the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) and Mathematics teacher at Stephen’s Nandita Narain said, “Thampu is going to destroy the prestigious institution by pushing his own agenda. The teachers are going to protest this. This is completely illegal” told Express.
The body was supposed to have two-thirds majority to pass any change but out of the 18 members only 10 members of the governing body were present. Ideally, there should be at least 12, said Narain.
“According to the constitution, two meetings have to be held within a span of three months, which did not happen on Monday. The Monday meeting was a first special meeting. Thampu is pushing this as he does not have the time for a second meeting, as his tenure will expire. Also giving such power to the Supreme council which has members of the Church of North India is unwise” Narain added.
The new amendments are going to water down the governing body, said Narain, wondering why tthe Church of North India, which has so many institutions under its umbrella, is destroying its most precious one.
Expressing her shock Narain said “When the old constitution was made, there was some reason for having more members of academic background in the council than religious. Church is for religious issues. As per the new guidelines, the Church will have authority over everything, which is going to destroy the academic culture of the college.”