New Delhi, May 15 -- Days after St. Stephen's College named Professor Susan Elias as principal, the University of Delhi on Thursday objected to the appointment, alleging that the committee constituted for her selection violated provisions of the 2018 University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations governing the appointment of teachers and academic staff. St. Stephen's College had announced the appointment of Elias, its first woman principal, a landmark moment in the 145-year-old institution's history, on Tuesday. She is scheduled to take charge on June 1. In a statement on Thursday, addressed to the governing body chairman of the college and accessed by HT, the university said, "The university has not been requested for nomination of experts as per the provisions of UGC regulations 2018... and in view of the above, it appears that the selection committee for the appointment of a new principal in the college has not been constituted in accordance with the provision of UGC Regulations 2018." The statement, signed by DU Registrar Vikas Gupta, further directed the college not proceed with the appointment and reconstitute the selection committee in accordance with UGC norms. In its statement, DU specifically pointed to a provision of the 2018 UGC norms under which the university should nominate two members of the selection panel. St. Stephen's College is a Christian minority institution under the Church of North India with 50% of its seats are reserved for Christian students. The current principal of Stephen's College John Varghese, Susan Elias, and the chairman of the college's governing body, Paul Swarup, did not respond to HT's requests for comment. This is not the first time the university and the college have clashed over such an issue, with admissions, seat reservation under the minority institution status, fee policies, and the appointment of teaching staff frequently becoming a point of contention between the two. While the university has emphasised a need for uniform implementation of rules across all affiliated colleges, St. Stephen's College maintains that, as a minority institution, it has a certain degree of autonomy and rights. The college administration and DU also spared over the continuation of Prof. Varghese beyond his original five-year term, which ended in March 2021. Varghese continued for another term which ended in February 2026....