Curtains on a term of controversy, acting principal of St Stephen’s Rev Thampu resigns

Eight months after he was appointed acting principal of St Stephen’s College touching off a bruising controversy that virtually split the campus community...

Eight months after he was appointed acting principal of St Stephen’s College touching off a bruising controversy that virtually split the campus community, Reverend Valson Thampu quit today.

The announcement came the day The Indian Express reported that the Theology PhD Thampu acquired this January from the Allahabad Agricultural Institute-Deemed University (AAI-DDU) was not recognised by the University Grants Commission. This was a degree Thampu did not have when he got the job — although it was a requirement — and when he announced its receipt in January, his supporters said the way had been cleared for his appointment as principal.

Thampu has been asked to stay on until March 18. M S Frank, a chemistry professor of the college, has been appointed Protem Administrator to oversee the day-to-day functioning of the college.

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This evening, Sunil Mathew, media advisor to the principal, issued a statement that the Supreme Council of the college met for an “urgent meeting” today and accepted Thampu’s resignation with “deep regret.” He said that the council had begun looking for his successor. To this effect, “in view of the poor response to the earlier advertisement for the post of Principal, it has been decided to re-advertise the position,” the statement said.

When asked on the UGC statement that Thampu’s PhD wasn’t valid for appointment to a teaching job, Mathew said: “We cannot speculate on the issue. There was no adverse order as to his appointment.”

Last month, Delhi University asked the college that “while considering the candidates for the post of Principal, the Governing Body should ensure that the incumbents shortlisted for the post of Principal possess a PhD degree in a relevant subject i.e. a subject being taught in the College”.

Mathew, however, said: “The resignation has not happened because of the letters sent by the university. The next selection will happen with due regard to the university regulation…the time frame for getting a new principal is May-June.”

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A High Court order earlier this week had directed Delhi University and the Supreme Council to strictly adhere to UGC norms while appointing the next principal. Mathew said that one of the requirements for the new Principal was that “he has to be a member of the Church of North India”. Incidentally, DU had objected to this saying it ruled out participation of non-minority category candidates from applying for the post.

Asked if Thampu would continue teaching at the college, Mathew said: “I don’t think so but yet again we cannot speculate”.

Thampu’s resignation, many in the college hope, will end a controversial chapter in the college. Soon after he took over as acting principal, he introduced a new admission policy that was criticised by many in the faculty: a 40% quota for Dalit Christians while slashing the General Category seats by 10 percent.

Further fissures in the teaching community came when the college’s prestigious Mathematical Sciences Foundation decided to move out of the campus two months after Thampu’s appointment due to differences with his administration. MSF, which has former principal Anil Wilson as chairman and founding member, had been functioning as part of the St Stephen’s College for the last eight years.

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The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) in July last year wrote to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) objecting to Thampu’s continuation as member of the commission on the grounds that his appointment at a minority college might impinge on the fairness of judgements delivered by him as member of the commission.