St Stephen’s College seeks help of ‘agencies of international repute’ to identify next principal

St Stephen’s College, affiliated to Delhi University, has invited search agencies of ‘international repute’ to send their lowest quotations within seven days from the date of notice

St Stephen’s College, one of India’s premier higher education institutions, has officially begun its search for a new principal, inviting proposals from “agencies of international repute” to identify candidates for its top leadership position.

The Supreme Council of the Delhi University-affiliated college issued a call for quotations on December 15, 2025 seeking proposals from agencies with proven experience in identifying and appointing principals for premier institutions in India. This is for the first time the college's supreme council has adopted this approach.

Supreme Council is the highest body of the religious minority college with the Bishop of Diocese of Delhi, Church of North India as chairman.

The selected agency will support the search committee in shortlisting suitable candidates for the top post.

St Stephen’s College: Search for principal

According to the St Stephen’s College notification, interested agencies are required to submit their lowest quotation along with detailed terms and conditions, credentials, and relevant organisational information. The proposals must be sent in a sealed envelope clearly superscribed “SEARCH AGENCY PROPOSAL” and addressed to the chairman of the search committee.

The college has specified a tight timeline, with submissions required to reach the designated address within seven days from the date of the notice.

The current principal, John Varghese, took over from Valson Thampu in early 2016 and has been in the post ever since. He had come from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) Hyderabad but had briefly taught in St. Stephens’ English department before.

Varghese's tenure saw rising conflict between the college and the university over various policy decisions. The tussle resulted in various court cases during the admission process. The college had wanted to follow its own admission policy after the introduction of Common University Entrance Test (CUET). The most recent of the tussle was over the college not following the single girl child reservation. The university had even raised objections over the extension given to Varghese and argued it violated University Grants Commission (UGC) rules.