The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to give an early hearing to a plea seeking an interim stay on the interview process for admission of Christian students to Delhi University’s St. Stephen’s College.
A vacation Bench of Justice Jyoti Singh and Justice Manoj Ohri said the matter was already listed before another Bench on July 2 and, therefore, there was no urgency.
The petitioner, N.P. Ashley, who is a teacher and a member of the college’s Governing Body, withdrew his plea. He had sought an urgent hearing as the admission interviews were scheduled to begin from Friday.
On July 12, the HC had refused to stay the interview process after three teachers of the college filed a petition against the inclusion of a member of the institution’s Supreme Council on the interview panel for the selection of Christian students.
The teacher-members of the college’s Governing Body: Ashley, Abhishek Singh and Nandita Narain, have challenged a decision taken by the Supreme Council at its meeting on March 12.
They had submitted that the Supreme Council had decided to have an additional Christian member nominated by it or the Governing Body to be part of the interview panel. The Supreme Council is higher in authority than the Governing Body of the college, comprising members from the Church of North India and also those nominated by it.
The teachers have contended that the “interference” of the church in the admission process was against the norms of the college. The college, however, claimed that the petition was not maintainable as neither any fundamental right nor any statutory or legal right of the petitioners was violated.
