Confusion over St Stephen’s mail on suspension of 100 students in Delhi

On Tuesday, the Students’ Union Society (SUS) said it was told there was a “clerical error” on the part of the administration

Over 100 first-year BA students of St Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, received emails on February 17 (Saturday) saying they were “suspended” due to low attendance in the morning assembly, after they failed to bring their parents and guardians to meet the college principal, according to students and professors aware of the matter. The email said the students would be debarred from appearing in the upcoming second-semester examinations.

St Stephen’s College ‘suspended’ 100 students for low attendance during the morning assembly. (Ht archive)

However, after backlash from students and professors questioning the basis of the email over the last couple of days, the students concerned received an email from the principal’s office on Tuesday evening informing them that the previous email was “mis-worded”, adding that they would not be suspended.

The email said: “In the light of the mis-worded email that was sent, without my clearing it, please note now that there will be no suspension with regard to attendance for the morning assembly.”

“The morning assembly in college is an old tradition... It is not a religious event even though small portions from several religious and philosophical texts are read out... college encourages all junior members to participate in the morning assembly,” it added.

HT reached out to St Stephen’s principal John Varghese, who did not respond to queries seeking comments.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Students’ Union Society (SUS) said it was told there was a “clerical error” on the part of the administration when it brought up the issue with the college authorities.

“We have been informed that there was a clerical error in issuing the notice regarding the assembly attendance. All first-year students will be allowed to sit for their examination,” said a member of SUS.

According to the people aware of the matter, the first email was sent by the principal’s private secretary to the students regarding low attendance for the month of January on February 4. The email purportedly asked the students to seek an appointment with the principal accompanied by their parents or guardians.

Thereafter, a second email was sent on February 17, “informing the students of their suspension and subsequent debarment from appearing in the exams”.

The second email, which HT has seen, said: “Unfortunately, we noted that you were unable to report to the Principal’s office as requested. Regrettably, due to non-compliance with this request, I inform you that the student will not be permitted to sit for the upcoming examinations as a consequence of suspension.”

Students said that the morning assembly usually starts at 9am and continues for 30 minutes every day. It begins with a reading from the Bible by a student volunteer and is followed by the principal or vice-principal talking on a topic related to the scripture and it ends with a prayer, a student said.

One of the students who received the email said that the college did not give much time for the students to produce their parents. “Most of us are from outstation students who are not originally from Delhi. So our parents could not come on such short notice. We tried to set up an appointment with the principal but we were not allowed to meet without our parents. Even local guardians or elder siblings were not allowed for the appointments,” said the first-year student, asking not to be named.

On Monday, the students including those in second and third years, wrote a collective email to the principal and senior members of the faculty asking for clarification on why the students were suspended.

The email said: “We also seek clarification on the stated grounds of suspension because to the degree that we are familiar with the rules inscribed in the College Constitution and the University Rulebook, we were unaware of morning assembly attendance being a factor of consequence with regard to debarment from college examination and suspension.”

Teachers of the college were also concerned regarding the incident and reached out to the principal, requesting an immediate withdrawal of the suspensions.

Associate professor Sanjeev Grewal, head of the economics department, wrote to the principal on Tuesday. “Making morning assembly attendance compulsory may indeed be violative of the fundamental rights of students under Articles 25 and 28(3) of the Constitution, and hence illegal,” Grewal wrote, adding that “the assembly has always involved religious prayers. Article 28(3) is quoted below for your ready reference... 28 Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions... (3) No person attending any educational institution recognised by the State or receiving aid out of State funds shall be required to take part in any religious instruction that may be imparted in such institution or to attend any religious worship that may be conducted in such institution or in any premises attached thereto unless such person or, if such person is a minor, his guardian has given his consent thereto.”

Other teachers from the college said the students were being allowed to attend classes as their names had not been formally dropped off of the list.

“The principal called a meeting with all departmental heads after the news and blamed his office staff for the email. The professors protested since the email clearly came from him. One student from the economics department has been formally suspended but the others have not been issued a formal notice yet,” said a teacher, requesting anonymity. It was not immediately clear why the student was suspended.

Another teacher, NP Ashley of the English department, said: “Though the mail students received mentioned suspension and subsequent debarment from second-semester exams, no student has received a formal suspension letter. The process has not been followed through from the principal’s side so far.”