NEW DELHI: Despite objections from Delhi University, Susan Elias on Monday took charge as the 14th principal of St Stephen’s College, becoming the first woman to head the institution in its 145-year history, sources said.

Elias’s appointment was announced through a notification issued on May 12. Soon after, Delhi University wrote to the college asking it not to proceed with the appointment, claiming that the selection process did not comply with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. The university also sought the intervention of the UGC in the matter.

On Monday, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university was awaiting further directions from the UGC. “We have already written to the UGC, seeking intervention. We will wait for further instructions from them,” he said.

Even as Elias assumed office, uncertainty remained over the transition. The principal’s page on the college’s official website continued to remain blank. Former principal John Varghese is currently listed as a faculty member in the Department of English, while his profile still identifies him as the principal of the college.

According to a college official, speaking on condition of anonymity, Varghese sent what appeared to be a farewell email to faculty members and staff on Sunday. However, there is no clarity yet on whether he will continue at the college as a faculty member.

The issue of Varghese’s future role has also become a point of contention between the college and the university. In the latest dispute, the university objected to a proposal to absorb him as a faculty member in the English department after the completion of his tenure as principal.

The official further said that no formal ceremony marking the assumption of charge was known to have taken place. “Whenever a principal takes charge, there is usually some sort of ceremony. However, as of now, we are not aware of any such formal gathering,” the official said.

Elias’s appointment marks a significant milestone in the history of St Stephen’s College, which was founded in 1881 and has never before had a woman principal. The development also highlights the continuing friction between DU and St Stephen’s College over issues relating to governance, administrative control and institutional autonomy.