New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): Delhi’s prestigious St. Stephen’s College has come under fire after barring 54 first-year students from appearing in their semester examinations due to failure to meet the minimum 66.7% attendance requirement. The decision, taken on June 4, has sparked protests from students who allege they were denied fair hearings and subjected to mistreatment by the administration.
According to a statement by a student group identifying themselves as the “Concerned Students of St. Stephen’s College,” many of the affected students had valid reasons for falling short of the attendance threshold. These included medical emergencies, personal crises, participation in college events, and even the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Despite these factors, students claim the administration refused to consider their appeals.
“Our parents travelled from different cities and waited outside the Principal’s office from 8 am to 4 pm, only to be yelled at and denied even a few minutes of meeting,” the students stated.
They further allege that the Principal left the college without notice for ten days following the release of the detained list, leaving no one in authority to hear appeals or respond to student concerns.
In a particularly distressing incident, a student reportedly suffered a panic attack and nearly collapsed after being shouted at and physically intimidated by security staff. The group claims that even during the medical emergency, college staff refused to provide basic assistance such as a wheelchair or ambulance.
Students are also questioning the transparency and consistency of the college’s attendance policies. They allege that attendance rules are often announced only at the end of the semester, and exemptions for medical or extracurricular reasons are either ignored or delayed.
Another point of concern raised by the students is the concentration of authority in the Principal’s hands. They note that the position of Vice Principal has remained vacant for nearly a decade, leaving no alternate mechanism for grievance redressal.
“This is not the first time such detentions have happened. Last year, over 100 students were penalised for missing morning assemblies. There is a pattern,” the group said.
Calling the administration’s conduct “disrespectful and unaccountable,” the students are demanding that all 54 barred students be immediately allowed to sit for their exams. They also seek a return to the previous system where attendance issues were reviewed at the departmental level, rather than being centrally decided.
There has been no official response from the college administration at the time of this report. (ANI)
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