St. Stephen's College, Delhi
Encyclopedia
St. Stephen's College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi
located in Delhi
, India
. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St. Stephen's is arguably India's most famous higher educational institution offering degrees in the liberal arts
and the science
s. Since its founding in 1881, the college has produced a long line of distinguished alumni. Students and alumni of the college are termed Stephanians.
, England. It was initially affiliated to the University of Calcutta
. In 1882 it was affiliated to University of the Punjab, Lahore
. It later became one of three original constituent colleges of the University of Delhi when that institution was founded in 1922. The Rev. Samuel Scott Allnutt was mainly responsible for founding the college and served as its first principal. Allnutt is buried by the chapel in the college's present campus. The anniversary of his death is observed as Founder's Day on December 7 every year.
The college is currently situated on a large and well-known campus in North Delhi
, designed by the distinguished Welsh
architect Walter Sykes George
, and completed in 1941. The college had previously functioned from a campus in Delhi
's Kashmiri Gate
, housed in distinctive Indo-Saracenic buildings
. These now house some government
offices. In fact, some college playing fields are still located between Kashmiri Gate
& Mori Gate. In addition to its present academic buildings and halls of residence, the college is famous for its library, which also houses a collection of rare Sanskrit
and Persian
manuscripts. Facilities for a number of sports are provided for on the college campus. The Francis Monk gymnasium, the Ladies Common Room, and the Junior Common Room provide facilities for indoor sports and recreation. A chapel is open to all members for worship and meditation. The college has six Residences - blocks which allow around 500 men and women to reside on the premises.
Student clubs and societies have always played an important role in the life of the college, and are seen as vital to student development. Each academic subject has a society which sponsors lectures and discussions. The popular extracurricular societies and clubs engage in activities concerned with debating, dramatics, trekking, film, social service, photography, quizzing and astronomy. In continuance of a long tradition, societies - such as the Planning Forum, History Society, Gandhi Study Circle, Informal Discussion Group - regularly invite distinguished visitors to address and join issue with students on various topical issues.
The badge is a martyr's crown on a field of martyr's red, within a five-pointed star, edged with Cambridge blue. Around the five-pointed star, which represents India, is the Cambridge blue border, representing the impact of Cambridge University on the college, having been founded by the members of the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. On the ground, which is coloured red to represent Saint Stephen
, the first Christian martyr and patron saint of the Anglican mission in Delhi, in whose memory the College is built, stands the martyr's crown in gold.
with 5 boarders and three professors, and was initially part of the University of Calcutta
. After it changed its affiliation to Punjab University
, Lahore
, it moved into premises in Kashmiri Gate
designed in the Indo-Saracenic
style. These buildings are now occupied by the Election Commission
for Delhi State.
The first mention of a St Stephen's College occurs in the report of the Delhi Mission of The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in 1864. This branch of the Society's work had been opened in 1854 at the instance of a chaplain of the East India Company, the Rev. Midgley John Jennings. He was the chaplain of Delhi and was killed in the 1857 Uprising
.
St Stephen's High School was founded before the 1857 Uprising
by the Revd. M. J. Jennings in about 1853-4. It was a large and important institution comprising a central school and several branch schools;it had about 600 students. The central school was lodged in a hired house in Katra Kushal Rai, Chandni Chowk
. The school building was called Shish Mahal and belonged to Ashraf Beg, a vizier of the last Mughal
emperor. His daughter Aliza Begum was one of the emperor's wives.
In the 1870s, Bishop
Douglas of Bombay suggested that the Universities of Oxford
and Cambridge
send out men of high scholarship who would live in a religious community and work amongst the educated classes of India. His idea was carried into effect by members of Cambridge University
and inspired by the Revds. Hort, Lightfoot and Westcott. The enthusiasm and idealism of Westcott gave birth to the Cambridge Mission.
With the 1867 closure of Government College in Delhi because of financial problems, the Bishop of Lahore, Dr French, immediately urged the Cambridge Mission to fill the breach. St Stephen's School already had permission to open classes to prepare students for the B.A. examination of Calcutta University. And so on 1 February 1881 university classes were begun and St Stephen's College came into existence.
The college was named after Saint Stephen
, who was adopted by the Anglican church as the patron saint
of Delhi after Christian converts were reportedly stoned to death during the 1857 uprising. (As they were the first 'martyrs' in North India and were stoned, parallels to Stephen were obvious.)
In 1906, Principal Rev. Hibbert-Ware abdicated his post in favour of Susil Kumar Rudra who became the first Indian to head a major educational institution in India. The decision was frowned upon at the time, and was the subject of scathing editorial comment in The Statesman
daily published from Calcutta, but Principal Rudra proved to have a tenure of extraordinary importance for the college, as described below.
It was decided in 1920 to set up a University in Delhi and land was earmarked in the area where the Delhi Durbar
of 1911 had been held. The new College buildings were laid out around courts in the style of a transplanted Cambridge college (but with certain clearly distinguishable tropical elements and subtle Mughal
motifs) by the well-known British architect Walter Sykes George
.
The University of the Punjab (at Lahore) received its charter more than one year after the founding of St. Stephen's College which became one of the two institutions first affiliated to it. Six students of the College sat for the Intermediate Arts exam of the Calcutta University in 1882, and two students passed the Punjab and two the Calcutta F.A. examination in 1883. St. Stephen's College later became one of the three original constituent colleges of the University of Delhi when the latter was established in 1922.
Women were first admitted in 1928, as there were no women's colleges in Delhi affiliated with the Anglican Church at the time; after the founding of Miranda House
in 1949, women were not accepted as students until 1975.
Many Stephanians went on to distinguished service in Raj
administration and civil society of the day. Sir Chottu Ram was the first Stephanian to be knighted in 1937. Many alumni were also active in India's long freedom struggle.
, Dehradun
and Modern School, Delhi
.
Significantly, in 1914, C. F. Andrews, then a lecturer in Philosophy at the College, discussed over breakfast with Principal Rudra and other faculty members the possibility of bringing back to India the leader of the Indian political rights movement in South Africa
. When Andrews finally persuaded Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, at Gopal Krishna Gokhale
's behest, to return and join the Indian freedom struggle, the latter stayed several times in the Principal's house, both during Rudra's tenure and that of his successor, Satya Nand Mukarji. The letter to the Viceroy announcing the commencement of the first Non-Cooperation Movement
was drafted at the Principal's dining table. A photograph in the principal's office shows Mahatma Gandhi
with the student body in 1915.
Andrews was himself active in the freedom struggle, and was named Deenbandhu (or, 'Friend of the Poor') by Mahatma Gandhi
on account of his work with the needy and with the trade union movement. A portrait of C. F. Andrews by his good friend Rabindranath Tagore
currently hangs in the Principal's office. It is believed that Tagore
completed the English translation of Gitanjali
, for which he was subsequently awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature, while a guest of the College.
After independence in 1947 and for the next two decades, St. Stephen's became particularly well known for the large number of academics, writers and prominent civil servants it produced. In fact, at one point in the 1970s two-thirds of all secretary-level positions in the Indian Administrative Service
were said to be occupied by Stephanians. However, the college has produced many more alumni of distinction in various fields, especially with the beginning of the latter half of the 20th century. Eminent Stephanians may be found in any Indian roll call of - among other fields - politics, the media, literature (indeed, where a 'St Stephen's School of Literature' is sometimes made reference to), scientific research, industry, entertainment, the military and sports.
The college is perhaps the only Indian institution that may count among its alumni the heads of state / government of three different countries: Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
of India, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan, and Salim Ahmed Salim
of Tanzania
and the OAU.
in January 2007, Dr. Anil Wilson was granted leave to serve as the Vice-Chancellor of Himachal University
while remaining in the office of Principal. In May 2007, Rev. Valson Thampu, previously a lecturer at the College, was appointed "Officer on Special Duty" officiating as Principal. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Wilson requested early retirement from the University and expressed a desire to return. On February 5, 2008, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions upheld the contention of University of Delhi that Rev. Thampu's appointment was "patently illegal." The University of Delhi contended that since Thampu did not have a PhD degree - a requirement for appointment as Principal - he could not hold the office. Later, he acquired a PhD from Allahabad Agriculture Institute-Deemed University. Rev. Thampu sought a stay on this order, but was refused by the Delhi High Court. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022661290300.htm
He resigned on 15 March 2008, but was subsequently reappointed Principal by the Governing Body of the college a few months later. http://www.hindu.com/holnus/002200803152168.htm
In June 2007, college administrators increased the preferential admissions quota for Christian applicants to 40% and set aside another 15% of the places for applicants from under-privileged backgrounds. That St Stephens now allocates less than half of its 400-odd seats to open admissions is considered a notable development
in the politically-fraught debate on caste
- and community-based affirmative action
in India.
Academic department heads boycotted the first day of the 2008-09 academic year to protest another new policy setting aside positions for Christian faculty, a move seen by many as being part of the new dispensation's intention to impart a specific religious character to the famously secular institution. This was done in conjunction with the new dispensation stating that they would enforce the 50% reservation for Christians in admitting students. While sanctioned by India
n law, St. Stephen's being a 'minority' institution, the college traditionally reserved no more than 25% of available seats for meritorious Christian candidates. Much media speculation and criticism appears not to have deterred administrators from going ahead with the move.
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
located in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The college admits both undergraduates and post-graduates, and awards degrees under the purview of the University. Famous for its rich history and many traditions, St. Stephen's is arguably India's most famous higher educational institution offering degrees in the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
and the science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s. Since its founding in 1881, the college has produced a long line of distinguished alumni. Students and alumni of the college are termed Stephanians.
Introduction
St. Stephen's is a co-educational institution of higher learning located in University Enclave on the University of Delhi's 'North' campus. In spite of its location in North India, the college has always striven to admit students and select teachers from all communities and from all parts of India. It also admits a small number of students from overseas. The college was founded on 1 February 1881, by the Cambridge Brotherhood, an Anglican mission from Westcott House, CambridgeWestcott House, Cambridge
Westcott House is a Church of England theological college based in Jesus Lane located in the centre of the university city of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.Its main activity is training people for ordained ministry in Anglican churches...
, England. It was initially affiliated to the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. In 1882 it was affiliated to University of the Punjab, Lahore
University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
. It later became one of three original constituent colleges of the University of Delhi when that institution was founded in 1922. The Rev. Samuel Scott Allnutt was mainly responsible for founding the college and served as its first principal. Allnutt is buried by the chapel in the college's present campus. The anniversary of his death is observed as Founder's Day on December 7 every year.
The college is currently situated on a large and well-known campus in North Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, designed by the distinguished Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
architect Walter Sykes George
Walter Sykes George
Walter Sykes George was an English architect active in India during the first half of the 20th century, most known for being partt of the team of architects who designed New Delhi, the new capital of India, from 1911-1931....
, and completed in 1941. The college had previously functioned from a campus in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
's Kashmiri Gate
Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)
The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
, housed in distinctive Indo-Saracenic buildings
Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
. These now house some government
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
offices. In fact, some college playing fields are still located between Kashmiri Gate
Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)
The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
& Mori Gate. In addition to its present academic buildings and halls of residence, the college is famous for its library, which also houses a collection of rare Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
manuscripts. Facilities for a number of sports are provided for on the college campus. The Francis Monk gymnasium, the Ladies Common Room, and the Junior Common Room provide facilities for indoor sports and recreation. A chapel is open to all members for worship and meditation. The college has six Residences - blocks which allow around 500 men and women to reside on the premises.
Student clubs and societies have always played an important role in the life of the college, and are seen as vital to student development. Each academic subject has a society which sponsors lectures and discussions. The popular extracurricular societies and clubs engage in activities concerned with debating, dramatics, trekking, film, social service, photography, quizzing and astronomy. In continuance of a long tradition, societies - such as the Planning Forum, History Society, Gandhi Study Circle, Informal Discussion Group - regularly invite distinguished visitors to address and join issue with students on various topical issues.
Residence Blocks
The college's halls of residence are spread across six blocks, named for former principals. Each block is supervised by a member of the faculty functioning as Block Tutor. Originally only for male students (termed 'Scholars in Residence') half of these blocks are now allotted entirely to women students. Porters and other staff who work in Residence are referred to as 'gyps' and 'karamcharis' respectively.- Allnutt North
- Allnutt South
- Rudra North
- Rudra South
- Mukarji East
- Mukarji West
College motto and colours
The College motto is Ad Dei Gloriam, Latin for To the Glory of God. The College colours are martyr's red and Cambridge blue.The badge is a martyr's crown on a field of martyr's red, within a five-pointed star, edged with Cambridge blue. Around the five-pointed star, which represents India, is the Cambridge blue border, representing the impact of Cambridge University on the college, having been founded by the members of the Cambridge Mission to Delhi. On the ground, which is coloured red to represent Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, the first Christian martyr and patron saint of the Anglican mission in Delhi, in whose memory the College is built, stands the martyr's crown in gold.
History
Founded in 1881 by the Cambridge Mission in response to a colonial government policy promoting English-language education in India, the College's first premises were in Chandni ChowkChandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
with 5 boarders and three professors, and was initially part of the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. After it changed its affiliation to Punjab University
University of the Punjab
University of the Punjab , colloquially known as Punjab University, is located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The University of the Punjab is the oldest and biggest University of Pakistan. The University of the Punjab was formally established with the convening of the first meeting of its...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, it moved into premises in Kashmiri Gate
Kashmiri Gate (Delhi)
The Kashmiri Gate is a gate located in Delhi, it is the northern gate to the historic walled city of Delhi...
designed in the Indo-Saracenic
Indo-Saracenic
The Indo-Saracenic Revival was an architectural style movement by British architects in the late 19th century in British India...
style. These buildings are now occupied by the Election Commission
Election Commission of India
The Election Commission of India is an autonomous, quasi-judiciary constitutional body of India. Its mission is to conduct free and fair elections in India...
for Delhi State.
The first mention of a St Stephen's College occurs in the report of the Delhi Mission of The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in 1864. This branch of the Society's work had been opened in 1854 at the instance of a chaplain of the East India Company, the Rev. Midgley John Jennings. He was the chaplain of Delhi and was killed in the 1857 Uprising
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
.
St Stephen's High School was founded before the 1857 Uprising
Indian Rebellion of 1857
The Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
by the Revd. M. J. Jennings in about 1853-4. It was a large and important institution comprising a central school and several branch schools;it had about 600 students. The central school was lodged in a hired house in Katra Kushal Rai, Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk , originally meaning moonlit square or market, is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, now in central north Delhi, India...
. The school building was called Shish Mahal and belonged to Ashraf Beg, a vizier of the last Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
emperor. His daughter Aliza Begum was one of the emperor's wives.
In the 1870s, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Douglas of Bombay suggested that the Universities of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
send out men of high scholarship who would live in a religious community and work amongst the educated classes of India. His idea was carried into effect by members of Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and inspired by the Revds. Hort, Lightfoot and Westcott. The enthusiasm and idealism of Westcott gave birth to the Cambridge Mission.
With the 1867 closure of Government College in Delhi because of financial problems, the Bishop of Lahore, Dr French, immediately urged the Cambridge Mission to fill the breach. St Stephen's School already had permission to open classes to prepare students for the B.A. examination of Calcutta University. And so on 1 February 1881 university classes were begun and St Stephen's College came into existence.
The college was named after Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen
Saint Stephen The Protomartyr , the protomartyr of Christianity, is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, who was adopted by the Anglican church as the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Delhi after Christian converts were reportedly stoned to death during the 1857 uprising. (As they were the first 'martyrs' in North India and were stoned, parallels to Stephen were obvious.)
In 1906, Principal Rev. Hibbert-Ware abdicated his post in favour of Susil Kumar Rudra who became the first Indian to head a major educational institution in India. The decision was frowned upon at the time, and was the subject of scathing editorial comment in The Statesman
The Statesman
The Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
daily published from Calcutta, but Principal Rudra proved to have a tenure of extraordinary importance for the college, as described below.
It was decided in 1920 to set up a University in Delhi and land was earmarked in the area where the Delhi Durbar
Delhi Durbar
The Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
of 1911 had been held. The new College buildings were laid out around courts in the style of a transplanted Cambridge college (but with certain clearly distinguishable tropical elements and subtle Mughal
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
motifs) by the well-known British architect Walter Sykes George
Walter Sykes George
Walter Sykes George was an English architect active in India during the first half of the 20th century, most known for being partt of the team of architects who designed New Delhi, the new capital of India, from 1911-1931....
.
The University of the Punjab (at Lahore) received its charter more than one year after the founding of St. Stephen's College which became one of the two institutions first affiliated to it. Six students of the College sat for the Intermediate Arts exam of the Calcutta University in 1882, and two students passed the Punjab and two the Calcutta F.A. examination in 1883. St. Stephen's College later became one of the three original constituent colleges of the University of Delhi when the latter was established in 1922.
Women were first admitted in 1928, as there were no women's colleges in Delhi affiliated with the Anglican Church at the time; after the founding of Miranda House
Miranda House
Miranda House , is a highly renowned and distinguished constituent college for women at the University of Delhi in India. It is widely regarded as a Premier Women's Institution of Delhi University offering degrees in the Sciences and Liberal Arts . Miranda House has demonstrated academic...
in 1949, women were not accepted as students until 1975.
Many Stephanians went on to distinguished service in Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
administration and civil society of the day. Sir Chottu Ram was the first Stephanian to be knighted in 1937. Many alumni were also active in India's long freedom struggle.
A larger role
From the time of its inception, St.Stephen's has played what may be termed a pre-eminent role both in the field of education and in the affairs of the nation. It was senior college faculty who floated the idea of founding the University of Delhi. Later, the college was also influential in the founding of two famous Indian public schools, the Doon SchoolThe Doon School
The Doon School is an independent school located in Dehradun in the state of Uttarakhand in India. Established in 1935, it was founded by Satish Ranjan Das. Its first Headmaster was Arthur E...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
and Modern School, Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.
Significantly, in 1914, C. F. Andrews, then a lecturer in Philosophy at the College, discussed over breakfast with Principal Rudra and other faculty members the possibility of bringing back to India the leader of the Indian political rights movement in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. When Andrews finally persuaded Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, at Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, CIE was one of the founding social and political leaders during the Indian Independence Movement against the British Empire in India. Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of India Society...
's behest, to return and join the Indian freedom struggle, the latter stayed several times in the Principal's house, both during Rudra's tenure and that of his successor, Satya Nand Mukarji. The letter to the Viceroy announcing the commencement of the first Non-Cooperation Movement
Non-cooperation movement
The non-cooperation movement was a significant phase of the Indian struggle for freedom from British rule which lasted for years. This movement, which lasted from September 1920 to February 1922 and was led by Mohandas Gandhi, and supported by the Indian National Congress. It aimed to resist...
was drafted at the Principal's dining table. A photograph in the principal's office shows Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
with the student body in 1915.
Andrews was himself active in the freedom struggle, and was named Deenbandhu (or, 'Friend of the Poor') by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
on account of his work with the needy and with the trade union movement. A portrait of C. F. Andrews by his good friend Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
currently hangs in the Principal's office. It is believed that Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
completed the English translation of Gitanjali
Gitanjali
Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems, largely translations, of the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.This volume became very famous in the West, and was widely translated....
, for which he was subsequently awarded the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature, while a guest of the College.
After independence in 1947 and for the next two decades, St. Stephen's became particularly well known for the large number of academics, writers and prominent civil servants it produced. In fact, at one point in the 1970s two-thirds of all secretary-level positions in the Indian Administrative Service
Indian Administrative Service
The Indian Administrative Service is the administrative civil service of the Government of India. It is one of the three All India Services....
were said to be occupied by Stephanians. However, the college has produced many more alumni of distinction in various fields, especially with the beginning of the latter half of the 20th century. Eminent Stephanians may be found in any Indian roll call of - among other fields - politics, the media, literature (indeed, where a 'St Stephen's School of Literature' is sometimes made reference to), scientific research, industry, entertainment, the military and sports.
The college is perhaps the only Indian institution that may count among its alumni the heads of state / government of three different countries: Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was the fifth President of India from 1974 to 1977.-Early life and background:Fakhruddin's grandfather, Khaliluddin Ali Ahmed, of Kacharighat near Golaghat, Assam, married in one of the families who were the relics of Emperor Aurangzeb's bid to conquer Assam Ahmed was born on...
of India, Gen. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan, and Salim Ahmed Salim
Salim Ahmed Salim
Salim Ahmed Salim a Tanzanian diplomat who has worked in the international diplomatic arena since the early 1960s. Salim is married to Amne and they have three children: Maryam, Ali and Ahmed....
of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and the OAU.
College Principals
- The Rev. Samuel Scott Allnutt, Founder and first principal, 1881-1898.
- John Wright, Second Principal. 1899-1902.
- The Rev. G. Hibbert Ware, Third Principal. 1902-1906.
- Sushil Kumar Rudra, Fourth Principal. 1906-1923.
- The Rev. Francis Frank Monk, Fifth Principal. 1923-1926.
- Satya Nand Mukarji, Sixth Principal. 1926-1945.
- Douglas Raja Ram, Seventh Principal. 1945-1960.
- Satish Chandra Sircar, Eighth Principal. 1960-1972.
- The Rev. William Shaw Rajpal, Ninth Principal, 1972-1984.
- Dr. John H. Hala, Tenth Principal. 1984-1991.
- Dr. Anil Wilson, Eleventh Principal. 1991-2007.
- The Rev. Valson ThampuValson ThampuRevd. Valson Thampu is an Indian educator, christian theologian, who is the present Principal of St Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi, since 2008...
, Twelfth Principal. 2008–present.
Recent Controversies
In a contentious developmentin January 2007, Dr. Anil Wilson was granted leave to serve as the Vice-Chancellor of Himachal University
Himachal University
Himachal Pradesh University Located nearly 5 km away from the town, at Summer Hill, a quiet suburb of Shimla in the vicinity of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Himachal Pradesh University, a premier institution of teaching and research in the country, was established on 22 July 1970...
while remaining in the office of Principal. In May 2007, Rev. Valson Thampu, previously a lecturer at the College, was appointed "Officer on Special Duty" officiating as Principal. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Wilson requested early retirement from the University and expressed a desire to return. On February 5, 2008, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions upheld the contention of University of Delhi that Rev. Thampu's appointment was "patently illegal." The University of Delhi contended that since Thampu did not have a PhD degree - a requirement for appointment as Principal - he could not hold the office. Later, he acquired a PhD from Allahabad Agriculture Institute-Deemed University. Rev. Thampu sought a stay on this order, but was refused by the Delhi High Court. http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022661290300.htm
He resigned on 15 March 2008, but was subsequently reappointed Principal by the Governing Body of the college a few months later. http://www.hindu.com/holnus/002200803152168.htm
In June 2007, college administrators increased the preferential admissions quota for Christian applicants to 40% and set aside another 15% of the places for applicants from under-privileged backgrounds. That St Stephens now allocates less than half of its 400-odd seats to open admissions is considered a notable development
in the politically-fraught debate on caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
- and community-based affirmative action
Reservation in India
Reservation in India is a form of affirmative action designed to improve the well being of socially backward and underrepresented communities of citizens in India. There are laws in place, wherein a certain percentage of total available slots in Jobs and Education are set aside for people from...
in India.
Academic department heads boycotted the first day of the 2008-09 academic year to protest another new policy setting aside positions for Christian faculty, a move seen by many as being part of the new dispensation's intention to impart a specific religious character to the famously secular institution. This was done in conjunction with the new dispensation stating that they would enforce the 50% reservation for Christians in admitting students. While sanctioned by India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n law, St. Stephen's being a 'minority' institution, the college traditionally reserved no more than 25% of available seats for meritorious Christian candidates. Much media speculation and criticism appears not to have deterred administrators from going ahead with the move.