Susan Elias was on Tuesday appointed as the first woman principal of St Stephen’s College in Delhi since its establishment in 1881, according to an official announcement. The appointment marks a historic milestone for the college, which is part of the University of Delhi.
The official announcement reads: “The Supreme Council of the Academy is pleased to announce that Prof Susan Elias will take over as the Academy’s XIV (14th) Principal and First Lady with effect from June 1, 2026.
It was signed by the Rt Revd Dr. Paul Swarup, Bishop of Delhi and President of the College.
See the announcement here:
Who is Professor Susan Elias?
According to Elias’ LinkedIn profile, she served as Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Chandigarh University, located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, from January to May 2026.
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She previously served as Director of Research at Hindustan University between October 2024 and December 2025. She also served in several roles at Vellore Institute of Technology, including Professor and Dean of the School of Electronics Engineering, Professor and Deputy Director at the Center for Advanced Data Science, and Associate Professor and Head of the School of Electronics Engineering.
St Stephen’s College was founded on 1 February 1881 by the Cambridge Mission to Delhi in association with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, with Samuel Scott Allnutt serving as its founder and first principal.
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According to the college’s website, it was established after the closure of Delhi College in 1879 and initially operated from rented premises in Chandni Chowk before moving to Kashmir Gate in 1891 and later to its present campus in the Delhi University enclave in 1941.
Here’s what the Dean of Academics had to say
Malay Neerav, Dean of Academics and Head of the Department of History at St Stephen’s College, told PTI that the college already has a rich repository of history and is now set to have its first female principal.
“A similar landmark event took place in 1906 when Susil Kumar Rudra became the first Indian to become the principal of a college,” she said.
Neerav said, “Interestingly, Mahatma Gandhi stayed in Rudra’s house and the non-cooperation movement also started there.”
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According to professors and college officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the principal’s post has been officially vacant since March 1, 2026, after 13th principal John Varghese ended his term in February.
“There were long-standing administrative issues between the university and the college. While the post was technically vacant for three months, Varghese continued to serve as principal, leading to further disputes over some appointments,” another official said.
(With input from agencies)
Key things
- The appointment of Professor Susan Elias marks a breakthrough in gender representation in academic leadership.
- St. Stephen’s College, founded in 1881, now embraces a new chapter in its history with this historic appointment.
- The leadership transition comes amid ongoing administrative issues between the university and the college.
