NEW DELHI: Valson Thampu, whose earlier stint as the head of the prestigious St Stephens College here was mired in controversy, is likely to stage a comeback to the institution as its Principal.
A decision to this effect is understood to have been taken by the Supreme Council of the college, which interviewed 12 candidates for the top job today, college sources said.
The other candidates included the pro-tem administrator M S Frank and Shobhana Bhattacharjee, Reader of English Department in St Jesus and Mary College here, sources said.
Thampu's appointment as the Officer on Special Duty at the Stephens soon after the then principal Anil Wilson's demitting office was embroiled in a controversy as his detractors opposed it saying he was not "qualified enough" to hold the post.
Thampu resigned from the post in March after the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) declared his appointment "patently illegal".
Thampu said he has not received any official communication about his appointment as the Principal of the college.
He was appointed as the OSD of the college for three years in May last year after Wilson took over as the Vice- Chancellor of the Himachal Pradesh University.
Thampu's detractors opposed his appointment saying that he did not have a PhD degree, a requirement for appointment as Principal.
Later, he acquired a PhD from Allahabad Agriculture Institute-Deemed University.
However, the UGC said his PhD was not recognised by it putting him in trouble.
The NCMEI had raised doubts over the genuineness of the PhD degree in theology that Thampu had got from Allahabad Agriculture Institute-Deemed University.
He was a member of the NCMEI at the time of appointment as OSD at the prestigious St Stephen's college.
The Delhi University had also held that his appointment as the OSD was patently illegal.
