St. Stephen’s First Woman Principal Susan Elias Visits Delhi Brotherhood Society, Briefed On College Legacy & History

Susan Elias, newly appointed as the first woman principal of St. Stephen’s College, visited the Delhi Brotherhood Society (DBS) headquarters in New Delhi on Monday evening. During her visit to Brotherhood House in Civil Lines, Elias interacted with senior DBS officials, including Monodeep Daniel and Brother Solomon George, to learn about the society’s history and its 145-year association with the college. DBS representatives briefed Elias on the contributions of Charles Freer Andrews, known as Dinbandhu C F Andrews, a faculty member who facilitated Mahatma Gandhi’s 1915 visit to the college alongside former principal Sushil Kumar Rudra. The meeting also covered the activities of St. Stephen’s Cambridge School in Rai village, a DBS-run institution on the Delhi-Sonipat border, where Elias expressed appreciation and committed to sending faculty members for academic sessions with students. Elias toured the nearly century-old Brotherhood House, which serves as the DBS headquarters. Her appointment as principal has been controversial, occurring amid an ongoing dispute between St. Stephen’s College and Delhi University. Elias assumed charge on Monday, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to lead the institution since its establishment in 1881. Officials noted that Elias’s visit aimed to strengthen ties between the college and the DBS, emphasizing the society’s role in preserving the college’s legacy. The meeting highlighted the importance of Andrews’ contributions to the college’s founding and its connection to India’s freedom movement. Elias’s engagement with the Cambridge School reflects her commitment to expanding educational outreach beyond the main campus.