Faculty members of Dyal Singh College have written to Delhi University’s (DU) Academic Council (AC), opposing the proposal to rename Dyal Singh (Evening) College after Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur. The teachers warned that such a move could lead to land disputes, violate the 1978 transfer deed, and harm the academic environment of the college.
In a letter sent on Thursday, the Dyal Singh College Teachers’ Association (DSCTA) urged elected members of the Academic Council to stop any attempt to rename the evening college or create a second morning college on the same campus.
The Academic Council is DU’s apex academic body, and its unanimous decisions are binding on affiliated colleges.
Faculty say they were not consulted
On January 14, The Indian Express reported that DU was considering renaming Dyal Singh (Evening) College. Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh had publicly mentioned the proposal during his address on Vir Bal Diwas in December 2025.
Teachers, however, said they were not consulted before the proposal was announced.
According to the faculty, Dyal Singh College is legally a single institution, with both morning and evening classes operating under the same governing body and university ordinances.
“There is one college, and evening classes of the same college, with the same governing body and ordinance,” the letter stated.
Transfer deed bars name change, teachers say
The teachers cited Clause 12 of the 1978 transfer deed, under which DU took over the college. The clause clearly states that the entire land must continue to be called ‘Dyal Singh College’, leaving no scope for renaming any part of it.
The association warned that opening a new college under a different name would require UGC approval, which, according to them, has not been obtained.
Space crunch and overcrowding flagged
The letter also highlighted serious infrastructure limitations, referring to the NAAC report, which points out a major space crunch on campus.
Although the college is spread over 11.3 acres, only 8.3 acres are usable, as the remaining land is occupied by a drain.
At present, the campus serves around 5,500 morning students and 2,500 evening students, all sharing the same facilities.
Earlier, evening college classes began after 2 pm. Now, teachers say, they function like a day college, leading to overcrowding and pressure on infrastructure.
Past renaming attempt cited as precedent
The DSCTA also referred to a failed renaming attempt in 2017, when the governing body proposed changing the college’s name to Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya. The move was dropped after strong opposition and a police complaint by then MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who argued that the land belonged to the Dyal Singh Majithia Trust and could not host a college under another name.
Teachers said that this precedent, along with a unanimous Staff Council resolution opposing any land bifurcation, should have ended such proposals.
“All efforts to divide the land or rename the evening college will seriously damage both institutions and affect the quality of higher education,” the letter warned.