Teachers protest at Dyal Singh Evening College over renaming plan to Banda Singh Bahadur

They demanded an immediate meeting with the administration on the issue as well as written assurance that the college would not be relocated from its existing location in south Delhi’s Lodhi Colony area.

Dozens of teachers at Delhi University’s (DU) Dyal Singh Evening College protested on campus on Thursday against the administration’s plan to rename the institution ”Banda Singh Bahadur” after the Sikh warrior— a move expected to be considered for approval at an upcoming executive council meeting. The protest was organised by the Staff Association. They demanded an immediate meeting with the administration on the issue as well as written assurance that the college would not be relocated from its existing location in south Delhi’s Lodhi Colony area.

The executive council meeting is scheduled for April 29.

Association president, Mithilesh Kumar Singh, said the issue resurfaced in December last year, after nearly a decade, when DU vice chancellor Yogesh Singh mentioned renaming the institution on the occasion of Vir Bal Diwas. Since then, the association has made multiple attempts to reach out to the administration, including submitting memoranda of demands, but received no response, leading to the protest, Singh said.

“The renaming plan is not on the agenda of the upcoming executive council meeting, but we believe that it will be included in the supplementary agenda at the last moment,” Mithilesh Kumar Singh told HT.

The executive council meeting is scheduled for April 29.

Several protesting professors said the institution’s name holds “emotional value”. Jagbir Singh, a professor, said, “There have been discussions that the college may be relocated to either Narela or Dwarka, with Narela being the more likely option as the government aims to develop it as an education hub. However, connectivity remains a major concern, and there are fears that student admissions could decline due to the area’s limited development, especially since the college is currently located in a prime South Delhi location,” he said.

College principal Bhawna Pandey did not respond to HT’s requests for comment.

Highlighting that teachers are important stakeholders, Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of the DU Executive Council who joined the protest, said the administration should consider their demands.

“Teachers of Dyal Singh Evening College do not want any change in the college’s name. The college administration, governing body and Delhi University should respect the unanimous mandate of teachers who are one of the most important stakeholders,” said Dhusiya.

According to Mithilesh Kumar Singh, “The issue began in 2017 when the college shifted to morning hours but retained its original name (Dyal Singh Evening College). A proposal that year to rename it ‘Vande Bharat Dyal Singh College’ was dropped due to staff opposition. The matter resurfaced in December last year when Delhi University again raised a renaming plan, despite the Dyal Singh Trust Society condition that any institution on the land must retain Dyal Singh’s name or face relocation.” He has been associated with the college for 17 years.