Dyal Singh College Renaming Row Escalates as Principal Seeks V-C’s Direction

New Delhi: The controversy over the proposed renaming of Dyal Singh Evening College has intensified, with the principal seeking guidance from the University of Delhi vice-chancellor on convening a staff council meeting amid growing protests.

According to a letter sent on Friday, Principal Bhawna Pandey has requested directions from Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh on whether a Staff Council meeting can be held to discuss the issue, as per university ordinances.

The development comes two days after the college’s Staff Association staged a protest opposing the plan to rename the institution after Banda Singh Bahadur. The college is currently named after Dyal Singh Majithia, a noted 19th-century philanthropist and educationist.

The Staff Association has repeatedly demanded a formal discussion on the matter, and the recent dharna received support from members of the Academic Council, Executive Council, and the Delhi University Teachers’ Association.

In the letter, signed by both the principal and Staff Council secretary Jnanendra Narayan Singh, it was highlighted that faculty members have been seeking a meeting to deliberate on the governing body’s resolution regarding the name change.

Staff Association president Mithilesh Kumar Singh said the principal had earlier assured that a meeting would be held on April 28, ahead of the Executive Council session. However, no meeting has been scheduled so far.

Meanwhile, university officials have indicated that the renaming proposal is unlikely to be taken up in the upcoming Executive Council meeting, even as tensions continue to rise within the college community.