VC plan sets off rowDecember 26, 2025: DU VC proposes renaming Dyal Singh Evening College after Banda Singh BahadurJanuary 8, 2026: The college staff association adopts a resolution opposing the proposalFebruary: Teachers approach DU Academic Council, raising concerns and citing the 1978 transfer deedApril: Staff members stage a protest outside the Principal’s office, demanding status quoMay 23: Banda Singh Bahadur College and Majithia College picked as proposed names; teachers submit dissent notesMay 25: Registrar clarifies decision not final and that the Executive Council will take up the matterJuly 29: Dyal Singh Majithia College emerges as a revised naming optionNearly a year after Delhi University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh proposed renaming Dyal Singh Evening College after Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur, the issue remains unresolved. Faculty members have reiterated their opposition to any change in the institution’s established identity and demanded that its existing name be retained.In a recent statement, faculty members stressed that the college’s name was intrinsically linked to the legacy of its founder, philanthropist Dyal Singh Majithia, and should not be altered.“The legacy of Dyal Singh Majithia must be respected, protected and carried forward. Dyal Singh College has a rich historical identity and a legacy deeply connected to its founder’s vision of education, knowledge and public service,” they said.“We stand for preserving the name Dyal Singh College and oppose any move to change its established identity,” they added.The controversy began on December 26, 2025, when the VC, while addressing an event to mark Vir Bal Diwas, expressed the university’s intention to rename the evening college after Banda Singh Bahadur. The announcement triggered opposition from teachers and staff members, who argued that removing the founder’s name would undermine the institution’s historical identity.Opposition to the proposal also centred on the 1978 transfer deed through which Delhi University took over the college. Staff members cited Clause 12 of the agreement, which stipulates that the institution would continue to be known as Dyal Singh College.The issue subsequently went through several rounds of deliberations. On May 23 this year, the college’s governing body approved two proposed names, Banda Singh Bahadur College and Majithia College. However, some teachers’ representatives opposed the move and submitted dissent notes.In July, a revised option, Dyal Singh Majithia College, emerged, seeking to retain the founder’s full name. The development came amid continued objections from faculty members to dropping Dyal Singh’s name altogether. DU Registrar Vikas Gupta had earlier clarified that the governing body’s decision was not final and that the proposal would have to be placed before the university’s Executive Council for a final decision.