Yogesh Singh Starts Second Term as Delhi University Vice-Chancellor

Yogesh Singh has started his second consecutive five-year term as Delhi University Vice-Chancellor, becoming the first person to be re-appointed to the post in 77 years. His new term could keep him at the helm until October 2031, completing a decade in the role. He also continues to head the All India Council for Technical Education, a post he took up in December.

Rule Changes And Background

Singh's reappointment became possible after the Centre amended Statute 11-F(4) of the Delhi University Act in October 2023. Previously, the rule stated that a Vice-Chancellor could not be re-appointed for another full term. The updated provision now allows an incumbent to serve a second five-year term. Historical records show Sir Maurice Gwyer served from 1938 to 1950, followed by S N Sen from 1950 to 1953. Before joining Delhi University on October 8, 2021, Singh served as Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and Delhi Technological University, where he also received second terms. He holds an MTech and a PhD from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra.

Academic Reforms

His first term saw the rollout of major changes under the National Education Policy 2020. The university adopted the Common University Entrance Test in 2022 to replace admissions based on Class 12 board marks, aiming to create a common test for applicants from different school boards. Singh acknowledged in a 2022 interview that students from CBSE-affiliated schools might hold an advantage since test questions rely on the NCERT curriculum. DU also launched the four-year undergraduate programme under the Undergraduate Curriculum Framework 2022, offering degrees with research options and revised credit rules.

Context

Delhi University is one of the largest and oldest central universities in India, making policy shifts there influential for the broader higher education sector nationwide. Major reforms like the Common University Entrance Test and the four-year undergraduate structure affect hundreds of thousands of students and numerous affiliated colleges every year. Leadership continuity often plays a central role when institutions implement large-scale academic overhauls of this scale.