Mahatma Hans Raj, the man in whose memory this college has been founded was a great nationalist at heart, besides being an educationist and a religious organizer. He was also an untiring relief worker and social reformer, organizing relief work during earthquakes at Kangra (1905), Quetta (1934), Bihar (1935), famines of Rajasthan (1905), Awadh (1907), and Garhwal (1918). He upheld widow remarriage and strongly advocated the abolition of early marriages and caste distinctions. By his efforts he turned Arya Samaj and DAV institutions into effective instruments of social upliftment and moral regeneration.

Mahatma Hans Raj was born on 19 April 1864 in the hamlet of Bajwara in district of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, in a family of modest financial means. His father Lala Chunnilal was an appeal nawis and mother Hardevi was a simple housewife. When Hans Raj was 12 years old his father died putting the family to severe economic strain. Fortunately for Hans Raj his elder brother Muluk Raj got a scholarship of Rs.8/- per month which also enabled Hans Raj to pursue his studies. He started his career as Honorary Founder Head Master of DAV High School Lahore in 1886 at the age of 22. In 1889 when DAV College was established in Lahore he became its honorary Principal, identifying himself completely with the college. DAV College Lahore became an important centre of learning, inculcating among its students the qualities of discipline and self-sacrifice. He opened many more institutions in other important places and guided the destiny of DAV institutions for fifty years. He breathed his last in 1938. Mahatma Hans Raj may truly be acknowledged as the founding father of the DAV movement. Hans Raj College lives up to the values and ideals of this great soul who lived and sacrificed his entire life for the ideals he believed in and practiced.

Hans Raj College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi and a premier institution of the DAV Managing Committee - the largest non-government educational organization of the country. After partition DAV Managing Committee decided to set up its institutions in India and the first to be set up was DAV College Ambala . On July 26, 1948 the college was set up in memory of Mahatma Hans Raj (1882-1938) the founder of DAV College Lahore and a pioneer in the field of education.

Dr G L Dutta who had earlier been appointed the Principal of DAV College Ambala was appointed as the founding Principal of Hans Raj College. The college had a modest beginning, functioning from the west wing of DAV Higher Secondary School on Chitragupta Road, Delhi. There were 313 students on the rolls. The college offered preparatory courses in Arts and Sciences, B A (Pass), B A (Hons.) in Sanskrit, Hindi, English and Mathematics. An honour in Economics was added after some time. Students were also enrolled for B.Sc (Gen.) and (Hons.) courses but the classes for these were held in the university. The Post-graduate courses were also conducted in the university while the college only managed their tutorial schemes. During this period of infancy the college continued to flourish as a result of the dedication and hard work of the teachers and students and the administrative staff of the college. Several prominent persons graced the college under the auspices of the various academic societies set up in the college.
 

For the next six years the college functioned from the cramped premises of the DAV school on Chitragupta Road. The University subsequently under Sir Maurice Gwyer’s scheme of building university campus gave the college a grant of two lakhs of rupees and fifteen acres of land that now houses the present premises of the college. It was only in 1953, five years after the college had been established that Shri Bakshi Tek Chand, the Chairman of the Governing Body laid the foundation stone of the college. The construction of the building was done by Northern Constructions, New Delhi under the supervision of Shri T R Mahendru the architect.

The college premises were finally inaugurated on 3rd October 1954 by the Honourable President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Present on the occasion were Shri Bakshi Tek Chand, Chief Justice Shri Mehar Chand Mahajan, Dr G S Mahajani (Vice Chancellor Delhi University); Lala Yodhraj and Principals of many DAV colleges. The building consisted of (a) the front block comprising class-rooms, laboratories and offices (b) the hostel and (c) the Principal’s residence. The auditorium was added later on.

Dr G L Dutta retired in 1960 and the mantle of taking the college forward came on Shri Shanti Narayan a well-known teacher of Mathematics and who had served the college in various capacities as Bursar and officiating Principal. Under Shri Shanti Narayan the college made rapid progress, new courses were added, large number of students were admitted, more classrooms were added on the first floor, new laboratories were constructed. Shri Shanti Narayan added a sports complex including an indoor badminton hall, a seminar room and a library. Canteen and hostel capacity was enlarged. Grants from UGC helped in these construction processes.

The democratization of college governance was introduced during his tenure The college started working through its staff council and its sub committees. The Principal functioned as Principal in council and major decisions were now taken through discussions with elements of transparency introduced in the administration.
In 1970 Shri G P Chopra took over from Shri Shanti Narayan. During his tenure a number of important changes came to be introduced. The emphasis shifted from Pass and General Courses to Honours Courses. B.Com (Pass) was discontinued, the strength of B.A (Pass) and B.Sc. (Gen.) courses was reduced and that of Honours courses increased. In 1971 B.Sc. (Hons) courses were transferred from University to the colleges thus increasing the number of students admitted to these courses. Shri Chopra’s tenure also saw the introduction of co-education in the college in 1978. There was significant development in infrastructure also. Another floor was added to the sports complex and a new tutorial block was added for the teaching staff. The third phase of laboratory expansion was also undertaken. An important development was the construction of residential flats for teachers and non-teaching staff. The college made significant progress in the academic and sports field during this period.

In 1984 Shri Chopra retired passing on the responsibility to Dr N K Uberoi who earlier had worked as Vice-Principal for a long time. He took charge as Principal in 1985. He also added to the infrastructure of the college. In 1987 an administrative block with two big floors was added. A new block of six flats was added in the teacher’s residential complex and seven flats were added for the non-teaching people. In 1989 a new Library building was completed.

Shri J K Kapur took over as Principal in 1992. During his tenure the college was able to consolidate its finances. The college also added a well-equipped laboratory as well as a well protected parking lot for the staff. A Yoga Centre was added above the canteen and was formally inaugurated by Shri L K Advani on 26th July 1998.
Dr S. R. Arora took charge as Principal after Shri J K Kapur. In his tenure a number of important infrastructural developments have taken place. The boundary wall of the college was completely renovated. A computer science lab was added. The college got a fully air conditioned Seminar Hall with audiovisual facilities. An air conditioned electronic shooting range has been established. A fully air-conditioned second staff room with computer facilities was set up for the teachers. The college is working on plans to construct more classrooms and also renovate the college auditorium.

In its sixty years of existence the college has definitely gained the status of a premier institution of the country. As a premier institution of the North Campus of Delhi University, the college is a centre of great attraction. Only nine colleges out of a total of seventy seven colleges is located in the North Campus.
During the last six decades the college has built infrastructure facilities that can compare with the best in the university. Besides large number of classrooms and extensive playfields, there is a sports complex, a badminton hall, an air conditioned electronic shooting range, well-equipped laboratories, a tutorial block, a spacious library, a big administrative block, a hostel for nearly 200 students, a canteen, a well-furnished air conditioned seminar room with audiovisual facilities and residential flats for teaching and non-teaching staff.
The college has had the privilege of the most enlightened Governing Body with illustrious people like Shri Bakshi Tek Chand, Chief Justice Shri Mehar Chand Mahajan, Justice Jeewan Lal Kapur, Dr G L Datta, Lala Suraj Bhan, Prof. Ved Vyas and Shri G P Chopra as its Chairmen.

The teaching community of this college is the greatest asset of this college. At present there are 85 teachers who are either Readers or in Reader’s Grade. The faculty members have made significant contribution not only to the corporate life of the college but also shaped the academic, social and cultural life of the nation. There is a great sense of belongingness to this institution among the teachers.

The college is really proud of its alumni who have excelled in every walk of life, be it public life, civil services, armed forces, judiciary, private and public sectors, media and television and films. They have done our college proud. The students who come to this college are among the top achievers at the school and add further achievements to their credit. Our examination results are among the best in the university.

The college has a very devoted and committed administrative, library and lab staff. And, today, the college continues to live up to the motto given to it by its founding fathers.

Our past principals :

1948-1960 : Late Dr. G.L.DATTA (Department of Physics)
1960-1971 : Late Shri. SHANTI NARAYAN (Department of Mathematics)
1971-1985 : Late Shri. G.P. CHOPRA (Department of English)
1985-1991 : Dr. N.K.OBEROI (Department of Zoology)
1992-2003 : Shri. J.K.KAPUR (Department of Economics)
2003-2009 : Dr. S.R.ARORA (Department of Mathematics)

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