DU Faces Calls To Reschedule Eid-ul-Azha Exams As Teachers, Students Object To Holiday-Day Tests

A section of teachers and students at Delhi University (DU) has urged the administration to reschedule examinations scheduled for Thursday, after the day was declared a gazetted holiday for Eid-ul-Azha, arguing that holding exams on the festival could inconvenience students and staff observing the occasion.

In a memorandum issued by the university’s General Branch-II on Monday, DU announced that all offices, faculties, departments, colleges and institutions would remain closed on May 28 due to Eid-ul-Azha. However, the notification clarified that “examinations will be conducted as scheduled”.

The decision drew objections from members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), who wrote to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh seeking a postponement of the examinations scheduled for May 28.

Responding to the demand, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta said the university was not considering rescheduling the examinations but would explore conducting a separate examination for students who choose not to appear because of the festival.

"There are a lot of students who need to go for jobs or interviews for the next course; if we postpone the exam, it will cause a bigger problem as the exams cannot be immediately accommodated in the next few days," Gupta told PTI.

"If students who do celebrate the festival decide to not appear for the exam, they can let us know. We will conduct a re-exam at a later stage, maybe around July, to give them another opportunity, though that will definitely delay the entire process for them considerably," he added.

In their representation to the administration, teachers noted that thousands of Muslim students, faculty members and staff would be participating in religious observances associated with Eid-ul-Azha.

“Conducting examinations on such an important religious occasion may cause considerable inconvenience and distress to the concerned students,” the memorandum stated.

"Since examinations carry compulsory academic implications, we sincerely hope that students, teachers, and staff will be allowed to celebrate the festival without the pressure and restrictions of the examination schedule," it added.

The teachers further argued that festivals in India are traditionally celebrated in a spirit of inclusivity and communal harmony, and urged the university to allow students and employees to observe the occasion without academic pressure.

The latest appeal follows at least two earlier letters submitted by elected Executive Council member Aman Kumar and other Academic Council members, who had also requested that the examinations be rescheduled.

According to the teachers, the original examination timetable had been prepared when the Centre’s holiday calendar listed Eid-ul-Azha on May 27, 2026. As a result, that date was left free in the examination schedule. However, following moon-sighting announcements and confirmations by religious authorities across India, the festival is now set to be observed on Thursday, May 28.

The All India Students’ Association (AISA) also criticised the university’s decision, describing it as “insensitive, exclusionary and deeply problematic”.

The student organisation pointed out that despite the university declaring Eid-ul-Azha a holiday, examinations — including the Administrative Law paper at the Faculty of Law — remain scheduled on the same day.

“What meaning does recognition of a festival hold if students are denied the practical ability to observe it?” AISA said in a statement.

The organisation demanded the immediate postponement or rescheduling of all examinations slated for May 28, a transparent explanation from university authorities and an apology reaffirming the institution’s commitment to secular and inclusive values.