A controversy has erupted over Delhi University’s decision to conduct examinations on Eid-ul-Azha despite declaring the day a gazetted holiday, with teachers’ bodies and student groups demanding immediate rescheduling of the papers scheduled for May 28.

In an office memorandum issued by DU's General Branch-II on Monday, the university announced that all offices, faculties, departments, colleges and institutions would remain closed on May 28 on account of Eid-ul-Azha. However, the notification also stated that “examinations will be conducted as scheduled”.

Following the notification, several members of the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) wrote to Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh, urging the administration to defer the examinations.

Meanwhile, DU Registrar Vikas Gupta told PTI that the university was not considering postponement of the examinations but could hold a re-exam later for students choosing to skip the papers due to 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 said.

"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 said.

In their letter to the vice chancellor, teachers said thousands of Muslim students, teachers and staff members would be observing religious rituals and celebrations 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," the memorandum added.

The teachers also stressed that festivals in India are celebrated in a spirit of inclusivity and harmony across communities and appealed to the administration to allow students and staff to observe the festival without academic pressure.

The demand for rescheduling was also raised earlier through separate letters written by elected executive council member Aman Kumar and other academic council members.

According to university sources, the examination schedule was prepared when the Centre had initially notified May 27, 2026, as the holiday for Eid-ul-Azha. As a result, May 27 was kept free in the examination timetable.

However, following moon-sighting announcements and confirmations by religious authorities across India, Eid-ul-Azha will now be observed on Thursday, May 28.

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

The student organisation pointed out that although the university had declared Eid-ul-Azha a holiday, examinations — including the Administrative Law paper at the Faculty of Law — remained scheduled for the same day.

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

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