Delhi May Rename Schools 2025: The Delhi government is exploring the possibility of renaming government schools after local martyrs to honour their legacy and instil a sense of patriotism in students, Education Minister Ashish Sood said on Saturday.
Speaking at a Kargil Vijay Diwas event held at Shivaji College, Delhi University, Sood said the move would help connect future generations with stories of courage and sacrifice from their own communities.
"Several of our young soldiers who laid down their lives in Kargil were from Delhi and even alumni of this very college," he said, referring to Captain Sumit Roy, Captain Hanif-ud-Din, and Captain Anuj Nayyar, all former students of Shivaji College who were killed in the 1999 conflict. "Naming schools after such martyrs will serve as a daily reminder to students of what duty to the nation really means."
The event was attended by students, faculty members, and family members of the martyrs, including Mrs. Swapna Roy, mother of Captain Sumit Roy.
Mr Sood said the proposed school renaming initiative is part of a broader push to embed national pride and civic responsibility into public education. "Sacrifice for the country should not just be a chapter in a textbook. It should be visible in the institutions we learn in," he said.
He added that students learning in schools named after local heroes would grow up with a more personal connection to national service. "We want children to know these were young men from our city, from our neighborhoods, who gave everything so we could live freely," Mr Sood said.
Highlighting the importance of remembering martyrs beyond symbolic days, the Minister said honouring them through school names would give their legacy permanence in public memory.
He also pointed to the National War Memorial set up during the Modi government as a step in the same direction. "Now every evening, a martyr's family is honoured at the memorial, that is the kind of culture we must build everywhere, including in schools," he said.
The event at Shivaji College was held to mark 25 years of India's victory in the Kargil War. Mr Sood said that the bravery of fallen alumni should be integrated into how we educate the next generation.
"No nation can move forward without remembering those who laid down their lives for it," he said. "Through this school naming initiative, we aim to turn remembrance into education."
