Swami Dayanand’s message was the message of the Vedas. He proclaimed that the Vedas are not the monopoly of the priests, or of India alone, but belong to all mankind, irrespective of nationality, creed, caste or sex. He denounced foreign domination and untouchability, and preached the abolition of the caste system, defying with all his might the wrongs eating into the vitals of society.
To perpetuate his memory and carry forward his mission, his devout followers — Mahatma Hans Raj, Lala Lajpat Rai and Pandit Guru Dutt Vidyarthi — established the D.A.V. College Trust and Management Society on 31st January 1886. The Society’s main objective was to impart education rooted in the fundamental values of Indian culture, while remaining liberal enough to assimilate new elements of thought, science and technology suited to changing modern needs. This marked the beginning of the Dayanand Anglo Vedic (D.A.V.) Movement — the word “Anglo” reflecting the need to learn English as a modern language, giving education a new orientation towards modernisation and up-to-date technology.
The movement took practical shape with the establishment, on 1st June 1886, of the D.A.V. High School, Lahore (later a college), with a total collection of just Rs. 24,868. It began with Lala (later Mahatma) Hans Raj — aged 22, having graduated the year before — who became its first Principal and took a solemn pledge to dedicate his life to the institution without any remuneration whatsoever.
The D.A.V. College Trust and Management Society is today the largest non-government education organisation in India, covering nearly the entire spectrum of educational activity in the country, including:
- Art, Science and Professional Colleges
- Colleges of Education, and over 450 public and aided schools
- A growing chain of technical institutions, including institutes of management and vocational studies
- An Ayurvedic College, Pharmacy, Polytechnic, Technical Institute and Engineering College
- A College of Theology
- The Vishveshvaranand Vedic Research Institute, Hoshiarpur — the largest Sanskrit and Vedic research institute in the world
- A Maternity and General Hospital / Dental College
Admission to these institutions is open to students of all castes and creeds. With over a century of selfless service, these institutions have become a symbol of hard work and devotion, achieving enviable milestones across academic, social and cultural spheres.