New Delhi, May 15, 2025 — A sudden blaze broke out in the library of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (SGGSCC), affiliated with the University of Delhi, on Thursday morning, leaving staff, students, and the academic community shocked and devastated. The fire, which started around 8:55 AM, ravaged the college’s central library building, reducing decades of knowledge and rare archives to ashes within hours.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The fire reportedly began on the third floor and quickly spread due to combustible materials such as paper, wood, and plastic fixtures. Eyewitnesses described plumes of black smoke rising high above the campus skyline, prompting immediate evacuation and emergency response.
🔹 Immediate Response Saves Lives, But Not Books
Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities have been reported. However, the material losses are enormous. The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) arrived with 10 fire tenders after receiving a call at 9:00 AM and took nearly four hours to bring the fire under control.
The fire had consumed a significant portion of the four-storey library building by the time it was extinguished. Fire officers have tentatively attributed the cause to an electrical short circuit, although a final forensic report is pending.
Speaking to media, DFS official Arvind Kumar stated:
“The fire spread fast due to the presence of a large amount of flammable material and inadequate fire partitions. Firefighting systems in the building were outdated and non-functional at the time.”
🔹 A Priceless Loss to Academic Heritage
Established in 1984, the SGGSCC library served as a sanctuary for students and scholars. It housed over 55,000 books, including rare editions on commerce, economics, Sikh theology, and interfaith dialogue. The college also maintained a Sikh Centre for Inter-Faith Studies, an archive of unique texts not available elsewhere in the university system.
Among the materials lost are:
- Decades of annual reports and departmental records
- Research theses and student dissertations
- Archival copies of national and international journals
- Digitally archived content not yet backed up to the cloud
“The oldest records of our institution were stored there. This is like losing our soul,” said Professor Manjeet Kaur, who has taught at the college for over 25 years.
🔹 Impact on Students and Faculty
The fire has triggered a crisis for students, particularly final-year undergraduates and postgraduate students working on their research papers. Many had stored their drafts and notes in lockers inside the library’s reading section.
“It’s not just the books. All my primary research, handwritten notes, and annotated references are gone,” said Rohan Gupta, a B.Com (Hons) student. “It’s heartbreaking. We were just weeks away from our final submissions.”
Faculty members echoed these concerns. Dr. Anita Sehgal, head of the Economics department, called for immediate academic intervention:
“We need digital alternatives and support from the University of Delhi to ensure academic continuity.”
🔹 Administration’s Response and Rebuilding Plans
College principal Dr. Jaswinder Singh addressed the press hours after the fire was extinguished, assuring full cooperation with investigation teams and a commitment to rebuilding.
“We are coordinating with university officials and government agencies to assess damage, restore essential services, and begin the reconstruction of the library with state-of-the-art safety systems,” he said.
The administration is also in talks with Delhi University to extend submission deadlines, provide students access to e-resources, and possibly host temporary reading rooms on campus.
🔹 A Wake-up Call on Infrastructure Preparedness
This incident has stirred a broader conversation around fire safety and infrastructure maintenance in Delhi’s educational institutions. A recent audit revealed that over 60% of Delhi University colleges do not have functioning fire alarms or extinguishing systems.
“Educational buildings are time bombs when safety is ignored. This fire must be the last of its kind,” said Prabhat Sharma, a retired civil engineer who now advises schools on campus safety.
