In his speech, Singh thanked many people included current and former L-Gs Anil Baijal and Najeeb Jung, as well as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. He said all of them had provided crucial support to the university.

“I had been told by the government when I was joining DTU that I’m being sent for three months. I’ve now completed six years and 14 days here… It has been the most pleasant journey in the last six years and 14 days. I got to do and learn something new every day. Posts are not important in life… What is important what you contribute when you’re at that post. How much happiness you bring into the life of others, how much change you bring about – that is important,” he said.

Singh said he had joined the university on a clean slate, and was leaving again on a clean slate. “When I had joined, all counters were zero. Now that I’m going, I’m re-setting the counters again. What I mean to say is, if I have hurt anyone, please forgive me. Even those who have hurt me, I am forgetting all of that today day. Let’s leave all that behind,” he said.

Singh said he had seen the dream for DTU that it will come in the top 200 rank in the institutional ranking. “I think we can achieve in the next five years if maintain the current pace,” he said.

Singh said there was also a need to re-look at the debate on quantity versus quality. “There is always a fear that quality will fall if quantity increases, especially in the academic world… But this is a country of 135 crore people. We need both quality and quantity. And in DTU, we experimented, we went from 8,000 to 14,000-15,000 students. But our placements and research citations have both improved despite it,” he said.

Many colleagues, and V-Cs of institutes like Netaji Subhash University of Technology, Ambedkar University Delhi and Indira Gandhi Delhi Technological University for Women, spoke of their experiences with and memories of Singh.

Prior to the farewell, Singh inaugurated the Digital Archives (Central Record Room) in the campus Thursday.

He said that the DTU’s Hi-Tech Record Room is the first of its kind in the Delhi State Government Universities.

“The Vice Chancellor said that the files are also being recorded digitally in this record room. This record room is completely fireproof, where there will be no fire damage to the files kept in the shelves. The Digital Record will be helpful in accessing the old records on the desk of the concerned officers authorized officials. Earlier, it was a tough task to find out the old records but now, with a click of mouse, an authorized person can access the record,” DTU said in a statement.