D.A.V. College Chandigarh was founded in 1958, when the city of Chandigarh was in its infancy. The college has grown with the city, becoming an integral part of the region's socio-cultural milieu. The college belongs to the family of the famous D.A.V. institutions, founded by Mahatma Hans Raj, and inspired by the great visionary-Swami Dayanand Saraswati-the doyen of the Arya Samaj, who believed that, "True education consists in promoting knowledge, civilized manners, virtuous character, self-control and other moral qualities and in dispelling ignorance". The DAV movement, which started in 1886, gives a practical shape to the ideals of Swami Dayanand's educational philosophy which aims to develop a modern scientific approach among the students, coupled with an understanding of their roots in the ancient Vedic Culture.