Before the present Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee came into being, there was a central committee at Gurdwara Sis Ganj which managed the historical Gurdwaras. The same was Regd. in 1938 under the Society Registration Act 1860 at Delhi vide Registration No. 132. Due to some conflicts and management problems, the Government of India entrusted the management through an ordinance, to a five-member Gurdwara Board. The ordinance was replaced by the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971, passed by Parliament, providing for a committee to be elected by Sikh vote. Elections took place under the supervision of Government authority and the new body called Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Management Committee (DSGMC) came into existence in 1974. The law provides that Election must take place every four years (although, this provision has been violated many a times due to various reasons). The Present committee is comprised of 55 members, 46 of whom are elected by the Sikhs of Delhi and 9 are co-opted. Out of the nine coopted members, two represent the Singh Sabhas of Delhi, one the SGPC (Amritsar), four the Takhts at Amritsar, Anandpur, Patna and Nanded, and two those Sikhs of Delhi who do not want to or cannot contest elections but whose services can be of value to the Committee. It is governed by a Chairman and a President as per Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1971. The term of DSGMC is four years, formed thorough elections conducted by Directorate of Gurdwara Elections of Delhi Government. Of over a million Sikhs living in Delhi, around 4,50,000 are registered voters for the DSGMC elections.
S. Paramjit Singh Sarna and his brother S. Harvinder Singh Sarna remained President of DSGMC for a long time before 2013. When Shiromani Akali Dal Badal party won the election in 2013, S. Manjit Singh G.K. became the President and S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa became the secretary. This party again won the election in 2017 and the team of S. Manjit Singh G.K. and S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa as President and as Secretary continued till November 2018. However, due to a court’s decision, directing to file an FIR against S. Manjeet Singh GK on a charge of misuse of funds, the entire committee resigned and a fresh election is due shortly. In addition to the Management of Historical Gurdwaras, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee is also managing a good number of schools, 10 colleges and polytechnics and also a few medical facilities centres.
