PM Modi at SRCC centenary: 100 years of India's top commerce college
Synopsis
Prime Minister Modi returns to SRCC for the first time since 2013 — this time not as Gujarat's Chief Minister but as PM — to mark the college's 100th year. That the centenary falls on Teachers' Day is no coincidence in symbolism: SRCC has spent a century producing the professionals who run India's economy.
Key Takeaways
PM Narendra Modi will attend the SRCC centenary celebrations on 5 September at 7 pm on the college campus in New Delhi .
Shri Ram College of Commerce was founded in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram and is affiliated with the University of Delhi .
The college was renamed SRCC in 1951 on its Silver Jubilee, when it chose to specialise in commerce and economics.
The centenary coincides with Teachers' Day , observed nationally on 5 September every year.
This is Modi's first visit to the SRCC campus since 2013 , when he attended as Chief Minister of Gujarat .
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on 5 September, marking a full century of the University of Delhi institution's contribution to higher education in India. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 pm on the college campus, where Modi will address the gathering and speak on the significance of SRCC's hundred-year journey.
A Century of Academic Excellence
Founded in 1926 by eminent industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram, the institution began as the Commercial College, affiliated with the University of Delhi. By 1932, it had been elevated to the status of a Degree College, offering the B.A. (Pass) (Commerce Group) degree. A defining moment came in 1951, on its Silver Jubilee, when the college chose to specialise exclusively in commerce and economics — and was renamed Shri Ram College of Commerce in honour of its founder.
Over the decades, SRCC has built a formidable reputation as one of India's premier institutions, producing alumni who have gone on to lead in business, public administration, policymaking, entrepreneurship, and academia.
Why This Occasion Is Doubly Significant
The centenary event coincides with Teachers' Day, observed nationally on 5 September every year. The convergence of SRCC's hundredth anniversary with a day dedicated to educators lends the occasion particular resonance, highlighting the role that institutions and their faculty play in shaping generations of professionals and nation-builders.
Notably, this will be Prime Minister Modi's first visit to the SRCC campus since 2013, when he attended as the Chief Minister of Gujarat — underscoring the personal significance he attaches to the institution's milestone.
SRCC's Place in India's Educational Landscape
SRCC is consistently ranked among the top undergraduate colleges in India, particularly in the fields of Commerce, Economics, and Management. Its alumni network spans government, finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship, making it one of the most influential feeder institutions for India's professional class. The centenary marks not just an institutional milestone but a moment to reflect on the college's outsized role in shaping India's economic and policy discourse over a century.
What the Centenary Event Entails
The gathering on the college campus is expected to bring together distinguished alumni, faculty, current students, and public figures. Prime Minister Modi's address is anticipated to reflect on the college's legacy, its contribution to national development, and the road ahead for higher education in India. The event provides a platform to acknowledge the educators and administrators who have sustained SRCC's academic standards across ten decades.
Point of View
And Modi's address on Teachers' Day sharpens the optics around education as a political priority. What the event will not resolve — and what rarely gets asked at such occasions — is whether India's top commerce colleges are producing graduates equipped for a rapidly automating economy, or whether their century-old curricula are due for the same kind of reinvention the institutions themselves celebrate.
NationPress
5 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is PM Modi attending the SRCC centenary celebrations?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending to mark 100 years of Shri Ram College of Commerce, one of India's most prestigious commerce institutions. He is expected to address the gathering and reflect on the college's century-long contribution to higher education and national development.
When was Shri Ram College of Commerce founded?
SRCC was founded in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram as the Commercial College, affiliated with the University of Delhi. It was renamed Shri Ram College of Commerce in 1951 on its Silver Jubilee, when it chose to specialise in commerce and economics.
Why does the SRCC centenary coincide with Teachers' Day?
Teachers' Day is observed across India on 5 September every year, and SRCC's centenary event falls on the same date. The coincidence adds symbolic weight to the occasion, linking the college's milestone with a national celebration of educators and their role in shaping society.
When did PM Modi last visit SRCC?
PM Modi last visited Shri Ram College of Commerce in 2013, when he was serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Saturday's visit marks his first return to the campus since then, this time in his capacity as Prime Minister.
What is SRCC known for?
SRCC is regarded as one of India's premier undergraduate institutions, particularly in Commerce, Economics, and Management. Its alumni have gone on to prominent roles in business, public administration, policymaking, entrepreneurship, and academia over the past century.
