New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) Saturday, 13 years after his widely discussed visit to Delhi University college, this time to mark its centenary celebrations.Reflecting on the institution’s legacy, he described its alumni as the “OGs” who had taken the SRCC name across the world and made their mark in diverse fields.“Aapki bhasha mein yahan ke alumni OG hain (In Gen Z terms, your seniors were OGs),” Modi said, referring to the college’s former students. He praised generations of SRCC students for excelling across fields, adding with a touch of humour: “Dhurandhar ho na ho, par dhoom machayi hai” (Whether they are stalwarts or not, they have certainly made a mark).He recalled former Union minister Arun Jaitley, an SRCC alumnus, saying he often heard stories about the college from him. “There was hardly a meeting when he did not narrate some incident related to SRCC,” Modi said, adding that Jaitley would sometimes repeat the same anecdotes.Describing the occasion as “very historic”, Modi welcomed generations of students and alumni associated with the institution. “The college’s journey began from a modest space in Daryaganj,” he said, adding, “Even now simply saying ‘SRCC’ is enough to make a statement within Delhi University.”As part of the event, he released a Rs 100 commemorative coin bearing the college’s name and logo, marking its 100-year journey.He also released two anthologies of poetry, one in Hindi and the other in English, featuring works associated with more than 200 alumni across SRCC’s history.“When a person completes 100 years, they are considered an ocean of experience. But when an institution completes 100 years, it becomes an ocean of achievements and inspiration,” Modi said.Crediting the institution with shaping generations of students, Modi said, “Those who came here studied, and those who left came out refined,” highlighting SRCC’s role in preparing students for professional and public life.Modi also revisited his 2013 address at SRCC, which he said continued to resonate after 13 years. “Whatever I said at that time was my conviction,” he said.Returning to one of the central images from that speech, Modi referred to a glass of water. He had presented three ways of looking at it—as half full, half empty, or completely full, half with water and half with air. Even during what he described as a period of widespread pessimism, he said, he chose to see the glass as full.He also recalled the enthusiastic response from students during his 2013 address. After speaking for some time, he asked if they wanted him to continue, and the audience urged him to carry on, he said.SRCC principal Simrit Kaur recalled Modi’s 2013 description of the college as a “vidya mandir” and “tapobhumi”, saying those words had acquired even greater meaning over the years. She also thanked the institution’s teachers for imparting what she described as the most valuable asset—knowledge.The Prime Minister’s return to SRCC was preceded by an interaction with students during a Delhi Metro journey earlier in the day.
