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.
“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. Modi also revisited his 2013 address at SRCC, which he said continued to resonate after 13 years.
“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). “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. 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. “Whatever I said at that time was my conviction,” he said. Even during what he described as a period of widespread pessimism, he said, he chose to see the glass as full.
He recalled former Union minister Arun Jaitley , an SRCC alumnus, saying he often heard stories about the college from him. 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.