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From 12 students in a commerce classes to DU’s most sought-after: SRCC turns 100

Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) begins its centenary celebrations, marking 100 years of shaping commerce, economics and business education in India.

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 3, 2026 02:06 PM IST

On Friday, Delhi University's SRCC formally began its centenary year, marking 100 years since its affiliation with the varsity (Wikimedia Commons).

On the first floor of a rented bungalow at 8, Daryaganj, in Old Delhi, about a hundred years ago, 12 students gathered for classes in commerce — a subject that was not being taught at the majority of universities in the country at that time. This was an experiment taking shape that would eventually redefine how the country trained its economists, administrators and business leaders.

A century later, the outcome of the experiment — the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) — stands tall as an institute that draws students aspiring to build careers in commerce, economics and business management.

On Friday, Delhi University’s SRCC formally began its centenary year, marking 100 years since its affiliation with the varsity. The curtain-raiser ceremony held at the North Campus reflected on a journey that began in the pre-Independence era and has, as the college noted, “closely tracked the evolution of India’s economic and governance architecture” over the last hundred years. The college currently has a strength of more than 3,000 students across programmes.

In 1920, on the day of Basant Panchami, a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring, seven leading businessmen led by industrialist Sir Shri Ram established the Commercial Education Trust in Delhi. Their aim was to nurture indigenous business leadership at a time when education in fields related to commerce was largely absent from Indian universities.

The Trust’s first institution — the Commercial School — was set up the same year in Charkhe Walan in the city, offering a post-matriculation diploma in commerce.

Classes soon moved to a hired bungalow at 8, Daryaganj, where the first batch of 12 students was taught by four faculty members under the supervision of R K Kumar, who would later become the college’s first principal.

In 1926, the Commercial College was affiliated with the University of Delhi, formally bringing commerce into the university system.

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Over the next two decades, the institution expanded steadily — it launched its annual magazine ‘Yamuna’ in 1928, upgraded to a degree college, and introduced honours and postgraduate programmes in economics well before Independence.

In 1951, as it marked its silver jubilee, the institute decided to specialise fully in commerce and economics and rechristened itself Shri Ram College of Commerce, in recognition of its founder. Three years later, it moved to its present campus in the University of Delhi’s North Campus.

A major shift came in 1957 when SRCC adopted a co-educational system, opening its doors to women students in a discipline that had long been male-dominated. The introduction of BA (Honours) Economics in 1958 completed the undergraduate academic framework that continues to define the college today.

The 1960s saw rapid infrastructural growth. Student centres, tutorial blocks and hostels were built, and a swimming pool, constructed through a student-led voluntary labour movement initiative, Shramdaan, made SRCC the first college in the University of Delhi to have one. In 1967, the installation of Sir Shri Ram’s bust in the front lawns gave the campus a centrepiece.

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The construction of a girls’ hostel in 1985 made SRCC the first co-educational college in the university to have a residential facility for women. The introduction of the Post Graduate Diploma in Global Business Operations (PGDGBO) in 1999, a self-financed programme focused on international business reflected India’s post-liberalisation ambitions and rounded off the college’s academic offerings.

By the early 2000s, SRCC had set a national benchmark in its own right. In 2007, its main building was declared a heritage structure by the Delhi government.

At the centenary curtain raiser on Friday, University of Delhi Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh described SRCC as a “globally recognised academic brand” whose contribution extended far beyond rankings or reputation. “Hundred years is long enough to build institutions, shape generations and influence the journey of a nation. SRCC has done all three,” he said, adding that the university took pride in the college’s role in producing “economists, administrators, judges and business leaders who continue to shape India’s growth story.”

Principal Simrit Kaur, welcoming guests, framed the centenary as a collective achievement shaped by generations of students, faculty, administrators and alumni. “For a hundred years, SRCC has stood for purpose over profit and ethics over expediency,” she said, adding that the college remained committed to nurturing socially responsible leaders grounded in ethical business practices, sustainability and national service.

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The ceremony brought together alumni from across public life, industry and civil society. Sangeeta Jaitley, wife of former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, recalled the formative impact SRCC had on his thinking and values. Former Supreme Court judge Justice A K Sikri was also present.

Sminu Jindal, managing director of Jindal SAW Ltd and founder of Svayam, reflected on the institution’s inclusive ethos, recalling how the college provided an accessible and enabling environment. Former Union Minister Vijay Goel spoke of lessons learnt not only in classrooms, but through sports, student politics, NCC and NSS, which he said shaped both career and character.

A commemorative coffee-table book, Timeless Frames, chronicling SRCC’s journey from its early years in Daryaganj to its present stature, was also released on the occasion.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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