13 years later, Modi returns to SRCC as PM for centenary celebrations today

13 years afterwards, Modi returns to SRCC as PM for centenary celebrations today His visit comes against the backdrop of the BJP's ongoing youth outreach after the CJP-led Jantar Mantar protests last month over exam paper leaks.

Key points

• 3 min read New Delhi Sep 5, 2026 05: 34 AM IST.
• Besides the PM, SRCC principal, Prof Simrit Kaur, has additionally extended an invitation to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi for the celebrations.
• Modi had last visited the premier institution in 2013 when he was Gujarat Chief Minister.
• Back in 2013, in one of his first major public addresses in New Delhi, Modi remarked he was a leader who thinks "differently".
• In April this year, Modi had met the Governing Body and a delegation from the college at his residence to mark the institution's 100th anniversary.

Modi had last visited the premier institution in 2013 when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. A year afterwards, he became the Prime Minister. (FIle Photo/X@narendramodi).

After almost 13 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will return to Delhi University's Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) to participate in the centenary celebrations Saturday and address the gathering, according to an official statement.

To illustrate this, he held up a glass of water and applied the half-full and half-empty analogy. "Ek cheez ko dekhne ka alag nazariya hota hai. Maan lijiye main aapko dikhaun, to aap mein se jo aashavaadi honge, wo kahenge aadha gilaas bhara hua hai. Jo niraashavaadi hain, wo kahenge aadha gilaas khaali hai. Mitron, main do raaston se alag raaste ka insaan hoon. Meri teesri soch hai aur meri soch yeh hai, yeh gilaas bhara hua hai – aadha paani se, aadha hawa se. (There are plenty of ways to look at one thing. Suppose I show you something (showing half-glass water), those among you who are optimistic will say, the glass is half-full. Those who are pessimistic will say the glass is half-empty. I have a third way of looking at it, and my thinking is this: the glass is full – half with water and half with air.)".

In April this year, Modi had met the Governing Body and a delegation from the college at his residence to mark the institution's 100th anniversary. He had additionally issued a special commemorative postage stamp to mark the SRCC's centenary.

Besides the PM, SRCC principal, Prof Simrit Kaur, has additionally extended an invitation to Union Education Minister Pralhad Joshi for the celebrations. It coincides with Teachers' Day. In a post on X, Joshi, who was given the charge of the education ministry last month, remarked, ".Had a cordial interaction on the institution's remarkable journey and its enduring contribution to education."

According to a administration statement, "The centenary celebrations coincide with Teachers' Day, making the occasion particularly significant as the nation honours the contribution of teachers and educators in shaping generations and strengthening the foundations of society."

Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Vijay Goel, an alumnus of SRCC, remarked in a post on X, "Our Shri Ram College of Commerce will once again host Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since my father studied in this highly college, for me, this is a matter of great pride. I studied in this college. My brother studied in this college. My daughter studied in this college. My son studied in this college."

"The best days of my life pursuing B.Com and M.Com, I spent in this particularly college. Student politics, national-level basketball and kho-kho player, jail during the Emergency, the fun in the canteen – we did it all, " Goel remarked. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

For now, 13 years later, Modi returns to SRCC as PM for centenary celebrations remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.