Shri Ram College of Commerce: Asset Allocation

/3 min read
Participative learning runs parallel to chalk and talk
Shri Ram College of Commerce: Asset Allocation
Inside Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi (Photo: Getty Images) 

SHRI RAM COLLEGE OF COM­MERCE (SRCC) is India's pre­mier higher education institu­tion in the field of commerce, economics and management. Its prow­ess in academics, graduate outcomes, faculty, infrastructure, alumni and outreach makes it a college of repute.

The humble origin of the college is traced back to 1920 when seven leading businessmen, headed by Lala Shri Ram, established the Commer­cial Education Trust, which set up its first school in the same year. This was called the "Commercial School". Later, the Commercial School was converted into the Commercial College. In 1926, the Commercial College got affiliated to the University of Delhi. In 1932, it was upgraded to the status of a degree college, awarding its graduates the BA (Pass) (Commerce Group) degree. The BA (Honours) (Commerce Group) de­gree was introduced in 1943. The same year, the MA (Economics) course was introduced, followed by the Master's degree in Commerce in 1948. In 1949, the college started offering the BCom (Honours) course. Finally, the BA (Honours) Economics course was in­troduced in 1958 which summed up the courses offered by SRCC at the un­dergraduate level.

On the occasion of its silver jubilee in 1951, the Commercial College decid­ed to specialise in the field of commerce and economics and hence rechristened itself as the Shri Ram College of Com­merce. A major change took place in 1957 when the college converted to a co-educational institution.
The 1960s was a period of infrastruc­tural expansion for the college. In 1963-64, the Students' Centre (now renamed SRCC Auditorium), Tutorial Blocks, and the Girls' Hostel Blocks were construct­ed. In the same year, the swimming pool and the gymnasium were built.

The Girls' Hostel was constructed in 1985, making Shri Ram College of Commerce the first amongst all co-educational colleges of the University of Delhi to have its own residential unit for its female students. In 1999, the col­lege introduced its Post Graduate Di­ploma in Global Business Operations (PGDGBO), a unique self-financed PG Diploma course with an aim to deliver management education for excellence in international business. The launch of PGDGBO rounded off the total number of academic courses offered at Shri Ram College of Commerce since its inception.

In the early 2010s, the college rede­fined its vision from being "a college of national eminence" to exploring the global stage with a new, broader, and more comprehensive vision "to be­come a college of global choice".

Over the years, SRCC has special­ised in knowledge, application, and society-oriented delivery of commerce, economics, and management. Since its inception, the college has always con­sidered the holistic development of its students as its primary objective.

At SRCC, an encouraging environ­ment promotes both didactic and au­todidactic learning and development. Students at SRCC are taught and men­tored by reputed faculty members. The pedagogy is rooted equally in tradition­alism and modernism, incorporating both classical methods like chalk-and-talk as well as newer methods like par­ticipative learning. A unique aspect of the philosophy of teaching methodolo­gies at SRCC is that they are learner-ori­ented and seek to broaden the horizons by focusing on attributes such as criti­cal thinking and creativity, rather than aiming at meaningless rote learning. Therefore, the teaching methodologies focus on knowledge and application of multi-disciplinary concepts and theory while simultaneously incorporating value systems with relevant social is­sues, such as gender sensitisation and cultural appreciation.

A unique aspect of the teaching methodologies at SRCC is that they seek to broaden the horizons by focusing on attributes such as critical thinking and creativity, rather than aiming at meaningless rote learning

Apart from the curricular pro­gramme, the institution regularly provides add-on courses, internships, schemes for academic research, and re­search mentoring to its students. Our students can publish their research in-house through a very exertive academic mentoring process, as well as avail of funding to present their research at vari­ous national and international forums.

The environs of the college pro­mote an all-encompassing education beyond the curriculum. The college encourages students to foster com­munity spirit and team participation through its 50-plus student societies. Students can pursue their extra-curric­ular interests in diversified areas. The college's active interfaces, such as aca­demia-industry, academia-academia, and institution-alumni facilitate stu­dents to interact and engage with the pillars of academics, business, politics, sport, and culture, amongst others.

The biggest strength of SRCC is the associated brand name of the institu­tion. The brand value of Shri Ram Col­lege of Commerce acts as a visiting card to greater ventures in life. Our alumni, in turn, act as brand ambassadors for their alma mater.