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EXCLUSIVE INDAI TODAY-GALLUP
SURVEY
Commerce
Brands are not built in a day; the old
favourite SRCC still comes out tops
in the rankings for India's best
commerce college
By Malini Goyal
There is nothing
impressive about the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) campus. A red-brick
main building that looks as if a Public Works Department architect had
designed it, discoloured walls and an indifferent lawn-the campus is modest
to say the least. But if you make up your mind on appearances you may
make the biggest mistake of your life. For the college has maintained
its position as No. 1 in commerce education for the five years of the
India Today top colleges survey.Here's one barometer of its success: 50
students have been picked up by big consultancy firms for their chartered
accountancy (CA) articleship this year. Last year 16 students got into
IIMs. And this is absolutely normal here. Companies like McKinsey, Nestle,
KPMG, Ernst & Young, Bank of America, PriceWaterhouseCoopers are just
some of the names that have picked up students straight from the campus.
If that's not impressive enough, then check out the college's performance
in the list of toppers every year-more often than not commerce and economics
toppers come from this college.
The faculty and excellent placement make SRCC
the ideal for any student pursuing a bachelor's degree in commerce or
economics. Says Arun Unni, a final year SRCC student of BCom (Hons), who
cleared the campus interview and will be joining KPMG soon for ca articleship:
"The faculty here is very good. Many are reputed authors of commerce
books." To build on its brand equity and also increase the number
of programmes being offered, two years ago SRCC introduced a two-year
postgraduate programme in Global Business Operations. The first batch
will be graduating this year.
Professor J.L. Gupta, who has been the principal
since 1996, says the management here would like to bring in many more
such changes. However, the college will ultimately have to function within
the regulatory framework prescribed by the University Grants Commission,
which could limit the possibilities.
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| BLUE CHIP: SRCC (left)
continues to be the top career launcher; MCC is catching up |
Infrastructure is where SRCC comes out weakest-ranking
eighth though it is first for almost everything else. But the college
does have a fully automated library and computer centre and even a swimming
pool. In its platinum jubilee celebration this year, it is expected to
get funds close to Rs 75 lakh from its alumni to build a seminar and conference
hall.
Several well-known names figure in the alumni
list. Union minister Arun Jaitley, management guru Shiv Khera, former
IDBI chairman G.P. Gupta and Tony Singh, head of Max New York Life, are
among those who have studied here.
Some rival colleges, however, remain unconvinced.
Anil Kumar, a B.Com professor in Hindu College, says, "They are living
off the reputation that they have built over the past 25-30 years when
no other colleges offered BCom (Hons)." Now everyone does, but that
does not appear to be telling on SRCC. The results of the survey speak
for themselves.
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