One of the oldest colleges of Delhi University celebrated it’s 102nd Foundation Day on January 17, 2019. Founded in the year 1917, by the great educationist and philanthropist, Rai Kedar Nath, Ramjas is one of the first three colleges established under University of Delhi and is today one of the finest of the country.
With a rich history of over 100 years, Ramjas has come a long way. As the college looks back at its past, the ideals of its founder and the vision that it started with, Ramjas has indeed held true to its motto “knowledge has no comparison.”
Ont his occasion, let’s look back to its rich history:
1. Ramjas College was inaugurated by the Father of the Nation – Mahatma Gandhi.
2. Ramjas College had active involvement in the Independence Movement. Chandra Shekhar Azad hid in the hostel of the college, disguised as a Sikh student when he was evading the British Government.
3. During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Ramjas students went ahead and joined the freedom struggle, which resulted in many of them being arrested. A plaque inscribed with their names has been put up in honour of the brave students.
4. In the early days of the college, students would have trouble commuting. So, founder Rai Kedarnath asked for donations from people and made sure that every student had one bicycle for commuting. The provision of bicycles led to the start of another trend. Students from Ramjas started door-to-door newspaper delivering service on the bicycles.
5. The location for Ramjas College was shifted, when the previous building was ceded to the Allied Forces during World War II. The college relocated to its current location in 1950. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, inaugurated the present building on January 17, 1951.
6. Since then, Ramjas celebrates January 17 as it’s foundation day. In fact, Ramjas proudly celebrated its Centennial Legacy year 2016-2017, marking its 100-year celebration in January 2017. IndiaPost issued a postage stamp to commemorate the centenary year of Ramjas college. Then President Pranab Mukherjee addressed the centenary celebrations of the college and released a Centenary Postage Stamp and also a commemorative volume on the ‘History of Ramjas.’
7. After the death of Rai Kedarnath, B. R. Ambedkar, the architect of Indian Constitution, acted as the Chairman of Governing Body. Ramjas remains the only college in Delhi that had the honour of having him in its Governing Body.
8. On February 12 1959, the American leader Martin Luther King Jr. visited the college and delivered a memorable lecture for the students.
9. In January 2004, the college organised the first ever conference of graduate students of Economics from SAARC countries.
10. Former Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee once used to live in the campus of Ramjas College hostel. When he became the PM, the boys from the college who knew him from their student days gained prominence. In fact, ‘Ramjas Club’ became a term used in Delhi in those days.