It was a lifelong dream to complete her doctorate. When she finally did, it was with her daughter
SORRY MA’AM, BUT you cannot go in. University elections are on, only students are allowed inside,” said the burly police constable at the front gate of Delhi University.
“Yes, I am a student. Please let me in,” I said.
“Uhm, no, you are not a student. Are you faculty? A lecturer?” “No.”
“Then I’m afraid you can’t enter.”
“You don’t understand. I am a student! Look, this is my student ID.”
“Duplicate IDs can be easily acquired. Sorry, we cannot let you in.” “What?! I have a test! I’m getting late. See this is my other ID. I’m a Government of India officer. I would never show you a duplicate.”
“How can I be certain? Aap toh student lagti nahin ho.” (You don’t look like a student at all.)
I sighed in frustration. I knew the road to earn a PhD would be rough, but I certainly did not foresee this! But how could I blame the guard? He was doing his job. After all, how many 50-something students do you meet normally?
A Flying Start
I had always excelled in my studies. By the time I completed my Master’s in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics in 1985, I was sure that I wanted to get a PhD—the highest academic qualification in a field of study. Young, brimming with confidence and assured by the belief and support of my family, I dived right into the challenge. What I didn’t know was just how elusive some goals can be.
This story is from the July 2019 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2019 edition of Reader's Digest India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE UNBELIEVABLE MR RIPLEY
The creator of Believe It or Not had an insatiable curiosity about strange and astonishing facts
HE OPENED UP THE ARC TIC
\"You don't just sit and wait for adventure to come,\" famed polar explorer Knud Rasmussen liked to explain.\"You go out and make it happen!\"
Discovering Babasaheb
This Dalit history month—which also marks the 134\" birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, we recount four momentous incidents from his life
Lion in the Living Room
Five decades after two young men brought a playful cub into their London home, the tale has touched a whole new generation
The Many Roles of SUNIL DUTT
Through many personal tragedies, this favourite matinee idol finds strength and solace in helping others
AGATHA CHRISTIE MURDER BY THE BOOK
More widely read than any other English writer, she baffled the world with masterly tales of murder and remained something of a mystery herself
THE DAY WE MADE Flying History
Ona sunny September day in 1913, the author set three world records ina homemade flying machine
THE COMMANDO WITH THE TATTOO
Ganesh Dhangde was just six years old when he got lost. Twenty years later, his mother had a visitor
MARILYN: HER MAGIC LINGERS ON
The real Marilyn Monroe was nobody you'd look at twice—unless she wanted you to
I Think, Therefore, I Spam...
...has become the way forward for too many e-mail pests. Here's how I deal with them every single day