At 95-years-old, Raj Kumar Vaishya’s lifelong dream of acquiring a post-graduation degree is set to be fulfilled. He is of an age when people have no more goals to be achieved. But Raj Kumar Vaishya is still keen to fulfill his dream and is working for it with the help of his retired son and daughter-in-law and now he’s close to achieving it. He is now a student of Master of Arts in economics from the Nalanda Open University (NOU). Vaishya enrolled for MA in Economics at the NOU on September 8 for the 2015-16 sessions. This is one of the inspiring stories around today and we bring forward his success story to share with you all.
Raj Kumar Vaishya who was a general manager in a private firm in Koderma, Jharkhand, retired in 1980. Vaishya has done his graduation from Agra University in 1938, got a degree in law in 1940, but failed to do a post graduation due to increasing family responsibilities. It was his dream to get a post-graduate degree.
Living with his second son and daughter-in-law in the Rajendra Nagar colony for the last 10 years after his wife’s death, Vaishya said the academic atmosphere in his house motivated him to study further. His son Santosh Kumar who is in his early 70s, retired from the National Institute of Technology, Patna, whereas daughter-in-law Bharti S. Kumar, in her early 60s, retired as a professor from Patna University.
Vaishya who can still read without spectacles and write fluently in Hindi and English with a steady hand says he wished to study economics also to understand why the country had failed to solve problems like poverty, illiteracy and joblessness. “I am nearer to fulfilling my long cherished dream of a postgraduate degree in economics. My aim is not to get a degree; the thrust is to study and gain knowledge of economics so as to understand the problems faced by the people and the country and to contribute something, if possible”.
How he plans to do it:
”Initially, they told me studying is not an easy task at this age, but later agreed to support me in view of my commitment. My son will teach me mathematics and statistics and the daughter-in-law will pitch in with other help,” Vaishya said.
“I have decided to devote two hours daily in the morning and night hours to studies. After post-graduation, I will not pursue a Ph.D,” says Vaishya, adding, “I accept everything as it happens. Today tension kills more than anything else. People, particularly the young, should learn to live without stress.”
He regularly reads books, newspapers, and magazines and fond of TV serials like “Jodha Akbar”, “Razia Sultan” and “Maharana Pratap.”
“When we came to know that he can read and write fluently as well, it was decided to send a team of NOU officials to his apartment to enroll him in view of his old age. We enrolled him on September 8 for the 2015-16 sessions and provided the study material in Hindi. However, he demanded the study material and books in English; we will provide these to him soon,” said NOU Registrar S.P. Sinha, adding that it was a pleasant experience for university officials when told about Vaishya’s keenness to join the postgraduate course.
Vaishya’s zeal was admirable and his initiative sent out a positive message in society, particularly among senior citizens.