Delhi universities officials said that it is the first time that a mother-daughter duo completed PhD together.
Mother, Mala Dutta, 56 years old successfully achieved her dream of receiving a PhD degree, after 34 years she left her college. Her daughter, Shreya Mishra, 28 years old was with her to pick up both their degrees.
Officials of the Delhi University said that there were many cases like this at post-graduation level, but this is the first time a mother daughter duo completed their doctorate programme together from the institution.
They were not able to attend the convocation that held last year because it was next to the day after Shreya’s wedding.
Mother Mala Dutta, is an Indian Economic Science officer working with defense ministry and she always dreamt of completing PhD after masters in Economics from Delhi School of Economics in 1985.
“I had to take a break from work in 2012 when my younger daughter had her class 12 board exams. That was the time when I registered for PhD in finance. I then took study leave from the ministry and worked seriously on my completing the PhD”, Dutta said.
However, daughter Mishra is working as a consultant at the World Bank, she registered herself for her own PhD, in psychology, two years later. “after I registered for the PhD we realized that we can complete it together and make it the most remarkable moment for us. Though our subjects were totally different, I started seeking guidance from my mother and worked harder to complete it within three years,” she said.
They both however managed and submitted their work and gave their oral exams too last year.
They both went to the university for collecting their respective degrees together, the officials even said it would become news headline if they would have came to collect their degrees on the day of convocation. Now, it does’nt matter what the scenario is, but they have made a really big achievement which will be remembered by all. Dutta said, “its an absolutely wonderful experience for me because I got to learn a lot studying with the co-student’s of my daughter’s age. There were times when the professor called me ma’am and I enjoyed that. The motivation was to get degree with my daughter on the convocation day”.
Their families were also present there to auspice the occasion.
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