A parent’s heart swells with pride when a child walks out of the university with a degree certificate in hand. But, for Mala Dutta, 56 and Shreya Mishra, 28 the joy doubled when they received their PhD degrees together. The mother-daughter duo could not attend the convocation which was held last year as it took place a day after Shreya’s wedding. Mala dreamt of achieving her doctorate degree since long and finally, after 34 years, she received it along with her daughter.

Mala works with the defence ministry as an Economic Service officer. In 1985, she completed her Masters in economics from Delhi School of Economics while Shreya is a consultant at the World Bank.

In 2012, Mala had to take a break from her professional life as her younger daughter had her boards exam. She found out some time after that and registered for PhD in finance. Soon, she took study leave from the ministry in order to complete her PhD and here she is today, beaming with joy with the degree in her hand.

Shreya, on the other hand, registered for her PhD programme (Psychology) two years after Mala but, completed it within three years as she told Hindustan Times: “After I registered for the PhD we realised 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.”

Happiness has no bounds for the mother-daughter duo today. Mala’s achievement is a message to everyone that age cannot be a barrier to reach your goal. 

Image Source: newsd