Meet Chennai Professor With 150 Degrees, Prof.Parthiban Spends 90% Of His Salary On Studies
Chennai : For most people, exams are a hurdle to cross and move on from. For Professor VN Parthiban from Chennai, they are a way of life. While his peers were planning careers, he was collecting degrees — not for glory, but to honour a promise to his mother after barely passing his first degree. The 60-year-old professor stands surrounded by over 150 degrees, a shelf full of certificates, and an unbroken hunger to learn more.
The professor appears to hold the unofficial record for the most academic qualifications earned by an individual in the world. Parthiban turned learning into routine. He has kept studying since 1981, juggling teaching, family life and endless registrations. He funds it himself — roughly 90% of his salary goes into fees, books and exam costs.
He currently teaches at RKM Vivekananda College, Chennai, as an Associate Professor and Head of the Commerce Department. He began his teaching career in 1982, just a year after his first degree. He still spends Sundays on research, classes or exams. He listens to Kannadasan songs every Sunday evening as his only break from studying.
His wife and children share a deep respect for education. His wife, M Selvakumari shares his love for learning. She has nine degrees of her own and has stood by him through every late-night study session and exam. Parthiban’s life challenges the idea that degrees are just credentials. For him, each certificate is a promise kept, a day spent learning.
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