Lecturer with PhD, 4 Master’s degrees hawks vegetables to survive despite academic qualifications

A university lecturer with 4 master’s degrees and a Ph.D recounts his woes as he resigns from his job after 10 years to hawk vegetables due to financial constraints.

The former lecturer, Sandeep Singh used to be a faculty member at a Punjabi University before financial difficulties drove him into resigning.

lecturer phd master's hawking vegetables
Ex lecturer, Sandeep Singh hawks vegetables on a bicycle. Photo: India Today. Source: UGC.

He told India Today that the university salary was very low and never came on time, driving him to seek for other means to sort his bills.

Sandeep said …

“I taught at Punjabi University – five years on a junior research fellowship and seven years as a guest faculty. In June last year, I quit teaching as it became difficult for me and my family to survive on that salary. I won’t beg before anyone. I will keep doing my work.”

After resigning, the lecturer began hawking vegetables to make ends meet.

“It had become difficult for me to make ends meet with that job. That’s why I switched to selling vegetables for my survival and my family,” he said.

The 39-year-old noted that he doesn’t regret being a lecturer as that had always been one of his dreams as a youngster.

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