ACADEMIC TURNING POINTS

After successfully completing PreDegree course from Government College Trichur I got admission for BA Economics programme in ST.Thomas College Trichur. Many friends and class mates used to discuss about the available job opportunities particularly in private sector banks and different methods of acquiring the job through influence  by  way deposit mobilisation  efforts or influencing through  bank Directors .There were at least four Trichur based commercial banks at that time and those who managed to get the job at that young age were able to retire as Assistant General Manager and above. I was not having either the resources,influence or even willingness to procure  a bank job .So I decided to continue my studies even after under graduation. My original ambition was to become a lawyer. My own classmates PV Ramachandran and Ashok Menon from ST.Thomas College who opted for Law Later became Public Prosecutor and High Court Justice respectively whereas my seniors from Government College who studied law like K P Rajendran and Indra Bhavan became successful politician,Minister and advocate respectively .That time access for nearby Law College were limited  only to Ernakulam or Calicut. Since our  family earnings were largely restricted to paddy crops and continuous crop failure  eventually led to a debt trap like the fate of an average Indian farmer. I was completely against draining my father's  meager  income. So I decided to continue as a  day scholar and sought PG admission in ST.Thomas College Trichur. 

 After completing final year BA Economics examination in April 1978 and when results were declared I submitted my application for  MA Economics admission to ST. Thomas  College  . Immediately I decided to take a break and visited my aunt uncle and cousins in Bangalore. I could spend hardly two weeks there, suddenly the news came that PG admission had started under Calicut University . Immediately I rushed back to the college and to  my surprise I found that the rank list which was displayed there on the notice board did not figure my name. I was terribly upset and it appeared that all my dreams were shattered. Unfortunately to my  utter disgust and dismay I realised the foolishness of  my own action of not applying  in any other College. What to do next ? Suddenly I recollected that my friends  were telling that our  Public Finance professor Rev.father Paul Alappat has been appointed as  the Bursar of the college. Promptly I had decided to meet him. When I met him the first thing he asked me was did you join for MA here? When I said no,Not only he instructed me to approach the Office Superintendent but also send his peon along with me to  the office.Now only I realised the benefit of being a more obedient student than a sincere student in his classroom.  I profusely thanked Rev.father in my heart. Office Superintendent instructed  me to submit marksheet and other related documents immediately. I hired a taxi  and rushed to my house in the village 13Km away from the college Hurriedly from my mother's wooden box I grabbed the documents and was running towards the taxi, Suddenly mother called me back and showed me a paper and asked-"what is this ?"Is it required?".It was really the Transfer Certificate which was essential for admission. Now I also realised the futility of showing unnecessary haste without applying our senses intelligently. In any case ultimately I became a P G student of our esteemed ST.Thomas College Trichur. 

By the time we were undergoing PG programme many of our  under graduate friends from the same college were absorbed in banks. After successful completion of our MA Economics programme I remained unemployed for few  years.Incidentally one of of our relatives suggested the facilities available for PhD research in Applied Economics in Cochin University and I was attracted. I applied along with a synopsis and they called me for admission interview where there were 3 experts including the Head of Department and all of them were very cordial. They give me conditional admission instructing me to attend  research methodology class along with MPhil students. After completing my PhD I did work as project staff in different research institutions before landing as research officer in Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India through UPSC selection. Though the work was very thrilling one will not get any appreciation or credit for his work which will be snatched or claimed  by immediate superior even resorting to copying one's research notes in his own handwriting. Interestingly you are not allowed to meet the Joint Secretary who was very nice gentleman scholar and Sarkaria Commission member, but only his PA. Meantime my second UPSC appointment offer came as Lecturer of Economics under UT of Puducherry. I was in a dilemma whether to leave Delhi and accept Pondicherry. One of our Assistant Economic Advisor suggested me to better leave the bureaucracy and  accept the academic position where you are very much free. She had narrated that despite she being an IES officer on deputation from the then Planning Commission how she was tortured in the name of alleged security lapses particularly by Deputy Economic Advisor, obviously due to her frank approach in research activities. I was fully convinced with her assessment and very happy to adhere her advice which changed my life. After all In the classrooms and research activities we enjoy utmost liberty and freedom. Above all it is a model and  divine job provided we  are sincere to mould our students imbibing high values and true scholarship. I am gratefully indebted to my mentors.Rev.father Paul Alappat, Professor Dr KC.Sankaranarayan ,HOD,and Dr. V.Karunakaran my Guide and Professor of Applied Economics, Cochin University of Science and Technology not only for admissions but shaping and moulding my life and career. My long pending wish to serve a Central University was also materialized when Iwas selected on deputation to Central University of Kerala Kasaaragod as Associate professor of Economics for the period November 2009- May 2012 by selection Committee comprising of experts including Professor Dr D Sambandham and Vice Chancellor Professor Dr.Jhansi James.After the deputation period peacefully I decided to return back to my parent organization Centre for Post Graduate Studies Pondicherry and after serving few more years in Pondicherry I retired availing the old pension scheme and 7th pay commission award acknowledging and recollecting the valuable contributions made by my parents ,family members,friends, teachers and students in my life.