Meet Professor VN Parthiban, the Chennai academic who has set an extraordinary benchmark by earning more than 150 degrees over the last four decades—a journey that began with a simple promise to his mother and became a lifelong pursuit of knowledge.
A Promise That Sparked a Passion
Parthiban’s story starts humbly in north Madras, where, after barely passing his first degree, he made a promise to his mother that he would make her proud through his academic achievements. Driven by this resolve, he transformed setbacks into motivation, channeling almost all his energy and resources into education, leading to a collection of 150+ academic credentials ranging from law, commerce, and science to journalism and public administration.
Learning as a Way of Life
Rather than treating studies as a chore, Parthiban made it a daily ritual. He wakes before sunrise, teaches at RKM Vivekananda College, and spends up to 90% of his salary on books, tuition, and exam fees. Every Sunday is reserved for additional research, attending classes, or sitting exams, with the only break being his ritual of listening to music with his family—his wife, M Selvakumari, herself a holder of nine degrees, shares his passion for learning.
Beyond Numbers: The True Promise of His Story
Professor Parthiban’s credentials—dozens of Master’s degrees, M.Phils, MBAs, and ongoing doctoral studies—are impressive, but the essence of his story lies in his message: “Restrictions exist only in the mind. Passion breaks every boundary.” His success demonstrates that education can be more than a means to a career—it can be a lifelong purpose and a promise fulfilled.
The Legacy and Inspiration
For countless students and lifelong learners, Parthiban’s journey is a powerful reminder that persistent curiosity is transformative. His story challenges conventional notions about education and age, showing that anyone with the will to learn can achieve incredible things at any stage of life.
Professor Parthiban continues his quest, now aspiring to cross the milestone of 200 degrees. In a nation where higher education is a coveted dream, his life stands as proof of what relentless dedication and honoring a promise can accomplish.
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. That promise became a relentless drive: study, apply, sit exams, repeat.Today, the 60-year-old professor stands surrounded by over 150 degrees, a shelf full of certificates, and an unbroken hunger to learn more.
He's known locally as the "Repository of Degrees" and the "walking encyclopedia" — nicknames that stick because his CV looks like a small university course list.
The professor appears to hold the unofficial record for the most academic qualifications earned by an individual in the world.
STUDY AS DAILY WORK
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 wakes up at 5 am and studies until late at night (around 11:30 pm), a routine he's kept for decades.
