Former Indian Soldier Sets World Record with 138 Academic Degrees and Three PhDs

Rajasthan. Most people stop their education after securing a government job. Joining the army is even more challenging, but the story of Dashrath Singh, a former soldier from the Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, India, is different.

While serving in the army, he not only continued his studies but also set a new record in the field of education by earning three PhDs and 138 degrees, diplomas, and certificates. His success story is inspiring millions of young people toward education.

Coming from a simple family in Rajasthan, the name of Dashrath Singh Shekhawat is now registered in the International Book of Records. After earning 138 degrees, diplomas, certificates, and three PhDs in various subjects, Dr. Dashrath Singh Shekhawat has become the most educated person in the world.

On October 17, 2019, he was honored by the International Book of Records as the 'Most Educationally Qualified Person.' Former soldier Dr. Dashrath holds 138 degrees, diplomas, and certificates, along with three PhD degrees. This includes 7 bachelor's degrees, 46 master's degrees, 23 diplomas, 52 certificate courses, 7 military studies degrees, and three PhDs in different subjects.

Recently, the 55-year-old former soldier Dr. Dashrath was awarded a master's degree in Vedic studies at the convocation ceremony of the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Dashrath, from Khirod village in the Nawalgarh tehsil of Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, comes from a simple family. He had a passion for reading since childhood. He received his primary education from a government school in his village. He managed to pass the tenth grade, but even after topping his college, he could not continue his studies because his family was large and their financial condition was poor. There was no money to continue his education.

After joining the army in 1988, Dashrath Singh was constantly troubled by the fact that he could not complete his further studies. Therefore, he decided to study alongside his duties in the army. In an interview, former soldier Dr. Dashrath Singh said, 'I did not live in the city during my 16 years of military service. As a soldier, I remained directly on the border. For 16 years, all my belongings were on my back. I never had a place to sit in a room under a light at night to study. I looked at the time; it is afternoon and I am not on duty. I have two hours and I can study for one hour. This is how I managed my time and studied.'

In a podcast interview, Dr. Dashrath was asked about the reason behind achieving 138 degrees, diplomas, certificates, and three PhDs. He stated that the root cause was simply learning and gaining knowledge in various fields. He earned his first degree in BA Arts and began the process of collecting degrees.

Passion for education grew after retirement from the army

After retiring from the army in 2004, his passion for education grew even stronger. Speaking about his third PhD degree, Dr. Dashrath said, 'The third PhD degree is related to women's empowerment, which is linked to education. In a patriarchal society, what is the status of women? Women live in veils, and the level of education among women is still low today; people still do not want to educate their daughters.'

Currently, after completing his LLB and LLM, he is involved in providing legal assistance to serving and retired soldiers. He entered the service as a simple soldier and retired as a non-commissioned officer after 16 years.

Former soldier Dr. Dashrath used to take leave during April-May instead of Holi or Diwali while on duty in the army, because that was when most of the exams took place. His story is a living example of dedication to education.

From Navbharat Times