A 98-year-old Indian citizen, Raj Kumar Vaishya, has passed the MA (economics) examination from Patna's Nalanda Open University (NOU) with a second division.
Graduated in 1938, Mr Vaishya expressed his delight at this achievement what could be a first of its kind.
"I have fulfilled my long-cherished dream, finally. Now I am a post-graduate. I decided to prove two years ago that even at this age, one can fulfil own dreams and achieve anything. I am an example," he told IANS in Patna on Tuesday.
He reiterated that he has been trying to send a message to the youth that defeat should never be accepted.
"I want to tell them not to get upset and depressed. There will be always be opportunities for those who believe in themselves," he said.
Admitting that it was not easy to follow the routine of a student at his age, he said: "It was really difficult for me to wake up early to prepare for the exams."
According to NOU officials, Mr Vaishya was so determined to get a postgraduate degree that he sat for a three-hour MA first year examination in 2016 and the final year exam in 2017 along with students younger than his grandchildren.
He wrote in English and used nearly two dozen sheets in each exam.
Mr Vaishya, who retired from a private firm in Jharkhand in 1980 after having worked there for over three decades, recalled that he wanted to study economics to understand the problems being faced by the people and the society as a whole in the country.
Born on April 1, 1920, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, he did his graduation from Agra University in 1938 and got a degree in law in 1940.
"I failed to pursue a postgraduate programme at that time due to family responsibilities," he recalled.
Mr Vaishya can read without glasses and write in both Hindi and English.
