Dr Ashok Kumar, who retired from Coal India Limited as General Manager (Electrical and Mechanical) in 2018, has now enrolled in the postgraduate (PG) Psychology programme at Ranchi University at the age of 68, according to a Dainik Jagran report. His story is a testament to the fact that there is no age limit to learning. After spending decades in the corporate sector, he did not let retirement diminish his desire to learn or bring his journey of professional and personal growth to an end.
After retiring from Coal India, Kumar joined the JP Group as a vice-president. He later served as an adviser before retiring from the organisation on October 23, 2025. Even after retiring twice, his curiosity and passion for learning remained undiminished.
Dr Ashok Kumar Holds BTech, MTech And PhD Degrees
Dr Kumar holds a BTech degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jaipur. He subsequently pursued an MTech in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, and earned a PhD in Engineering.
“Engineering taught me to understand machines. Now, I want to understand people through psychology. Learning never ends,” Dainik Jagran quoted him as saying.
Attends Classes Regularly, Actively Engages With Teachers
Dr Kumar attends classes regularly, like any other student, and actively interacts with faculty members. His eagerness to learn is evident from the questions he frequently asks teachers in the department.
Dr Parvez Hasan, head of the department, said he had rarely come across a student who, despite having achieved so much in life, remained so keen to pursue further studies.