Academic soulmates: 'Principal' couple rewriting rulebook on career goals

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a remarkable feat of professional and personal synchronicity, a husband and wife from Pallipuram have reached the pinnacle of their academic careers simultaneously. Dr. M. Ganesh, 53, and Dr. G. Asha, 51, both long-time educators in the government college sector, were officially appointed as Principals on the very same day this week.

The couple’s journey toward this rare milestone began decades ago in the corridors of the University of Kerala. While many couples share a home, Ganesh and Asha shared a syllabus, both enrolling as research students specialising in Hindi. In what would become a recurring theme of their lives, they were awarded their doctoral degrees on the same day before marrying in the year 2000.

While their entry into the workforce began at different intervals—Dr. Ganesh starting at Catholicate College in 2000 and Dr. Asha at Govt. H.S.S. Kadapakkada in 2005—their career trajectories soon locked into step. Over the next two decades, they moved through the ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor in tandem across various government institutions, including Kanjirakulam and Kasaragod.

The path to the principalship, however, required a final test of patience. Both applied for the promotion in 2022, but the process was mired in legal complications for four years. The breakthrough finally came on the 9th of this month when the government cleared the appointments. Dr. Ganesh has now taken charge of Karunagappally Government College, while Dr. Asha heads to Elanthoor Government Arts and Science College in Pathanamthitta.

"This appointment brings great joy to our lives," Dr. Asha remarked, reflecting on the long wait. Interestingly, despite both parents being experts in Hindi, their children have opted for a different linguistic path; their son Adarsh, currently in Germany, and daughter Aparna, a Plus Two student, both chose Malayalam as their second language.

For Dr. Asha, the secret to their shared success is simple: mutual inspiration. "I have been following Sir in life and work," she noted, highlighting a partnership that has seen them climb every step of the academic ladder hand-in-hand.