Pankaj, who comes from a Science background, was audacious enough to later choose the subject he was passionate about and is currently researching on it.

Born and brought up in Bharatpur, Pankaj Khatana is a Research Scholar at Mohanlal Sukhadia University. He completed his schooling in his village itself and did his Bachelor in Science from Rajasthan University, Jaipur. Having more inclination towards Environmental Geography, he completed his Masters in Geography and cleared the NET JRF exam in the subject with flying colours. He shares that a shift from Science to Arts wasn’t easy for him. However, his consistent efforts helped him sustain and perform his research on wildlife and biodiversity management.

Pankaj shares that his interest in doing PhD originated from his interest in Geography and since he wanted to prepare for civil services parallely, he found this plan to be the best option for him. Discussing COVID, Pankaj shares that he didn’t face any financial constraints owing to the monthly stipend provided by UGC for Research Scholars. However, he did witness an irregularity in studies since no classes were conducted.

Pankaj had also cleared his Air Force exam but didn’t join due to some reasons. He also completed his Bachelor in Education and cleared the school lecturer exam conducted by RPSC. Talking about the future scope of research, he shares that one can become an Assistant Professor and also get an opportunity to contribute some valuable inputs for the development of society. He feels that a country’s development cannot be achieved in its true sense without proper research infrastructure. Pankaj believes that the youth should keep a PLAN B ready for job security purposes.

Pankaj’s role model is his father who managed to work in synergy with family members adjusting to the environment. He is also inspired by Swami Vivekananda and APJ Abdul Kalam for their life learnings. He quotes a motivational statement by APJ Kalam which goes like “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun.”

Talking about leadership qualities, Pankaj says that a good leader along with being influential should know how to utilize a human resource and should aim to understand his subordinates well.