For someone who has taught subjects as theoretical as they can get viz. Indian Economy, Political Economy, and Economic Thought, Professor Shraddha Ratra has a confession to make - her true passion lies in the math and statistics of Economics! Arthniti met with Professor Ratra to glean a closer understanding of her work and personality. Professor Ratra left SSE towards the end of 2019 to pursue the next step in her professional journey and this interview was conducted few months before she left. Arthniti wishes her the very best for the future!
For someone who has taught subjects as theoretical as they can get viz. Indian Economy, Political Economy, and Economic Thought, Professor Shraddha Ratra has a confession to make - her true passion lies in the math and statistics of Economics! Arthniti met with Shraddha Ma’am during a free lecture and over a quick chat, gleaned a closer understanding of what makes Professor Ratra tick.
Source: Shraddha Ma'am!
Ma’am fondly remembers her childhood days spent in Bareilly and especially misses the cold winters and the carefree evenings she would spend as a child playing with neighbourhood kids in the colony park. Ma’am remarks that she grew up in a very close-knit society where everyone knew everyone and cared about each other - and it’s that visceral human connection that she misses as well. While Ma’am did take Economics in her Junior College, her favourite subject was Accounts given the latter’s mathematical orientation. However, her Economics teacher (who was not much older than Ma’am) inculcated an abiding interest in the subject which led Professor Ratra to do her Bachelors in Economics at Delhi University, where she further benefited from great teachers who left a lasting impression on her.
Ask her about her entry into academia and Ma’am mirthfully remarks that teaching had never been on the radar. Throughout college, she had been intent on a corporate job. Her interest then shifted to a government job but teaching was still nowhere on the horizon. By some turn of fate, however, Ma’am ended up as a Mathematics teacher at a school in her hometown. Her first students were a bunch of playful fifth graders and it was the experience of imparting knowledge to those young kids, that made Ma’am find her true calling. There was no looking back after that for Ma’am chose to answer the NET. And that’s how she landed at SSE.
Pune for Ma’am was a city far away from home. Her time in Delhi meant that she knew how it was to live in a big city. But adjusting to the difference in culture be it in language or food was a daunting prospect. Like most of us, Ma’am worried whether she would acclimatize to the city and make friends. Fortunately, Ma’am tells us that the people she has met at SSE ensured that she did not feel homesick for too long. Professor Ratra admires her colleagues and quips that she has imbibed valuable lessons and keeps learning from the professors she works with. Ma’am specially mentions the staff on the 3rd floor who have supported her through thick and thin and who are her daily lunch partners. Ma’am joyfully remarks that whenever the Administrative staff are discussing something in Marathi and notice that Ma’am is not able to follow, they will immediately switch over to Hindi so that she too is included. It is this welcoming and cosmopolitan ethos of SSE that is closest to her heart.
Turning to hobbies, Ma’am reminisces that she was very active in the designing club and would regularly volunteer for decorating the campus at the time of events. This involvement in extracurriculars has stuck with her on the other side of the pedagogical divide as Ma’am has been actively involved in handling Economist of the Year. According to Shraddha Ma’am, everyone should partake in organizing and managing such large scale events as it makes for a rewarding experience and there is much to be learnt. The part she enjoys the most, however? Framing questions for the Quiz round of EOTY! Ma’am also lets us know that she usually picks up one hobby, obsesses over it for some time and once she gets bored, moves on to another pursuit. There was a time when Ma’am was into watching movies and then another where she binged on anime! At present, it’s reading historical fiction. Ma’am eagerly tells us about her favourite series, ‘Storm and Silence’ written by Robert Thier (by the way, no non-fiction for Ma’am anyway has to read it for her job!)
The conversation then delves into her academic interests. Ma’am is keenly interested in the historical context of economic theories. Schumpeter’s Theory of Creative Destruction, a topic that she teaches in Economic Thought, is a personal favourite. She has also developed a newfound interest in gender economics and likes reading up on research that pertains to the working, living, and health conditions of women. When asked about technology, one of her areas of specialization as a Dissertation mentor, Ma’am minces no words when she says that the AI Revolution will take away jobs and what will be left are those which require creativity. While technology makes things easier, Ma’am laments that it has made her lazier as well.
We then ask Ma’am, the evergreen question that has been asked to all our interviewees so far. Which economic system does she prefer? “A mixed economy for sure”! Ma’am elucidates that the historical experience of India shows that the economy’s performance showed a marked difference when the mixed economy framework was adopted in the 90s. There are some sectors where the government is critical while others where private enterprise is best left alone. Ma’am avers that government should be dynamic and work collaboratively with industry.
On a parting note, Ma’am gives us a heartfelt message dedicated to the student body of SSE. While success will eventually come, one should not go haywire in the drive to achieve that success. Ma’am asserts that true success is when one feels a deep and personal sense of contentment. There is no other way to quantify success. Being obsessed with money or the next promotion only takes away from the process of enjoying life.
We thank Ma’am for her kind advice, for giving us her time, and for teaching us for these last three years. Be it Indian Eco or Political Economy, we all had a lot to take away from each lecture. We wish her all the success and best wishes for the next step in her professional journey.
Thank you, Ma’am!