Gokulpriya C – NPTEL STAR
When Gokulpriya, who had a Master’s in Biotechnology, paused her academic and professional journey in 2016, she didn’t realize it would be for five years. Life brought new responsibilities like marriage, motherhood, and family. Still, her determination to return to learning and rebuild her career remained constant.
In 2021, Gokulpriya resumed her academic pursuits by enrolling in an MBA program. During her second year, a college poster introduced her to NPTEL. Intrigued by the “Marketing Research and Analysis” course, she signed up for it, unaware this decision would spark a significant transformation in her life.
What began as an exploratory step soon turned into a structured path. Upon learning about the NPTEL STAR categories, Gokulpriya aimed to achieve one. She steadily built momentum, completing four courses, then six, and ultimately peaked by finishing 12 courses in a single semester.
Gokulpriya’s NPTEL journey has been truly transformative. She has completed 23 courses and earned an impressive 10 STAR certifications, including the prestigious NPTEL Superstar title three times in a row. So far, she’s also achieved two domain certifications, one in Marketing and Faculty, with plans to pursue another in Human Resource Management.
Among her favorite instructors are Professor J. K. Nayak from IIT Roorkee and Professor Jayanta Chatterjee from IIT Kanpur.
The NPTEL STAR meetings quickly became a significant source of motivation for her, connecting her with a broader community of learners. “Initially, I just wanted to attend one STAR meet to see what it was about,” she shares, “but then I kept going back again and again, not just for the recognition, but for the people I met and the plethora of inspirational stories I heard.” Her NPTEL coursework also provided the conceptual foundation she needed to successfully clear the UGC-NET along the way.
The most significant milestone in Gokulpriya’s journey, however, is her NPTEL Pre-Doctoral Fellowship at IIT Roorkee. Within just six months, she converted this opportunity into a full-time PhD in Marketing from IIT Roorkee’s Department of Management Studies. “I am the first NPTEL Pre-Doc Fellowship student to get the PhD opportunity,” she proudly notes.
“I want every woman who wishes to re-enter her career after marriage to hear this: with determination, we can achieve anything at any stage,” she encourages. Support at home played a crucial role. Her husband, also a teacher, even joined her in taking NPTEL courses, tackling assignments and exams together. “Even now, he’s taking care of the family while I’m at IIT Roorkee,” she acknowledges, crediting his ongoing support.
For Gokulpriya, NPTEL proved to be more than just a learning platform; it was a ladder that helped her re-enter the professional world she had paused.
Having previously served briefly as an Assistant Professor, she aims to return to teaching after completing her PhD. Currently, she has finished her coursework and is deeply engaged in the research phase – reading papers, planning studies, and actively building her academic career. To fellow learners, she shares a powerful message: “There’s no limit to learning. Never stop learning – at any age, any stage.”
– Written by Asha Thangaraj