Narayana Murthy's Parenting Insights Under Fire Amid Work-Life Debate

Narayana Murthy's Views on Parenting

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, who triggered a massive debate last year after advocating a 70-hour work week for the youth, has found himself on the receiving end of the internet yet again for his thoughts on parenting. Speaking at an event in Bengaluru earlier this week, Murthy said that parents are responsible for creating a disciplined environment at home for children to study.

Backlash from the Internet

Asked about how students can focus amid the distractions of social media, Murthy stated that parents cannot be watching movies while expecting children to focus on their studies. “If the parents are going and seeing movies and then telling ‘children, no, no, you study,’ (that won’t work),” he said.

Along with his wife Sudha, Murthy dedicated over three and a half hours each day to reading with their children, Akshata and Rohan Murty, during their school years. This effort was part of fostering a disciplined environment at home, he explained.

Concerns from Working Parents

His suggestions, unsurprisingly, have irked several sections of the internet. If people end up working for 70 hours a week as Murthy advocated in 2023, will it be possible to spend time with their children at all? This is the burning question that most working parents are looking to address on social media.

• “But if parents work for 72 hours as you recommend, then when will they devote time to kids?”
• Several said that what Murthy suggested is nothing but an “unrealistic expectation”, because parents have to juggle multiple responsibilities including work and household chores.

At the event, Murthy also explained that his family focused solely on reading and studying, with television strictly banned from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. They would continue studying together after dinner from 9 pm to 11 pm, reinforcing a culture of discipline. “My wife's logic was, if I am watching TV, I cannot tell my children to study. So she said, I will sacrifice my TV time, and I will also study,” he stated.

However, children want to play with their friends after school, an X user responded. Instead, they advised buying books for children and encouraging them to read independently. Maintaining such a balance is difficult, social media users exclaimed.

Conclusion: The Fallout Continues

Some comments were laced with sarcasm. Narayana Murthy made headlines last year after suggesting that young people should prepare for 70 hours of work a week to improve India’s work culture. After notable backlash, he maintained his stance, citing his own work ethic.

As this conversation unfolds online, it remains clear that Narayana Murthy's parenting advice continues to evoke strong reactions from many concerned about the practical implications of his philosophy.