Career of children more important than their happiness in life for India's middle class parents: HSBC survey

Counterview Desk
A global survey by top international bankers, HSBC, has suggested that most Indian parents professional success more important than a happy life for their children. Titled The Value of Education: Learning for Life, the study, which is based on a survey of 5,500 parents across 16 countries in the world, says that 49 per cent of them said a happy life for their children was important, worst in the world.
Interestingly, the study also finds that, by sharp contrast, to 51 per cent Indian parents career success is more important for their children than all other countries, with the sole exception of Mexico. According to the study, this in sharp contrast to how parents in the developed countries like the US, UK, Canada and Australia think.
To achieve the sought-after careers, Indian parents want their children to continue their education in university and to graduate level more aggressively compared to any other country of the world. Almost 90 per cent of them, the largest proportion globally, said that a master’s degree or higher would help their child achieve their life goals as adults.
Not only are the parents willing to pay more for higher studies of their children, the survey has found, they are even willing to rope in grandparents for additional funds. Further, they are willing to take loans. However, at the same time, the report comments, parents often “tend to underestimate how long it will take their child to repay their university debts.”

Interestingly, the survey shows that while parents across the world want their children study medicine, in India, they want them to pursue engineering degree, especially computer engineering. And, if the survey is to be believed, they are willing to pay to extra amount for their children’s education to achieve it this. Seven in 10 Indian parents participating in the survey said they would do so.
According to the survey, the US and UK are much less likely to pay for extra academic support for their kids – only about 25 per cent of them said they would do so. Also, their view that university education is too expensive is also quite strong – 71 per cent of them in the two countries think this way.
The survey was carried out in March-April 2015, and appears to have involved largely middle class parents from India. The study says, “Parents in developed economies are more likely to take into account their child’s individual strengths when considering a desired occupation.”
Carried out keeping in view the reach out to parents wanting loan, the study adds, “Parents in India – a country renowned for its emerging technology sector – are more than twice as likely as the average to want their children to go into a job in computer science.”

Comments

Telangana government urged to stop 'unconstitutional' relocation of Chenchu tribes

By A Representative The Nallamalla forests are witnessing a renewed surge of indigenous resistance as the Chenchu adivasis , a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), have formally launched the Chenchu Solidarity Forum (CSF) on the eve of World Earth Day to combat what they describe as unlawful and forced relocation from the Amrabad Tiger Reserve .

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights.

India 'violating international law obligations' over Israel ties: UN rapporteur

By A Representative Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, has alleged that India is “violating its obligations under international law” through its continued association with Israel, including defence ties and alleged arms exports during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Why Tamil Nadu, Periyar, and the Dravidian model aren't just regional phenomena

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The election campaign in Tamil Nadu this season is strikingly different. The alliance led by the DMK is consistently referred to as the “ DMK alliance ,” not the “INDIA alliance.” This distinction is unsurprising given the state’s history: Tamil Nadu remains the only state to decisively reject “national” parties. The AIADMK’s surrender to the BJP after J. Jayalalithaa ’s death represents, in many ways, a betrayal of the politics of Tamil identity—an identity Periyar envisioned as Dravidian, not narrowly Tamil.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

World Book Day: Celebrating the power of reading in the Indian context

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* Written language is one of humanity’s greatest achievements, setting us apart from all other living beings. In a country like India, home to diverse languages, cultures, and traditions, books play an even more powerful role. They are not just tools of communication but bridges across generations, regions, and ideologies. When we read the works of Munshi Premchand or Rabindranath Tagore , we are not merely reading stories; we are engaging in a silent conversation with minds that lived decades, even centuries ago. That is the true power of books: they preserve thoughts, ideas, and emotions beyond time. Recognising this immense value, the world celebrates World Book Day , a day dedicated to honouring books, authors, and the joy of reading.

The aesthetic of new pain: Transforming social reality into poetry

By Ravi Ranjan* The poetry of Kumar Ambuj , specifically the twelve works published in 'Samalochan' in April 2026, serves as a profound and vibrant document of contemporary Indian society that intertwines personal wounds with deep-seated social structures. Ambuj’s sociological and aesthetic vision is one that peels away layers of reality without resorting to slogans, standing firmly in favor of democracy, secularism, and scientific consciousness while critiquing the minutiae of capitalist modernity.

Search This Blog