“What is wrong with it?”: Congress MP Manish Tewari Supports Narayana Murthy’s 70-hour work remark

Manish Tewari, a Congress MP, is the most recent to support Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy’s statement regarding a 70-hour work week. Tewari questioned “what is wrong” with the statement on Friday, claiming that he and other public servants put in “12–15 hours a day” at X.

The Congress MP said, “I do not understand the brouhaha around Narayana Murthy’s statement on a 70-hour work week. What is wrong with it? Some of us public representatives work 12–15 hours a day, 7 days a week, balancing careers with public service. I do not recall when I last took a Sunday off. Sunday is also a full working day in the constituency/field whether you are elected or unelected.”

He further added, “one or even two generations have to make 70 hours a week their work ethic”. “70 hours a week with one day off and 15 days of vacations in one year must become the norm. Provided there is enough work.”

Speaking on the premiere episode of 3one4 Capital’s podcast, “The Record,” Murthy asserted that India will not struggle to catch up with economies that have made significant strides in recent decades unless its youth commit to putting in more working hours.

The comment started a national debate that drew praise and criticism in equal measure.

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