Harvard Professor beats inbox lag, Allahabad Professor still in ‘seen' limbo": Delhi boy's post goes viral

Time of India

a day ago

Writing a research paper is a mammoth task in itself, and the task is made more tedious when we await the replies from experts or professors. The late replies can be explained due to the tight schedule, too many emails, or simple disinterest.
But a recent X post from a student has brought to light something deeper: the realization that hierarchy and accessibility don't always go hand in hand.
The X post, which has gone viral on X, reads as follows: 'A professor from Harvard University with 500–600 cited papers replied within one hour of me sending my email, and a professor from Allahabad University with 4 cited papers can't see my mail sent a month ago.'
— twinkythough (@twinkythough)
The post has sparked conversation in the comment section of the post, with some narrating their own similar incidents.
One user said, 'Same. I recently sent a connection to a person in LinkedIn. He has over 30 yrs experience and an impeccable track record and currently works for a government in Middle East region. He responded to me in few mins and gave me 5-6 contacts. Meanwhile, my past colleagues need me to remind them every week about the same thing.
'
Another user pointed out, 'Not to dispute the evident problems in Indian academia but it's entirely possible that the Prof in India is way more overburdened with admin and teaching duties than his counterpart in Harvard.
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Not to mention the probable difference in number of students hired.'
It's true that there's a stark difference in the professor-to-student ratio between institutions like Harvard and most Indian universities. While Harvard boasts a ratio of 1:7, ensuring more individual attention and manageable workloads, Indian universities typically operate with a ratio closer to 1:26—making it significantly harder for professors to engage with every student who reaches out.
A third user remarked that this lack of empathy and consideration in Indian academicians risese from the fact that most of them dont like their job. They wrote, 'I''ve always talked about this. Here majority of the teachers and professors are not in love with their profession and just doing it as a job . They lack enthusiasm and grit which is the cornerstone of teaching. Again I'm talking about the majority.'
However, some pointed out that the user's experience could be a one-off case of good luck.
They shared that they, too, had reached out to people in high positions, but rarely received a response.
Whatever the odds, the incident has highlighted a troubling divide—students today are more connected than ever, yet still struggle to access meaningful academic support. When emails go unanswered and curiosity meets silence, it sends a quiet message: that reaching out doesn't always mean being heard.