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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman suggested colleges teach stress management to increase students’ inner strength after a 26-year-old EY employee died due to excessive workload.
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Sitharaman emphasized the importance of seeking God and learning discipline for inner strength.
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Congress leader KC Venugopal criticized Sitharaman’s comments as “outright cruel” and accused her of victim-blaming.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has sparked controversy with her comments on the death of a 26-year-old Chartered Accountant (CA) employed at Ernst & Young (EY). The CA, Anna Sebastian Perayil, died in July due to excessive workload, according to her mother.
Sitharaman suggested that educational institutions should impart stress management lessons to students to help them develop inner strength. She emphasized the importance of seeking God and learning discipline for inner strength. However, her comments were met with criticism from Congress leader KC Venugopal, who described them as “outright cruel” and accused Sitharaman of victim-blaming.
Venugopal questioned how the government could be so “heartless” and whether they had lost all sense of compassion. He also pointed out that the government seems more concerned with the interests of corporate giants than the well-being of the young generation.
The central government has announced an investigation into the work environment at EY, following Perayil’s death. The incident highlights concerns about work-life balance and corporate culture in India’s fast-paced industries.
