‘My father taught me to never compromise on two things: Honesty and integrity’

Young and smart is how one would describe Sukhleen Kaur, a second-year student of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management of Apeejay School of Management, Dwarka (ASM) who is pursuing Human Resource and Marketing.

“I love to communicate with people that is the reason why I chose Human Resource (HR). The HR department is the representative of the company and hence to work in this department and enter the corporate sector is what I am looking forward to,” Kaur said, who is the recipient of the prestigious Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values.

In a candid interview, this Delhiite talks about her reaction when she was nominated and conferred this prestigious award.

What was your reaction when you were told that you had been awarded the Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values?

To be honest, when I came to know that I had been nominated for this prestigious award, it was good enough for me. Many people make it to the list; to be nominated was a high point for me. And then I was told that I would be conferred the Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values. My happiness was unbound. It is difficult to put my feelings into words. But it was truly the best moment of my life to date. I knew that all the hard work that I had been putting into academics had finally paid off since the first criterion is that you have to have a good academic track record. To even make it to the list, one has to be brilliant in studies. I just felt I had been rewarded for the same.

What do human values mean to you?

I would say that human values are unique principles that guide our decision-making processes and how these decisions affect our actions. Values are morals that have been taught to us in our childhood; each one of us is aware of what is ethically correct to actually practice what is right is subjective. A person can’t be forced to exhibit human values because they have to come from within. Most of us fall for ethical dilemmas between acts of corruption and bribes to name a few. 

“Human values should not be restricted to humans only; they should include all living beings”

Sukhleen Kaur, a second-year student of Apeejay School of Management

You were taught human values since childhood. Do you think you are different from your peers?

I will not say that I am different from my peers. I just feel that they are caught in an ethical dilemma. Take an example. If I am working in an organisation where I am the CEO, and someone offered me a commission (under the table) I would flat-out refuse. This is because I have to lead by example. But some of my peers would have no qualms in accepting the same.

Would it be possible to bring the human values you learnt in your job as an HR?

Definitely. Even during the interview that I had to undergo after I was short-listed for Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values I was asked a similar question– I was given a situation – I am an intern with an organisation in HR and had to hire a person for a particular position. But my manager asked me to hire someone from a particular region. But I questioned this decision. Even though he is my boss and has more experience than me, it is not correct to put people in a box.

What role have your parents played in your life to inculcate human values?

I have an elder brother as well. And together, during COVID-19, we took it upon ourselves to feed the strays in our area. Even today, we feed them one square meal. Human values should not be restricted to humans only; they should include all living beings.

These values must be passed on from parents to children; otherwise, a time will come when people will become selfish. My father is a businessman and my mother is a homemaker. My father has taught me the importance of honesty and integrity. He told me to never compromise on these two things in life.

What are your plans for the future?

Once I complete my course, I am looking forward to working in the corporate setup. I look forward to putting my learning skills to use in the practical world.