What's wrong with 70-hour work week, asks Congress leader Manish Tewari; says it is 'no big deal'

Wading into the 70-hour-week regimen debate, Congress leader Manish Tewari said he does not understand the "brouhaha around the proposal made by Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy.

Murthy had recently suggested that young people should work 70 hours a week to boost the country's productivity, triggering criticism from various quarters as many, including medical experts, opined that this is far too ambitious a proposal and promotes 'overwork culture'.

"Some of us Public Representatives work 12-15 hours a day 7 days a week balancing careers with Public Service," Tewari said in a tweet, adding, that he cannot remember a day when he took a Sunday off.

"Sunday is also a full working day in the Constituency/ field whether you are elected or unelected. If India has to truly become a great power one or even two generations have to make 70 hours a week their work ethic," he said.

Seventy hours a week with one day off and 15 days of vacations in one year must become the norm, he said, with the caveat, "Provided there is enough work!"

In another tweet, he claimed that in Washington DC people are in office by 6 AM and work straight 12 hours or more.

"I recall in October 2012 @RajivPratapRudy , @samirsaran @SunjoyJ & I went to meet Late Ashton Carter at the Pentagon. The appointment was at 6 AM. I asked him what time does he get into office. He said 5 AM usually & no time to leave."

He said he has law school classmates who have regularly worked for decades from 8 AM to 12 midnight.

The Congress leader claimed that the 70 hours of work a week is "not as big a deal as it sounds."

"Whenever I am in my Parlimentary Constituency & that is often enough our daily travel is between 300-400 kilometres & at least 10 Public engagements -9AM to 9PM . I try & work out everyday too. In Delhi for decades I have commuted an hour to work in the morning and one hour back in the evening," he wrote.