A day after a Time Use Survey by the Centre revealed that the average time spent by Indians on “self-care and maintenance activities” like sleep and exercise has decreased significantly, Dr M Srinivas, Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, has said work is very important to build the nation and there is nothing wrong in working for 15 or even 18 hours a day if it brings you joy and your body can take it.

Speaking exclusively to NDTV on Wednesday, the 58-year-old chief of the premier institution also said that working for even six hours a day will lead to stress if one is not happy with their occupation.

On his fitness mantra, Dr Srinivas said he follows a balanced, restricted diet and goes for walks in addition to exercising and practising yoga.

Asked how he manages to find the time to do all of that in addition to running one of India’s most important hospitals, the doctor said, “See, work is very important. If we have to build the nation, we have to work more. What is important is the maximum number of hours your body is capable of working… That means you feel you are physiologically capable of working for X amount of hours.

“The second thing is, of course, that there should be a need for that particular work. When there is no need for that work, there is no pleasure. If somebody has a body which is strong enough and he thinks that there is a need to build the institution or the nation or whatever the work which has been assigned… It could be a need of 12 hours, 15 hours, 18 hours, 18-plus hours. There is no problem as long as the body takes it,” he added.

Mr Srinivas asserted that liking the work you are doing is extremely important.

“The third thing is there should be pleasure in that work. If I am happy with working 15, 16, 18-plus hours, If my body is accommodating, if I am healthy and happy, nothing should prevent me from working more than 18 hours a day. But, contrary to that, even if you give me six hours of work, if I am not happy with it, that will lead to stress and that is not right. So it’s not the number of hours, if you are building the institution or the nation, nothing wrong,” he said.

“If you enjoy the work, it is entertainment,” he pointed out.