Kerala teacher on track for Guinness record

Francis Joseph has begun his quest to enter the Guinness World Records by lecturing for 144 hours continuously. Mr Joseph, lecturer at the Holy Grace Academy of Engineering in Mala, completed 24 hours of his marathon lecture on Friday evening and hopes to break the current record set by Arvind Mishra, assistant professor of mechanical engineering of Graphic Era University in Dehradun, by lecturing for 139 hours, 42 minutes and 56 seconds.

Mr Joseph is making his attempt at a specially-set-up lecture hall in the academy in the presence of the authorised representatives, who are monitoring the event, and a limited audience.

Mr Joseph, an expert in chemical engineering, is delivering the lecture on spices, herbs, extracts, technology and ethics. The organisers of the event said that he would focus mainly on the importance of medicinal extracts of ayurveda for the treatment of cancer.

If everything goes as planned, he would break the record on June 1. As per the guidelines, five minutes of rest is allowed for every one hour or the resting time can be accumulated if break is not taken for each hour of performance.

The organisers said that after beginning his lecture on Thursday evening at 5 pm, Mr Joseph, a resident of Kuzhur in Mala, had taken only 20 minutes’ rest.

He had been training for the last one year through a special diet and by practising yoga, they added.

The lecturer is fed special food mixed with ayurvedic medicines during the breaks.