KOZHIKODE: Sreedhanya Suresh, the first tribal woman from Kerala to crack the civil services exam, took charge as Assistant Collector (on training), Kozhikode on Thursday evening. She took up her new role under the district collector S Sambasiva Rao who incidentally was her biggest inspiration to enter the civil service.
While working as Project Assistant in government tribal development in Wayanad in 2016, Sreedhanya witnessed the respect people showered on then Mananthawady sub-collector Rao and her subsequent interaction with the latter ignited her passion to become a civil service officer.
"Kozhikode is my second home. It has many factors that taught me and made me think. It's a great responsibility to assume charge during the pandemic. I will give my cent percent," she said while taking on her new role.
A native of Pozhuthana in Wayanad, Sreedhanya claimed the honour of becoming the first woman from a tribal community in Kerala to crack the civil services exam in 2018.
She had completed her degree from St Joseph’s College Devagiri in Kozhikode and post-graduation from the Calicut University campus. She cracked the civil service exam in her third attempt.
"We’re immensely proud of her. Her success will be a big inspiration to others, especially those belonging to backward communities," Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said when she entered the civil service.
Her father Suresh and mother Kamala are daily wage workers who worked under the MNREGA scheme. Her elder sister is a last grade government servant and her younger brother is a polytechnic student.
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Meanwhile, Sambasiva Rao said he was more than happy to know that Sreedhanya, who came from such a humble background, cracked the civil service.
"Her achievement was an unforgettable moment in the eight years of my career," Rao said. Sreedhanya completed her degree from St Joseph’s College Devagiri in Kozhikode and post-graduation from the Calicut University campus.