Steephan Kayyar
Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod
Kasargod, Sept 11: From a modest village in Wayanad to the top administrative post in Kerala’s northern border district, Sreedhanya Suresh’s journey has taken another significant turn with her appointment as the new district collector of Kasargod.
The state government has issued an order appointing Sreedhanya Suresh as Kasargod’s new district collector. The present collector, Arjun Pandian, has been transferred and appointed as the director of the agriculture department.
Sreedhanya, who was serving as additional director of the tourism department, is now set to take charge of the administration of Kasaragod, a strategically important border district.
From hardship to IAS
Sreedhanya Suresh belongs to the Kurichya tribal community of Wayanad, one of Kerala’s most backward districts. She has earned the historic distinction of being the first tribal woman from Kerala’s Kurichya community to clear the country’s prestigious Civil Services Examination and enter the IAS.
Born into a family of daily-wage workers with barely access to basic facilities, Sreedhanya completed her primary education at a government school in the Malayalam medium. Despite acute financial hardship, she held on to her ambition of becoming an IAS officer and eventually turned that dream into reality through determination and hard work.
She overcame a series of social and economic challenges before securing 410th rank in the 2018 UPSC Civil Services Examination, bringing her journey into the national spotlight.
Her struggle did not end with clearing the examination. When she had no money to travel to Delhi for the crucial interview, people from her village came together and pooled money to help her reach the national capital. The community’s support became one of the defining milestones in her journey towards the civil services.
Her rise from an ordinary village and difficult circumstances to the IAS has now taken her to the helm of a district administration. With her appointment as Kasaragod district collector, Sreedhanya is set to take charge of one of Kerala’s key border districts.
Meanwhile, Arjun Pandian assumed office as Kasaragod district collector in March. During his six-month stint, he reportedly won the appreciation of the public through his people-friendly style of administration.
Sreedhanya’s appointment marks another significant chapter in the journey of an officer whose rise from a marginalised tribal community to the upper echelons of the civil services has been seen as an inspiring story of perseverance, community support and public service.