Meet woman who worked as warden, cracked UPSC exam with 410 rank, she is Kerala's first...

Sreedhanya Suresh, hailing from the Kurichiya tribal community in Wayanad, she became the first tribal woman of the state to clear the IAS examination. Her success story is a classic case of triumph against all odds.

Sreedhanya was born into a very poor socio-economic background; her family was not financially well off. Her parents, daily wage labourers, could barely make ends meet for their family; they used to sell bows and arrows at the local market. Sreedhanya’s parents lived in an incomplete house, and they did not have much to spend, but they valued education, and this made her very disciplined when it comes to her studies. She received her schooling from a local government school, and then she graduated in Zoology from St. Joseph’s College, Kozhikode, and a postgraduate in Applied Zoology from Calicut University.

She had a dream of joining the IAS while working as a clerk in the Scheduled Tribe Development Department. She tried her level best and gave the UPSC Civil Services Examination three times. She scored 410 all-India rank in the year 2018, and it was a great achievement for her community and for many more to come.

But she had her fair share of challenges on her way to success. Finally, after passing the preliminary and the main examinations, Sreedhanya developed some financial problems, which almost denied her the chance to attend the most important interview in Delhi. Her family and friends showed a lot of support and contributed Rs 40,000 to help her with her journey. This act of fraternity was symbolic of the social order that defined her success.

Now a Sub Collector of Perinthalmanna, Sreedhanya has become a beacon of hope for young civil servants, especially women of the downtrodden community. Her achievement has brought accolades from dignitaries such as Pinarayi Vijayan (Chief Minister of Kerala) and Rahul Gandhi, who encouraged her as a role model.

It is not just a rags-to-riches story of Sreedhanya Suresh; it is the story of hope and emancipation of many a young woman in India who, despite the odds stacked against them, are trying to fight their way through education and determination.