Thiruvananthapuram: Pranjal Patil, the woman who battled great odds to become the country's first visually challenged woman IAS officer has taken charge as Thiruvananthapuram Sub collector on Monday.
"We should never be defeated, and never give up," said the 31-year-old, as she assumed charge in the presence of District Collector K Gopalakrishnan and staff at the District Collectorate.
She added that she felt "extremely glad and proud to be in Thiruvananthapuram."
After securing the 124th rank in the 2017 Civil Services Exams, she was posted as Assistant Collector in Ernakulam, Kerala, in 2018.
Hailing from Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra, Patil lost her vision at the age of six, which did not deter her from pursuing her civil service dream.
Earlier, she was refused a job in the Indian Railway Accounts Service on the grounds that she was visually challenged.
She successfully completed all tiers and became an IAS in her second attempt.
Biju Prabhakar, Special Secretary of Social Justice, termed her assumption of office as an auspicious moment for the district of Thiruvananthapuram.
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