Kozhikode: Sreedhanya Suresh IAS assumed charge as the Assistant Collector of Kozhikode District here, on Thursday. She is the first tribal woman from Kerala to have cleared UPSC exams.
After completing quarantine at Thiruvananthapuram for two weeks as part of the COVID spread prevention measures, she reached Kozhikode Collectorate on Thursday evening and joined duty in the presence of the Kozhikode District Collector Sambasiva Rao.
A 2019 batch IAS officer, Sreedhanya Suresh said, assuming charge during the COVID times comes with a huge responsibility. This will definitely help in learning and understanding more about the administration.
“Kozhikode is my second home. This is where I studied; many elements here have provoked my thoughts. I will serve my duty with utmost sincerity,” she said.
“An experience that I encountered when I worked in association with the Scheduled Tribes department way back in 2016, led me to civil services. I was in awe at the respect and warmth received by the present Kozhikode Collector, Sambasiva Rao, who was then Wayanad Sub Collector, at a programme. I am so glad that I am able to work under him at Kozhikode,” said Sreedhanya Suresh.
Kozhikode Collector Sambasiva Rao said Sreedhanya’s achievement in clearing IAS was an unforgettable moment in his 8-year career. Talking about Sreedhanya’s success, he said his happiness had no bounds. Coming from a very meagre background, she fought all her odds and came out successful, Rao added.
After her school education from Thariyodu Nirmala High School, she did her graduation in Zoology from Devagiri College, Kozhikode. Later, after completing her post-graduation from Calicut University, she went for IAS coaching. Sreedhanya cracked the UPSC and became the first tribal woman to do so in Kerala, in her second attempt.
