Steephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network - Kasargod

Kasargod, Sep 16: Breaking new ground, Sreedhanya Suresh officially assumed office as the new District Collector (DC) of Kasargod district on September 16. Outgoing district collector Arjun Pandian formally handed over charge at the office and extended his warm best wishes to her.

Arriving at the collectorate in the morning, Sreedhanya Suresh was accorded a vibrant official welcome by the district administration under the leadership of additional district magistrate (ADM) P Udayakumar. This was followed by the seamless handover ceremony, where outgoing DC Arjun Pandian transferred administrative responsibilities to the new incumbent.

A historic milestone in Civil Services

Sreedhanya Suresh has etched her name in history by becoming the first woman from Kerala’s Scheduled Tribe (ST) community to serve as a District Collector. She also holds the distinction of being the second woman officer to helm the Kasaragod DC post.

Cracking the 2018 UPSC examination with an all-India rank of 410, she previously made history as the very first person from a tribal community in Kerala to clear the IAS. Hailing from a very ordinary family in Wayanad district and reaching the civil services through sheer hard work, she has previously served as the Commissioner for Food Safety and the Inspector General of Registration.

Vision and priorities ahead

Interacting with the media after taking charge, the new district collector Sreedhanya outlined her administrative focus with a firm commitment to regional growth: "Emphasis will be laid on the comprehensive development of Kasaragod district. Further steps regarding the establishment of an AIIMS hospital in the district will be taken in accordance with government directives. Special projects will be formulated for tourism and infrastructure development."