Nithyakalyani Narayanan. V
In Tamil Nadu, a 23-year-old woman has been appointed as the first Malayali judge in the Civil Court. V Sripathy, a resident of Yelagiri Hills in the Thirupathur district, passed the TNPSC Civil Judge test. Sripathy, the eldest daughter of Kaliappan and Malliga, was born at Thuvinjikuppam, which borders a restricted forest near Thiruvannamalai.
In November 2023, Sripathi travelled over 200 kilometres to Chennai to take her examination. A photo of Sripathy holding her infant daughter in front of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission’s office has gone viral throughout the state, honouring her tribal identity and the fact that she attained it just before becoming a mother.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin praised Sripathy’s achievement, saying that it is encouraging to see a tribal girl from a remote hill community do this at such a young age and that her appointment as a judge is indicative of the government’s resolve to give employment opportunities for educated Tamil people a top priority. He thanked her husband and mother for their support.
Udhayanidhi Stalin, the Minister of Sports for Tamil Nadu, also commended Sripathy’s tenacity – “Her perseverance, even amid challenging circumstances like taking the exam just two days after childbirth, is commendable.”