In A First, 26-Yr-Old Transwoman Becomes Village Assistant In TN & Hopes To Inspire Others From Community

Following a recent recruitment drive in the Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, a 26-year-old transwoman has officially been appointed "Village Assistant" for the first time. S Shruthi will work as a village assistant in the Melakarandhai village in the Ettayapuram taluk of the district. The appointment order was given to her on Friday (January 13) by district collector Dr K Senthil Raj.

Humble Belief In Hiring Procedure

S Shruthi, who comes from a low-income family in the district of Ettayapuram, earned her diploma in hotel administration from SRM University– a college outside of Chennai. But she could not find employment opportunities in a hotel or a restaurant. Consequently, she turned to tailoring, learnt the skill and started working with a tailoring unit here.

Since Shruthi's father is a casual labourer and her brother is a two-wheeler mechanic, their family's financial situation was unstable. Thus, she, too, had to earn to meet the family's daily expenses. "So, I chose tailoring with which I can earn something till today," Shruthi said, reports The Hindu.

Born as a male and living with the name Suresh Kumar for the first 17 years of her life, she underwent a sex reassignment surgery in 2014 and became S Shruthi, reports The New Indian Express.

When she learned that the district was hiring village assistants, Shruthi submitted an application despite the advice of her colleagues, who believed that a sizable bribe to officials would be sufficient to secure her the job. "But I firmly believed that the district officials led by the Collector would complete the recruitment in a fair manner", she said.

'I'll Be A Role Model For Our Community': Shruthi

Shruthi went through the hiring procedure alone with an optimistic attitude. Since the successful candidates she met were all from low-income families and were hired solely on the basis of their qualifications, she said that the District Collector handled the hiring impartially. "This kind of selection will instil confidence in the minds of the candidates waiting for government jobs," she added.

In the presence of District Revenue Officer (In-Charge) Marimuthu and Additional Collector (Development) Thakkare Subam Gnanadev Rao, Collector Dr K Senthil Raj gave Shruthi the appointment order at the collectorate. District Collector Raj said, "I am happy that she is the first transperson in the state to receive a village assistant job. She will be a role model for others to emulate." He advised Shruthi to be a moral and devoted public servant throughout her career as he gave the appointment order to the chosen candidates on Friday.

"It's a great recognition for transgenders. I'll be a role model for the people from our community so that more will also prepare well and crack the competitive exams to get government jobs," Shruthi stated. According to the records, 6,029 people showed up for the village assistant test that was organised to fill 94 positions in the area. Before being granted the appointment order, the candidates underwent a writing test, an interview, and a special skill test.

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