In a world where people with eye does not have a proper vision, the state of Kerala now have an IAS officer from Maharashtra who is visually challenged.
Pranjal Patil is now a synonym for inspiration as her visual impairment did not hinder this youngster from achieving her dream. A young woman who battled great odds of life to become the country’s first visually challenged women IAS officer and took charge as Sub-Collector in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
“We should never be defeated, and never give up,” said Ms Patil, 31, who took charge in the attendance of District Collector K. Gopalakrishnan and staff at the District Collectorate. She further stated that she felt “extremely glad and proud to be in Thiruvananthapuram.”
Ms Patil, who hails from Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra, had lost her eyesight when she was just six years old. She cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination in 2016 by securing 773rd rank and improved her ranking to 124th in 2017. During her training period, she was appointed as Assistant Collector of Ernakulam District in the year 2018.
On her first day at the office, she opted to spend the day familiarising herself with to the new environment. She said that she is hoping much support from the public as well as the Collectorate staffs.
Her journey to secure a civil service job was not a cakewalk. Although after achieving 773rd rank in the UPSC examination in the first attempt, she was refused for a career in the Indian Railway Accounts Service as she was visually challenged.
After signing the Report of Transfer to take over Sam Cleetus, the Deputy Collector (Land Aquisition) she said that–“With our efforts, we all will get that one big breakthrough that we want.”
The Collectorate staffs warmly welcomed Ms Patel with bouquets and ‘laddoos.’ She was accompanied by Assistant Collector Anu Kumari on her arrival. Soon after which she was immediately led to her office on the first floor. After spending a brief moment there, she then called on Mr Gopalakrishnan. He urged the Collectorate staffs to help her in carrying out her duties.
Former Collector and Social Justice department secretary, Biju Prabhakar, also arrived to congratulate in her new journey.
