Prithika Yashini wants to crack civil services exam too

CHENNAI: Twenty-five-year-old Prithika Yashini, who is set to become the first transgender Sub inspector in Tamil Nadu police, told DC she was happy with the final outcome. “I am very happy. Now, they cannot reject me. But I don’t know yet if the judge has set any preconditions to my appointment,” she said.

Yashini, who was not in court when the verdict was pronounced, was informed about it by her lawyer.

“This verdict is not just my victory, but rather it is a win for the entire transgender community,” she added. Yashini, who was born K. Pradeep Kumar and completed schooling in Salem district, discovered the changes her body went through and underwent sex change operation in 2011 after moving to Chennai. Yashini’s family had disowned her forcing her to move in with similarly affected group of transgenders in the city. “Since I was a child, I had always wanted to be a police officer,” Yashini said.

But a 1.1 second difference, and the subsequent failure to qualify during the physical tests, nearly wrecked her dream before HC came to her rescue.

“Then again, I never let myself down. I knew I had to fight for what I wanted. Even after disqualification, my confidence was never really low,” she said.

Soon, she intends to become the first transgender person to crack the civil services as Yashini has her eyes trained on IPS post. “I am studying to crack the UPSC exams. It is my ambition,” she said.

Asked whether she was wary of prevalent stigma at her about-to-be work place, she said, “I have come across many obstacles just to get to this point. All jobs have its own ups and downs and the stress. But I have hope and I believe that it will help me cross the impending obstacles too.”