India's first transgender Sub-Inspector joins TN police
India's first transgender Sub-Inspector, K Prithika Yashini, has joined the Tamil Nadu police force after completing her one-year training. Yashini had moved the Madras High Court in 2015 after her application for the post was rejected. The court ordered the authorities to appoint her as an SI and asked for the inclusion of transgenders as a third category.
After fighting social dogma, gender bias and many glass ceilings, K Prithika Yashini has become the first transgender to be appointed as a police officer in Tamil Nadu.Prithika Yashini, who was born as Pradeep Kumar had to first fight the society to alter identify which she succeeded after a sex change operation to become who she believed she was from within.Yashini attempted to achieve a next to impossible goal by applying to become a police officer even after being fully aware of that the in police force is alleged filled with male chauvinism.Many couldn't even digest her bold move of applying for the force. Her application was also rejected stating that there were only two columns under which she can restrict her gender identity, either 'male' or 'female' but she went ahead and filled it as 'transgender'. This led to a legal battle and finally citing a Court order she won the battle against 'Tamil Nadu Uniform Services Recruitment Board'.YASHINI FAILED IN PHYSICAL TEST Then came the physical endurance and stamina stress where she cleared every test except the 100 meter dash where she reportedly failed by 1 second which almost led to her disqualification. But citing discrepancy an internal unofficial inquiry was conducted following which her name was cleared.Yashini, then underwent physical and police officer training and on March 31 she passed out of the Tamil Nadu Police Academy at Vandalur.Yashini took charge as sub - inspector of police at a Dharmapuri police station. Yashini's victory is considered to be a milestone in the development of transgenders in the country, giving the community a boost to chase their dreams.