Hanagodu:  V.P. Srujana, an adivasi girl in Nagarahole, has made her community and the State proud by becoming the first person to clear the National Eligibility Test (NET) from her community to be qualified for the post of Assistant Professor.

Her subject is Finance and Taxation. The tests, commonly regarded as a tough nut to crack, are conducted by National Testing Agency on behalf of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

In fact, Srujana has overcome many challenges ever since childhood and after she decided to take up higher education for a fruitful career. Aiming further high now, she wants to clear the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) exam and the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) exam. 

Srujana hails from Nagarahole Tribal Rehabilitation Centre at Nagapura and has her roots in Kodagu district. Belonging to Paniyeravara community, she was born to Veena and M.B. Prabhu of Balekovu tribal hamlet in Virajpet taluk. Paniyeravara community is one of the most primitive tribal communities in Karnataka.

After doing her schooling in Ummathur Government Primary School at Hunsur as there is no school at the place where she was born, Srujana completed her High School and PUC at Government Junior College for Girls, Hunsur. In a way the family migrated to Hunsur 22 years ago for their child’s education. 

At Hunsur, she was staying with her grandparents. Her grandfather worked in Forest Department as a Group D employee. As many girls from her community, Srujana did not discontinue her studies after SSLC and PUC and went on to graduate from Government Junior College for Girls, Hunsur. Srujana’s mother Veena is an inspiration to her and Veena was the first graduate among her community and she secured her degree from the University of Mysore in 1988.

Goaded by her mother, Srujana completed her M.Com from the University of Mysore and passed the exam with 74 percent in 2019 and later appeared for the UGC-NET in October 2020 and cleared the exam to be qualified as Assistant Professor.

She now intends to do her Ph.D. in tribal studies. “I want to take up KAS and IAS exam next,” she says with confidence.