by Vivanesh Parthiban

S.Swapna from namma Madurai is slaying it- breaking stereotypes and legal barriers in the competitive exams for the transgender community with a swag. Swapna recently cleared the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) exam and secured 228th rank in the state. She is the first transgender to clear the Group-1 exam and will be the first from the community to hold the position of Assistant Commissioner in the Commercial Tax Department.

The 28-year-old, Swapna has fought both in court and academic world to have her name in the final list of those taking the exams.

"The fire was lit when I was told I can’t take the competitive exams as there is no place for transgenders in the gender column in the applications," says Swapna. So, she filed a case in 2013 which fetched the community a chance to compete in the state public service exams after a government order allowing the transgenders to compete in the female category was passed in 2015.

She started her preparations in 2013 after opening the legal door for the community; the break came in 2016 in which she cleared around eight state service exams for various departments. Then the next hurdle came with a Government Order passed by the Tamil Nadu Government conferring MBC status to the transgenders in 2016.

"There are many from our community who are from Scheduled Caste; they must climb the social ladder to compete in the exam which is unfair", says Swapna. So again, she filed a case in 2016 so that transgenders can get a reservation in all categories with their community certificate. Read more via Times of India