S Ilakkiya, the newly appointed assistant collector at Kollam, may look like the ‘girl next door’ who loves to read, paint and to dance. But once you get to know her personally, you perceive a fierce and passionate Tamil girl who pursued her dreams even when life threw curveballs at her. She lost her parents when she was just a teenager and had stood helplessly holding the hands of two younger siblings. But the fierce fighter in Ilakkiya was not ready to give up, and she diligently pursued her dream of becoming an IAS officer.
Meaningful name
It is the Kollam assistant collector’s unique name which evokes an interest and curiosity in the first place. Ilakkiya means Tamil literature; the lexicon says ‘the classic’. Having completed her elementary education from an ordinary government school in Vellore, Ilakkiya earned her undergraduate degree in English literature from the Auxilium College. She then pursued an MA in Sociology from the Madras School of Social Work. Though not trained in dance and painting, the multi-talented assistant collector is a graceful dancer and paints her dreams on a canvas.
Family
Illakiya was born in a middle-class family in Vellore. Her father Sekhar was a soldier and mother Victoria, a homemaker. She has two younger siblings Poonkathir and Pukazhethi. Tragedy struck the family when Ilakkiya was studying in class 7. Her parents had died in a motor accident leaving behind three young children. It was Ilakkiya’s maternal aunt Vedanayaki and her husband Raymond who adopted the three kids as their own. Vedanayaki and Raymond, whom Ilakkiya adorably calls Chithi and Chittappa, always supported her in pursuing her dreams. In fact it was Vedanayaki who had wished her niece to become an IAS officer.
Ilakkiya’s sister Poonkathir is a CA student while her brother Pukazhenthi pursues BSc computer science.
From sociologist to civil servant
For Ilakkiya, becoming a civil servant was also a part of social work. Though she attempted the civil service exam after the completion of her course, she couldn’t get through the preliminary exam. In 2014 -15, Ilakkiya enrolled at the Shankar IAS academy, and her hard work and dedication paid off when she cracked the civil service exam with an impressive 298th rank. She is enrolled as an IAS officer of the 2017 batch. After her successful completion of training, Ilakkiya was appointed as the assistant collector at Kollam.
Her dream
Assistant collector S Ilakkiya says her dream is to work for the educational and social progress of women and girl children. Her aunt Vedanayaki was associated with an NGO which worked for various causes of women. She says she grew up seeing her chithi help out those in needs even at the lowest rung of the society. Ilakkiya added that she was always inspired by what her aunt did for others.
Advice for civil service aspirants
Ilakkiya has a word of advice for all those who nurture IAS dreams. She says that one does not essentially need to be extraordinarily intelligent to crack the civil service exam. It is important to approach the exam with confidence rather than fear. She advises that a civil service aspirant need not read whatever comes his/her way, instead selected reading and detailed study are important to prepare for the exam.
About Kollam
Ilakkiya who has already visited places like Munroe Thuruth, Ashtamudi Lake and the beautiful beach says that she is really impressed by the natural beauty of Kollam. She vouches that the atmosphere at the Kollam collectorate is extremely welcoming and amicable. Ilakkiya has become a fan of the Kerala cuisine and says ‘aviyal’ is her favorite dish. However Ilakkiya found the kind of rice consumed here a little different from what was her staple at Tamil Nadu.
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