P.K. Thressia facts for kids
P.K. Thressia was a very important woman in India's history. She was born on March 12, 1924, and passed away on November 18, 1981. She became a Civil Engineer and was the first woman in India to become a Chief Engineer. This was a huge achievement!
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P.K. Thressia: India's First Female Chief Engineer
P.K. Thressia's journey showed that women could achieve great things in fields like engineering. She broke barriers and inspired many others.
Her Early Life and Studies
P.K. Thressia was born in Kerala, India, on March 12, 1924. Her family was very religious. She went to St Mary's High School in Kattoor. Her father really encouraged her to study.
She decided to study Civil Engineering. She went to the College of Engineering, Guindy (CEG). She studied alongside other pioneering women engineers. These included Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha and Leelamma Koshie.
Thressia finished her degree in 1944. Her course was made shorter, lasting only three and a half years. This was because of the Second World War.
Building a Career in Engineering
After graduating, Thressia started her career. She worked for the Public Works Commission of the Kingdom of Cochin. This area was under British rule at the time. She began as a Section Officer. Soon, she was promoted to Assistant Construction Engineer. She worked on the TB Sanatorium in Mulakunnathukavu.
In 1956, she became an Executive Engineer. This new role meant she had to move to Ernakulam. She worked there for nine years. Her hard work led to another promotion in 1966. She became the Superintending Engineer for Roads and Buildings in Kozhikode.
Becoming a Chief Engineer
In 1971, P.K. Thressia reached a major milestone. She was promoted to Chief Engineer for the state of Kerala. This made her the first woman in India to hold such a high position in engineering.
In a book called Roots and Wings, she shared her thoughts. She said that being an engineer is not as hard as many women might think. She wanted to encourage more women to join the field.
Thressia retired in 1979. She had worked for the Kerala Public Works Department for 34 years. After retiring, she became a founding consultant for a company called Taj Engineers.
