The first woman in the world of Indian diplomacy. The first woman to clear the civil service exams. At a time when the voice of women was hushed, C.B.Muthamma, India’s first female ambassador, fought against the Indian government for her right to the post of Secretary to the Government of India.
Born on 24 January 1924 in Virajpet in the Kodagu district of Karnataka, Chonira Belliappa Muthamma was raised by a single mother. One among the four children, she lost her father, a forest officer, at nine. Muthamma completed her schooling at St. Joseph’s Girls School in Madikeri and moved to Chennai for her higher studies. She graduated from the Women’s Christian College in Chennai with a triple gold medal and received a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Presidency College.
In 1948, she became the first woman to clear the UPSC examination. This was the beginning of her struggle for equality. Though she performed....
