Know India’s first three women engineers on Engineers Day 2025. Who earned an engineering degree for the same year and opened the way in this field for women. Know who these women were and from which engineering college, which branch chose.
Engineers Day 2025: Today girls are earning a name in every field, but the situation was completely different in the early 1900s. At that time the education of girls was not given importance. The girls’ going to college was almost impossible. Parents used to get married as soon as their studies were completed. In a period, when it was difficult to think of a girl’s name even when it was difficult to be considered difficult and male dominated. But in this atmosphere, three Himmati girls- A Lalita, PK Threshia and Leela George showed what is part of history today. All three took admission in Engineering College for the first time in India and set a new example by earning their degree in 1944.
Which engineering was studied in Casel, India’s first female engineers, how did you get a chance?
Gindi Engineering College, Chennai (then Madras), which was the oldest technical institute in Asia. The story of these three girls started from here. Principal of the college, Dr. KC Chacko and Professor A Subbarao of Electrical Engineering, who were Lalita’s father, played an important role in getting the girls admitted. Lalita first received admission in 1940. A few months later, Threshia and Leela also got admission here.
India’s first female engineers got degrees from which branch of engineering
At that time there were only three branches, civil, mechanical and electrical. The course was four years old, but due to the world war it was reduced to three and a half years. Threshia and Leela got civil engineering. Lalita chose electrical engineering. Since there was no hostel of girls in college, Threshia and Leela had to travel from far away. At the same time, Lalita lived in the campus with her father, which made her studies a little easier. In 1944, all three earned their degrees. Interestingly, by cutting ‘He’ written on the degree certificate, the Vice Chancellor had to write ‘She’ with his hand.
PK Threshia: Cochin’s first female engineer
PK Threshia was from a rich family in the Cochin state. After completing engineering, he joined the Public Works Department (PWD) and led several big projects. He constructed Thrissur Medical College and many important bridges and roads. When Kerala became the state of Kerala in 1956, Threshia got promotion and in 1971 she reached the post of Chief Engineer. This achievement was a big thing for a woman at that time. Threshia did not marry and dedicated his entire life to his engineering profession. He died of illness in 1980, but his work is still alive.
Leela George: Experts in Town Planning
Leela George was born in Trivala. Initially, he tried to study medical, but was scared to see the desaction and left the course. His father did not lose courage and got him admission in engineering. After completing engineering, Leela started work in Travancore PWD. She later also went to England for higher education and acquired expertise in town planning. After coming back, he worked on several projects. Planning of modern settlements like Jawahar Nagar Colony, Thiruvananthapuram is also the same. However, due to cadre integration, her seniority was lost and she retired as Deputy Chief Engineer. He died in 1988.
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A Lalita: India’s first female engineer
Lalita’s story is also very inspiring. After marriage at an early age and then the husband’s death, her father gave her a chance to study engineering. Lalita earned an electrical engineering degree. After the degree, he worked as an apprentice at Jamalpur railway workshop in Bihar. After this she was an engineering assistant in the Central Standard Organization of India in Shimla. He also passed the graduateship exam from Institution of Engineers in London. A Lalita worked on many big projects, the most important of which was the generator project of Bhakra Nangal Dam. The same project proved to be recognized by him across the country. In 1964, he first got a chance to represent India at the International Conference of Women’s Engineers and Scientists. Lalita’s name is still taken as India’s first female engineer.
PK Threshia, Leela George and A Lalita, these three women changed the thinking of the society by doing engineering at that time. Today millions of girls are studying engineering, but this path was made by these pioneers.
Also read- Engineers Day 2025: Learn the person who changed India’s engineering