Kaani tribal woman becomes first law graduate from community in Kanniyakumari

S. Evangelin Nishma receiving her degree from Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT S. Evangelin Nishma, 28, a resident of Koovaikadu in Kanniyakumari district, has become the first law graduate from the Kaani tribal community in the district.Ms. Nishma, who is currently practising in Chennai, chose to pursue law with the aim of serving the people and encouraging more tribal students in the district to explore higher education and professional careers.She attributes much of her motivation to her grandmother, who would often tell her, “Someone from our community should carve a path in the legal field.”After completing her school education in Thadikkarankonam, she appeared for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT). Though she secured admission to a law college in Uttar Pradesh through CLAT, she opted to study closer to home, citing her unfamiliarity with northern India and the distance involved. She subsequently secured admission to the Government Law College, Madurai, through counselling for a five-year BA LLB course.Ms. Nishma said she had been continuously studying various aspects of tribal law to better serve the members of her community, who, she said, had been facing challenges related to various laws and regulations.Her aspirations extend beyond her own career. She plans to speak to tribal students in the district about different career opportunities, particularly in the legal field, and encourage them to pursue professional education.Ms. Nishma also said that while reservation provisions for tribal communities in education and government employment had provided opportunities, there was a need to further strengthen access by increasing the reservation percentage so that more members of tribal communities could benefit from them. Published - September 29, 2026 07:44 pm IST