Born in a remote village in southern India, Theertha Rahul’s rise from an underprivileged background to becoming a government engineer and now a scholar heading to the UK is nothing short of extraordinary. Her life, woven through years of hardship, domestic struggles, and corruption-fueled career roadblocks, is now turning a powerful page as she embarks on her next chapter at Anglia Ruskin University for an MSc in Construction Project Management. It’s a story breaking the silence around systemic flaws while spotlighting raw resilience and purpose.
At just 11, while other children were busy with textbooks and play, Theertha began working part-time supplying milk door to door. Trapped in a household where her mother was silenced and overworked by an alcoholic husband, she saw early what dependence and lack of education could cost a woman. With no voice in her own home, Theertha pledged to carve her own independence through education. That fire, lit in her early years, never burned out. By the time she reached high school, she was already a recognized student leader, raising funds for sports and driving initiatives that transformed student lives.
Her defining moment came when she led a government-backed housing initiative under the National Service Scheme during her higher secondary schooling. Tasked with building homes for the homeless, Theertha coordinated engineers, political figures, and school authorities, delivering the first home within a year. That project didn’t just put a roof over someone’s head; it built the foundation for her future. Public Works Department engineer Mr. Sreedaran, who mentored her during this time, pushed her to pursue civil engineering. Armed with determination and an education loan, she joined KMCT College of Engineering, where she balanced academics, activism, and part-time jobs with precision.
Graduating in 2017, Theertha became a tutor at an Industrial Training Institute to support her family before moving into the field as a site engineer. In 2019, she married her childhood friend Vayshnav, whose unwavering support helped her stay afloat. When the COVID-19 pandemic devastated lives globally, it struck even harder at home. Her husband lost his job in Saudi Arabia, but Theertha joined local teams handling COVID burials with dignity. Even then, her eyes remained fixed on solutions. She drafted a startup plan for affordable housing and in 2021, landed a government job in Maniyur Grama Panchayat based on that proposal.
What followed was a harsh awakening. Working on state projects, Theertha uncovered rampant corruption, projects manipulated under political pressure, low-grade materials being used, inflated budgets, and coverups. The final blow came when a poorly built bridge collapsed in Thalassery, injuring one of her friends. When she raised her voice, silence echoed back. Her honesty became her obstacle. Tired of fighting a rigged system alone, Theertha made a bold decision to leave behind the toxicity and pursue a global platform where merit would matter more than manipulation.
Today, Theertha Rahul is preparing to move to the United Kingdom to pursue her master’s degree, determined to return not just with a degree but with a vision to reform infrastructure ethics. Her admission to Anglia Ruskin University is more than a personal milestone. It is a symbolic rejection of the rot she endured. Her story isn’t about escaping India but about returning stronger, armed with international standards and a blueprint to bring change from the outside in.
In a country where women still battle systemic bias, financial limitations, and institutional silencing, Theertha’s journey is shaking the narrative. From surviving abuse and poverty to dismantling political corruption and breaking international barriers, she’s no longer just a name from a remote village. She’s a force, and the world is finally watching.