S.S. Jenifer, a 30-year-old resident of Karuppur in Kumbakonam, who was among the children who had a narrow escape in the Kumbakonam school fire tragedy that claimed 94 children in 2004, has hogged limelight in the recently held Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) Group-I examinations by securing 15^th rank.

Congratulatory messages continue to pour in for Ms. Jenifer, who opted for Assistant Director of Panchayat in the Department of Rural Development in the counselling conducted by the TNPSC in Chennai on Tuesday (June 16, 2026), and her parents Santhana Selvam, a retired Livestock Inspector and Sujatha, an employee in a private company, in Kumbakonam.

Ms. Jenifer was nine and studying in Class 4 in the Krishna English Medium School when the tragedy struck on July 16, 2004. Seconds before the flame spread to the ground floor of the school, where she was doing class work, she managed to run away from the spot and escaped unhurt along with her brother Arjun, who was studying Class 1 then.

After spending days of trauma, Ms. Jenifer resumed her studies in Sri Madha Matriculation School and scored 1094 marks in the Plus Two examinations. Having seen the post tragedy relief and rehabilitation measures of senior IAS officer J. Radhakrishnan, who was the Collector of Thanjavur district when the fire tragedy occurred, Ms. Jenifer claims she developed the aspiration of being a civil servant. She appeared for the Union Public Service Commission’s examinations on a few occasions. However, she could not clear them and finally opted for the TNPSC examinations. After about 10 years of preparation and repeated attempts, perseverance, hard work and determination have rewarded Ms. Jenifer.

“The fire tragedy still haunts my memory. It could have been avoided if the rules and regulations on safety had been enforced. No school in our State should be involved in fire accidents in the future due to poor safety standards. I want to dedicate my career to build as many model school buildings in rural areas as possible that ensure the safety of children studying in the schools,” says Ms. Jenifer.

“There were days of dejection and failures tested my patience and challenged my determination. But the consistent motivation of my mother, who wanted me to be financially independent, and my father and my friends has made me to clear the Group I examination,” says Ms. Jenifer.