Odisha: Deepa Sahoo to receive Presidential Award as country’s first transgender PhD Degree holder

Cuttack: Deepa Sahoo from Cuttack, who has obtained PhD Degree in Biology from Utkal University, will be conferred the ‘Presidential Award 2023’ as the first transgender from the country.

Deepa will receive the award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on December 30. The PhD holder was intimated about this through an official communiqué on Thursday.

Deepa resides in Haripur locality at Buxi Bazar of Cuttack and is a native of Jagatsinghpur district.

The Government of India is proud that Deepa Sahoo has obtained PhD Degree as the first transgender in the country. Deepa’s name has been shortlisted for the ‘Presidential Award 2023’ which will be conferred to the Degree holder and was requested to remain present to receive it, the communiqué stated.

Worth mentioning, Deepa was 12 years of age and was then studying in Class VI when the transgender underwent behavioural as well as physical changes and felt more like that of a woman.

Deepa previously attempted to die by suicide several times. However, fortune had something else in store for the PhD Degree holder who achieved a rare feat in the transgender community.