Indian American KP George has been sworn in as the Fort Bend County Judge, becoming the first person from the community to hold the office of one of America’s most diverse counties. George, 53, a Democrat, defeated Republican Judge Robert Hebert in the November polls.

In the US, county judges’ duties vary from state to state. George, who hails from Kerala’s Kakkodu city, said his father, a truck driver, earned only a couple of US dollars a day. He studied using a kerosene lamp. He said that community engagement will be the top priority for his administration.