Humility personified, 2017 Civil Services topper, ‘Pride of Telangana’ Anudeep Durishetty speaks of his journey, the difficulties faced, the jubilant period when scores were out and the nervousness of being in media glare in this freewheeling chat with novelist Sriram Karri
HYDERABAD: I have held discussions with author Amitav Ghosh, political leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Jairam Ramesh, KTR, among others. I have not received as many calls from all those events put together as I have got for this event, quoted novelist Sriram Karri at the interaction session with 2017 Civil Services topper Anudeep Durishetty held at Phoenix Arena, HITEC City on June 18. Organised by Hyd Park, it was a jam-packed session, with nearly 300 aspirants keenly lapping up his every word. Edited excerpts from the conversation between Sriram Karri (SK) and Anudeep Durishetty (AD):
SK: Did you feel you were special, and believed great things would happen to you?
AD: The only thing I believed was in having a goal and working hard to achieve it. I always emphasise on giving my best shot, whether it is playing a cricket match or writing the Mains exam. Staying detached from the end result, no matter what happens, helped me.
SK: You studied at BITS Pilani,
Rajasthan and got selected in Google. How was the journey like?
AD: I was an introvert and average in academics. After the first year at BITS, I consciously evaluated myself and got actively involved in extra-curricular activities. After finishing my studies, I attempted the Civil Services exam in 2012, and could not get through it. Afterwards, Google shortlisted my CV, and I cleared all the interview rounds and got selected.
SK: How come even Google did not convince you not to work for the Government of India? (laughter)
AD: I always had Civil Services at the back of my mind. In a way, the job at Google was a financial backup. I reflected on the aspect that 25 years down the line, would I be happy of having continued to work at Google? The answer was no. On the other hand, Civil Services always had that charm.
SK: Have you discussed your dream with your fellow Googlers?
AD: I never disclosed my dream to anyone! (Smiles and laughs) It would have hampered my chances at the workplace, though I used to give my best at work.
SK: Despite not getting through four times, how did you find the courage to try for one last time in 2017?
AD: Though I was doing well professionally, working in the IRS, there was this nagging feeling that I ran away from the challenge. For all my failures, I had blamed someone else – the examiner, UPSC, even the clerk entering the marks, who I thought screwed up! I decided to accept my failures. That was the turning point.
SK: Where were you when the Mains results were announced?
AD: I was at a review meeting in office, and my mobile was in flight mode. When I checked later, there were 25 calls. “The Mains results were out, did you make it”, asked people. When I saw my number, I felt deeply satisfied.
SK: How was the experience of preparing for the interview?
AD: Enriching. You start reflecting on your life, asking all possible questions and preparing for them. Though I was nervous, I did well in the interview. When I came out, I called my parents and said, I am done with the exam! I was hoping for the best, but was prepared to accept any eventuality.
SK: When did rank one hit you?
AD: It was confirmed that the results would be out on April 27. The whole year of preparation flashed before my eyes. I began feeling nervous, and was pacing restlessly. I left office early that day, went back to my room and started listening to a song. Suddenly, I saw a post online that said Anudeep Durishetty topped the exam. I thought it might be a prank. I waited for a few minutes, and when people started calling me, the truth hit me. I was in shock for one whole week. Outwardly, though, I managed to show a smiling face for the media (laughter).
SK: How did you feel being thrown into limelight overnight?
AD: It was the most difficult part, as I was an introvert. My mind went into firefighting mode, practising the answers to probable questions posed by media, ways to present myself, etc.
SK: What was your proudest moment?
AD: Whenever my father used to get an opportunity to meet with the Collector, he used to describe about it animatedly to me. To take my parents to the CM’s home and get them felicitated in the presence of Chief Secretary, DGP and others was my proudest moment.
SK: Who do you owe your success to?
AD: I’m grateful to my parents for their support. They never imposed their will on me, and gave me freedom to pursue my dreams.
— Shyam Yadagiri
shyam@newindianexpress.com
@shyamyadagiri