Persistence pays off: Kakinada aspirant realises IAS dream
KAKINADA: If anyone has strong dedication and determination, they can achieve their target, as proved by Kakinada resident Jeenu Sri Jaswanth Chandra. He secured the 23rd rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination and fulfilled his passion of becoming an IAS officer.
Jaswanth Chandra began his journey in 2020, but his first attempt failed at the mains stage. He took it as a life lesson to grow stronger in his studies. Since then, he has steadily progressed, cracking civil services cadres up to IPS. Not satisfied with that, he persisted and ultimately achieved his passion in 2025.
Jeenu Sri Jaswanth Chandra, a resident of Vakalapudi village in Kakinada Rural mandal of Kakinada district, has finally achieved his target of becoming an IAS officer on his fifth attempt. He secured All India Rank (AIR) 23 in the 2025 UPSC Civil Services Examination. In his second attempt in 2021, he earned a position in the Indian Postal Service.
In 2022, he cleared the examination with an All India Rank (AIR) in the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS), but was not satisfied. His next attempt yielded AIR 51 in the Indian Forest Service (IFS). Undeterred, he appeared again in 2023, securing AIR 162 for the Indian Police Service. He is currently undergoing IPS training in Hyderabad. His ambition persisted, leading to success with IAS selection and AIR 23 in 2025.
His father, Manikyala Rao, studied engineering and worked as a businessman. He suggested many times to his son that he aim for the IAS. In 2020, he suffered an ailment and passed away. Jaswanth was disappointed by his father’s death and therefore could not concentrate on his studies. In that situation, he was unable to crack the IAS exam in his first attempt.
“An IAS officer can provide a wide range of services to the public,” stated Jeenu Sri Jaswanth Chandra. Speaking to TNIE, he said his father had often suggested a career in public service and encouraged him greatly. It was his father’s motivation that helped him achieve his goal. He suggested that anyone can crack the UPSC Civil Services examination through self-preparation.
Jaswanth’s mother, Gollapalli Nagalakshmi, works as a government teacher at Vakalapudi ZP High School. She encouraged her son to fulfil his father’s ambition. She has explained to him about his intellectual abilities.
Nagalakshmi told TNIE that Jaswanth has been a merit student since his school days. He studied at Ashram Public School in Kakinada, where he was selected for a merit scholarship. He completed his intermediate in Hyderabad. He secured the 173rd rank in JEE and completed his B.Tech in computer science from IIT Kanpur.
Later, he was selected for a job at Samsung with a Rs 50 LPA package during campus placements. But his target was the IAS, so he started preparation in 2020. In his first attempt, he was stopped at the mains stage. He continued his attempts until he achieved his IAS goal. Within a span of five years, he secured four central civil services jobs.
Jaswanth’s grandfather, Lakshmana Rao, expressed his happiness over his grandson’s achievement. He is a retired Physical Director at Rangaraya Medical College, Kakinada, where he also extended his service. He told TNIE that Jaswanth has been a brilliant student since his school days. Since childhood, he has spent most of his time at his nephew’s house. Jaswanth’s maternal grandmother, Annapurna, takes care of him.