HYDERABAD: After two years of self-preparation and a few months of training for the anthropology paper, Donuru Ananya Reddy from Mahbubnagar district secured All India Rank (AIR) 3 in the Civil Services Exams (CSE) 2023 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
According to the results announced on Tuesday afternoon, Ananya secured the top rank among aspirants from the Telugu states and is also the highest-scoring woman candidate this year. Meanwhile, Aditya Srivastava from UP clinched the top spot while Animesh Pradhan from Odisha secured AIR 2.
After completing high school in Mahbubnagar, Ananya pursued Humanities and then graduated in Geography from Miranda House, Delhi University, in 2021. This was her first attempt and she hopes to join the IAS.
Apart from Ananya, reports say that around 50 candidates from the Telugu states have been selected for appointments in various services. While Nandala Sai Kiran from Velichala village of Karimnagar secured AIR 27, Merugu Kaushik from Hyderabad got AIR 82. Two aspirants from the erstwhile Adilabad district — Vishal from Chanda (T) village and Shubam Goud from Indervalli Mandal — secured AIRs 718 and 790, respectively.
Kaushik, who also cleared the CSE in his first attempt, told TNIE, “I had started preparing for the exams from the final year of my MBA programme. After that, I worked for a year as a private consultant and then started full-time preparations for the exams.”
Rank-holder urges aspirants to not lose hope
Meanwhile, Sai Kiran, who secured AIR 27, has done BTech. His father, a powerloom worker, passed away after battling cancer for years. Meanwhile, his mother supported the family by rolling beedis.
Srinivas, his cousin who secured AIR 27, told TNIE that Sai Kiran had set a clear goal and consistently expressed confidence in achieving it. Despite facing obstacles, he persevered due to the encouragement of his sister, who works as an Assistant Executive Engineer in the Irrigation department, he said. “He has shown us that poverty is not a big hurdle and by hard work, one can achieve their dreams,” Srinivas added.
Meanwhile, other rank holders from Telangana shared how motivation and mental health were important factors as they made multiple attempts to clear the exams.
Ravuri Sai Alekhya, AIR 938, who hails from a village in Khammam district, cracked the exam on her fifth attempt. In a piece of advice for aspirants, she said, “Do not get demotivated if you have to give a second or third attempt. Believing in oneself is important in this competitive exam.”
Ananya prepared for her anthropology interview at the Vishnu IAS Academy. Speaking to TNIE, Vishnuvardhan, director of the institute, said, “While this is an important exam, it is only a part of life.”
He added, “Preparation for the UPSC exams should be a combination of hard work and ‘smart work’. This apart, support from family and mentors is also important.”
‘CSAT was difficult to crack’
A few of those who did not clear the exams opined that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) papers were extremely difficult this year. “The CSAT exams were challenging to crack. Many of us did not clear this paper as it had questions that can be solved only by those who prepare for CAT,” said Kaushik, a candidate who made his second attempt this year.
He also shared that the CSAT paper was more difficult this year as compared to the one in 2022.
Aishwarya Nelli Syamala, AIR 649, agreed that the papers were difficult and shared that her motivation to join civil services kept her going and helped her excel in the paper.
Overall, this year, the UPSC recommended 1,016 candidates for appointment in various services. The appointments to services would be made based on the vacancies. Currently, there are 180 vacant spots for IAS officers, 37 for IFS, 200 for IPS and 726 for central services.
(With inputs from Naveen Kumar Tallam of Karimnagar and S Raja Reddy of Adilabad)