Durishetty Anudeep, attained 1st Rank in his 5th attempt in Civil Services Examination, 2017

“Once you set your goal, you can achieve it with grit and determination consistency is a must in preparation”

                                                                                                                   -Durishetty Anudeep

‘Pratiyogita Darpan’ arranged an exclusive interview with Shri Durishetty Anudeep who has been selected in Civil Services Examination 2017, conducted by Union Public Service Commission. He deserves high admiration and our heartiest congratulations on his splendid success. This important, thought-provoking and highly inspiring interview is being presented here in its original form.

PD—Achieving top slot in the coveted Civil Services Examination is no small feat; accept our heartiest congratulations on your splendid success.

Shri Durishetty—Thank you so much.

PD—In how many attempts have you achieved this success?

Shri Durishetty—This was my 5th attempt.

PD—You achieved the desired success in this attempt; how do you visualize your previous attempts ?

Shri Durishetty—Although I succeeded in my 2nd attempt and got IRS yet, I felt, in my previous attempts I was really slow in writing. Also, due to paucity of time not revising material properly cost me severely.

PD—What was your optional subject ?

Shri Durishetty—Optional Subject : Anthropology .

PD—While making final choice for optional subject, what’s important and what’s not ?

Shri Durishetty—Interest and availability of resource.

In my previous attempts, I had Public Administration as optional subject but, this time I switched to Anthropology.

I had really got bored with Public Administration and looked at other optional subjects available. Why I made this choice Anthroplogy was simple as I like the subject as it is all about evolution of mankind. Moreover, good study material, quality books are available.

PD—What preference in services have you opted for and any particular reason for that priority ?

Shri Durishetty—IAS. IRS is a very good opportunity to serve but IAS is a better opportunity not just limited to revenue but administration, development, and Diversity is something that IAS offers.

PD—‘Success is sweet’ were you confident of your success with top ranks and how did you react to this news ?

Shri Durishetty—I had been trying hard and hope for this success kept me going. When I heard this news first, I didn’t believe, I thought it must be a joke or something. I checked the list again.

PD—Today, IAS Toppers are icons and lots of media coverage makes them popular. The top rankers are admired by all for their accomplishment and are a source of inspiration and motivation for future aspirants.

Shri Durishetty—Toppers have always helped me think right. Because this is a big exam and you have so many things to cover.

While preparing, you cannot just read books one after the other and expect to remember it all.

You should have a proper strategy, even avoiding some books and reading the others. So that’s what I have learnt from the toppers.

PD—Can you recall the exact moment when you realized the importance of Civil Services ?

Shri Durishetty—My father was a public servant and I realized that your job should not just be about earning money but to give something to public.

PD—Was CSE a planned decision or your parents’ wish ?

Shri Durishetty—It was my decision fully supported by parents.

PD—Did you keep in mind some time-frame for the examination preparation and number of attempts ?

Shri Durishetty—When I started, I had some other plans in mind but, as the luck would have been it took 5 attempts to reach the destination.

PD—’Time Management’ is a key factor. How did you manage things?

Shri Durishetty—I made it a point to cover as many questions I can during Prelims as well as in Main Examination. With practice I could manage time well.

PD—The first step is the most difficult; how to prepare ? From where did you get the right advice?

Shri Durishetty—I got to know about this from engineers at BITS Pilani. At that time I had no idea, so they are the ones who introduced all this to me at that time.

PD—What was your approach towards Paper I (General Studies) and Paper II (Aptitude Test) during Preliminary Examination preparation ?

Shri Durishetty—Prelims is basically combination of all the type of questions from syllabus

     1. Go through all the topics in syllabus

     2. Revise thoroughly

     3.  Go for an educated teacher because you cannot be sure about an exam              like prelims.

PD—How did you manage to tackle the ‘Negative Marking’ in Prelims ?

Shri Durishetty—If I was not sure about the answer, I left it.

PD—What shift did you adopt in your strategy for Main Examination (Written)?

Shri Durishetty—I did a lot of writing practice. While studying it is necessary that you do writing practice so that your speed is up to the level and you will be able to finish the paper in time.

PD—Was there any special effort for effective preparation for ESSAY Paper ?

Shri Durishetty—My aim was to write clearly about topic. Avoid the usage of jargons and heavy stuff. Keep it simple and readable.

Also use examples from current affairs to enrich it.

PD—How did you prepare yourself for Interview (Personality Test) ?

Shri Durishetty—Interview is basically a personality test based on the bio data which you have provided. Knowing about current affairs works the best on them as they discuss and ask about them.

Some of the Questions asked during interview were relating to my job IRS, question on Artificial intelligence, my optional Anthropology; and some current issues like Swachh Bharat were touched.

PD—Were you preparing for other career opportunities as well while preparing for your ultimate goal i.e., Career in Civil Services ?

Shri Durishetty—My aim was clear and as I got selected in my second attempt ultimately I was eyeing only IAS.

PD—While the changing economic environment offers immense lucrative career opportunities in various sectors, still what kept you motivated towards Civil Services ?

Shri Durishetty—I have seen both the worlds. That there is something special with IAS and connect with masses is one prime factor that kept me motivated.

PD—In your opinion at which Educational Level should one start preparing for Civil Services and what should be the minimum period of time required to prepare for Civil Services Examinations ?

Shri Durishetty—It is your choice but, one should think about appearing in examination once you are sure about your preparedness.

PD—Does the educational, financial and demographic status of the family of an aspirant have any impact on the preparation?

Shri Durishetty—These are some mental blocks; once you set your goal, you can achieve it with grit and determination.

Perseverance is the key.

Personal Qualities

Favourite Person—There are many but, I am really inspired by Roger Federer, one of the greatest Tennis players who have proven their domi-nance. Hobbies—Watching football, Reading fiction

PD—What is the secret of your success ?

Shri Durishetty—Consistency is a must in preparation.

PD—To whom would you like to give the credit for your success ?

Shri Durishetty—To my parents, family and friends.

PD—Any suggestion/advice you would like to give to the future aspirants.

Shri Durishetty—Prepare yourself right. Expect the surprises as there will be many. Do justice to your preparation.

Basically prepare yourself for the unpredicted nature of the examination.

PD—Thank you very much and wishing you all the best for your future endeavours.