Two female candidates were in the top five when the Union Public Service Commission released the results of the 2023 civil services tests on Tuesday. They are Ruhani (AIR 5) from Haryana and Donuru Ananya Reddy (AIR 3) from Telangana.
Ananya received her BA (Hons) in geology from Miranda House College, Delhi University. She began training for the UPSC exams in Hyderabad after graduating in 2021. She did well on her first go at the exams.
I had this thought in my head since I was a young child. My granddad introduced me to the UPSC. Thus, that seed was always there in me. After I graduated and began searching for a job, I understood that the civil services would offer me a very special combination: in addition to having the chance to serve my country, I will also be able to handle administrative responsibilities.
Ananya’s goal is to become a member of the IAS. “While both the IAS and the IPS piqued my interest, I will prioritise the IAS due to the wide range of professional experiences it will afford me.”
When asked about the interview portion of the civil services final test, Ananya recollected that she was terrified by the five-member board, but she managed to remain confident.
A few questions were posed by one of the board members. I was questioned nonstop about Hyderabad, including how I would transform it into a sustainable metropolis. Even though it felt so unclear, I was still quite certain. I made careful to answer every question thoroughly for each of the other board members, and I held up under that strain,” she remarked.
Counselling for UPSC hopefuls
Ananya adhered to the rule of not taking a single course to prepare for the UPSC exam. According to her, no single tactic can benefit all candidates, thus candidates should select, decide, and modify the tactic that works best for them.
“Never follow advice from other tops mindlessly. Each candidate should create a personalised plan for themselves and stick to it. I didn’t follow traditional preparation techniques; instead, I adjusted my plan of action based on what was needed at the time.
Aspirants should first determine their areas of strength and weakness, she advised, and then allocate their preparation time and plan appropriately.
The younger sister of Ananya received a 99.99 percentile in the first session of JEE Main 2024. Her mother stays at home while her father works as a businessman.
