Meet woman who studied for 12 hours a day, Virat Kohli is her inspiration, cracked UPSC in first attempt with AIR...

UPSC Civil Services Examination is considered one of the toughest exams in India, and clearing it on the first attempt is quite challenging. Every year, lakhs of students appear for this exam, carrying a dream in their eyes to join the administrative field.

Today, we bring you one such story. An inspiring story of Donuru Ananya Reddy from Mahbubnagar, Telangana, who turned her dream of joining the administrative field into an impressive milestone with persistence and sincere dedication. 

According to a report in the Indian Express, she is the youngest among the top 20 successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Exam.

An alumnus of Miranda House in Delhi, Reddy pursued her bachelor's degree in Geography and a minor in Economics. For the UPSC CSE, she chose Anthropology as her optional subject and took coaching to strengthen her preparation.

Once Ready revealed that initially, she did not have fixed study hours, but as the exam approached, she started studying for 12 hours a day to make her dream come true. Between studies, she made sure to take breaks from and spend that time watching cricket and reading novels, which helped her manage stress and strike a balance. Reddy deeply believes that instead of relentless studying, one should focus on understanding the exam pattern and the questions, as they play a vital role in strategising one's preparation in the right direction.

Reddy takes inspiration from Virat Kohli; not only is he her favourite player, but she also deeply admires him for his 'never-say-die attitude'. She looks up to him for his discipline and dedication, which she says have been the biggest source of learning for her in her own journey.

With her never-giving-up and unwavering attitude, she secured All India Rank 3 in the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023, in her very first attempt, after two years of rigorous preparation. Securing AIR 3 was nothing less than a dream come true. She credits her success to her parents, family and friends, whose unwavering support kept her motivated. Speaking about her future, she said, "I see it as a huge responsibility. No matter where I am posted, my focus will always be on bringing the administration closer to the people."

Also read: Meet man who used to sell 'golgappe' during day, study at night, now works in ISRO after clearing...