Donuru Ananya Reddy from Mahbubnagar district in Telangana achieved a top rank in the Civil Services Examination 2023 on her first try. A total of 39 candidates from the Telugu states were selected, with four of them making it to the top 100 ranks.
Ananya Reddy, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Miranda House, Delhi University, secured the third rank in the exam with anthropology as her optional subject. Other candidates from the Telugu states who performed well include Nandala Sai Kiran at 27th rank, K N Chandana Jahnavi at 50th rank, and Merugu Kaushik at 82nd rank. Many of the successful candidates come from humanities and engineering backgrounds.
In an interview with Hans India, Ananya Reddy revealed that she is the first person in her family to enter civil services. She received interview training from Additional DGP Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat but prepared for the exam on her own. Ananya dedicated 12 to 14 hours a day to studying, leading to her success on the first attempt.
Looking ahead, Ananya expressed her desire to bring administration closer to the people and make it more people-centric. She emphasized the importance of balance between studies and social life for UPSC aspirants, highlighting the mental challenges of the exam and the need for mental strength.
