Anudeep Durishetty has spent the past month or so receiving congratulations from all over the country for topping the UPSC exam 2017.
It was quite a hectic time, he tells The Better India, as he was not used to the attention, the felicitations and the requests to give talks. While he is eager for life to return to normalcy, he also wishes to support applicants appearing for the UPSC 2019 Prelims.
He shares, “No one begins the preparation with the thought of giving this exam twice. That is why, for many of us, the first failure is shocking, the second is humbling and the third, absolutely devastating. I was indeed devastated.”
He is quick to point out that it was his fifth attempt at the exam when he decided to give it one last shot and succeeded.
Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC 2017 Topper. Photo
He had previously qualified for the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) in 2013 and has been serving as the Assistant Commissioner for Central GST in Hyderabad, Telangana since 2014. He will soon submit his resignation to join the IAS Training in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.
He kept reappearing for the exam while at the IRS as he was vying for the IAS. “Because IAS is very different from any other service. It’s in the civil services and gives you a lot of opportunities to bring in change on the ground.”
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Here are three things he asked candidates to keep in mind:
1. Revise old topics, rather than learning new topics
Don’t take up new topics on the eve of the exam. Photo
In these last few days, it is important to revise as much as you can. Rather than studying something new, getting nervous and stressing out about it all, focus on reviewing the material that has already been studied.
2. Keep your focus
This millennial catch-phrase holds merit in the exam hall. Photo
The problem before many aspirants right now is not that they haven’t studied, but the self-doubt and nervousness that they face.
Remember that the people who succeeded in the prelims are not those who studied more on the final day, but those who gave the exam calmly, with a focused mind. It is natural to have some fears but make a conscious effort not to let them get the better of you.
3. Give it your best shot
Tune out everything once you enter the exam hall. Photo
Do not get distracted by the thoughts of marks or results. These will follow if you do your best. Once you enter the examination hall, focus on those 100 questions and give them your best shot.
Anudeep only hopes that candidates take the right message from his success story—not only that he topped, but that he persevered and did not give up, even in the face of multiple failures.
Here’s wishing best to the candidates appearing for the nation’s most competitive exam.
