Meet UPSC 2017 toppers Anudeep Durishetty and Anu Kumari
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the much-awaited final results of the All India Civil Services Examinations 2017 on Friday. Based on the written exam and interviews, 990 names were recommended for appointment to various services. Of them, Telangana's Anudeep Durishetty secured the first rank and Haryana's Anu Kumari the second. As they celebrate their brilliant performances, here's all about them.
It was IRS officer Anudeep Durishetty's fifth attempt
2017 was the fifth and the final attempt for the 28-year-old Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. A native of Metpalli town in Telangana's Jagitial district, Anudeep attended the local Sri Suryodaya High School. He then studied B Tech (Electronics & Instrumentation) at Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, and worked at Google Hyderabad as a software engineer.
Anudeep chose anthropology to crack the UPSC exam
His father, D Manohar, is an assistant divisional engineer with Telangana Northern Power Distribution Company Ltd. His mother D Jyothy is a homemaker. "It is thrilling and exciting. The fact that I am the topper is yet to sink in," he told Hindustan Times. He qualified the exam with anthropology as his subject and has naturally opted for the Telangana cadre.
'I put my heart and soul into it'
Anudeep got interested in civil services while pursuing engineering. In the first attempt, he cleared the prelims and mains but not the interview. He got the IRS cadre the next time, was appointed customs and central excise officer, but never stopped preparing. Calling his preparation "a prolonged struggle", he said, "it was my last attempt and I put my heart and soul into it".
Anu Kumari ditched her 9-year-old corporate career for a dream
Meanwhile, Anu Kumari, who has bagged the second spot, is a mother from Haryana's Sonepat district. Married to a businessman, she has a four-year-old son. She did Physics Honors from Delhi University's Hindu College and followed it with an MBA from IMT Nagpur. She had been working for nine years before she ditched the corporate rut two years ago to prepare.
'Never lose focus'
With two months of preparation, Anu gave her first attempt in 2016. She missed getting selected in the prelims by just one mark. Taking about success mantras, she says one must never lose sight of targets. "I didn't take any coaching. I studied myself and ensured I don't lose focus," she told HT. After joining the services, she wants to work for women empowerment.
