UPSC CSE 2023: How Telangana's Ananya Reddy, AIR 3 and youngest among Top 20, cracked it in her first attempt

In her maiden endeavor, Donuru Ananya Reddy, a young woman from Telangana, achieved remarkable success, not only passing the UPSC examination but securing the coveted third position nationwide. Following the announcement of the results on Tuesday, the jubilant 22-year-old expressed her eagerness to serve in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). She aspired to serve in the Telangana cadre. Ananya, whose family's roots are in Mahbubnagar district, had been residing in rented accommodation in Delhi for the past few months, preparing for the final phase of the prestigious examination.

According to an Indian Express report, she is also the youngest among the top 20 successful candidates of UPSC civil services exam.

She commenced her Civil Services preparation two years prior to the examination, much of which was undertaken independently, without external assistance. Contrary to the notion that the civil services examination is insurmountable, Ananya said that while it presents significant challenges, devising a strategic approach to preparation is paramount.


Initially dedicating 6-8 hours daily to study, she intensified her efforts to 12-14 hours per day as the examination approached. Ananya emphasized the importance of crafting a systematic strategy, breaking down the syllabus into manageable segments, and adhering to a timeline.

Offering advice to fellow civil services aspirants, she encouraged them to formulate personalized study plans based on individual strengths and weaknesses, cautioning against blindly following others. Furthermore, she urged aspirants to persevere in the face of challenges, both mental and otherwise, emphasizing the value of maintaining composure and resilience throughout the rigorous examination process.

The former student of Miranda House in Delhi had resided in rented housing in the city for the preceding months, focusing on the final stages of her rigorous examination. She has a bachelor's degree in geography complemented by a minor in economics. For the civil services, she chose anthropology as her optional subject and received coaching for it in Delhi.