Dream of helping farmers kept me going, says Telangana UPSC topper

HYDERABAD: Fifth time’s the charm for Nalgonda boy Karnati Varun Reddy who secured all-India rank seven in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination 2018.
Speaking to STOI from his residence in Miryalguda over telephone a day after the results were announced, Varun said that he signed up coaching classes for his first attempt in 2014, but after eight months, he decided to prepare on his own.
“I spent five years of my life preparing for the UPSC exam and finally succeeded in my fifth attempt. I had decided that this year’s would be my last attempt,” says Varun, adding that he used to study along with nine other friends who supported each other.
The Nalgonda local says his interactions with farmers at the grassroots level, understanding their problems and the desire to help them was what kept him going.
“When I could not crack UPSC in the first two attempts, I was contemplating pursuing a Master’s degree abroad, but when I went back to my village and interacted with farmers, I realised what someone in an administrative position could do. That’s what kept me going,” said Varun, who is currently undergoing IRS training at Nagpur.
“My father, who is an ophthalmologist, and mother who works with the Agriculture Department of the state are my greatest inspirations. They always wanted me to serve the society,” he said.
Giving his two cents to IAS aspirants, Varun said is was important to not overread and procrastinate solving sample papers.
“Many aspirants consume a lot of information and forget to work on writing and presentation,” he said, “Your choices can make or break your team.”
In the first two attempts, Varun had opted for geography as optional, but shifted to Mathematics in his third attempt.
“Just because I love travelling, I chose geography as optional. However, liking something is different from scoring marks. When I realized this, I changed my optional,” he said.
He said that sites like insightsonindia and IASbaba can be useful in preparing for the test, and will give candidates a better idea about approaching the examination.
Having cracked the test, Varun now wishes to improve the quality of education in the state and focus on the agriculture sector as an IAS officer. “Even the remotest villages will have better facilities if student’s get quality education,” he said.