‘Put people’s welfare before anything else’

Politicians retain office for five years, but civil servants have to serve people for three decades, said chairman of Legislative Council Swamy Goud at a felicitation ceremony organised in the city for civil service aspirants.

Ten rank holders, including the exam topper, Anudeep Durishetty, shared their UPSC preparation strategies with young civil service aspirants at Ravindra Bharati here on Monday. The event was organised by BC Employability Skill Development and Training Centre.

Addressing aspirants and rank holders, Mr. Goud said, “Civil servants have to put the welfare of people before anything else.”

Rank holders advised aspirants to plan their studies, and focus on time management and aptitude. “You should know your strengths and weaknesses before you attempt the examination. In the interview, the board does not look for people who know everything but people with good aptitude and attitude,” said Sai Teja, who bagged the 43rd rank this year.

Mr. Teja graduated from IIT-Hyderabad in 2016 to clear UPSC in the first attempt. UPSC 24th rank holder Immidi Prudhvitej, whose parents were agriculturalists, asked students not to consider English proficiency as a must for success in UPSC exams. “I come from a rural background where I learnt the basics of people’s problems. That experience helped me throughout my preparation and examination,” said Mr. Prudhvitej, who was also IIT-JEE topper in 2011.

UPSC topper Anudeep asked students to consider preparation for civil services as a learning process. “The more you consider it a learning process, the more you will enjoy it,” he said.

Jameel Fathima Zeba, who got 66th rank in the examination, asked students to remain healthy. “If you fall sick before the examination, you will waste one whole year of preparation,” she said.

B.S. Ramulu, chairman of BC commission, felicitated the rank holders along with Mr. Goud