Karimnagar: In an inspiring story of grit and determination, a woman beedi worker's son from Telangana who lost his father a few years son has qualified the Civil Services Examination 2023 the results of which were announced by the Union Public Service Commission recently.
Nandala Saikiran hailing from Velichala village, 12 km from Karimnagar has secured 27th rank in the UPSC CSE 2023.
'Our Lakshmi's Son is a Collector'
'Our Lakshmi's son is a collector', is the refrain at Saikiran's village as the family soaks in the rare feat of the young man.
Reflecting on his qualifying the UPSC CSE, Saikiran said he was expecting a rank within the 100-200 slots while acknowledging that the 27th rank came as a surprise.
Over his mantra for qualifying the prestigious exam, Saikiran said that concentration, persistence, and self-confidence are the three keys to success in any endeavor.
Saikiran's selection is particularly special given the poverty he has grown up especially after his father's death leaving his mother in the lurch.
Nandala Saikiran was born in a village that did not have access to the minimum facilities. While living in poverty, Saikiran used education as a weapon and achieved the feat which is the dream of millions. In his own words, Saikiran believes that his qualification proves that if we have the will to achieve, nothing can stand in the way of our goal.
''We have a background in which the mother was the bread-winner from childhood. Less than seven years ago, my father got sick and left us all. Financial difficulties are not new to us. Then, my mother, who is a beedi worker, worked very hard for us while trying to overcome her grief. I don't know why, but she had a lot of faith in me and my elder sister from the beginning. She says that We will always rise to great heights,'' Saikiran recalled his struggle.
Late Father as Inspiration
Saikiran said his father told him that his life will change with his education. “When you grow up, don't forget to help people like us,'' Saikiran recalled the advice of his late father, a loom weaver. “Then, I realized that this situation would change only if I got a good job. I started reading with that motivation. I read with my heart. Being the topper in class 10, the college gave a fee concession in Intermediate. It became the foundation of my faith. I tried my best and got 98 percent marks. After that, I got a seat at Warangal NIT with a scholarship,” he said.
Not able to bear the education expenses, Saikiran said he took an education loan.
“It was during this time that my father passed away. All the burden of the family fell on my mother,'' he said.
He credited his mother for supporting him and his elder sister in every aspect. Saikiran said a few years ago, his elder sister Sravanti got a job as an AE while in the final year of B.Tech, he himself was selected for campus placement.
“Our problems are over. I was twenty-one years old when I joined the job. As time passed, I matured. When I was a child, whenever I saw old roads anywhere, I used to think, 'If I had the power, I would build a good road'. Seeing dilapidated schools and visiting hospitals without medical facilities is heartbreaking. I wish I had the power to fix things like this. At the same time, I read about some collectors who brought effective changes in society. Since then my ultimate goal has become IAS,'' he said.
UPSC CSE Preparations Begin
Saikiran said that his civils preparation began less than three years ago after some of his NIT friends started preparation for the prestigious exam. He said that he took his friends' advice and went through question papers besides collating past winners' experiences and following their blogs. “I did this for two months. I didn't take the risk and continued my senior hardware engineer job for preparation,” he said.
Saikiran said he failed in his first attempt, but did not lose heart. “I got ready for mains again immediately. At that moment, I stopped watching my favorite movies, stopped chitchatting with friends. I always had a book with me whenever I had free time. Weekends were completely dedicated to preparation. When I was stressed with office work and preparation, I sometimes wondered whether it is necessary to work so hard even if I have a good job,” he said.
“But I used to remember my background, my desire to get good respect in society, and my determination and take a step forward again. Get some mock interview practice for face-to-face. This time the target was not missed,'' Saikiran added.
''May my ambition be blessed by my mother, and I stand before you as a civils winner in my second attempt. I felt happy when I got the rank. Our whole town is still in a festive atmosphere. More than me, they are happy. What more could I want?''
Saikiran stressed on self study saying he did not take any training for civils and prepared on his own.
“My sister and I are the first-generation graduates in our family. No matter how great the idea is, if the implementation is not good, the result will not be achieved. Break the big idea down into smaller goals,” he said.
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