“Why I Chose UPSC — Even When Everyone Said No”
“This is the moment I paused, just before underlining a dream. A small study desk. A big map. A globe I spin every morning — not to see where I’ll go, but to remind myself where I came from. 📍” I was born in a small village where girls don’t often dream of becoming IAS officers. Where ambition is often exchanged for early marriage, and confidence is replaced with compromise. But my life has never followed the rules written by others. When I lost my mother in 4th standard, the world thought I would break. But my father Venkata Ramana Reddy stood by me like a mountain, strong and silent. He worked in the fields, day and night, so I could get an education. So I could dream beyond the dust of poverty. And dream I did. I didn’t want to “settle” for a job just for the salary. I didn’t want to accept that girls like me don’t reach Delhi or Harvard. I wanted to serve . To rise . To change what people think is possible. So, I chose UPSC. Even though people told me it’s hard. Even though...