From Orphaned Ex-Constable To IPS: Andhra’s Udaya Krishna Reddy Secures AIR 350 In UPSC

Starting as a constable in 2013 at the age of 19, Udaya Krishna Reddy, an orphan, was raised by his paternal grandmother Ramanamma, with support from his uncle Koti Reddy.

AP CM remarked that the future belongs to those who never give up.

Source : X

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday commended M Udaya Krishna Reddy, a former police constable who cracked the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination to attain an all-India rank of 350 and is now poised to become an IPS officer. Naidu noted that Reddy’s story reminds everyone that determination can break every barrier and script new destinies.

“Udaya Krishna Reddy’s journey from constable to IPS officer proves that no dream is too big when backed by courage and relentless hard work,” said Naidu in a post on 'X'.

The CM remarked that the future belongs to those who never give up.

Starting as a constable in 2013 at the age of 19, Reddy, an orphan, was raised by his paternal grandmother Ramanamma, with support from his uncle Koti Reddy.

“I always had the ambition to write the UPSC examination. As both my parents had died, I first joined the constable job for a living, but it was difficult to prepare as my job took away most of my time,” Reddy told PTI.

To focus on his preparation, Reddy quit his constable job. He reached the interview stage in his first attempt in 2019 but missed selection by just nine marks.

Later, the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected his health in 2020, curtailing his preparation and preventing an attempt that year.

“In 2021 and 2022, I couldn’t clear the preliminary stage. That was a hopeless time—I hit rock bottom. But I tried again in 2023 and secured an all-India rank of 780, which got me a job in the Indian Railways Management Service,” he said.

Reddy took up the Railways job and followed it up with another attempt at one of India’s toughest examinations, securing the 350th rank this year. This rank is expected to secure him a place in the elite Indian Police Service.

Throughout his journey, Reddy endured many hardships, including harassment and ridicule by a circle inspector while working as a constable, but he emerged successful.

Reddy clarified that despite the inspector’s attempts to demoralise him, his ambition to write the civil services exam never wavered—it only strengthened his resolve.

He also credited senior Telangana IPS officer Mahesh Bhagwat for sharpening his interview preparation and former Prakasam district SP Siddharth Kaushal for facilitating a smooth resignation from the police force, especially when a junior officer attempted to create the false impression that Reddy had deserted his post.

Though happy with the result, the 31-year-old said he may still attempt the exam one more time. He also expressed a desire to create an app to rescue animals in distress.

Hailing from Wollapalem village in Singarayakonda mandal of Prakasam district, Reddy studied in government institutions throughout and worked part-time as a medical lab technician during his graduation to make ends meet. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)