Anudeep Durishetty UPSC Topper: His Journey to AIR 1 in 2017

Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC CSE 2017 AIR 1, cleared the exam in his fifth attempt. He worked full-time and studied mainly on weekends. His strategy emphasized NCERTs, selective reading, current affairs integration, and extensive answer-writing practice for Mains. His optional subject was Anthropology.

Anudeep Durishetty UPSC Topper: His Journey to AIR 1 in 2017

Aspirants often seek inspiration from successful candidates. Understanding the journey of Anudeep Durishetty, UPSC topper with AIR 1 in 2017, provides valuable insights. His detailed preparation approach, including strategy and booklist, can guide many students. This summary shares his path to success, offering clear, actionable advice for Civil Services aspirants.

Introduction to Anudeep Durishetty AIR 1 

Anudeep Durishetty achieved All India Rank 1 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2017. His remarkable achievement followed a long and determined effort. He is from Metpally, Telangana. Anudeep Durishetty’s journey stands as a testament to persistence and smart preparation for the challenging UPSC exam.

Anudeep Durishetty Biography and Background

Anudeep Durishetty’s background highlights a blend of academic excellence and diverse work experience.  He completed his B.Tech in Electronics and Instrumentation from BITS, Pilani. His father worked as an Assistant Divisional Engineer. Before achieving AIR 1, Anudeep Durishetty had valuable experience working with Google and the Indian Revenue Service (IRS).

Anudeep Durishetty

Anudeep Durishetty Rank 1 UPSC Biography and Background
Detail Information
Name Anudeep Durishetty
Rank in CSE-2017 AIR-01
Anudeep Durishetty’s education B.Tech in Electronics & Instrumentation
Anudeep Durishetty Attempt Numbers in CSE 5
Optional Subject Anthropology
Medium of Mains Writing English
Medium of Interview English
Age 28 Years
Home Town/City Telangana
Work Experience IRS (Batch 2013), Google, GST
Working While Preparing Yes

Anudeep Durishetty: Marks and Optional Subject

Anudeep Durishetty UPSC topper

Anudeep Durishetty’s performance in the UPSC CSE 2017 Mains and Interview was exceptionally balanced. He chose Anthropology as his optional subject, which played a pivotal role in his success. His consistent scoring across all General Studies papers, combined with a strong showing in the Personality Test, secured his position as the All India Topper.

Anudeep Durishetty Marksheet (CSE 2017)
Subject Paper Marks Obtained
Essay Paper-I 155
General Studies – I Paper-II 123
General Studies – II Paper-III 123
General Studies – III Paper-IV 136
General Studies – IV Paper-V 095
Optional – I (Anthropology) Paper-VI 171
Optional – II (Anthropology) Paper-VII 147
Written Total 950
Personality Test 176
Final Total 1126

Anudeep Durishetty’s Success Story and Journey

Anudeep Durishetty’s journey was long and challenging. He appeared for the exam five times. He cleared Prelims and Mains in his first attempt, but could not clear the interview. He joined the IRS after his second attempt but continued pursuing IAS. Despite setbacks in his third and fourth attempts, he persevered. His journey shows the power of learning from failures and persistent effort.

Anudeep Durishetty’s Strategy for Preparation

Anudeep Durishetty developed a focused strategy to balance his job and UPSC preparation. He relied on efficient study methods and thorough revision. His approach can benefit many working professionals aspiring for the Civil Services.

Prelims Strategy and Booklist

Anudeep stressed understanding the syllabus and the previous year’s papers. He advised starting with the NCERTs for core concepts. He also recommended selective reading of standard books.

Key Prelims Strategy Points:

  • Read NCERT books for conceptual clarity.
  • Review past five years’ question papers.
  • Do not use multiple materials for the same topic.
  • Use the internet for complex topics and current affairs.
  • Integrate current affairs with static subjects.

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Prelims Booklist
Subject Recommended Books/Sources
Ancient & Medieval History Old NCERTs (R.S. Sharma, Satish Chandra – selective)
Modern History A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum), India’s Struggle for Independence (Bipan Chandra), NCERT (Bipan Chandra)
Art and Culture Fine Arts Book – Class XI NCERT, CCRT material, Heritage Crafts – NCERT
Geography NCERTs (XI, XII), Certificate Physical and Human Geography (G.C. Leong), PMFIAS, Google, YouTube
Polity M. Laxmikanth
Economy Indian Economy (Ramesh Singh), Mrunal.org, NCERTs (Class XI, XII), Economic Survey (selective), The Hindu, Internet
Environment Shankar IAS
General Science NCERTs (Class IX, X), The Hindu, Google, YouTube
Government Schemes Civils Daily compilation
Current Affairs The Hindu, Civils Daily, ForumIAS

Mains Strategy and Booklist

For Mains, Anudeep focused on generating content for every syllabus topic. He emphasized continuous practice and current affairs integration.

Key Mains Strategy Points:

  • Aim to write a 250-word answer for each syllabus topic.
  • Analyze past five years’ question papers for depth.
  • Use the internet for knowledge, especially Science and Tech.
  • Integrate current affairs heavily, especially for GS-2 and GS-3.
  • Organize notes using tools like Evernote.
  • Practice answer writing regularly.
  • Develop speed reading for reports.
  • Use India maps for illustrations.

Mains Booklist (Selective Overview):
Subject Recommended Books/Sources
GS-1
Art and Culture NCERTs (Class XI), CCRT material
Modern History A Brief History of Modern India (Spectrum), India’s Struggle for Independence (Bipan Chandra)
Post-Independence India Since Independence (Bipan Chandra)
World History World History: Patterns of Interaction (McDougal Littell – selective)
Indian Society NCERT Sociology (Std XI, XII), ARC 2
Geography NCERTs (XI, XII), G.C. Leong, PMFIAS, YouTube, Google
GS-2
Polity, Constitution (Static) M. Laxmikanth, ARC – 2, The Hindu, RSTV, CivilsDaily, Insights/ForumIAS, PRS India, All India Radio
Governance & International Relations Current Affairs focused
GS-3
Economy Budget, Economic Survey (gist), Niti Aayog 3-year Action Plan
Environment and Ecology Shankar IAS Book
Disaster Management CBSE book, Current Affairs
National Security Vajiram Notes, Current Affairs
GS-4
Theory 2nd ARC reports (Ethics in Governance, E-gov, RTI, Citizen-centric Administration, Personnel Administration), Google, Vajiram material
Case Studies Previous Year Question Papers

Essay Strategy

Essay writing requires special attention to language, coherence, and structure. Anudeep suggested enriching content from GS papers, non-fictional books, and magazines like Yojana.

Key Essay Strategy Points:

  • Gather points from GS studies.
  • Read non-fiction, magazines (Yojana, EPW), and collect quotes.
  • Use simple, clear language with short sentences.
  • Innovate with subheadings.

Optional Subject Strategy (Anthropology)

Anudeep Durishetty chose Anthropology as his optional subject. He advised focusing on conceptual clarity for beginners.

Key Optional Strategy Points:

  • Prioritize conceptual understanding.
  • Begin with books like Ember and Ember (selective reading).
  • Attempt many Physical Anthropology questions; use diagrams.
  • Present scholarly answers, citing anthropologists and their works.

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Anthropology Booklist
Paper Recommended Books/Sources
Paper I Braintree material, Physical Anthropology (P. Nath), Anthropology Simplified (Vivek Bhasme), Anthropology (Ember and Ember)
Paper II Indian Anthropology (Nadeem Hasnain), Tribal India (Nadeem Hasnain), Anthropology Simplified (Vivek Bhasme), The Tribal Culture of India (L.P. Vidyarthi), Xaxa Report, Yojana (January 2014)

Interview Preparation

The interview stage tests personality and presence. Anudeep prepared by attending mock interviews. This helped him familiarize himself with the interview setting.

Key Interview Strategy Points:

  • Prepare for diverse topics.
  • Attend mock interviews to build confidence.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What was Anudeep Durishetty's rank in UPSC CSE 2017?

Anudeep Durishetty secured All India Rank 1 in UPSC CSE 2017.

Which optional subject did Anudeep Durishetty choose?

He chose Anthropology as his optional subject.

How many attempts did Anudeep Durishetty make before securing AIR 1?

He achieved AIR 1 in his fifth attempt.

Did Anudeep Durishetty prepare while working?

Yes, he prepared for the UPSC Civil Services Exam while holding a job.

What was Anudeep Durishetty's key advice for future aspirants?

He advises aspirants to try and fail rather than never trying, learning from every mistake.

What was Anudeep Durishetty optional subject?

Anudeep Durishetty’s optional subject was Anthropology.

Anudeep Durishetty UPSC Topper: His Journey to AIR 1 in 2017

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Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
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Quick Revise Now !
UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format
Integration of PYQ within the booklet
Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions
हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध

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