Pursue public services for right reasons, Guntur Collector tells UPSC aspirants

Doing the right things in the right way with consistency and dedication is the key to achieving success in the UPSC Civil Services examination, Guntur District Collector C.M. Sai Kanth Varma told aspirants while urging them to pursue public service for the right reasons rather than for money.

Addressing a seminar on Civil Services preparation at the JKC College organised by The Hindu Civil Services Aspirants Club in association with Sri Harini IAS academy, Guntur, on Thursday, Mr. Varma shared his own journey to Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and encouraged students to remain focused, disciplined and stress-free.

He recalled an inspiring interaction with an expert on UPSC exams, during his days at IIT Madras, which motivated him to prepare for the examination after working with Amazon and Google. He said reading The Hindu newspaper every day, particularly its editorials, played a significant role in his preparation. He advised students to give their best to every task and maintain consistency throughout their preparation.

The Collector highlighted his administrative experience as Project Officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA), Seethampeta, where initiatives helped reduce maternal deaths. He also spoke about the Super 60 programme that provided coaching and wider exposure to tribal students.

The seminar offered students from schools and junior colleges a detailed roadmap for the UPSC and APPSC examinations, covering preparation strategy, answer writing, interviews and career opportunities in public service.

Political Science faculty Amith Narauni stressed disciplined preparation and a thorough understanding of the syllabus, describing it as a key for success. Ecology and Environment expert Amit Singh explained the examination pattern, services such as IAS, IPS and IFS, and the importance of systematic preparation.

Ethics and Current Affairs faculty Nitin Kumar advised students to rely on NCERT textbooks and The Hindu, prepare concise notes, revise regularly and adopt the Logic-Example-Data (LED) format in answer writing. Psychology faculty Allam Srinivas encouraged students to set ambitious goals and remain calm, explaining how a relaxed mind improves performance.

CSAT faculty Amirsetty Sridhar advocated beginning preparation early. Sri Harini IAS Academy Director K. Narendra outlined the academy’s initiatives. JKC College Principal P. Gopichand said holistic understanding of subjects was essential for success. College Secretary and Correspondent J. Murali Mohan and others attended the programme.