For Gudelli Srujana, the journey to the Civil Services began far from coaching hubs and success stories. It began with her father, a general mazdoor at Singareni Collieries Company Limited, a state-run mining PSU, who stood quietly behind her dreams.
Despite being in a modest position, he ensured she had access to education, books, and resources.
“It is my parents’ belief in me that kept me going. That consistency… that’s what made the difference,” she shared in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
She completed her schooling at Vani Secondary School and went on to graduate in Computer Science Engineering from JNTU, Manthani in 2018. That same year, she stepped into the uncertain world of UPSC preparation.
A MESSAGE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Before even beginning her preparation, Srujana stumbled upon a newspaper clipping about Mahesh Bhagwat. With no connections or expectations, she reached out to him on Facebook.
He replied.
That one response led her to Hyderabad, where she met him while he was serving as Commissioner in Rachakonda. He gave her a simple roadmap, one that would guide her through years of preparation.
Soon after, she moved to Delhi and joined coaching at Vajiram and Ravi. But like many aspirants, the real test began after coaching ended… when she was left alone with her books, doubts, and the vast syllabus.
YEARS OF MISSING PRELIMS BUT NEVER MISSING PRACTICE
From 2018 to 2023, prelims became a recurring hurdle. Attempt after attempt, she couldn’t clear it.
But she never paused her preparation.
While others might have waited to “qualify first,” Srujana prepared for mains every single year: writing answers, strengthening optional subjects, and refining her approach.
“I made sure that whenever I get a chance to write mains, I should clear it with a good score,” she says.
That decision quietly built a foundation that would later change everything.
2024: ILLNESS, 20 DAYS OF STUDY, AND A BREAKTHROUGH
If there was one year that tested her the most, it was 2024.
A severe infection left her hospitalised. For six to seven months, her health remained fragile, with dangerously low platelet counts. Studying for long hours became impossible.
She could manage only 20–25 days of preparation before prelims.
And yet, that was the year she cleared it, for the first time.
“I just kept telling myself: this year, I will clear it,” she recalls.
What followed was nothing short of intense. She wrote three mains back-to-back:
- UPSC CSE in September
- Telangana Group 1 in October
- UPSC Forest Service in November
She cleared all three with strong scores.
10 MARKS SHORT AND THE WEIGHT OF ONE INTERVIEW
Despite a mains score of 780, her Civil Services interview score of 120 kept her out of the final list, by just 10 marks.
The result hit hard.
“It didn’t feel that bad when I didn’t see my name,” she says. “But after seeing the marksheet… missing by just 10 marks… that really affected me.”
Worse still, the marksheet came just one day before her Forest Service interview.
She walked into that interview carrying the weight of disappointment, only to find herself facing the same board again.
The panel even recognized her.
One member, surprised by her low score, remarked, “It must have been a bad day for you.”
LEARNING TO PAUSE, NOT COLLAPSE
What set Srujana apart wasn’t the absence of setbacks; it was how she dealt with them. After every setback, she allowed herself exactly one thing: time-bound emotion.
“I used to think about it only for half an hour or one hour. And then I moved on,” she says.
Even when she failed to clear the Forest Service, just five days before prelims, she followed the same routine.
She left the study hall, cried for half an hour in her room, and then returned to her desk. That discipline of emotional control became her biggest strength.
BATTLING ANXIETY AND FIXING WHAT WENT WRONG
Her challenges weren’t just academic.
In 2020, she faced anxiety for the first time in the exam hall. It shook her confidence. Instead of ignoring it, she addressed it head-on, learning Vipassana meditation and attending two courses.
In 2022, she narrowly missed prelims despite scoring 111.11 in GS Paper 1, failing CSAT due to poor time management.
“I was standing near a metro station and crying,” she remembers.
That moment became a turning point. She fixed her CSAT strategy and approached the exam more consciously.
A PARALLEL VICTORY
Even as UPSC remained uncertain, Srujana secured Rank 35 in Telangana Group 1 and entered service as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP).
Training brought a visible shift.
“It helped me build confidence. I could see my personality change,” she says.
That transformation was reflected in her next UPSC attempt.
COMEBACK YEAR
In her next attempt, she again prepared for prelims in just about 20 days and cleared it.
This time, everything clicked:
- Mains score jumped from 780 to 840
- Interview score improved from 120 to 171
She secured Rank 55.
The same stage that once cost her a place became the one that pushed her into the list.
THE INTERVIEW THAT FINALLY FELT RIGHT
Unlike the previous year, this time her interview revolved around her experiences: policing, her DAF, and even her hobbies like Vipassana meditation and wildlife documentaries.
She walked in with clarity, composure, and confidence shaped by years of experience.
LESSONS SHE WANTS EVERY ASPIRANT TO HEAR
Srujana is candid about the mistakes she made, and the lessons they taught her:
- Don’t give attempts without preparation
“That was a blunder,” she admits. - Limit your sources
“When I reduced them, my revision and scores improved.” - Always have a Plan B
The uncertainty of UPSC is real, she lived through it. - Don’t chase extreme study hours
“Even when I cleared prelims, I studied only 6–7 hours a day.” - Protect your mental space
Breaks, recovery, and emotional balance matter as much as books.
A STORY THAT STAYS WITH YOU
At its core, Gudelli Srujana’s story is not just about clearing an exam.
It’s about a young woman who kept preparing even when results didn’t show it, who learned to process failure without letting it define her, and who turned limited time, illness, and setbacks into a working strategy.
From a mazdoor’s home to Rank 55, her journey doesn’t shout; it stays with you quietly, long after you’ve read it.
