https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

How a Girl from Coastal Andhra was Motivated by Cyclone Relief Work to become a Civil Service Officer

Indian Masterminds Stories

M. Lakshmi Soujanya from Visakhapatnam cracked UPSC CSE 2020 clinching 127 spot in the coveted list in her third attempt. As she hails from the coastal region of Andhra Pradesh, she grew up watching cyclones hammering her city and causing devastation to life and property. She also keenly observed the relief work carried out by the government officers and was greatly impressed by them. This motivated her to take up civil service as a career so that she, too, can provide help to people in distress. In an exclusive interview to INDIAN MASTERMINDS, she talked about her motivational journey from a low-lying city frequented by cyclones to the highest platform of civil services in the country.

MOTIVATED BY DISASTER MANAGEMENT

M. Lakshmi says, “I am from a coastal region where there are crisis situations like cyclones, and the way civil servants worked to cope with the situations inspired me a lot to be a part of the civil services.”

Her father is a senior manager at the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) plant in Visakhapatnam. Lakshmi finished her schooling from DAV Public School located in the plant area and did B-Tech in Computer Science from NIT Warangal. After passing out, she took up a job as a software engineer in a company, which she quit soon after to focus solely on CSE preparation, investing 10 to 12 hours a day.

Now that she has finally become a civil service officer, she wants to bring about greater transparency and accessibility in the service so that people can easily approach public servants.

A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO EXAM PREPARATION

She started her CSE preparation in 2016 and made her first attempt in 2017. She took coaching only during the initial phase and studied on her own after that. “I tried to cover all the topics of the syllabus and made sure not to miss any portion. I gathered material for all topics and made short notes for everything. I practiced answer writing and gave a lot of test series, so that in the actual exam, the structure becomes easier for me,” she confided, adding that she kept herself totally cut off from social media during the entire preparation phase to avoid distractions.

Talking about her optional subject, she said, “As my background is Computer Science Engineering, and this subject is not included in the UPSC syllabus, I chose Geography as my optional because the technicality of the subject attracted me.”

She kept herself updated on current affairs by reading newspapers daily. The Hindu and The Indian Express became a part of her daily routine.

M Lakshmi Soujanya with her family

ADVICE FOR ASPIRANTS

Her success formula is to make a structured plan and stick to it. And practice hard! Her tips for aspirants are: “Try to understand the demand of the exam rather than directly jumping into the preparation. Previous years’ question papers are the best source to understand the syllabus. If possible, make a small group to discuss the topics.”

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FOR WOMEN

M. Lakshmi sums up with these encouraging words for women: “We constitute 50 per cent of the population, hence we should increase our contribution to the development and economy of the country. More and more women should come forward to join civil services.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Satpura Tiger Reserve
Satpura Tiger Reserve Sees New Tiger Cubs; Jhalai’s First Litter Captured
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
Hotel & Resort Operators Can Now Conduct Jungle Safaris in MP Tiger Reserves
Sanjiv Bhatt Custodial Torture Case
Gujarat High Court Rejects Sanjiv Bhatt’s First-Class Prisoner Status Plea
Yogi Adityanath
Samarth Uttar Pradesh @2047: Over 53 Lakh Citizens Share Vision for Yogi Adityanath’s Prosperity Campaign
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Government Assigns Additional Charges to Three IAS Officers
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Record-Breaking Diwali Trade in Chhattisgarh: Rs. 16,000 Crore Boost Fuels Economic Growth and 'Vocal for Local' Movement
CM Vishnu Sai Sohrai Karma Mahotsav 2025
Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Sai Celebrates Sohrai Karma Mahotsav 2025, Announces Major Grants and Development Projects for Rautia Community
8th pay commission
CSS Forum Urges PM Modi: Constitute 8th CPC Soon to Boost Employee Morale and Support ‘Developed India 2047’
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
UPSC Journey Should Be Enjoyable, Not Cumbersome
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
The Many Facets of Former IRS Officer and Author, Giselle Mehta | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Ankita Parashar RAS 2023
4 Attempts, 1 Dream, 0 Excuses: Meet RAS Topper Ankita Parashar, Who Fulfilled a Daughter’s Promise & Secured Rank 2 | Exclusive Interview
Ankita Parashar, a teacher-turned-officer from Pushkar, fulfilled her late father’s dream by securing...
Kushal Chaudhary RAS
From Lab Assistant’s Grit to Rajasthan Topper: How Kushal Chaudhary Topped RAS 2023 with Self-Study | Preparation, Strategy & Interview
Kushal Chaudhary, a farmer’s son and lab assistant from Ajmer, topped RAS 2023 through self-study, overcoming...
Social Media
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Satpura Tiger Reserve
Satpura Tiger Reserve Sees New Tiger Cubs; Jhalai’s First Litter Captured
Madhya Pradesh Logo IM
Hotel & Resort Operators Can Now Conduct Jungle Safaris in MP Tiger Reserves
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-19 at 12.23
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-16 at 15.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT