29 October 2026
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Slow Learner in School, but hitting big in UPSC

A person’s learning aptitude, or marks in school and college, may not be a true indicator of his talent. Sirisetti Sankeerth is one such example, and his achievement flies in the face of the commonly held assumption.
Indian Masterminds Stories

It has long been said that one’s performance in school is not the measure of one’s intelligence. Not many among us believe it, though. However, Sirisetti Sankeerth has proved all naysayers wrong by bagging 330th rank in the Civil Service examination, the results for which were declared on Tuesday. 

Hailing from Bellampalli town of Telangana, Sirisetti was labeled a ‘slow learner’ till seventh class. But he picked up pace thereafter and started performing better in his higher education. His story goes to show that even the slowest of learners can achieve greatness if they are supported unconditionally. A nurturing environment is all it takes to unlock the true potential of a student. 

Sirisetti Sankeerth’s Parents (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Sirisetti Sankeerth)

The son of an electrician with the exploration department of Singareni Collieries Company Limited’s (SCCL), Sirisetti cracked civil services in his fifth attempt. He owes the success to his grit and determination.

The Happy Father

“Sirisetti was ‘an average’ performing student till upper primary schooling. He, however, bettered his show in later phases of education with the help of teachers. He pursued civil engineering at the College of Engineering, Osmania University Hyderabad after excelling in EAMCET. He appeared the examination of UPSC five times and finally realized his dream,” admitted his father, Satyanarayana, to Telangana Today.

Satyanaryana claims that they owe the success of his solely to his teachers at Mother’s Convent High School of Bellampalli. He felt that Sirisetti benefitted from their teaching and the quality of education he was offered by them.

The happy father said that Sirisetti would burn the midnight oil, often studying for 16 hours a day, to brighten his chances in the arena. Sirisetti is at present employed as an assistant executive engineer at Mission Bhageeratha scheme in the Adilabad district,

Sirisetti Sankeerth (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/Sirisetti Sankeerth)

Sirisetti would often find solace in dance. Fascinated by it, he was a regular at Techno Dance Academy of Bellampalli. He admitted that dancing helped him deal with the stress that one experiences during the arduous journey of cracking the UPSC examinations. Soon after tasting victory, he was recently felicitated by his dance academy. Master Hanumandla Madhukar from the academy said he was elated at having taught an exceptional student like Sirisetti. Sirisetti is a living proof that the process of imbibing knowledge and education is extremely subjective, varying from student to student. And it would be a folly to expect all children to perform at the same level as their peers. Some are born with innate talents which flower much later in life


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