Nalgonda Brothers Crack UPSC After Quitting IT Jobs
HYDERABAD: Two brothers from a farmer’s family in Chityala in Nalgonda district cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services examination in their final attempt, ending a five-year struggle after quitting well-paid software jobs.
Velimineti Vikram Simha Reddy secured All India Rank (AIR) 541, while his elder brother Velimineti Vijaysimha Reddy secured AIR 682. Both had earlier received Group-1 appointments from the Telangana government a couple of months ago.
Financial strain and family support during preparation
Vikram, 29, said the journey was difficult after the brothers resigned from their jobs in 2021 to focus on the civil services exam.
“The past five years were very challenging for us, as both of us resigned from software jobs and lived on our elder sister’s income,” he told reporters. “We even stopped going to family gatherings as relatives used to say we were wasting time on UPSC.”
The brothers said they repeatedly considered abandoning their dream and returning to work. “Things started to change only after both of us managed to secure Group-1 jobs,” Vikram added.
Different study routines but shared motivation
Born into a farming family, the brothers said their education depended largely on income from their three-acre agricultural land in the village.
Vikram studied computer science engineering at Osmania University, while Vijay completed the same course at Sreenidhi Institute of Science and Technology.
“When we resigned, my brother earned ₹12 lakh per annum, and I earned around ₹8 lakh,” Vijay, 30, said. “Suddenly, our income became zero. It was our elder sister, working with an MNC, who supported us.”
Despite clearing the exam together, the brothers prepared largely on their own as their routines differed. One preferred early morning study sessions, while the other studied late at night.
“My optional subject was sociology and his was political science,” Vijay said. “So we prepared separately, but during breaks we discussed topics and kept each other motivated.”
