Mocked for poor English, farmer's son gets 3rd rank in civil services

Once mocked for not knowing English, Gopalakrishna Ronanki, a farmer's son, has secured third position in the Union Public Service Commission's civil services examination.

The 30-year-old primary school teacher comes from a very humble background. He teaches in a school in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district.

"I saw how my parents worked very hard for living. I always wanted to work for the society and for the uplift of my own family. Hence, I decided to join the civil services. I tried hard and cleared it to become an IAS officer," Ronanki said.

He was among top 20 rank achievers of civil services examination, including the topper Nandini K R, who were felicitated here by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.

Ronanki, who has difficulty in communicating in English and Hindi, said he wants to work for the poor of his state and also those living in other parts of the country.