Meet Malkajgiri Excise Inspector Kotte Edukondalu who coached 10 lakh govt job aspirants for free over a decade

Hyderabad: In a modest, single-bedroom rented house in Malkajgiri, you won’t find the trappings of a typical career coach. There are no corporate fees, no fancy marketing and no profit margins. Instead, you will find Kotte Edukondalu, an Excise Inspector whose daily routine is defined by a singular, selfless mission: to transform the lives of India’s youth.

For the past 11 years, while balancing the rigours of a demanding law-enforcement career, Edukondalu has been running a quiet revolution. What started in 2015 with just 32 students in a borrowed room has blossomed into a massive network of over 10 lakh aspirants across the Telugu states.

Spending nearly 40 per cent of his own salary to sustain his mission, he teaches 13 different subjects for free, ensuring that geography, poverty or lack of resources never stand in the way of a student’s ambition.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

NewsMeter: You’ve been balancing a high-pressure job as an Excise Inspector with this massive educational mission for over a decade. What drives you?

Edukondalu: My years in the Jail Department taught me that 90 per cent of crimes aren’t committed by ‘hardcore criminals,’ but by people who lack guidance and fail to manage their emotions during a crisis. I realised that if we provide the right mentorship, values and resources at the right time, we don’t just create employees, we prevent crime and build a better society. My mission is to ensure no youth loses their way due to a lack of support.

NM: You started with 32 students in 2015. Did you imagine it would reach 10 lakh people?

Edukondalu: I never set out to count heads; I set out to make a difference. The first batch of 32 students achieved a 100 per cent success rate, which naturally spread the word. When I was transferred to Nagarkurnool, the demand grew. We adapted with technology, from video conferencing to Google Meet and YouTube, to ensure that even a student in a remote village could learn from the same curriculum.

NM: You teach 13 subjects single-handedly. How do you maintain such depth?

Edukondalu: It’s about interlinking. I don’t teach subjects in isolation. If I am teaching Botany, I connect it to Geography, Ethics, History and Disaster Management. The competitive exams aren’t just about facts; they are about how different fields of knowledge interact. By teaching the ‘core’ connections, I make 100 pages of content feel like 10, making it easier for students to retain information without feeling overwhelmed.

NM: Beyond exam preparation, why is there so much focus on sports, blood donation and life skills?

Edukondalu: A government job is only one part of life. My goal is to build ‘well-disciplined citizens.’ Through sports, we keep the youth away from drugs and bad influences. Through blood donation, we teach them the joy of giving. We aren’t just creating government servants; we are creating people with integrity, ethics and emotional intelligence.

NM: What do you say to a student who has been preparing for years without success?

Edukondalu: Failure is a part of the process, but having a ‘Plan B’ is vital. We teach our students to be versatile; some go into the civil services, others into entrepreneurship or organic farming. The goal is to remain productive and honourable, no matter the outcome of one specific exam.

NM: After 11 years, what is your ultimate vision?

Edukondalu: My vision is a self-sustaining cycle of goodness. I want my students to become mentors themselves. Today, many of them teach children in their own villages. If every student I teach helps just 10 others, this revolution will never end. I want to build a generation that values humanity as much as it values success.

NM: How can students join your mission today?

Edukondalu: They don’t need to go through any complicated process. I am accessible to anyone who seeks knowledge. Whether through my YouTube channel, Google Meet sessions or our offline classes in Malkajgiri, my doors are open. I believe in direct connection; anyone who reaches out will get a response, and they will become part of this collective journey.