My tribal identity inspired me to pursue civil service: UoH's Aravind Banavath recommended for IPS

Hyderabad: When Aravind Banavath, a final-year student of MA Sociology at the University of Hyderabad (UoH), came to know that he had made it to the recommended list and is expected to join the Indian Police Service (IPS), he was happy but not elated. Aravind secured an AIR of 623 in his third attempt at the civil service examination. Aravind is happy that he almost made it but still feels he could have done better. In fact, he says he had expected a rank below 300.

His roots, his inspiration

Aravind belongs to the Sugalis (or Banjaras or Lambadas) tribe from a small village called Remidicherla in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. But he grew up and completed his schooling in Visakhapatnam. His father worked in the general administration department of the Vizag Port Trust and his mother was a housewife. "My tribal identity is a big inspiration for me to take up civils," says Aravind. "I always felt it would be wrong to pursue a self-centered career, given my tribal background and considering the myriad problems in the country today," he adds.

Father: A constant support and inspiration

Aravind's father was a first-generation learner and the only educated person in his family due to which Aravind says he had a better start in life. But things were not so easy for his father.

"My father had got admission in NIT Jaipur but later, he left the course and came back home. In those days, Jaipur NIT did not provide food in their mess on Saturdays and Sundays. My father could not afford to eat outside every weekend due to extreme poverty. So, he left the course and joined Andhra University. This was a motivation for me to do what my father could not and I cleared JEE and joined NIT Allahabad," says Aravind. In fact, his father had also wanted to try for the civil services but due to financial constraints, he could not.

After finishing his BTech in Biotechnology, Aravind made a complete shift from Science to Humanities. He says he used to read widely on various social issues during his final year of BTech and wanted to understand various issues in depth. "I was always inclined towards understanding society better. During my preparations, I happened to read Prof. Kancha Illiah's works and that gave me a different perspective. I understood that he was the HoD of the Sociology department in a college in Hyderabad. I was so inspired by his works that I also decided to take up his path," says Aravind.

That is how he ended up pursuing MA Sociology at the University of Hyderabad. Though his parents were not initially convinced about his move from Science to Humanities, they realised that he was doing well.

Not accumulating info, but understanding concepts

Aravind used to prepare for eight to 10 hours every day for the civil service exam and for longer when the exams were nearer. But he says that beyond everything, understanding concepts are important and this should not be limited to the syllabus. "It should not simply be accumulation of information but at a larger level, it should enable one to build one's personality," he says. Aravind, a voracious reader, used to either read or write during his break time. He also said that consistency is important while preparing for the civil service exams.

Aravind had taken Philosophy as his optional subject. Preparing for the Philosophy paper was hard but he believes that it was the game-changer in his case. "There were very few resources and guidance. So, I had to prepare on my own. But it improved my chances of clearing the exam as there were less than five students in both Telangana and AP who had opted for Philosophy as optional," adds Aravind.