B.Tech to IIM to IAS Officer | How Switching Careers Took IAS G. Lakshmikanth Reddy To His Dream Job

Lakshmikanth Reddy has been the Commissioner of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) since June 2021. However, the 35-year-old could easily have been doing a plush corporate job after completing his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, but he chose to pursue a life of social work by becoming a civil servant instead. 

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Reddy did schooling from his hometown in Raichur, Karnataka. After that, he went on to do a B. Tech in CSE from a Bangalore-based college. Before joining the Civil Services, he worked as a strategic consultant for KPMG. 

From IIM To Civil Services

After graduating from IIM Ahmedabad, Reddy initially chose a stable and peaceful life as a corporate executive. In fact, the decision to join the Civil Services dawned on him when he began interacting with senior IAS officers on a regular basis while working on a couple of projects with the Andhra Pradesh government. He sat for the UPSC CSE exam after that and cleared it right away. 

Before his appointment as the commissioner of MCC, Reddy served as the Assistant Commissioner of Hassan and Sakleshpur. He has also been the CEO of Bidar and Vijayapura Zilla Panchayats. "I like taking up the day-to-day challenges and complex work structure that comes along with this job," he said. 

"Giving your best to bring about a change in the society is very satisfying and only Civil Services provide you the opportunity to work directly for the betterment of the society," he further added, while talking about his experiences as an IAS officer. 

Life As An IAS Officer

Although G. L. Reddy is completely in love with his dream job, he admits that attaining the right work-life balance is difficult for an IAS officer with on-field posting. It is extremely difficult to find free time for himself and the family as work takes up 14 to 15 hours on a daily basis. "During my college days, I enjoyed playing cricket and football but now the routine is to go on Ward visits in the mornings, " he shared. 

The IAS officer, however, makes it a point to keep the weekends free so that he can spend some quality time with his family. Besides, he became a father in 2021 and joyfully admitted that whenever he gets some free time during the week, he spends it with his 11 months old kid. Watching movies on OTT platforms is also one of his favorite pastimes. 

IAS G. L. Reddy's Advice For UPSC Aspirants

IAS G.L. Reddy believes that even though anyone can be a Civil Servant, it's not a job for everyone. To be a Civil Servant, one needs a certain mindset and motivation, as otherwise, success can be difficult. "It depends on what you look forward to in your life," he said, "if you are looking for a stable and peaceful life then people would prefer a corporate world."

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The key to success as an IAS officer is the motivation to take up challenges on a daily basis and do something for society. The job satisfaction that comes after a day's work is the most rewarding feeling for him as an IAS officer. "Youngsters need to understand that determination, dedication, discipline and hard work is the key to success in any field."

Vision For Mysuru

IAS G. L. Reddy, along with his team at MCC has taken up three to four major projects since joining as the Commissioner in June 2021. The first issue he wanted to address was the streetlight problem in the city. While the work is currently on, he aims to make sure that there are no black spots in Myssore.

In 2015-16, Mysore was declared the cleanest city in India, but since then Indore and Bhopal have overtaken it for the top spots. Reddy is working to restore Mysore to its former glory by addressing issues in sanitation, waste management and clean transportation. 

"We have now identified three spots to dump city’s garbage and manage waste," he said. He believes that this step will significantly increase the effectiveness with which Mysore handles waste. Along with that, Reddy and his team are working to increase the number of autos and get compactors in each ward. They are also working to fix the potholes in all 65 wards in the city and he hopes that soon Mysureans will enjoy smooth rides on the roads. 

"It’s been a mixed bag so far but I am enjoying it. Mysuru as a city is quite good, people are also hospitable," Reddy said, reflecting on his time in Mysuru. 

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