In a story of grit and unyielding determination, IPS officer Uday Krishna Reddy has turned the deepest scars of his life into stepping stones to success.

Born in Ullapalem village of Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district, Reddy lost his mother at the age of five and soon after, his father — a truck driver — leaving his childhood clouded by poverty and uncertainty.

Dreaming once of becoming a doctor but shackled by financial constraints, he joined the Andhra Pradesh Police as a constable in 2013 to support his grandmother.

For five years, he served diligently — until a turning point in 2018. Publicly humiliated by a senior officer before nearly 60 colleagues, Reddy decided not to seek revenge but to reclaim his dignity. He resigned that day with a vow: he would return as an officer through the Civil Services.

What followed was a journey of relentless discipline. He sold newspapers to pay his college fees, switched from Telugu to English medium, and immersed himself in NCERT books and Political Science and International Relations as his optional.

His persistence paid off: he secured the 780th rank in UPSC CSE 2023, then pushed further to secure the 350th rank in 2024 — earning his place in the Indian Police Service, Tripura cadre.

Reddy credits his maternal uncle Koti Reddy, friends Yogi and Shiv Kumar, and guidance from senior officers IG Avula Ramesh Reddy and ADGP Mahesh Bhagwat for their support during his struggle. Now, as he wears the IPS badge, he is mentoring his younger brother, Pranay Krishna Reddy, who is preparing for the Civil Services.

From the humiliation of a constable’s uniform to the pride of an IPS officer’s stars, Uday Krishna Reddy’s life is a testament to resilience, self-belief, and the power of turning adversity into ambition.