Meet IAS Krishna Teja: Real-life hero who saved 2 lakh people from deadly Kerala floods

IAS Krishna Teja

We often think that toppers are born smart. But the story of IAS officer Krishna Teja shows us that true success isn't about where you start, but about your determination to never give up.

Believe it or not, Krishna Teja was not always a top student. Until his 7th class, in a class of 25 students, he usually ranked 24th or 25th. But a switch flipped in his mind in 8th class. He realized the importance of education, not just for himself, but for his family. From that moment, he became a dedicated student, scoring top marks in his 10th, 12th, and engineering exams.

Like many engineering graduates, he started his career in a software job in Delhi. His life took a turn when he had a roommate who dreamed of becoming an IAS officer. This friend’s passion for serving people as a District Collector inspired Teja. For the first time, he thought, "I want to do that too."

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Following his dream, Teja started preparing for the tough UPSC exam. He failed his first attempt. Like most of us, he blamed his busy job. So, he quit to prepare full-time.

He failed his second attempt. This time, he blamed his luck.
He studied harder and failed his third attempt.

Three failures in a row broke his spirit. He decided to quit and go back to a corporate job. He even got selected for one.

When his rivals heard he was quitting, they came to see him. Instead of comforting him, they told him the hard truth he needed to hear.

One said, "Your handwriting is terrible, so you lose marks."
Another said, "You write in technical points, but the exam needs a storytelling style."
The third said, "You are too direct, you need to be more diplomatic."

This was a life-changing moment for Teja. He learned a powerful lesson: "If you want to know your strengths, ask your friends. But if you want to know your weaknesses, ask your enemies."

Instead of giving up, Teja decided to fight back. He asked his parents for one more year and worked on his three big problems.

He found a teacher and practiced for two hours every day. In a year, his handwriting became so neat it looked like a printout. For his writing style, he found a mentor who made him take a 3-hour exam every single morning at 4 a.m. for a full year—365 exams without a break! This trained him to write in the perfect, flowing style required.

To improve his communication, he started teaching other students, which helped him learn to explain things clearly and convincingly.

In his fourth attempt, all his hard work paid off. He cleared the exam with an All India Rank of 66 and became an IAS officer.

But the biggest reward wasn't the rank. It was making a real difference. As the Sub-Collector of Alleppey during the devastating 2018 Kerala floods, he led ‘Operation Kuttanad’, a massive effort that safely evacuated about 2 lakh people in just 48 hours. He didn't stop there; he also helped rebuild lives by mobilizing funds for the victims.

His mother, who was initially unhappy with his lower government salary, finally understood his choice when she saw the direct impact he had on people's lives. She told him, "You’ve taken the right decision. It’s not about how much you earn, but how much you serve."

Krishna Teja’s journey teaches us that with self-awareness, hard work and the courage to turn weaknesses into strengths, no dream is too big to achieve.