"I feel my father did this one thing which was the reason for our success," Woman shares the habit which helped her crack UPSC and her brothers IIT and IIM

What really shapes success in a family? Talent, discipline, luck, or something as ordinary and as powerful as the books that fill a home? That is the question many viewers have been asking after a widely shared Instagram clip featuring Anupma Chandra, who says the “secret” behind her family’s academic achievements was never some mysterious formula. According to her, it began with something far simpler: a childhood spent admiring homes that were full of books. In the video, Chandra speaks about how she cleared the civil services examination, while her two brothers went on to crack IIT and IIM. What makes her story stand out is not just the list of achievements, but the reason she believes they all ended up there. Scroll down to read more... Chandra recalls that during her childhood years, her parents frequently expressed admiration for individuals whose homes were brimming with books. As a young girl, she absorbed this perspective and began to create a mental association between the presence of books and attributes such as intelligence, strong discipline, and an endless array of possibilities. This early impression left a lasting mark on her psyche. In her narrative, she describes how books were never merely items occupying space on a shelf. Instead, they represented a symbol of the kind of life one should aspire to, a life deeply rooted in learning, boundless curiosity, and countless hours dedicated to exploring ideas.The most memorable part of her story is a line she says came from her father: if you ever want to become something in life, surround yourself with books. It is a simple sentence, but one that has clearly stayed with her for years. It shaped the rhythm of her childhood, where books were not treated as schoolwork alone but as quiet companions, always within reach, always offering a way to think differently and see further. She remembers it as more than advice. It was, in her words, a way of life, one that encouraged the children to make friends with books, read regularly and believe that the effort would eventually pay off. It also carried an unspoken promise that knowledge would open doors, even when circumstances felt limiting or uncertain.That message, she says, shaped the atmosphere at home. Instead of treating reading as a chore, the family appears to have treated it as a natural part of growth. Over time, that mindset may have mattered as much as any study plan.Part of the reason the clip is connecting online is that it taps into something many people recognise: the idea that success often starts long before exams, interviews or entrance tests. It starts in the everyday environment a child grows up in: what they hear, what they see, and what they are encouraged to admire.Chandra’s story has struck a chord because it feels both personal and universal. Many families talk about education. Fewer make books feel like a way of life. Her account suggests that small cultural habits at home can leave a deep mark, sometimes across an entire generation. It is in the quiet routines, the shared conversations and the visible value placed on curiosity that children begin to see learning not as pressure, but as possibility, something woven naturally into everyday life. For viewers, the takeaway is straightforward and quietly powerful: ambition is easier to nurture in a house where learning feels normal, not extraordinary.