IIT Graduate Leaves Netherlands Job to Clear Civil Services Exam

Dev Prabhakar Singh Tomar cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 with an All India Rank of 629 after leaving a high-paying job in the Netherlands.

Early Life And Education

Tomar comes from the Chambal region and is the grandson of a man who became a rebel around 75 years ago due to family problems and disputes with the government. His father later chose education and worked as a teacher. Tomar studied in a Madhya Pradesh Board school before moving to a CBSE school in Class 6, where he initially found the new academic environment and language unfamiliar coming from a rural background. By Class 11, he started preparing for engineering exams on his own because his family could not afford to send him to Kota for coaching. He eventually secured admission to study Electrical Engineering at IIT Ropar.

Career Shift

After graduating from IIT Ropar, Tomar did not secure a campus placement, but he applied independently and received a job offer from Philips in the Netherlands. Although he had a good professional environment abroad, he eventually questioned if that life was what he wanted. He resigned, returned to India, and began preparing for the UPSC exams. After multiple attempts, he cleared the examination and was selected for the Indian Railways Traffic Service, where he now serves in the Railway Ministry.

Context

The UPSC Civil Services Examination is one of India's most competitive exams, often requiring years of dedicated preparation. Many candidates choose to leave stable corporate careers, both in India and abroad, to pursue civil services. Stories of non-traditional career paths and overcoming financial or geographical hurdles are common among successful aspirants in India.