While preparing for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, many aspirants face failures, financial challenges and difficult career decisions. The story of Dev Prabhakar Singh Tomar is also an example of such struggle and determination. Tomar, a resident of Chambal region, studied electrical engineering from IIT Ropar, studying amid limited resources. After this, he worked at Philips Company in the Netherlands, but despite a stable career abroad, he did not give up on his dream of UPSC. Finally he decided to quit his job and return to India and secured 629th rank in UPSC CSE 2025 after many attempts.

Journey from Chambal to IIT Ropar

Dev Prabhakar Singh Tomar spent his early life in the Chambal region. He started his studies from a Madhya Pradesh board school. He got admission in CBSE school in sixth standard. Coming from a rural background, the environment and language of the new school were initially challenging for him.

Chose engineering as a career

By the time he reached 11th standard, he chose engineering as a career and started preparing for the entrance exam. The financial condition of the family was not such that he could go to Kota and coach. Therefore, they relied on books and self-study along with schooling. Based on hard work, he got admission in IIT Roper, where he studied electrical engineering.

Got a job in the Netherlands

After completing engineering, Tomar faced the challenge of getting a job. He himself started applying to different companies. In the meantime, he got a job offer from Philips Company of Netherlands. After this he went abroad and started his professional career. Despite having a job and a good career, after a while he reconsidered his future. He realized that his goal was something else.

Quit the job and returned to India

Tomar took the difficult decision to quit his foreign job and return to India to prepare for UPSC. After this he started his journey to prepare for UPSC Civil Services Exam. After many efforts and challenges, he achieved AIR 629 in UPSC CSE 2025. He got selected for Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). Currently he is working in Ministry of Railways. Tomar’s journey shows that big career decisions, continuous efforts and learning from failures can play a vital role in reaching any goal.