Grandson of Chambal dacoit quits Netherlands job, cracks UPSC with rank 629

When Dev Prabhakar Singh Tomar thinks about his childhood and his family's past, he goes back to a village in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh's Morena district, where his grandfather had become a ‘baaghi’ (rebel). Decades later, Tomar chose a very different path. After studying Electrical Engineering at IIT Ropar and working in the Netherlands, he left his job to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination. After several setbacks, he secured All India Rank 629 in 2025. He is currently serving in the Ministry of Railways. Tomar’s remarkable journey took several years and multiple changes in direction.“My story starts with my grandfather”Describing his connection with Chambal in a JoshTalks video, Tomar said, “What comes to your mind when you hear the name Chambal? The sound of guns, police sirens, and screams?