https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Leaving a Cushy Job in Germany to Become a Civil Servant in India

IPS officer Pooja Yadav had left a comfortable life abroad to become a civil servant in India. She worked as a receptionist and took tuitions to earn money in India while preparing for UPSC CSE. She cleared the exam in her second attempt by bagging AIR-174 in 2018.
Indian Masterminds Stories

How many people have you come across who leave their well-paying cushy jobs to try their hand in civil services, with the uncertainty of even clearing the UPSC CS examination? Well, we bring to you one such person, Ms. Pooja Yadav, who left many sought-after jobs abroad to become a civil servant.

Indian Masterminds presents glimpses from the life and journey into civil services of IPS officer Pooja Yadav. 

EARLY LIFE

Born on 20 September 1988, to a family in Haryana, Ms. Yadav completed her schooling in her district. After completing her graduation, she went on to do her M.Tech in Biotechnology and Food Technology

She came from a financially backward family but that did not stop her from nurturing big dreams. Her parents did everything that they could to support their child. She was good at academics and her parents always knew that she would do something big one day and make them proud. 

LEAVING HER JOB IN GERMANY

Right after completing her post-graduation, Ms. Yadav received a good job opportunity in Canada. She left India and settled there for work. Soon after, she received an even bigger job opportunity in Germany. She moved to Germany and worked there for a few years. 

But even though the officer was receiving extraordinary job opportunities continuously, her heart didn’t seem to be in the right place. When she came across any news from India related to the plight of common people facing some issue or the other, her heart went out to them.

“I wanted to do something for my people but couldn’t understand how. It wasn’t possible to sit seven seas across in another country and make plans to help the ones in need in India. I started reading about the government and other authorities of the country and realized the power that a civil servant holds. They can bring happiness and relief into not just one or two but millions of people’s lives. That’s when I made up my mind to do the same and get into civil services,” Ms. Yadav had said while speaking to the media.

WORKED AS A RECEPTIONIST AND GAVE TUITIONS

Ms. Yadav said goodbye to her well-paying job in Germany and came back to her native place in India where she started preparing for UPSC Civil Services Examination. But with no job at hand and not many savings in the bank, it became difficult to sustain herself.

Therefore, in order to earn some money, she started working as a receptionist in a hotel which provided her with a meager wage. She also started giving tuition to children of nearby localities to earn more money and support her family, all the while preparing for UPSC Civil Service Examination.

CLEARED IN THE SECOND ATTEMPT

Ms. Yadav made her first attempt in the year 2017 but was unable to crack the exam. This left her feeling disappointed and, also, a little uncertain about her future, since she had already left her job and had a family to support. But her parents stood by her and gave her the encouragement that she badly needed.

They coaxed her to make a second attempt and not lose her heart with just one failure. She listened to them, and much to her happiness, she was able to crack UPSC CSE 2018 with AIR-174 and became an Indian Police Service officer.

MESSAGE FOR ASPIRANTS

In a message to UPSC aspirants, Ms. Yadav said, “UPSC exam preparation can be a long and tedious process. You may feel disappointed at times, but there is no need to worry. You need to give time to your hobbies along with your preparation. By this, you will be able to keep your mind fresh and your output will be much better.”

She had a special message for women aspirants: “Society can demotivate you at times, but you should not let your attention wander. Once you pass the exam, then there is no discrimination, and everyone is treated equally.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
IFS Dhananjay Mohan
Uttarakhand’s Top Forest Officer IFS Dhananjay Mohan Takes Sudden VRS Amid Sapling Procurement Row; Samir Sinha Gets Addl Charg
IFS Kshitij Saxena
Who Is IFS Kshitij Saxena, Appointed as the New DFO (Territorial) of Gangtok, Sikkim?
CM Vishnu Deo Sai - resized
Chhattisgarh: CM Vishnu Deo Sai Launches Chief Minister Bus Service Scheme; Push for Connectivity and Development in Bastar and Surguja
CM Pushkar Dhami-resized
Uttarakhand: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami Unveils First Yoga Policy; Bhararisain to Emerge as Global Yoga Capital
IPS Laxmi Singh
UP: IPS Laxmi Singh, Commissioner of Gautam Budh Nagar Police, Cracks Down on Laxity, Suspends Officers over Crime Control Failures
Uttar Pradesh UP Government
Uttar Pradesh to Relocate Forest Dwellers to Curb Human-Wildlife Conflict, Rs. 22 Crore Compensation Package Drafted - All Details Inside
Govt
Uttarakhand Government Transfers PCS Officers Again, New Postings Announced - Check Here
Justice Yashwant Verma
Unidentified Man Spotted Near Burnt Cash Raises New Questions in Justice Yashwant Varma 'Cash-in-Kothi' Case - Know More
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
What ill-fated pilots of AI171 may have gone through in those 40 seconds before the crash? Intro:
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s 27-Year Odyssey with Indian Railways | Exclusive Interview
Monika Singh
The Civil Servant Who Finds Peace in Poetry
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
Raju Wagh
When the Battlefield Became a Study Room and a Dream Took Flight
Amid IED blasts and anti-Maoist operations in Bastar, CRPF Commando Raju Wagh taught village kids, studied...
WhatsApp Image 2025-06-18 at 10.31
"I Just Wanted to Breathe Again": The Man Who Fought Death and Made It to UPSC
Struck by COVID at the peak of his UPSC prep, Devanand Telgote spent months on ECMO, unsure he'd live,...
Ravinder Nandal IDES
IDES Ravinder Nandal's Story of Self-Made Success
Balancing fatherhood, full-time jobs, and six UPSC attempts, Ravinder Nandal’s story is one of perseverance,...
Social Media
Tigress Arrowhead
The End of an Era: A Queen Falls - Ranthambore’s Iconic Tigress Arrowhead (T-84) Passes Away at 14, Hours After Daughter’s Relocation
Ranthambore mourns the loss of one of its fiercest and most beloved tigers, Arrowhead, the granddaughter...
Screenshot 2025-06-13 194001
Wild Elephant Disrupts Riverside Picnic, Sparks Debate on Human Encroachment; IFS Parveen Kumar Shares the Video - Watch Here!
Mr. Kaswan used the viral video, which has garnered over 1.5 lakh views, to highlight the risks of human...
Tiger jump Sundarban
Stunning Viral Video Shows Royal Bengal Tiger Making Spectacular 30-Foot Leap Across River in Sunderbans - See It Here
Retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Susanta Nanda shared the clip online, which quickly went...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IFS Dhananjay Mohan
Uttarakhand’s Top Forest Officer IFS Dhananjay Mohan Takes Sudden VRS Amid Sapling Procurement Row; Samir Sinha Gets Addl Charg
IFS Kshitij Saxena
Who Is IFS Kshitij Saxena, Appointed as the New DFO (Territorial) of Gangtok, Sikkim?
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Inderjit Singh Interview Plane Crash
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi
Monika Singh
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT