Prayagraj/New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission has announced the results of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, but this year brought a surprising outcome for Prayagraj.
According to Times of India, for the first time in several years, no candidate from the region managed to secure a place among the top 100 ranks. Despite this, multiple aspirants from the region successfully cleared the examination and secured respectable positions in the national merit list.
Contrast with Last Year’s Historic Achievement
The latest result stands in sharp contrast to the previous year’s performance. In UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, Shakti Dubey from Naini in Prayagraj secured All India Rank 1, bringing national recognition to the city’s strong academic and competitive exam culture.
Over the years, Prayagraj has consistently produced top-ranking candidates. Smriti Mishra from Allapur secured AIR 4 in 2022, while Soumya Pandey achieved AIR 4 in the 2016 Civil Services Examination in her very first attempt. Another notable success came in 2017, when Anubhav Singh, the son of a farmer from Handia, secured AIR 8.
Madhavendra Pratap Singh Tops the Region
Among candidates linked to the region in the 2025 results, Madhavendra Pratap Singh secured the highest rank with AIR 153. A resident of Donae village in Pratapgarh, he is the son of a railway Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE). After completing his schooling, Madhavendra prepared for competitive examinations in Kota before pursuing electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Other Successful Candidates from the Region
Another strong performance came from Soumya Sharma, a resident of Rupapur locality in Pratapgarh, who secured AIR 168. Soumya had earlier worked for nearly three years as an inspector in the income tax department and had cleared the UPSC 2024 examination to join the Indian Revenue Service. He continued his preparation and managed to significantly improve his rank this year.
From Prayagraj city, Aditya Singh, a student from the Department of Ancient History at University of Allahabad, secured AIR 508. At just 23 years old, Aditya cleared the examination in his second attempt after completing his postgraduate studies. In his first attempt, he had reached the interview stage but narrowly missed the final selection.
Another aspirant, Deabanshoo Singh, secured AIR 564 in his fifth attempt. He completed his schooling from Boys’ High School & College Prayagraj and later pursued higher education at Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology. His father works as an assistant engineer in the Public Works Department and is currently posted in New Delhi.
More Aspirants Achieve Success
Several other candidates from the region also cleared the prestigious examination. Abhishek Kumar Vishwakarmafrom Atanpur village in Phulpur tehsil secured AIR 650. He completed his intermediate education at Jwala Devi Inter College and later graduated from National Institute of Technology Hamirpur in 2022. He succeeded in his third attempt with anthropology as his optional subject.
Atul Singh, currently serving as a naib tehsildar in Jaunpur after clearing the state PCS examination, secured AIR 697in his fifth attempt. An engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, he continued preparing for UPSC while working in government service.
Another aspirant, Prakhar Shukla, secured AIR 787 in his second attempt. A graduate of the University of Allahabad, he had earlier reached the interview stage during his first attempt in 2024.
Women Candidates Also Shine
Among women candidates, Shivani Tyagi secured AIR 807. Originally from Hapur, she prepared for the examination while staying with her sister in Prayagraj, who works as a railway officer.
Another successful candidate, Nivedita Chandra, secured AIR 855 in her fifth attempt. She holds a BTech degree from Birla Institute of Technology Mesra. Earlier, she had cleared the UP PCS examination and also secured AIR 1008 in UPSC 2023, after which she joined the Indian Railway Management Service. Determined to improve her position, she appeared again in the exam and achieved a better rank in the latest results.
Continued Legacy of UPSC Aspirants
Although Prayagraj did not produce a top-100 rank holder this year, the success of multiple candidates from the region reflects the city’s continued reputation as a hub for civil services preparation. Known for its strong academic institutions and coaching culture, Prayagraj remains one of the country’s most prominent centers for UPSC aspirants.
