How a Bulandshahr IIT graduate overcame cerebral palsy, once struggled to hold a pencil, and cleared UPSC in first attempt

When the Union Public Service Commission declared the Engineering Services Examination (ESE) 2025 results on December 17, Manvendra Singh secured an All-India Rank of 112, earning selection to the Indian Engineering Services in his first attempt. The 24-year-old IIT graduate from Bulandshahr achieved the result after clearing all three stages of the exam, prelims, mains and interview, a TOI report stated.

For his family, the result carries meaning beyond the rank. It reflects a long personal journey marked by medical challenges, steady academic focus and sustained effort over the years.

Living with cerebral palsy from infancy

Manvendra Singh, a resident of Awas Vikas in Bulandshahr district, lives with cerebral palsy, a neurological condition that affects movement and muscle control. Doctors diagnosed him at six months. By the age of two, he struggled to hold his neck properly. As he grew older, stiffness developed on the right side of his body, making everyday tasks difficult.


Adapting to these challenges became part of daily life. Tasks that others performed easily required deliberate practice and repetition.

A mother’s role and early learning

His mother, Renu Singh, is the principal of a private school in Bulandshahr. She recalls that progress came slowly but steadily. “Clearing UPSC is a long and difficult process with several stages. From learning how to hold a pencil to mastering complex academic challenges, his journey has been full of physical and societal hurdles since childhood,” she said.

One of her earliest memories is teaching her son how to write. Manvendra could not hold a pencil between his fingers and instead gripped it tightly in his fist. He continued writing that way for years. Over time, through repeated effort, he trained his left hand to compensate for limitations on his right side.

Medical treatment and persistence

Doctors had told the family early on that cerebral palsy would likely affect his coordination and walking throughout his life. Medical treatment became a constant part of childhood. Renu Singh said she consulted more than 50 hospitals and doctors across India before consistent treatment at a hospital in New Delhi helped stabilise his condition.

“Along with medical care, his willpower mattered the most,” she said.

Personal loss at a young age

When Manvendra was 17, his father died after a prolonged illness. The loss affected the family deeply. “He was sensitive and emotional, and the loss affected him deeply,” his mother said. Over time, she added, he recovered and began supporting the family, taking on responsibility as the eldest child.

Throughout school, Manvendra remained focused on studies and performed well academically. After Class 12, his family suggested that he take the Uttar Pradesh Technical Entrance Examination as a more conventional option. He chose not to.

“He was determined to aim for IIT,” Renu Singh said.

He later cleared the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering with an All India Rank of 63 and completed his BTech in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from IIT Patna in 2024.

Clearing ESE in first attempt

After graduation, Manvendra moved to Delhi and joined a coaching institute to prepare for the Engineering Services Examination. The exam requires sustained preparation and physical endurance across three stages.

In his first attempt, he cleared all stages and secured AIR 112. The Indian Engineering Services recruits engineers for Group A and B technical posts in central government departments, including Railways, Telecom and Power.

Beyond the rank

For his mother, the result marks the end of a demanding phase. “There were moments when everything felt overwhelming,” she said. “But he never stopped believing he could do this.”

While the rank secured him a place in the Indian Engineering Services, the family says the journey behind it, years of effort, adaptation and persistence, defines Manvendra Singh’s achievement more than the number attached to his name.

(Source: TOI)