Sleeping on Streets to Being 'Dog Walker', This '12th Fail' IPS Officer is Now '#Restart Goal' for India

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ’12th Fail’ has garnered praise among the audience. The Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar starrer, which is based on Anurag Pathak’s best-selling novel with the same title, draws inspiration from the real-life stories of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi.

Born in 1977 in a small village called Bilgaon, situated in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh, Sharma faced significant challenges in childhood. His father worked in the agriculture department, and the family faced financial hardships. He passed his classes 9 and 10 with a third division. He managed to pass class 11 but failed in class 12. He failed in all subjects except for Hindi. However, he later cleared the exam.

Also Read| Amid Vikas Divyakirti’s Glory Post ’12th Fail’, Recalling Another Guru Who ‘Ditched Rs 107 Cr for the Poor’

Sharma’s journey in Delhi was undoubtedly challenging. To support himself and cover his tuition expenses, he took several odd jobs, including driving a tempo, working in a library, and walking dogs for affluent individuals. He also slept on the streets. But he never gave up. It was during his UPSC coaching that he fell in love with Shraddha Joshi, who hailed from Uttarakhand. Joshi cracked UPSC in the first attempt and is now an IRS officer.

Sharma had also worked at a library in Delhi, however, that turned out to be fruitful for him. During his time there, he read several books about various famous writers including Maxim Gorky, Abraham Lincoln, Muktibodh, which helped him understand the meaning and purpose of life.

Also Read| This Railways Officer Feels ’12th Fail’ is ‘Exaggerated’, Recalls Days When He Met Manoj Sharma & Shraddha

The 147-minute-long movie by Chopra depicts his experiences during the 12th grade and how he cleared UPSC. He initially set his sights on becoming an SDM. However, upon arriving in Gwalior after completing his 12th grade, he learned that the District Magistrate (DM) held a higher position than an SDM, and achieving this required passing the UPSC exam. This led him to decide to come to Delhi to prepare for the Civil Services Examination.

Also Read| Trending Post ’12th Fail’, IAS Guru Vikas Divyakirti Says ‘Rumours Fly Like Dust..’ | Read Inspiring Quotes

IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma passed the UPSC civil services exam on his fourth attempt. He made three unsuccessful attempts at passing the UPSC exam before finally succeeding on his fourth try. He joined the Maharashtra cadre in 2005 and is currently serving as the Additional Commissioner of the West Region in Mumbai.