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Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail) Biography: Age, Career, Family and

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 6, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth3 July 1975

Age49 Years (as of 2024)

BirthplaceBilgaon Chaudhari village, Morena, Madhya Pradesh, India

ProfessionIPS Officer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseShraddha Joshi Sharma

FamilySon - Manas Sharma; Daughter - Chia; Father - Ramveer Sharma; Mother - (name not known)

Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail) Biography

Manoj Kumar Sharma rose from modest beginnings in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, to the Indian Police Service. His story of repeated UPSC attempts, hard work and,

Early life and background

Manoj Kumar Sharma was born on 3 July 1975 in Bilgaon Chaudhari village near Morena in Madhya Pradesh. He grew up in a lower-middle-class Hindu family and spent his early years helping tend small family holdings and doing odd jobs to support the household. As a boy he enjoyed reading history and developed a habit of keeping a diary from around tenth grade, a practice he has maintained into adulthood.

School did not come easily to Sharma. He struggled academically through secondary school and did not pass class 12. After finishing school in Morena he moved to Gwalior with very little money and a single bag of clothes to pursue a college education at Maharani Laxmi Bai Government College of Excellence. While studying he supported himself by driving a tempo, tutoring locally, and later taking other low-paid jobs.

Career

Sharma decided to pursue public service after watching local officials enforce rules in his hometown; that decision set him on the path to prepare for competitive civil service examinations. He shifted to New Delhi to study in Mukherjee Nagar, took a variety of small jobs to survive, and worked in a library where access to books helped his preparation. He also received free coaching support from the founder of Drishti IAS during his UPSC efforts.

He attempted the UPSC Civil Services Examination multiple times. On his fourth attempt he cleared the exam with an All India Rank of 121 and joined the Indian Police Service as part of the 2005 batch, Maharashtra cadre. Sharma trained at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad and was commissioned on 22 August 2005.

Over his policing career he served in a range of operational and leadership roles. He held assignments that included work against Naxal activities in districts such as Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondiya, Yavatmal, Bhandara and Nanded. As Superintendent of Police in Kolhapur he managed large law-and-order challenges, including protests tied to highway tolls and agricultural pricing, and helped control a violent situation following the killing of a political figure in 2015.

Sharma has also served with the Central Industrial Security Force and held the post of Deputy Inspector General there. After that tenure he was appointed Additional Commissioner of Police with the Mumbai Police. In March 2024 he announced on social media that he had been promoted from Deputy Inspector General to Inspector General in the Maharashtra Police, a promotion approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. He received the Medal for Meritorious Service on 26 January 2024.

Public profile

Sharma’s life and struggles before joining the IPS attracted wider attention through print and film. In 2021 a biography titled Twelfth Fail: Hara Vahi Jo Lada Nahi was published, chronicling his journey. In October 2023 the feature film 12th Fail, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and featuring Vikrant Massey portraying Sharma, brought his story to a broader audience and renewed public interest in his personal history and professional life.

Personal life

Manoj Sharma is married to Shraddha Joshi Sharma, an IRS officer. The couple married on 5 December 2005 and have two children, a son named Manas Sharma and a daughter named Chia. Shraddha supported Manoj during his years of preparation for the civil services; the two met while both were students and navigated family reservations before marrying.

Sharma pursued higher studies as well: after graduation he completed an MA in History and earned a PhD in Journalism while preparing for civil services. He cultivated practical hobbies such as kitchen gardening and enjoys involving his children in growing vegetables and fruits. Sharma has often credited reading biographies and literature for shaping his outlook; authors who inspired him include Maxim Gorky and Abraham Lincoln, and he studied works by Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh during his UPSC preparation.

Latest updates

In early 2024 Sharma was recognized with a Medal for Meritorious Service and publicly announced his elevation to the rank of Inspector General in Maharashtra. In September 2024 he officially assumed the rank of Inspector General, continuing a policing career that has spanned operational field work and senior leadership positions in state and central forces.

He remains publicly associated with the narrative of overcoming adversity, emphasizing disciplined study, public service and persistent effort as central themes of his life.
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Recent Work

12th Fail (film)

Feature film released October 2023 portraying Sharma’s early struggles, with Vikrant Massey in the role inspired by him.

2023
Twelfth Fail: Hara Vahi Jo Lada Nahi (biography)

A 2021 biography by Anurag Pathak recounting Manoj Kumar Sharma’s life before becoming an IPS officer.

2021
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Career Highlights

  1. Commissioned as an IPS officer on 22 August 2005 (2005 batch, Maharashtra cadre)
  2. Worked on anti-Naxal operations across multiple districts
  3. Served as Deputy Inspector General in CISF and Additional Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Police
  4. Awarded the Medal for Meritorious Service on 26 January 2024
  5. Promoted to Inspector General in Maharashtra (promotion announced March 2024; rank assumed September 2024)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail) born?

3 July 1975

What is Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail) known for?

IPS Officer

What is Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Manoj Kumar Sharma (IPS, 12th Fail) married to?

Shraddha Joshi Sharma