Class 12 Fails Many, But the Mantra Is “Restart” Bengali IPS Officer Tells His UPSC Story of Difficulty and Triumph

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s “12th Fail,” which had a muted theatrical debut countrywide, is undoubtedly making waves on the Internet and social media. Many others who have gone through similar experiences to those of IPS Officer Manoj Kumar Sharma are coming out to tell their tale of achievement through courage, endurance, and determination. One such tale concerns Umesh Ganapat Khandbahale, the “12th fail,” who is now serving as a Superintendent of Police (SP) in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.

He remembered his own path to become an IPS officer after failing the English language course in class twelve after seeing the film on OTT last week.

The 37-year-old Khandabale is from a low-income family in the Mahiravani village of Maharashtra. His dad used to be a farmer and sell milk.

“I was remembering my difficult times when my family and I watched the movie. Those recollections remain significant and support me in overcoming any obstacles. After I dropped out of school in my senior year of English, I went to work for my father. I used to go to Nashik Bazar and pick some milk. I noticed Yashwant Rao Maharashtra Open University as I was traveling. I went there and inquired about being able to administer the test. I put a lot of effort into my job. I had flashbacks to all those difficult times after seeing the movie.

He started gardening, but he completed his master’s degree in English. “I actually wanted to excel in English, so I took up the language because of my failure in English,” he stated.

Khandabale, who arrived to Delhi in 2012 after completing his master’s degree, attempted the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) test for the first time at the age of 26. After receiving a clean bill of health in 2015, he married Chaitali.

All of the villagers are proud of him since he is the first IPS officer to come from Mahiravani. I often tell them that everything is possible. The key is undoubtedly to restart. After failing, you may certainly try again, Khandabale remarked.

Together with his five-year-old kid and his homemaker wife, he watched the movie “12th Fail.” Khandabale said, “Yes, it was a very emotional moment for us.”