Failed class 12 with just 21 marks in English, sold milk to support family, cracked UPSC, became IPS officer with AIR…, he is…

Several aspirants clear the UPSC exam with determination, hard work, and commitment, whilst managing household responsibilities. Their journeys prove that perseverance and steady effort can accomplish great things. In this article, we will talk about the motivational journey of IPS officer Umesh Ganpat Khandbahale, who once failed in 12th grade in 2003, and later sold milk to support his father. Furthermore, he cracked the UPSC exam with All India Rank(AIR)…

Umesh, who hails from a small village in Maharashtra, had failed his Class 12 English paper, getting only 21 marks. However, Umesh was not disheartened. With a strong belief, he made the decision not to look back and focus on the future.

He began to sell milk and continued to hold multiple additional jobs to help his father and keep his goals alive. He failed his English exams, and he also did not pass his Class 12 exams overall. If media reports are to be believed, after a gap of two years, Umesh began his studies and cleared 12  exams in 2005. He later pursued a BA, BEd, and MA. He wanted to remove the 12 fail tag, and it pushed him to appear for the UPSC examination. Fate had other plans, and today, Umesh Ganpat Khandbahale is an IPS officer serving as the Superintendent of Police in a district of West Bengal.

Umesh Ganpat Khandbahale re-registered for Class 12 through open schooling and was motivated to complete his education. He also had to take care to study while fulfilling the complicated and demanding job of milkman. His resolve and self-belief were key factors, as he graduated from Class 12 with a remarkable result. After finishing school, Umesh took a radical and unimaginable step: he opted to take his struggle with English head on and pursue a degree in English Literature, the subject he had previously flunked. He was determined to not only confront his weakness, but to maximize his strength. Umesh mastered the language, earning degrees of BD, BSc Horticulture, and a Master’s Degree in English. Eventually, he moved to Delhi to prepare for the UPSC exam and finally passed the UPSC exam on his third attempt in 2015 finishing with an All India Rank (AIR) of 704.

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