Success Story: 5 IAS Officers Who Failed In School, Later Cracked UPSC

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 13:40 is

Here are the success stories of 5 officers who did not give up despite failing in school. With hard work, confidence, and the right strategy, they cleared the tough UPSC exam.

From LR: Rukmani Riar, Anju Sharma, Awanish Sharan, Manoj Kumar Sharma and Akash Kulhari. (File photo)

The film ’12th Fail,’ based on the life story and struggles of Maharashtra cadre IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, who had to overcome significant challenges to pass school. Apart from Sharma, several other officers, including IAS Avnish Sharan, IAS Anju Sharma, and IAS Rukmini Riar, initially failed in school but later worked hard to become officers by passing the country’s toughest exam, the UPSC CSE.

Here are the success stories of 5 officers who did not give up despite failing in school. With hard work, confidence, and the right strategy, they cleared the tough UPSC exam.

Rukmani riar

Rukmani Riar, who grew up in Gurdaspur, Punjab, failed in class 6 when she was shifted to Sacred Heart School, Dalhousie, a boarding school. She struggled to adapt to the new environment and the distance from her parents. She graduated in Social Science from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and earned a Master’s from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. IAS Rukmini Riar secured AIR 2 in UPSC 2011 on her first attempt, without coaching, and is currently an IAS officer in Haryana cadre.

Anju Sharma

IAS Anju Sharma failed in Chemistry in the 10th pre-board exam and Economics in 12th due to stress. Learning from these failures, she changed her study methods, resulting in gold medals in BSc and MBA. She passed the UPSC exam on her first attempt at the age of 22, becoming an IAS officer in Gujarat cadre in 1991. Currently, IAS Anju Sharma is the Principal Secretary (Labour and Employment Department) in the Gujarat Government.

Cloud sharan

Awanish Sharan from Bihar is active on social media. He didn’t fail in school but was not a top scorer either. He secured only 44.7% marks in 10th, 65% in 12th, and 60% in graduation. After failing 10 times in the state prelims exam, he focused on UPSC. Although he reached the interview stage on his first attempt and failed, he succeeded in his second attempt in 2009, securing AIR 77. IAS Avnish Sharan is now an officer in the Chhattisgarh cadre, posted in Bilaspur.

Manoj Kumar Sharma

Manoj Kumar Sharma secured the third division in 9th and 10th. He failed all subjects except Hindi in 12th. Due to poverty, he drove a tempo, slept on the footpath, and worked in a library. Despite these challenges, IPS Manoj Sharma continued his studies and prepared for the UPSC exam while working in a library in Delhi. He became an IPS officer in 2005 in his fourth attempt, securing rank 121. His story inspired the film ’12th Fail’ played by Vikrant Massey. IPS Manoj Sharma is posted in Maharashtra cadre and is married to IRS Shraddha Joshi.

Akash kulhari

IPS Akash Kulhari, a resident of Rajasthan, was expelled from school due to low marks in the 10th board exam. He then joined Kendriya Vidyalaya, worked hard, and improved his results, securing 85% marks in 12th. He prepared for the UPSC exam alongside his MPhil studies. Akash Kulhari has held significant positions such as Additional Police Commissioner in Kanpur and Joint CP in Prayagraj. Currently, he is the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Lucknow.

Education and Careers Desk

A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in …Read More

A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses and information on college and school admissions, board and competitive exams, career options, topper interviews, job notifications, latest in … Read More

Read More