Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Age, Biography, Wife, Career, Rank, Awards, Net Worth and More

Manoj Kumar Sharma is a 2005- batch senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Maharashtra cadres who has been very famous due to his remarkable life journey. Having grown out of abject poverty in a small village in Madhya Pradesh, he failed Class 12 but he finally succeeded in passing the UPSC Civil Services Examination with All India Rank of 121 on his fourth attempt. He has been an inspiration with his real life struggle, discipline and honesty that led to the best selling book Twelfth Fail and 2023 blockbuster 12th Fail. He is an epitome of hope and encouragement to millions of aspiring candidates in India as he currently works as Inspector General (Law & Order) in Maharashtra. In this article the biography of Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS will be discussed.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS: Biography

The life of Manoj Kumar Sharma is the story of persistence, honesty and confidence. He was born in a poor farming family that was not financially strong, and he had to experience academic failure and social difficulties at an early age. By hard work and integrity, he changed his fate into the IPS and worked in the important posts in Mumbai Police, CISF and Maharashtra Police. The fact that he rose to become a senior police officer after failing 12 times still serves as an inspiration to the youth and civil servants wishing to attend the country.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Age

Manoj Kumar Sharma was born on 3 July 1975. As of early 2026, he is 50 years old. His zodiac sign is Cancer.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Height, Weight and Physical Status

He is 5 feet 9 inches tall. His physical condition is fit to handle the challenging duties of the police.

Early Life and Family Background

Manoj Kumar Sharma was born in the village of Bilgaon of Morena district, which is in the Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh. This area used to be a place of infamy of dacoity and lawlessness. His family was very poor, and it struggled to afford daily needs. His father Ramveer Sharma was a farmer but got very low earnings. Nevertheless, Sharma had financial issues, but her parents really believed in education. His mother, whose name is not publicly disclosed, was a very important figure in the sphere of his emotional support that helped him to move on with studying even after numerous failures. His childhood experiences made him a character- he was born honest, disciplined and brave. These initial hardships later generated a source of his success.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Educational Background 

The most motivating thing about the life of Manoj Kumar Sharma is his educational background. In his first attempt, he failed Class 12 and this was mostly because of the strict anti-cheating policies that did not allow copying which was the norm in his area during the time. He embraced failure and instead of quitting he gave the exam a second time when he passed the exam.

Later he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Hindi and History, Gwalior. During the preparation of UPSC, he had to endure severe poverty and used to study in already scarce libraries. On his fourth attempt, he successfully cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2005, with the AIR of 121, which made him fulfill his life long aspiration.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Wife

Manoj Kumar Sharma got married to Shraddha Joshi Sharma on December 5, 2005. Shraddha Joshi Sharma is a female IRS officer. 

They met when they were making preparations before the UPSC examinations in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi. During the preparation stage of his UPSC, Manoj proposed to Shraddha, even though he was still doubting himself, having previously failed academic exams, such as Class 12. They got married shortly after his commissioning to the IPS on August 22, 2005. The couple has two kids – a son- Manas Sharma and daughter, Chia ( her name is Manushree). 

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Career

• Manoj Kumar Sharma is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Maharashtra cadres who started his career by passing the UPSC Civil Services Examination on his fourth attempt with the All India Rank of 121.
• He got commissioned to the IPS on August 22, 2005, after undergoing his foundational training at LBSNAA, Mussoorie, and his professional training at SVPNPA, Hyderabad.
• He began his career in the field as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Maharashtra and had good ground level experience in policing. Sharma grew up the ranks over the years, becoming a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and other significant posts in Mumbai Police, as DCP (Zone-I) and Additional Commissioner of Police, West Region.
• He was also instrumental in keeping law and order in delicate contexts, especially riot control in Kolhapur after the murder of Govind Pansare in 2015. His major posting was the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) where he served as a DIG and was engaged in aviation security.
• Manoj Kumar Sharma was made an Inspector General (IG) on March 17, 2024. He is presently the IG (Law and Order), Maharashtra Police and also the IG, CISF at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai where he is the Chief Airport Security Officer.
• He received the Medal for Meritorious Service on Republic Day 2024 as a token of his loyal service.

Awards and Achievements

Manoj Kumar Sharma’s honest service and dedication have earned him national recognition. His biggest achievement is not only professional success but also the inspiration he provides to society.

12th Fail Movie Inspired by Manoj Sharma IPS Life

• 12th Fail is a 2023 Indian biographical drama, written, directed, and produced in Hindi language by Vidhu Vinod Chopra.
• It is based on 12 th Fail by Anurag Pathak and narrates the life story of a real-life character of an IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and his wife Shraddha Joshi.
• It follows the life of Manoj who had a low economic deprivation in the Chambal area where he had failed in Class 12 examination due to a serious crackdown on cheating to become a rickshaw puller and ultimately reaching Delhi to train in the UPSC exams.
• Inspired by a hardworking policeman, Manoj has to pursue a new job application five consecutive times, struggle to make ends meet, and doubt himself, finally passing the exam test in his fourth attempt with AIR 121.
• On his way he encounters Shraddha in coaching classes and they struggle together to conquer their personal and professional hurdles such as differences in cadres.
• The film, which was highly praised by critics as a realistic account of events with emotional depth and strong performances, particularly by Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankar, was massively enjoyed by the masses in the country as an inspiration to the aspiring candidates in the UPSC Examination.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Net Worth

The net worth of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma is not publicly disclosed.

Manoj Kumar Sharma IPS Social Media Profiles

Manoj Kumar Sharma became very popular on social media after the 12th Fail was released. 

Conclusion

The life of Manoj Kumar Sharma is an excellent lesson that failure does not make an individual; it is rather determination that counts. His experience of failing Class 12 in a small village, Madhya Pradesh and making it to the top as a senior IPS officer and Inspector General (Law and Order) in Maharashtra can be evaluated as honesty, hard work and unwavering self-belief. He took the wrong but right way and at that time he was poor, inadequate in his studies and had fewer means but at the same time he has demonstrated that success which is attained by doing the right thing has long term value. His narrative, which has been taken to the country through the book titled Twelfth Fail, and its film version, is still a source of motivation to millions of students and aspiring civil servants in India. 

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Article Code: MANKUM-STA-001

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