It is said that those who work hard never lose. If a person has courage, even failure becomes a stepping stone to success. This has been proved true by Umesh Ganpat Khandabahale, a resident of a small village in Maharashtra. After failing in the Class 12 English exam, Umesh is now an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and serves as Superintendent of Police (SP) in West Bengal.
Umesh Ganpat Khandabahale’s story is no less than a film script. He was not very good in studies during his school days. He failed in the 12th class English exam by scoring only 21 marks. This failure reduced his confidence. The financial condition of the family was also bad, so he left his studies and started working with his father. To run the household, he used to go to Nashik every day from his village and sell milk. They also did many odd jobs, such as carrying goods, helping in the fields and sometimes as labourers.
determination to make a fresh start
The difficulties of life did not break Umesh, but made him stronger. He believed that nothing was impossible if tried again. He re-appeared for the 12th class examination from an open school and passed with good marks. From here his life took a new turn. After this, Umesh started his postgraduate studies in science. Along with studies, he maintained himself on the path of discipline and hard work. Gradually he achieved his goal.
Difficult path of UPSC
The dream of becoming an IPS officer was not easy. Umesh started preparation within his limited resources. Neither did he have coaching facilities nor the city environment. But he had determination and dedication. He studied for hours every day, learning from books and notes and learning from every mistake. Eventually, his hard work paid off. He passed UPSC exam and secured 704th rank. This was the same person who was once teased as “Twelfth Fail” and today he is serving the country.
