When the struggle story of IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma came before the people on the screen of Indian cinema through the film '12th Fail', everyone saluted his spirit. This story of fighting failure to reach the top inspired millions of youth. But there has been one aspect of this entire story, which remained behind the scenes and became the biggest strength of this journey. That name is Shraddha Joshi Sharma, who is not only Manoj Sharma's life partner, but herself has traveled a straordinay (extraordinary) and inspirational journey from becoming a doctor to becoming an IRS Commissioner. The journey of Shraddha Joshi, who came from the lap of the mountains of Uttarakhand and reached the highest administrative services of the country, was not easy, but it is an example of determination, unwavering faith and struggle which is an inspiration for every daughter of the country today. The journey from daughter of the mountains to becoming a BAMS doctor, Shraddha Joshi, born on 5 March 1979 in Almora district of Uttarakhand, was very bright in studies since childhood. During his school education, he proved his talent and secured 13th rank in State Merit in the 12th board examination. Both of Shraddha's parents were doctors by profession. Parents wanted their daughter to become a doctor, so honoring their dreams, Shraddha completed her degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) from Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar after high school. After completing his studies, he started serving as a doctor in a hospital in Uttarakhand. While treating patients in the hospital, he realized that his real goal and inclination was towards civil services, after which he decided to change the direction of his life. To fulfill her dream of civil service, Shraddha came to Mukherjee Nagar, the famous student hub of Delhi. It was here during a UPSC coaching center that he met Manoj Kumar Sharma. Seeing Shraddha's deep interest in literature, a teacher had introduced both of them. When Shraddha came to know that despite failing in many subjects in class 12th, Manoj had cleared the UPSC Prelims exam on his own without any coaching, she was impressed by his high spirits and confidence. During that period when Manoj had nothing financially and was struggling hard, Shraddha stood by him like a rock. Despite belonging to an affluent family, Shraddha never considered herself separate from Manoj's difficult circumstances. Even when Manoj failed in UPSC three times in a row, Shraddha not only continued her studies but also never let Manoj's morale break. From PCS to becoming IRS Commissioner, on the strength of her hard work and dedication, after passing the PCS (Provincial Civil Services) examination in the year 2005, Shraddha Joshi took charge as Deputy Collector in Uttarakhand. But she did not stop here. With the further support of her husband Manoj Sharma, she again appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2007 and secured 12th rank (AIR 121) at the All India level and was selected in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Since 2007, Shraddha Joshi has served in many important positions in the Central and State Governments: Early IRS Career: Worked as Deputy Commissioner in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Year 2018: Responsibility of Managing Director (MD) in Mahila Economic Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) under the Government of Maharashtra. Year 2022: Assumed the position of Managing Director, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC), Mumbai. Year 2025 to Present: Working as Customs Commissioner (Audit Commissionerate, Zone 1) in Mumbai Customs Department and also holding the additional charge of Principal Commissioner (General). Interesting confluence of hill culture and Chambal style: During an interview, Manoj Sharma and Shraddha Joshi had also shared some very interesting and funny stories related to their marriage. Manoj Sharma had told in a humorous tone that Shraddha's entire energy rests on tea, and had said that, "A mountain man needs tea both before sleeping and when he wakes up."
While reacting to this, Shraddha had said laughingly, "I come from the quiet valleys of Uttarakhand where people have rarely seen guns in real life. On the contrary, Manoj belongs to Chambal. The scene of our wedding was that people were roaming around with double barrel guns and bullets were being fired in the air."
This life journey of IRS Shraddha Joshi is the biggest proof that a strong-willed woman can not only reach the pinnacle of success on the basis of her hard work, but can also take her life partner from the ground up by becoming a shield. This story of his teaches today's youth that true success lies in not giving up even in the most adverse circumstances and continuously moving forward.