UPSC vs. IIT JEE: Anand Mahindra Highlights Debate on Exam Toughness

Anand Mahindra, the chairperson of the Mahindra Group, initiated a discussion on the relative difficulty of the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) and IIT JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination) exams after being inspired by the film ‘12th Fail’ which portrays the life of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma.

The film that triggered the discussion, 12th Fail, is based on the life of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, who overcame extreme poverty to become a police officer.

In a post, Mahindra shared insights from an IIT graduate who asserted that UPSC is more challenging than IIT JEE. This revelation came after Mahindra delved into the preparation methods and difficulty levels of both exams. Anand Mahindra, who has in the past praised 12th Fail actor Vikrant Massey for his performance in the film shared that the movie inspired him to seek more details about how aspirants prepare for the exam and how difficult it is to clear it. In doing so, an IIT graduate who had also taken the UPSC exams told him that the latter was more difficult.

Despite diverse opinions from X users on the exams’ toughness, the discussion has sparked interest in reevaluating global rankings for such competitive exams.