‘Do not heard’? IPS officer’s motivational video goes viral, but for his grammatical mistake

A motivational video shared by IPS officer Sameer Sharma has gone viral, but not just for its inspiring message. While many viewers found his journey to success commendable, a grammatical mistake in one of the slides caught the attention of eagle-eyed Instagram users, leading to a wave of reactions online.

The Viral Error

Sharma, who had a challenging academic past with 34% in Class 11 and 24 backlogs in engineering, worked his way up to clear the UPSC civil services examination. He shared a video on Instagram detailing his 18-month preparation journey, aiming to encourage aspirants who may be facing similar struggles. However, one particular slide in the video contained an unintended grammatical error that became the talk of the internet.

The slide read: "Do not heard about UPSC 18 months before exam." What Sharma likely intended to write was: "Had not heard about UPSC till 18 months before the exam."


The mistake was quickly noticed by Instagram users, who pointed it out in the comment section. Some took a lighthearted approach, while others were more direct in their criticism.

“IPS mein English subject nahi hota kay? (Is English not a subject required for IPS?)” quipped one user. Another remarked, “4th slide me grammar galat hai, IPS? (The fourth slide has incorrect grammar, IPS?)”

Several users simply wrote "Do not heard" in the comments, playfully drawing attention to the blunder.

Key Lessons from Sharma’s UPSC Journey

Despite the minor grammatical slip-up, the video itself contained valuable insights for UPSC aspirants. Sharma outlined four key lessons from his preparation journey:

Emotional Resilience - Sharma highlighted the importance of overcoming self-doubt and fear. He believes mental strength plays a crucial role in preparing for the UPSC exam and advises aspirants to develop emotional resilience.

Crisis to Comeback - Acknowledging that setbacks are inevitable, Sharma shared how he faced “multiple setbacks” but used each failure as motivation to push forward. He encourages aspirants to treat failures as stepping stones to success.

Consistency Over Perfection - Sharma started his UPSC journey “from zero,” emphasizing that steady and consistent efforts matter more than striving for perfection. He advises aspirants to focus on daily progress rather than aiming for flawless preparation.

Mindset is Everything - According to Sharma, having a strong belief in oneself is key to success. Even during tough times, his determination and positive mindset helped him stay on track. He urges UPSC candidates to maintain confidence in their abilities and keep pushing forward.

The video has since gained over 9 million views, with many users appreciating Sharma’s perseverance and determination. Some aspirants thanked him for the insights, while others requested him to share his study strategies.

“One of the greatest comebacks of all time,” commented one user, applauding his transformation.

While the grammatical error became a talking point, it did not take away from the core message of Sharma’s video.