Super 30 - patna

[thakur_ritesh]

please read it, very inspiring.

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Super 30 is a highly ambitious and innovative educational program running under the banner of "Ramanujan School of Mathematics". It hunts for 30 meritorious talents from among the economically backward sections of the society and shapes them for India's most prestigious institution – the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). In the last seven years, it has produced hundreds IITians from extremely poor background. During this program students are provided absolutely free coaching, lodging and food. Super 30 targets students from extremely poor families. It is reflected in the group, which comprises wards of brick kiln worker, rickshaw puller, landless farmer, roadside vendor and the likes. They have all seen the change with sheer disbelief in their eyes that their children are now going to be top technocrats.

History

If Super 30 has become an architect for the budding poor talents, it is not without a reason. Fascinated by mathematics since early childhood, Anand always dreamt of becoming a mathematician. He started showing sparks of brilliance since early days. His love for mathematics came to fore in 1992, when he formed a Mathematics Club, ‘Ramanujam School of Mathematics’, while he was still in graduation. His mathematical bent of mind was spotted by renowned teachers, who provided him encouragement. Under the guidance of his mentor and guru, Devi Prasad Verma, then the Head, Department of Mathematics, Patna Science College, Anand started a training programme for mathematics lovers. It was a free programme, which anybody with interest in Mathematics could join. As months rolled by, Anand contributed several problems and papers on Mathematics to various national and international journals, magazines and newspapers.

In 1994, Anand got an opportunity to pursue higher education in Cambridge University, but his poor financial health came in the way. Having witnessed extreme financial hardship since childhood, he felt the pangs of poverty so much that he decided to do something for the poor students, who invariably fade away without getting right opportunities. This led to the birth of new form of ‘Ramanujam School of Mathematics’. Here he trained a small group of students for various competitive examinations at a very nominal fee. For those who were extremely poor and were in no position to pay even the small amount, money was never a constraint. They just did not have to pay anything. After some time, Anand decided to shape his programme seriously to cater to the poor, but meritorious students more significantly. He called his brother Pranav Kumar, a talented violinist, from Mumbai and planned to start the innovative Super 30 programme.

Pranav Kumar helped Anand earlier also, but now he was directly involved. He was entrusted with the responsibility of managing Super 30. After a thorough screening, 30 poor, but talented students were shortlisted for the Super 30. Initially, making all arrangements for 30 students,was not so easy, but Anand’s family extended all help in his endeavor. Anand generated finances by tutoring students of other schools, while his mother, Jayanti Devi, cooked food for the students. For the students, there was only one goal – to study hard.What followed next was rigorous training of the students, and the results came as a big surprise in the very first year. It motivated Anand for put in more and more effort along with his team of dedicated teachers.

In the last six years, 182 students out of 210 have made to different IITs of the country. In 2003, when Super 30 started its journey, 18 out of 30 students competed. The very next year, the number jumped to 22. In 2005, it improved further to 26. Continuing the trend, 28 students made it in 2006 and 2007. However, the ‘magic moment’ came in 2008, when the result was an astonishing 30 out of 30. Super 30 had hit the bull’s eye. It was ‘a dream come true’ for Anand and his team. Super 30 has done it again in 2009. It has been 30 out of 30 for the second year in succession. It was the result of dedicated effort of a committed group of teachers, led by Anand. A senior police officer, Abhyanand, who is now involved with other social activities, also played his part in motivating the students by finding some time off his busy schedule. The role of a group of old students of Super 30 was also vital. Amit Kumar and Praveen Kumar contributed in running regular classes for various subjects.

Mission

The main objective of Super 30 is to track the talented bunch of students from economically impoverished sections and hone their skills by providing a conducive environment. Talent knows no boundaries. It is everywhere. All one needs is to spot talent and nurture it to let it blossom. Super 30 has done just that in the last six years and the results have been encouraging. The talented students
have been given quality teaching and an open atmosphere to perform to the best of their potential.
The students should not be handicapped by financial constraints of their families. If they have it in
them, Super 30 is there to guide them where they belong, but may not reach for want of resources.
Super 30’s mission is to help more and more students from economically poor sections reach the IITs.
Having shaped students for six years now, Anand has now realized the importance of ‘catching them
young’. He wants to start the talent hunt a bit earlier than Plus Two stage. If talented students are
spotted at the school-level, it can work wonders. With this in mind, he wants to set up schools for
poor children. The schools would provide the right impetus to the students at the right time through
innovative teaching to develop their interest in Mathematics and Science subjects at an early age. It
would shape them for different Olympiads and prepare them for other competitions. The thrust
would be on developing inquisitiveness, so very important for science and math education.

super30.org/index.html

 

[cobra commando]

Soon, a Polish book on
Super30

Patna: Super30's story has drawn a Polish writer to visit its Patna office to find out the secret behind its success. Jonna Irzabek, a Polish writer, is in Patna to sketch the country's educational scenario recently visited Super30 and interacted with the students. Jonna's book would have a separate chapter for Super30, an educational institute which helps deprived children hone their skills to qualify for the IITs. "Super 30 is something that is globally known and so I came here to see how it all actually happens. It's wonderful to see students from underprivileged background so engrossed," Jonna Irzabek said. Earlier, a Japanese book, "Indo No Shougeki", published by Japan's famous publisher and written by several journalists, had a chapter exclusively on Super 30.


Soon, a Polish book on Super30 | NDTV.com

 

[cobra commando]

Super30 among top3 pioneering educational initiatives : Japanese group

PATNA: A Japanese media group has selected Mathematician Anand Kumar's Super 30 among three pioneering initiatives in the field of education. Apart from Anand Kumar's Super 30, two others academic institutions, namely Japan's educational club, which works for education to children from lower and middle classes, and France's reading and writing club, working with a mission to arrest declining educational standards in the country, find berth as initiatives across the world by Japanese media group Aashi Shinbun. According to Asahi Shinbun, Anand Kumar himself could not go to Cambridge University to pursue higher education despite getting admission due to acute financial constraints, but the pangs of poverty intrigued him and resulted in the birth of Super 30 for children from underprivileged sections. On his latest recognition from international body, Anand said that he has been encouraged to continue his good works for education of the students of poor socio-economic background. "It gives pleasure and inspiration that people across the globe are concerned with poor and are eager to contribute," he said. Earlier, media from Japan, France, UK, Canada and various other countries had made films on Anand's Super 30. Yoichi Itoh, Chief Economist STB Research Institute was the first to make a film on Super 30 for NHK Channel.
Super30 among top3 pioneering educational initiatives : Japanese group - The Times of India

 

[white-pigeon]

Yes heard a lot about this institute.

We need this kind of institute in every state

Hats off to Anand Kumar.

 

[cobra commando]

PATNA: Takanobu Tanaka of a global company, Ricoh is currently working towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to supporting community development efforts in developing countries, on Sunday met Super 30 founder and mathematician Anand Kumar here at his residence. Tanaka is keen to enter into partnership with Anand Kumar for providing quality education to the poor and downtrodden students pursuing their studies in the government primary schools. During his meeting with Anand , he said in the month of April he would like to meet Anand again along with students and other teachers to make them understand how technology could make things easier for them. "In the first phase, we will focus on primary education and later will take it forward in other directions, including environment education," he said. He also said how he was overwhelmed when he saw a feature on Super 30 on Japanese TV channel NHK Japan few years back. NHK has shot a detailed documentary on Super 30 few years ago. He said that the focus would be on content development by involving the stakeholders so that the solutions could be sustainable and bring about generational change. "India has the largest population of young people in the world. Many children cannot study due to poverty. We want to make technology accessible to schools and make them use it effectively by ensuring capacity building," he added. Anand Kumar, who had been last year invited by the Tokyo University for educational collaboration, said it was good that a developed country like Japan was eager to help poor students in Bihar to make optimal use of their talent. "What I am doing here is on a small scale. If more such organizations come forward, things will certainly change," he added.
Japan to enter into partnership with Super 30 to boost primary education in Bihar - The Times of India