A teacher of the poor

Abhishek Raj works in the United Kingdom. He is a seismic engineer and hails from Rasalpur, a village in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. His friend Shashi Narayan is pursuing a masters degree in language and communication technology at INRIA (The French National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control), France, under the Erasmus Mundus Programme. His father works as a clerk in a hospital at Khagaria, a small town in Bihar.

Far away from their motherland, as the two graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) look back on the journey that has brought them this far, only one man comes to their mind, the man who engineered their dreams.

Anand Kumar, a teacher from Patna, transformed not just their lives but also those of several others, through Super 30, a unique educational initiative for the less-privileged.

"Super 30 was the best thing that happened to me. Motivated by Anand sir, I believed I could clear the IIT-JEE [Joint Entrace Examinations]. My father would not have been able to send me to a private college," Narayan says.

Admission preparations

The Super 30 programme, launched in 2003 by Kumar, a mathematics teacher, aims to provide free coaching, food and lodging to 30 meritorious students from humble backgrounds. It prepares them for IIT-JEE, one of India's toughest examinations conducted for admission into India's premier institutions, namely IIT, Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, and Benaras Hindu University (BHU).

In the year of its inception, 18 out of 30 students from Super 30 cleared the entrance examination. The next year, 22 students were successful. In 2005, the number went up to 26. In 2006 and 2007, 28 students of Super 30 walked through the portals of India's premier institutions. But the magical moment came in 2008, when all 30 students cleared IIT-JEE. This May, Kumar scored a hat-trick when Super 30 recreated the magic of 2008 for the third consecutive year — not a mean achievement, considering the students hail from underprivileged families and have an education in Hindi, a vernacular language.

Spurred on by the success of his students, Kumar decided to increase the number of students this year from 30 to 60.

"But," he says, "it was difficult to find 60 deserving students from low-income homes, as many quit studies to take up work to supplement family income. We have finally shortlisted 36 students this year for the Super 30 programme."

Selection for Super 30 begins every year in May or June, with entrance examinations conducted in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The selected candidates are then shortlisted based on their financial backgrounds.

"We ascertain their financial positions by talking to their parents and from the schools they come from," Kumar says.

Super 30 classes begin in July. Students are provided accommodation and food for their stay of ten months in Patna. Classes are held at Ramanujam School of Mathematics, where Kumar conducts coaching classes for engineering entrance examinations. This is a paid study centre and a source of revenue to support the lodging, food and education of the students of Super 30.

"However," says Namrata Jaiswal, a former student of Super 30, now studying in IIT, Mumbai, "the tution fees charged at Ramanujam School is a nominal amount compared with other coaching centres in Patna, including FITJEE, which charges almost Rs100,000 [Dh8,160] from every student."

A Robin Hood of sorts, Kumar teaches the rich to fund the expenses of the needy students.

Besides Kumar, who teaches mathematics, the team members are Praveen Kumar and Amit Kumar for physics and Niraj Prathap Singh and Rahul Kumar for chemistry. Regular tests are conducted. Kumar keeps abreast of the latest developments by reading books and surfing online.

Retaining teachers is a challenge. Since other coaching centres in the city pay a better remuneration, Kumar is often caught in a dilemma when a teacher chooses to leave his institute for better prospects.

Another challenge arose in 2007, when a coaching centre lured three students of Super 30 with laptops.

"Although the three children accepted the offers, they returned to Super 30 after three days," Kumar says. "This is why we do not disclose the names of our students. It is kept confidential for fear of them being kidnapped."

And since he does not toe the line with the tuition rates fixed by the Association of Coaching Centres in Patna, he encounters criticism and even threatening calls.

"I find it difficult [to look the other way] when a child with immense potential comes to me and says he is unable to pay the fees," says the 37-year-old, who lost out on opportunities of higher education abroad for lack of funds. "I do not want to deprive them of education for a few rupees."

Then there are threats from mafia groups. In 2004, a gang of thugs entered his home and attacked him with knives. But a member of his non-teaching staff came in the way to save Kumar and took the brunt of the attack. Kumar survived. Today, he is flanked by security guards appointed by the state government.

The idea of Super 30 struck Kumar when a potato farmer's son, eager to study at Ramanujam School, approached him. He could neither pay the tuition fees, nor afford to stay in Patna.

"I was touched when the boy told me he would pay the fees in instalments, after his father had harvested potatoes," Kumar reminisces. "I could not join the masters course in mathematics at Cambridge despite getting admission because my father [Rajendra Prasad, a postal employee] had passed away."

Kumar took the boy in and although he could not clear IIT, he joined the National Institute of Technology after clearing AIEEE (All India Engineering Entrance Examination), conducted by the government of India. "I heard he is working in a construction company and doing well," Kumar says. From supporting one student to sending 212 students into premier institutions of India, Kumar has come a long way.

While growing up, Kumar dreamt of the day he would be known as a mathematician of repute. In college, he formed a club, Ramanujam School of Mathematics. Open to mathematics lovers, he encouraged free discussion and training. He also contributed articles on the subject to journals, dailies and magazines. But when his father died in 1994, his dreams were shattered. His mother made papads (wafers) and other snacks to keep the kitchen fires burning. Kumar, her eldest child, sold the snacks on his cycle. In 1994, he started the Ramanujam School of Mathematics to support his family. Little did he know then that this would become the cradle for an unusual initiative.

His brother Pranav, a musician, left his career in Mumbai to assist him in this work. He now manages the administrative work of Super 30. Also supporting Kumar is his wife Ritu, an alumnus of BHU. Yet there are times when Ritu wishes her husband would lead a simple life.

"She and my mother worry when I have to deal with threats," says Kumar, who has a 6-month-old son, Jagath Lal. "But they are pleased when they see the joy of the students' parents, some of whom are brick kiln workers, labourers, landless farmers or widows bringing up children."

For them, Kumar is a beacon of hope. Kumar is grateful to his teachers, Balgangadhar Prasad, a professor at Patna University and his mentor, and D.P. Varma, head of Patna University's mathematics department. "They encouraged me from the very beginning. I am indebted to them."

Besides being featured in dailies and magazines in India and abroad, Kumar was featured in the Limca Book of Records in 2009 for his work. Time magazine selected Super 30 for "The Best of Asia 2010" list. Recently, Rashad Hussain, United States special envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Conference, appreciated the work of Super 30 in his blog.

Newsweek magazine acknowledged Super 30 in its list of the four most innovative schools in the world. This year, Kumar met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who praised his Super 30 programme. Kumar also suggested reforms for the education system.

The Bihar government offered monetary help but Kumar refused it as he was afraid of having to bow to political pressure and accommodate students who would elbow out deserving candidates.

He dreams of setting up a residential school where he will groom talented students from Class VI onwards for international competitions and Olympiads. He seeks aid or grants of land from any state to fulfil this dream. He is also keen on spreading the Super 30 initiative to other Indian states in the future.

Does he regret not becoming a mathematician? "I have learnt to leave my disappointments behind and chalk a road for students. As their mentor, I talk about the importance of giving back to society. I find greater joy in being able to make a difference to the lives of talented students who otherwise would not have blossomed into what they are today."

Words of praise from the Super 30 students

"It was the constant supervision, the many practice tests, the discussions with other students and learning time management at Anand sir's coaching centre that helped [me]," Abhishek Raj says.

Raj studied in a government school. He belongs to the first batch of Super 30 and did his masters from IIT Kharagpur, majoring in exploration physics.

"Sir's method of teaching calculus seemed like a graph game. And his explanation of permutation and combination problems with real-life examples were amazing. The rigorous test sessions, correction of each other's papers, discussions, and Anand sir's motivating talks during dinnertime and personal counselling helped us. We were like a family. I miss those moments," says Shashi Narayan who joined Super 30 in 2004 and graduated from IIT Kharagpur.

Raman Kumar, an IIT Kharagpur graduate, who works at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bangalore, says, "I thought IIT would be difficult, since I was educated in a Hindi-medium school. Luckily, I was selected for Super 30 in 2004. Anand sir instilled confidence in me so I could face IIT-JEE."

The son of a farmer from Tetariya village, he appreciates Kumar's friendly approach, his patience at explaining a problem several times and his innovative methods of tackling a problem in various ways. Someday, Raman hopes to give back to society and contribute to the development of Bihar.

Shyam Ratan belongs to the 2006 batch of Super 30. At present, he is in his final year of electrical engineering at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. His father, a public prosecutor, was killed in 2005. His mother works as a nurse in Patna Medical College Hospital. Intimidated by her husband's killers, she decided to leave Patna.

"But on sir's insistence," Ratan says, "we decided to stay back and join his institute, since my father had met him before his death. Sir has been instrumental in encouraging me. I am here because of his benevolence."

Pitamber Patel, a farmer's son from a small village, Harpatti, graduated from IIT Kharagpur in ocean engineering and naval architecture last year. He works at Goa Shipyard Limited. "Anand sir's methods of teaching are innovative and kindle an interest for learning. He will explain a point of doubt any number of times till the student has a clear concept. I have never seen him getting angry at any student. Since he selected the best of students, there was a good exchange among us," Patel says.

Shadab Azam is studying electronics and communication engineering at IIT, Roorkee. His father runs a typewriting institute in Tekari, about 26 kilometres from Gaya.

"The competitive environment at Anand sir's institute, coupled with frequent tests and discussions among students, is the reason for my success," Azam says.

Mohammad Aquibur Rahman is in his third year of mining machinery engineering at Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. The eldest of four siblings, his father is a teacher in Mohammadia, a small village in the Purnea district of Bihar. Rahman, who joined Super 30 in 2007, says: "Sir has a way of teaching with experiments. His questions make you think." Rahman aspires to be an entrepreneur someday.

Mythily Ramachandran is a writer based in Chennai, India.

Anand Kumar is visiting the UAE on October 13 to deliver a talk at the Abu Dhabi Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.