Education doesn’t mean learning something from society. Unless we give it back to society, the circle of education doesn’t complete. Giving education to the underprivileged with the talent but not the opportunity or means is the most pious deed on earth. Anand Kumar is one such name who picked thirty brilliant students, nourished them to face JEE and came out successful with flying colors. On his 49th birthday, we peep into the life, struggles, and dedication of a Dronacharya of modern times, Anand Kumar.
History
On 1st January, 1973, the math wizard Anand Kumar was born in Patna. His father was a postal department clerk. He studied in a Hindi medium government school in Patna, where he found a deep interest in mathematics. During graduation, he also submitted a paper on number theory which was later published in Mathematics Spectrum magazine. He was also accepted to Cambridge University. But, due to his father’s death and the family’s financial conditions, he couldn’t attend the university.
Career
In 1992, he rented a classroom to teach mathematics and set up the Ramanujan Institute of Mathematics. Within one year, his class strength increased from just two to thirty-six, and then a few years later, to five hundred students.
In 2000, when Anand Kumar came across a poor student seeking admission to IIT-JEE but couldn’t afford the admission fees, he had the idea of starting his program Super 30. In this program, every year, the Ramanujan Institute of Mathematics holds a test. Anand Kumar then selects thirty students from economically backward sections of society. He then provides these students with study materials and tutors them for free for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for the Indian Institutes of Technology. Out of 450 students, 391 passed the entrance exams, and in 2017, all the Super 30 scheme students cleared the exams. With the success and growing popularity, Anand Kumar got numerous offers from the government and also private sector companies for financial help. But he has refused all the offers. His mission is to run the Super 30 program throught his means and efforts.
Recognition and Awards
With the success of this unique scheme, Anand Kumar was recognized worldwide for his efforts and dedication to teaching students. He was featured in some BBC programs and was visited by former Miss Japan Norika Fujiwara to make a documentary on his studying program. He was also honored by the Government of Canada and was also praised by Rashad Hussain, who was the US president Barack Obama’s special envoy, who called Super 30 the best institute in the country. Anand Kumar was also named in Time Magazine’s list of Best of Asia 2010. Here are some of the awards which he also won.
- 2010 – Bihar government awarded him with Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar.
- 2010 – Felicitated with the Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar given by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
- 2018 – Honoured with the Global Education Award by Malabar Gold and Diamonds.
- 2019 – Honoured with Education Excellence Award in the USA by Foundation for Excellence in Education
- Ram Nath Kovind, the former president of India, also awarded him the Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award.
In 2018, a film was directed by Vikas Bahl, Super 30, which starred Hrithik Roshan as Anand Kumar. The film became a huge hit among students across India. Anand Kumar became a Bhagirath to bring Ganga of education on earth to quench the thirst of excellence among poor, under privileged and deserving students. Giftalove wishes happy 49th birthday to the super teacher who brought a remarkable change in the society.
