Anand Kumar, founder of Patna-based ‘Super 30’, an institute renowned for sending hundreds of students to the premier Indian Institute of Technology over the years, on Wednesday said a teacher can bring about the change in Education system.
Interacting with Confederation of Indian Industry members and academicians from the region, Kumar said that Super 30 is a highly ambitious and innovative educational programme and 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, we have produced hundreds of IITians out of 360 total students from extremely poor background. During this programme students are provided absolutely free coaching, lodging and food. Super 30 targets students from extremely poor families. They have all seen the change with sheer disbelief in their eyes that their children are now going to be top technocrats”, he added.
Giving an example, he said Santosh Kumar was a child labourer from a remote village of Bihar, now a Professor in Europe and teaches Chemistry earning more than a crore a year.
Another example he gave was of Anupam who lost his father at an age of 10 and started begging. He is now working at a package of Rs33 lacs after studying from IIT and IIM.
“Similar is the story of Shashi Narayan and 308 other under privileged and poor students whom we have provided extensive training in the last 12 years absolutely free of cost”, shared Anand Kumar.Kumar was speaking at the Regional Summit on Quality in Education organised by CII at CII Headquarters in sector 31 A, here.
Recalling his own experience, he said, “In 1994, I got an opportunity to pursue higher education in Cambridge University, but my poor financial health came in the way. Having witnessed extreme financial hardship since childhood, I felt the pangs of poverty so much that I 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”, he informed.
Here small group of students were trained for various competitive examinations at a very nominal fee. For those who were extremely poor and were not in a position to pay even the small amount, money was never a constraint. They just did not have to pay anything.“I called my brother Pranav Kumar, a talented violinist, from Mumbai and planned to start the innovative Super 30 programme. My wife cooks for them. We do not accept even a single penny of donation”, he added.
“Hence passion is all one needs to bring about the change. I feel that a true motivating teacher can bring about more change than an MlA. Infrastructure is not as important as motivation factor”, he added.C Roul, Principal Secretary School Education, Government of Punjab said that more Super 30s are required in India.
“Our younger generation which we see as a demographic dividend need to be groomed at a foundation level and in that teachers will have to play a very critical role. School Education is equal to public service and it comes with responsibility and teachers have to deliver and live up to that”, he said.