Super 30
Super 30 batch of 2006
Location

Information
Established2002
Enrollment30
School feesFree
Websitewww.super30.org

Super 30 is a prestigious Indian educational program started in Patna, India under the banner of Ramanujan School of Mathematics. It was founded by Anand Kumar , a maths teacher in the year 2002. The program select 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains them for the JEE, the entrance examination for Indian Institute of Technology.[1]

History edit

In 2002, Anand Kumar started Super 30 - the idea was to select 30 talented students from economically impoverished sections who could not afford IIT coaching.These 30 students were then prepared to crack IIT-JEE examinations. Anand Kumar's Mother - Jayanti Devi - volunteered to cook for the students while Anand,and other teachers tutored them.[2] The students were also provided study materials and lodging for a year free of cost.[3]

In the first year of the coaching, 18 out of 30 students made it to IIT. The following year application numbers soared due to the popularity of the program and written examination was conducted to select 30 students. In the year 2004 - 22 out of 30 students qualified for IIT-JEE increasing the popularity of the program which attracted even more applications.[4]

In the 2005 batch, 26 out of 30 students made it to IIT while 28 cleared the examinations in 2006 - this despite the fact that IIT changed the examination pattern. In appreciation of their efforts, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar felicitated the students with a cash prize of Rupees 50,000 each.[5]

The following year 28 more students achieved the IIT dream and finally in 2008, for the first time all of the Super 30 cleared the IIT JEE. Having achieved perfect result in 2008, Abhayanand quit Super 30 saying "the experiment is over". [6]

Anand's former students also joined as teachers for the Super 30 and in the year 2009, all 30 students again managed to clear the IIT JEE. In 2017, all the candidates again cracked the IIT-JEE Advanced 2017, results of which were announced on June 2017.[7].26 students of 'Super 30' have achieved success in IIT-JEE Advanced 2018 .[8].

Awards and recognition edit

Super 30 has been selected in 2010 by Time Magazine in its list - The Best of Asia 2010.[9][10][11] The organization also received praise from United States former President Barack Obama's special envoy Rashad Hussain - who termed it the "best" institute in the country.[12] Newsweek Magazine included Super 30 in its list of four most innovative schools in the world.[13] Anand Kumar has also been awarded the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar - the highest award in field of education given by Bihar government - in November 2010.[14]


Popular Culture edit

Bollywood Director Vikas Bahl will be casting Hrithik Roshan in his upcoming film titled "Super 30". The film is based on the life and works of Anand Kumar.[15] Media reports have indicated that following the controversy over unsubstantiated results, the makers of the film may change the film from a biopic to fiction, dropping any reference to Anand Kumar or Super 30.[16]

Kumar has also appeared on popular Indian television game show Kaun Banega Crorepati in 2017 as a special guest. He won Rs 25 lakh answering seven questions.[17][18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Living the vilayat dream at home - Teacher who failed to study abroad coaches students to do so". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 22 February 2005.
  2. ^ "Helping poor Indians crack toughest test". 21 September 2006. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Bihar's Super 30: First step on the ladder". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  4. ^ 'NISHANK', DR RAMESH POKHRIYAL (8 April 2016). Dreams that Don’t Let You Sleep: Based on the Life Skills Management of Dr. Kalam. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789385975882.
  5. ^ "CM felicitates Super-30 stars - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Cop quits Super-30, says experiment is over - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  7. ^ "All 'Super 30' candidates crack IIT-JEE Advanced - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
  8. ^ "http://atulyabihar.com/26-out-of-30-students-of-super30-cleared-iit-jee-this-year/1". {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  9. ^ "Math whiz' Super 30 in Time list". Deccan Herald.
  10. ^ "Yahoo". Yahoo.
  11. ^ Thottam, Jyoti (13 May 2010). "The Best of Asia 2010 - TIME". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Obama's special envoy hails Super 30". The Hindu. PTI. 8 August 2010. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 February 2018.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. ^ "Super-30' incredible, says Newsweek'". The Times Of India. 19 September 2010.
  14. ^ "Super honour for Anand from Madhya Pradesh". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  15. ^ "Confirmed! Hrithik Roshan is playing mathematician Anand Kumar in Vikas Bahl's Super 30". The Indian Express. 25 September 2017. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  16. ^ "Hrithik Roshan's 'Super 30' No Longer a Biopic As Founder Anand Kumar Faces Fraud Charges". News18. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  17. ^ "Super 30 founder Anand Kumar's KBC appearance draws lakhs of viewers". 18 September 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Kaun Banega Crorepati season 9: Episode featuring Super 30 founder Anand Kumar tops TRP chart- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. Retrieved 10 February 2018.