Former students of Anand Kumar celebrate their IIT success by lifting him on Friday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Hard work and proper guidance can help overcome any hurdle. Hanzala Shafi (19) reinforced it on Friday clearing the prestigious IIT (Advanced) test.

Hanzala’s salesman father Farhad Shafi used to spend whatever he earned on drinks. The meritorious boy from Begusarai overcame the funds crunch labouring hard. A student of Super 30 of Anand Kumar, Hanzala has secured 732nd rank (in OBC category).

“Boys like Hanzala make me feel proud. They inspire me for doing more to shape the future of poor boys who need help and guidance,” Anand told The Telegraph.

Super 30, an innovative institution run by Anand Kumar since 2002, grooms 30 meritorious students — mostly from poor families — for the IIT entrance exam every year. The selected students stay with Anand. They are provided free food and lodging by him.

If the mentor was all praise for this disciple, Hanzala too had reverence in his eyes for his “sir”.

“Had Anand sir not been there, I would not have achieved what I have,” he said.

Hanzala is not the only one to overcome hurdles of life to achieve something lakhs of students dream of. Bhanu Pratap is another boy who cleared the IIT (Advanced) test under the tutelage of Anand. Son of daily wager Ram Pyare Ram of Gazipur in Uttar Pradesh, Pratap has secured 3,802nd rank.

While Pratap was savouring the moment sharing sweets with his teacher and fellow students, his mother Geeta Devi had tears in her eyes. “My son has made me proud. I have no words to thank Anand sir for preparing Bhanu for this examination,” she said.

As many as 28 students from Super 30 cleared the IIT (Advanced) this year. Last year, 27 out of the 30 boys groomed by Anand cleared the test.

Like Anand, director-general of police (DGP) Abhayanand, who dons the role of a teacher after fulfilling his responsibility of top cop, was proud of his students.

Of the 23 students I mentored at Rahmani 30 in Patna, seven have qualified for admission to IITs,” Abhayanand told The Telegraph.

Rahmani classes is an initiative of Muslim cleric Wali Sahab Rahmani. He provides funds for mentoring Muslim students for the IIT and other engineering entrance examinations.

Since the DGP works as the mentor for several such initiatives of public sector organisations across the country, the total number of successful candidates groomed by him is 65. “It is a very satisfying feeling when you see your students doing well in such a tough examination,” the DGP said.

There are many who did not have teachers like Anand or Abhayanand. Still, they cleared the test.

Naini Kumari of Khagaria district is one such example. Daughter of farmer Kapideo Prasad, she has secured 654th rank.

After completing her Plus Two from a school in Danapur, she prepared for the IIT entrance exam for a year staying in Patna. She used to attend coaching classes at an institute in the city.

“The coaching institute waived 30 per cent of the fee. Yet, my father had to take a loan for paying the remaining amount. I am really happy I could achieve what my father wanted,” she said.

She was all praise for her teachers, especially for providing her books during preparation. As the results of the IIT (Advanced) test was declared late in the day, the details were pouring in till the time of filing this report. According to information available, at least 400 students from the state have cleared it.

Subham Kumar Mishra, a student of a coaching institute in the city, secured 1,688th rank in the general category. Attributing his success to the guidance provided by the teachers at a coaching institute, Mishra told The Telegraph: “It is like a dream come true.”