Patna, March 25: He wanted to go to Cambridge for higher studies but could not because of financial constraints. Now he will share the stage with the man who once governed the country in which Cambridge is.
Anand Kumar, mathematician, teacher and founder of Super 30 — that provides free coaching to underprivileged students for the IIT-JEE, is all set to meet former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
The two will be sharing the stage at “Education without border” in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The international mega conference has been organised by the Higher College of Technology, UAE.
The conference will be held in Abu Dhabi from March 28 to March 31 and will be attended by a host of dignitaries and around 3,700 student delegates from 129 countries, said Anand. The other dignitaries at the conference are Nobel laureate Albert Fert, Unesco director-general Irina Bokova and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Anand said he would speak on how education can be a tool for social change.
The founder of Super 30, no newcomer to international invitations, said: “I feel great to receive this invitation. In 1994, after the death of my father, I could not go to Cambridge because of a financial crisis.”
He added: “Later, I set up the Ramanujan School of Mathematics to help poor students. In 2002, I wanted to do something more and set up Super 30. This was a pioneering move, as I provided free coaching for IIT-JEE, as well as lodging and food to 30 bright students, selected through a test. I made all the arrangements myself without taking any financial help from any quarter,” said Anand.
He also said he is happy that people want to listen to him. “It is a great privilege for me that people are getting inspired by my work,” he said.
Anand had the privilege of delivering lectures twice at conferences organised by the American Mathematical Society.
Following the success of Super 30, which has so far sent 212 students to the IITs, he also got an opportunity to speak at IIM-Ahmedabad, IIT-Delhi, Confederation of Indian Industries, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and various other national and international conferences.
In the past three years all 30 students of each batch have got admission in the IITs.
This unique achievement brought him into the international arena.
Last year, the Time magazine declared his school as the “Best of Asia”, while Newsweek included him in the list of four best global initiatives.
In 2007, Mukesh Ambani honoured him with the Real Hero Award. Discovery Channel made an hour-long documentary on him.
Various other international channels, like NHK of Japan, Al Jazeera also made films on Super 30. Last year, US President Barack Obama’s special envoy Rashad Hussian visited Super 30 and was overwhelmed to meet the students. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also visited the school.
Having nurtured students of economically weaker sections to crack the gruelling IIT-JEE for the past eight years, Kumar is now planning to open a school.
It would nurture poor students from Class VI and guide them to select fields, which suited best to their talents.
“The idea struck me after I came to know about such schools functioning in Russia, South Korea and China. Most of the students of these schools have done exceptionally well, both in the fields of pure science and applied science. With majority of India’s population still coming from the economically weaker section, I intend to open the school where talented students from poor families could be nurtured for fields, which suited them the most,” Kumar told The Telegraph.
