Director-general of police Abhayanand (right) addresses the news meet in Patna on Wednesday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Two years ago, Gaya resident Shubham Kumar used to bind books to eke out a living. Fingers crossed, today, he is confident that things will look up once the IIT-JEE (Advanced) results are out on June 23.

The 17-year-old son of a rickshawpuller has taken the coveted entrance to the IITs this year, all thanks to Magadh Super 30 in Gaya that has groomed him for India’s best technology cradle.

Shubham finds himself “fortunate enough” to be one among the 16 students of Magadh Super 30 who took the entrance under Bihar director-general of police Abhayanand’s guidance.

“My friends are mostly children of rickshaw pullers. They can’t even imagine where I am now. My elder brother could not study beyond Class IX because of financial insecurity. I am the one who got the opportunity to study in Magadh Super 30,” Shubham said.

Shubham is among Gaya students who scored very high in Class XII Intermediate science exam. After the results he had said his goal was an IIT. Though some of his classmates had moved to Kota in Rajasthan to pursue coaching for engineering entrance, Shubham stuck to Magadh Super 30.

He was unable to clear the entrance test for Magadh Super 30 the first time, immediately after his Class X. But he was given a second chance which he cleared. Shubham’s high ambitions and go-getter attitude were on display at a Bihar Industries Association news meet by Magadh Super 30 on Wednesday. The meet was organised to announce names of its students who have taken IIT-JEE (Advanced) this year.

DGP Abhayanand, who is also the mentor of Magadh Super 30, attended the meet, along with the executive director of Centre for Social Responsibility & Leadership, Krishnamurti Singh.

Eight schools on the lines of Super 30 are being run across the country under the mentorship of the DGP.

Around 10 years ago, schools with the aim of imparting free training to crack the IITs were opened across the country, including in UP, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Bihar.

“We released the list of all 233 students who were part of Super 30. The students studied at the eight schools run under the Super 30 concept. They have all appeared for IIT-JEE (Advanced) and are expected to clear it. The results are to be declared on June 23,” Abhayanand said at the news meet. He also explained how they have been running the schools so far. According to the Super 30 mentor, underprivileged students get free books, residential facility and other privileges at the institution for two years. They are groomed for the IITs and other such premier technology cradles.

“I never thought I would be able to sit for the IIT entrance. I don’t know whether I will be able to crack the Advanced but I am glad that after my stint with the Super 30, I will surely get admissions in other renowned colleges,” said Rajan Raju, whose father earns Rs 15,000 a month and has a family of five to feed.