Anand Kumar, Ramanujan School
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Anand Kumar: Founder, Ramanujan School of Mathematics
Mantra for change
“I want my students to squeeze, wrench and scrape everything from me. I want them to grasp the knowledge to crack the IIT.”
Success technique
Sample tests that are conducted every day to make students “immune to all kinds of question shocks.”
Success rate
In 2008 and 2009, everyone from the Super 30 cracked the IIT-JEE.
One hundred and eighty two of his students have got through the IIT exams in the past seven years, a stupendous achievement when only 2 per cent of those who apply finally qualify. Using a mix of inspirational stories and exam busting techniques, Anand Kumar’s Ramanujan School of Mathematics in Patna has become an island of excellence in a sea of teaching shops.
From 5,000-6,000 students who appear for the test, Kumar selects 30 for a freeof-cost “Super 30 Programme” which also provides children free accommodation for eight months to help them crack the prestigious joint entrance examination. And to think there was a time when he would deliver homemade papads to households in Patna. And that he had to give up a seat at the University of Cambridge when his father, a postal department employee, died in 1994.
-by Amitabh Srivastava
His life
2014: given 10 years to live
Mathematician and educationist Anand Kumar, founder of a successful Super 30 programme in Bihar, hopes the movie "Super 30", which is based on his life, would bring prestige to Bihar.
"All the stories from Bihar feature negativity like fraud and robbery. This is a story which will bring prestige to Bihar. The world will know that in Bihar, we have people who despite difficulties reach the top," Mr Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Patna-based educationist has earned recognition throughout the world for his work in providing free coaching to students from economically weaker sections for the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT).
Mr Kumar said he is happy that biopic is releasing at a time when he is healthy.
Currently receiving treatment for Acoustic Neuroma, a rare medical condition, the 46-year-old mathematician was told in 2014 that he may only have 10 years to live.
Talking about his health, the mathematician said, "In 2014, my health worsened and I lost 80 per cent to 90 per cent of my hearing. After several consultations, I was told by the doctors at Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi about the development of a tumour in a nerve that goes from our ear to the brain. I was given 10 years to live".
Mr Kumar said that he was told that performing the surgery would be risky and even a slight miscalculation can result in disfigurement of his face and complete loss of hearing. He is presently being treated at Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.
"For now, I am healthy although it may get worse with time," he told news agency ANI.
"I do not wish to see a talented child's education dream crash due to financial constraints. I want to remove this suffering from my nation. I will work for it till my last breath," he added.
With an optimistic outlook on life, Mr Kumar said he is living in the present and wants to lead a happy and long life.
He credits his brother for inspiring him to become a teacher.
A bright student in his early years, Mr Kumar was selected in Cambridge University but did not have the money to even board the flight to England.
After the sudden death of his father, the brothers started selling papad (wafers) to sustain a living.
"I always wanted to be a teacher. My brother told me, why you are looking at Cambridge or Bombay University? Why don't you start teaching children in our neighbourhood?" he said.
This marked the start of a journey from 2002 that is now being documented in big budget movie starring Hrithik Roshan. The movie will be released on July 12 in 71 countries.
In an inspiring message for the students who did not get a mentor like him, Mr Kumar said, "Don't ever try to memorise a subject. Seek the how and why of the subject. Just love your subject and work hard."
"There will surely be a time when you get afraid or you may fail. In that situation, have a positive attitude and be patient. Tomorrow is definitely yours," he added.
Cheating case
2019/ Anand Kumar told to pay ₹50,000
Bihar-based mathematician Anand Kumar, of Super-30 fame, has been directed to appear before the Gauhati High Court on November 28, besides paying ₹50,000 to the “guardians and student” who appeared for a scheduled hearing on Monday, in a case of cheating against him. The Division Bench issued the directive after they were “displeased at the non-compliance” with a November 19 order directing him to be present before the court on Monday.
In that order, the bench had said, “We shall be constrained on issuing bailable warrant of arrest for his production” if Mr. Kumar did not appear on November 26.
The case is based on a 2018 petition by four students from the northeast, now studying at the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati. They accused Mr. Kumar of cheating and said there was no transparency in the functioning of Super-30.
Mr. Kumar had conceptualised Super-30 along with former Bihar DGP Abhayanand to teach poor students from Bihar to crack the IIT JEE. The two parted ways in 2008.
The petitioners alleged that a large number of students from the northeast, who had approached Mr. Kumar for enrolment in Super-30, were admitted by him in a “coaching institute by the name of Ramanujan School of Mathematics” by charging ₹33,000 per student. They suspected Mr. Kumar was not running any Super-30 classes after 2008 and did not devote sufficient time to the IIT aspirants who took admission in the school.
The petitioners also said false claims made by Mr. Kumar amounted to cheating IIT aspirants and their guardians as well as the people of the country. They said Mr. Kumar had in 2018 claimed 26 out of 30 students who cleared the IIT entrance exam in 2018 were from his Super-30, “but till today the Respondent No 8 [Mr. Kumar] has not disclosed the names of the 26 IIT entrance qualified students”.
On September 21, 2018, the Gauhati High Court had issued notice to Mr. Kumar and Mr. Abhayanand. While the former sought adjournment, the latter in an affidavit in January said he had no knowledge of what transpired in Super-30 since 2008.
