Interview with Anand Kumar: A Force called Super 30

Making our way through the streets of Patna in Bihar, we are greeted by a blue coloured rusted gate that reads Ramanujan School of Mathematics. The school is located in a place which seems very far from the thrusting world of modern India. Yet, everyone seems to know the Ramanujan School of Mathematics or Super 30, as it is popularly called. Walking on the path which was shared by 100s of IITians, we reach the main study hall. The room itself speaks out for the numerous success stories that have been written within these walls. They are coated in a plain white colour and devoid of any elements that could distract the future IITians. The only things you see in the room are tables and chairs sitting a long row. In the midst of all this, you can spot the force, Anand Kumar, founder of Super 30, who has been guiding the under-privileged students quench their thirst for IIT.

Recently, Prof. Anand Kumar has been honoured in Canada for his pioneering work in the field of education. He was appreciated by theLegislature of British Columbia, Canada for his rare achievements to the students from India’s underprivileged sections. The British Columbia Government had invited Kumar in recognition of his work through globally acclaimed Super30, which has successfully mentoring 30 students mostly from the underprivileged.

Teaching was never in the agenda, Kumar wanted to make it big in the field of Mathematics. After graduating from Patna University in Mathematics Honours, he wanted to pursue a major in Cambridge University. He was granted admission, owing to his well- researched papers published in India and abroad. But the lack of financial aid proved to be a damper in his journey to Cambridge.

Shouldered with the responsibility of a family, he started selling papads on the street made by his mother. This was the only source of income of the family of three, after the demise of his father. The financial crisis and his love for Mathematics made him start the Ramanujan School of Mathematics with two students. His teaching methods attracted dozens of students from all over India. It was the story of a student, which inspired him to go ahead with the idea of Super 30. Super 30 are the jewels with a common dream- the IIT. Kumar and his family have devoted themselves in educating these students. They take care of the food, shelter and provide JEE coaching for them.

Super 30 was started in 2001, according to the statistics available currently, 360 students from the Super 30 have appeared for JEE, out of which 308 have made it to the IITs, marking a spectacular 85.6 per cent success rate. The remaining students enrolled in reputed engineering institutes across India. 

At Super 30, a lot of focus is given to the ‘How and Why’ behind every formula. Kumar makes use of ‘out of the box’ teaching techniques to throw light on the basics of every topic. Speaking about the technique he said, ‘We employ different strategies with our students. We start with giving them a homely atmosphere and taking away the fear of the examination. My wife, an IIT graduate and currently a software engineer is also an integral part of the organization. We have incorporated multimedia techniques in the entire learning process.  We teach every concept in the form of a story, which predominantly has two characters. Vicky, one of the characters is a suited up guy belonging to a strong financial background, Dholu on the other hand is from the financially weaker strata of the society. When a problem is thrown in their court, Vicky quickly solves it giving out a traditional solution, whereas Dholu comes up with 7-8 solutions of the same problem using the ‘How and Why’ technique. This makes maths more interesting to the students and gives them the confidence to outshine others.’

It is very essential to create a competitive environment with tremendous positivity for students to excel in any competition. This is of pivotal importance in the Ramanujan School of Mathematics. 

Challenges Faced by Anand Kumar

• Language Barriers: Students belonging to the Hindi medium schools dominate the group, hence understanding becomes an issue. The writing and problems are in English, but they communicate in Hindi. The initial path proves to be a rocky terrain, which, with a mix of hard work and constant practice make things easier later on.
• Confidence: The hype about JEE and IIT often brings the confidence of these students down. Also, due to their background status, they need that little push to move up the ladder. The Multimedia techniques help us coping up with these issues.
• Funds: ‘We don’t take donations. Respected and famous people across the society like Mukesh Ambani, Manmohan Singh and many other have offered help, but we don’t need it.’, said Kumar.  They have volunteers spread in different areas who take tuitions for the privileged students. His wife and Anand himself also contribute to this. This is their only source of income by which they provide for themselves and their Super 30.
• Coaching Mafias: ‘Education is now a business and due to my increasing popularity, the coaching institutes saw me as a threat and tried pulling me down. I was attacked thrice after which, I was given protection.’ commented Kumar.

Tips for JEE Aspirants

• Thirst for IIT: There needs to be a strong determination towards the goal.
• No Distractions: Students should prioritize their goals and shun all the elements that prove to be a distraction.
• Positive Thinking: There should be no second thought about clearing IIT. Once should always feel positive about accomplishing their goal.
• Continuous Hard Work: Students need to give in their day and night to the preparation. At Super 30, they are given a coaching of three hours per day, leaving enough scope for self- study.
• Patience: A lot of patience is required. Failures should not disappoint the candidates at any cost. If they are not able to solve a question in the first attempt, multiple trials and consulting multiple books might be the key.
• Theory: Getting the theory correct is a necessity for JEE aspirants. The focus as mentioned above lies in getting back to the basics.
• Learn from your Mistakes: It is a known fact that people should learn from their mistakes. Kumar suggests students to make a note of all their mistakes in a separate notebook and keep going back to it, so that they are not repeated.

Study Material for JEE Main and JEE Advanced

• NCERT Text Books (+2 Level)
• 35 year JEE question Bank
• Maths- I.A. Maroon
• Physics: H.C. Verma
• Chemistry: NCERT textbook

Anand Kumar wants to expand his teaching and reach out to a larger section preparing for JEE. He plans to go digital with his tutorials being made available online for Re. 1 a lecture. His students are spread across the globe working for big companies. He has students working for Quicker, L & T and has even been placed as lecturers abroad. His methodological teaching and techniques have resulted in the shining careers of many students. He wishes to continue the same in the times to come.