Anand Kumar
Encyclopedia
Anand Kumar is an India
n mathematician
and a columnist
for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines. He is best known for his Super 30
programme, which he started in Patna
, Bihar
in 2002, and which coaches economically backward students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology
(IITs). By 2011, 236 of the 270 had made it to IITs and Discovery Channel
showcased his work in a documentary.
clerk in Bihar
. His father could not afford private schooling for his children, and Anand attended a Hindi
medium government school, where he developed his deep interest of Mathematics. During graduation, Kumar submitted papers on Number Theory
, which were published in Mathematical Spectrum and The Mathematical Gazette.
Anand secured admission to Cambridge University, but could not attend because of his father's death and his financial condition, even after looking for sponsor in 1994-1995, both in Patna and Delhi.
Kumar would work on Mathematics during day time and would sell papads in evenings with his mother, who had started a small business from home, to support her family. He also tutored students in maths to earn extra money. Since Patna University library did not have foreign journals, for his own study, he would travel every weekend on a six-hour train journey to Varanasi
, where his younger brother, learning violin under N. Rajam, had a hostel room. Thus he would spent Saturday and Sunday at the Central Library, BHU
and return to Patna on Monday morning.
programme in 2003, for which he is now well-known.
Every year in August, since 2003, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics, now a trust, holds a competitive test to select 30 students for the ‘Super 30’ scheme. About 4,000 to 5,000 students appear at the test, and eventually he takes thirty intelligent students from economically backward sections, tutors them, and provides study materials and lodging for a year. He prepares them for the Joint Entrance Examination
for the Indian Institutes of Technology
(IIT). His mother, Jayanti Devi, cooks for the students, and his brother Pranav Kumar takes care of the management.
During 2003-2009, 182 students out of 210 have made it to the IITs. In 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared IIT JEE entrance making it a three in a row for the institution. Anand Kumar has no financial support for Super 30 from any government as well as private agencies, and manages on the tuition fee he earns from the Ramanujam Institute. After the success of Super 30 and its growing popularity, he got many offers from the private – both national and international companies - as well as the government for financial help, but he always refused it. He wanted to sustain Super 30 through his own efforts. After three consecutive 30/30 results in 2008-2010, in 2011, 24 of the 30 students cleared IIT JEE.
broadcast a one-hour-long programme on Super 30, and half a page has been devoted to Kumar in The New York Times
. Actress and ex-Miss Japan
Norika Fujiwara
visited Patna
to make a documentary on Anand’s initiatives. Kumar has been featured in programmes by the BBC. He has spoken about his experiences at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
. Kumar is in the Limca Book of Records
(2009) for his contribution in helping poor students crack IIT-JEE by providing them free coaching. Time Magazine has selected mathematician Anand Kumar's school - Super 30 - in the list of Best of Asia 2010. Anand Kumar was awarded the S. Ramanujan Award for 2010 by the Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS) in July 2010.
Super 30 received praise from United States President Barack Obama
's special envoy Rashad Hussain
, who termed it the “best” institute in the country. Newsweek Magazine has taken note of the initiative of mathematician Anand Kumar’s Super 30 and included his school in the list of four most innovative schools in the world. Anand Kumar has been awarded by top award of Bihar government
"Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar" November 2010. He was awarded the Prof Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar 2010 by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
(ABVP) in Bangalore
.
In April 2011, Anand Kumar was selected by Europe's magazine Focus as "one of the global personalities who have the ability to shape exceptionally talented people." Anand Kumar also helped Amitabh Bachchan
in preparing for his role in the film Aarakshan
. Many people from Bollywood including renowned directors and producers are interested in making a movie on the life of Anand Kumar .
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and a columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for various national and international mathematical journals and magazines. He is best known for his Super 30
Super 30
Super 30 is an Indian educational program that started in Patna, Bihar, India under the banner of 'Ramanujan School of Mathematics', by Anand Kumar. Established in 2002, the program selects 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains...
programme, which he started in Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
in 2002, and which coaches economically backward students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology
Indian Institutes of Technology
The Indian Institutes of Technology are a group of autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education. The IITs are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as “institutions of national importance”, and lays down their powers, duties,...
(IITs). By 2011, 236 of the 270 had made it to IITs and Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
showcased his work in a documentary.
Early life
Anand Kumar was born in Bihar. His father was a post officeIndian Postal Service
The Department of Posts functioning under the brand name India Post , is a government operated postal system in India; it is generally referred to within India as "the post office"....
clerk in Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. His father could not afford private schooling for his children, and Anand attended a Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
medium government school, where he developed his deep interest of Mathematics. During graduation, Kumar submitted papers on Number Theory
Number theory
Number theory is a branch of pure mathematics devoted primarily to the study of the integers. Number theorists study prime numbers as well...
, which were published in Mathematical Spectrum and The Mathematical Gazette.
Anand secured admission to Cambridge University, but could not attend because of his father's death and his financial condition, even after looking for sponsor in 1994-1995, both in Patna and Delhi.
Kumar would work on Mathematics during day time and would sell papads in evenings with his mother, who had started a small business from home, to support her family. He also tutored students in maths to earn extra money. Since Patna University library did not have foreign journals, for his own study, he would travel every weekend on a six-hour train journey to Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, where his younger brother, learning violin under N. Rajam, had a hostel room. Thus he would spent Saturday and Sunday at the Central Library, BHU
Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library (Central Library), BHU
Sayaji Rao Gaekwad Library , BHU is a Central Library of Banaras Hindu University , Varanasi. Established in 1917, it is listed in the Survey of Manuscripts in India...
and return to Patna on Monday morning.
Teaching career and Super 30
In 1992, Kumar began teaching Mathematics. He rented a classroom for Rs 500 a month, and began his own institute, the Ramanujam School of Mathematics (RSM). Within the space of year, his class grew from two students to thirty-six, and after three years there were almost 500 students enrolled. Then in early 2000, when a poor student came to him seeking coaching for IIT-JEE, who couldn't afford the annual admission fee due to poverty, Kumar was motivated to start the Super 30Super 30
Super 30 is an Indian educational program that started in Patna, Bihar, India under the banner of 'Ramanujan School of Mathematics', by Anand Kumar. Established in 2002, the program selects 30 meritorious and talented candidates each year from economically backward sections of society and trains...
programme in 2003, for which he is now well-known.
Every year in August, since 2003, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics, now a trust, holds a competitive test to select 30 students for the ‘Super 30’ scheme. About 4,000 to 5,000 students appear at the test, and eventually he takes thirty intelligent students from economically backward sections, tutors them, and provides study materials and lodging for a year. He prepares them for the Joint Entrance Examination
Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination
The Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination is an annual college entrance examination in India. It is used as a sole criterion for the Indian Institutes of Technology as well as other institutes.The exam is conducted by the various IITs by a policy of rotation...
for the Indian Institutes of Technology
Indian Institutes of Technology
The Indian Institutes of Technology are a group of autonomous engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education. The IITs are governed by the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 which has declared them as “institutions of national importance”, and lays down their powers, duties,...
(IIT). His mother, Jayanti Devi, cooks for the students, and his brother Pranav Kumar takes care of the management.
During 2003-2009, 182 students out of 210 have made it to the IITs. In 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared IIT JEE entrance making it a three in a row for the institution. Anand Kumar has no financial support for Super 30 from any government as well as private agencies, and manages on the tuition fee he earns from the Ramanujam Institute. After the success of Super 30 and its growing popularity, he got many offers from the private – both national and international companies - as well as the government for financial help, but he always refused it. He wanted to sustain Super 30 through his own efforts. After three consecutive 30/30 results in 2008-2010, in 2011, 24 of the 30 students cleared IIT JEE.
Recognition
In March 2009, Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
broadcast a one-hour-long programme on Super 30, and half a page has been devoted to Kumar in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. Actress and ex-Miss Japan
Miss Japan
is a beauty contest that has been held by a diet gym company and Yomiuri news group every year between winners of the Japanese block pageants.Winner is chosen out of 2000 candidates.- Winners :-External links:* on Sports Nippon...
Norika Fujiwara
Norika Fujiwara
is a Japanese beauty queen, model and actress. She became Miss Japan in 1992 and was an exclusive model for CanCam magazine. She has appeared in various commercials and TV series and a number of films in Japan.-Career:...
visited Patna
Patna
Paṭnā , is the capital of the Indian state of Bihar and the second largest city in Eastern India . Patna is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world...
to make a documentary on Anand’s initiatives. Kumar has been featured in programmes by the BBC. He has spoken about his experiences at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad , better known as IIM Ahmedabad or simply IIM-A, is a business school located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It is the second Indian Institute of Management to be established, in 1961.-History:...
. Kumar is in the Limca Book of Records
Limca Book of Records
Limca Book of Records is a record book of Indian origin. First published in 1990, when the Limca Brand was owned by Parle Group. The book continued to be published by Coca-Cola, when they bought the Limca Brand. The 20th edition of this book was released by Amitabh Bachchan in March 2009...
(2009) for his contribution in helping poor students crack IIT-JEE by providing them free coaching. Time Magazine has selected mathematician Anand Kumar's school - Super 30 - in the list of Best of Asia 2010. Anand Kumar was awarded the S. Ramanujan Award for 2010 by the Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS) in July 2010.
Super 30 received praise from United States President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's special envoy Rashad Hussain
Rashad Hussain
Rashad Hussain , is an American attorney, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation , an intergovernmental group with 57 member states. Hussain, a Muslim of Indian heritage, has served in the White House Counsel's Office, and in his role as Envoy, has advised the...
, who termed it the “best” institute in the country. Newsweek Magazine has taken note of the initiative of mathematician Anand Kumar’s Super 30 and included his school in the list of four most innovative schools in the world. Anand Kumar has been awarded by top award of Bihar government
Government of Bihar
The Government of Bihar, known locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Bihar and its 38 districts of its divisions...
"Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar" November 2010. He was awarded the Prof Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar 2010 by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad , is an all India student organization working in the field of education. ABVP was founded in 1948 and formally registered on 9 July 1949.-History:...
(ABVP) in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
.
In April 2011, Anand Kumar was selected by Europe's magazine Focus as "one of the global personalities who have the ability to shape exceptionally talented people." Anand Kumar also helped Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
in preparing for his role in the film Aarakshan
Aarakshan
Aarakshan is a 2011 Hindi film starring Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone. Directed by Prakash Jha, the film is a socio-political drama based on the controversial policy of caste based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions...
. Many people from Bollywood including renowned directors and producers are interested in making a movie on the life of Anand Kumar .