Updated January 11, 2023
Anand Kumar of Super 30, is an Indian Mathematics Teacher, famous for his Super 30 social initiatives. Anand started Super 30 in 2002 at his native place Patna to guide the underprivileged students for IIT JEE.
By 2018, 422 out of 510 students had cleared the entrance examination for IITs. In March 2009, Discovery Channel showcased a one-hour-long programme on Super 30 in a documentary about his great work.
At Harvard and MIT University, Kumar has spoken about his program for students from the underprivileged sections of Indian society.
Also, he had been part of several controversies, some of which have been carried in Indian media sources. A movie named Super 30 was released in 2019, which portrayed his life and work.
Childhood, Early Life & Qualification
Anand Kumar was born on born 1 January 1973, in Bihar, India. Being a post office Clerk’s son, he could not afford private schooling. That’s why he studied in a Hindi medium government school, where he discovered his passion for Mathematics.
During his graduation, Kumar published papers on number theory in the Mathematical Spectrum.
Although Anand secured admission to Cambridge University but was unable to pursue his studies due to his Father’s demise and his Financial Condition.
After his Father’s death, Kumar was offered a job in the postal department, where his father was working as a clerk. He refused the offer and started teaching Maths to underprivileged students.
To overcome financial issues, Kumar’s mother started selling homemade papads named ‘Anand Papad’ and after attending college, Kumar used to deliver them in the evening. For some extra money, he started mentoring students in Maths.
Since Patna University library did not have foreign journals, so Just to read some journals on Mathematics, he used to travel every weekend on a six-hour train journey to Varanasi, and come back home on Monday mornings.
Super 30 Programme of Anand Kumar
In 1992, Kumar started teaching Mathematics to poor students, who couldn’t afford the annual admission fee due to poverty. He rented a classroom for rupees 500 per month, where he began his own institute ‘Ramanujan School of Mathematics’ (RSM). The number of students grew from 2 to 500 in just 3 years.
In early 2000, a poor student came to him seeking coaching for IIT-JEE, who couldn’t afford the annual tuition fee. After this incident, Kumar was motivated to start a programme in 2002 for poor students, which is now well-known as Super 30.
Every year RSM conducts a competitive test to select 30 intelligent students from economically backward sections for the Super 30 programme.
The selected students get free education, food, living space, and study materials for a year. He prepares them for the Joint Entrance Examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). His mother, Jayanti Devi, prepares food for the students while his brother, Parnav Kumar looks after the management.
Initially, there was no financial support for super 30 from any government or private agencies, Kumar manages everything on his tuition fee that he earns from Ramanujan School of Mathematics.
But after the incredible success, and popularity growth of Super 30, Kumar started getting offers from both national and international companies as well as the government for financial help. But he refused it because he wanted to keep super 30 alive with his own efforts.
Personal Life and Achievements of Anand Kumar
Although his life was not easy, in 2019 he revealed that he is suffering from a Brain tumor. Due to it, he lost 80% to 90% of his hearing ability in the right ear. B. K. Misra, a famous neurosurgeon, is treating him at the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.
In 2009, he was listed in the Limca Book of Records, for providing free coaching to underprivileged students.
In 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared the JEE Advance exam, making it three in a row for the institution. The same year Bihar Government awarded him its top award- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar and Time magazine included Super 30 in the list of Best of Asia.
Rashad Hussain, the special envoy of former US President Barack Obama, called Super 30 the “greatest” institute in the country.
In 2017, he appeared on Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), a prominent Indian quiz show hosted by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Karpagam University awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) in December 2014 in honor of his work with poor students.
After his immense success, many coaching mafias tried to assault him. In one such incident, armed criminals attacked Anand Kumar, and while he had a narrow escape, one of his non-teaching staff got seriously injured. The Government of Bihar provided him with two security guards after that incident.
Awards
Malabar Gold & Diamonds awarded Anand Kumar the Global Education Award 2018 on November 8, 2018, in Dubai. They regarded his work as “pioneering” in the sphere of education.
In Chennai, Anand Kumar received the “Mahaveer Award.” On March 10, 2022, DASA India’s National VO, based in Agartala, Tripura, presented Anand Kumar with the Bharat Ganit Ratna Award 2022, a prestigious honor. Anjan Banik, DASA India’s National Chairman, handed over the award to Anand Kumar.
Controversies on Anand Kumar of Super 30
On 23 July 2018, an article in Dainik Jagran mentioned that Kumar cheated on his students. Kumar’s students of the Super 30 told that only 3 students were able to clear the JEE Advance exam that year, contrary to Kumar’s claim that 26 had passed out of 30. Students also told that Kumar interpreted the actual data to gain Popularity.
Some reports also claimed that Kumar used to divert the Students to Ramanujan Classes to earn huge money. Anand Kumar promised to return the hefty fee the students paid to attend RSM Institute for a year before being admitted to the Super-30. But the father of one student claimed that the fee was never returned.
Anand Kumar refused all these claims. He stated that all these false claims about him are a plan of his rivals to Defame him.
Is Anand Kumar Still Teaching?
Yes, Anand Kumar is still running the Super 30 program. He is well-known as a teacher and mentor, who devotes his time and energy to helping underprivileged students prepare for the IIT-JEE.
He simplifies complex mathematical concepts to help students understand the underlying principles, and that’s how he is well-known for his teaching style.
Mainstream Portray of Anand Kumar’s Life
In 2011, Bollywood Film ‘Aarakshan’ got the inspiration for Amitabh Bachchan’s role from Anand Kumar and his Super 30.
In 2019, in a movie titled ‘Super 30’ directed by Vikash Bhai, actor Hrithik Roshan as Anand Kumar, Portrayed the life and works of Kumar. The movie did great at the Box office and became a source of inspiration for many students.
FAQs on Anand Kumar of Super 30
Ans: Yes, the story of Anand Kumar is 100% true.
Ans: Yes, he is married and his wife’s name is Ritu Rashmi.
Ans: Anand Kumar is an Indian Mathematician, well-known for his Super 30 Programme, which was started in Patna, Bihar. The Super 30 Programme was purely made for underprivileged students.
Ans: He 25 lakh rupees in KBC.