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Anand Kumar

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For other uses, see Anand Kumar (disambiguation).

Anand Kumar
Born (1973-01-01) 1 January 1973 (age 51)
Patna, Bihar, India
Alma mater
Occupations
Years active2002–present
Known forSuper 30 program
SpouseRitu Rashmi
ChildrenJagat Kumar (son), Suhani Rashmi (daughter)
Parents
  • Jayanti Devi (mother)
  • Rajendra Prasad (father)
RelativesPranav Kumar (brother)
Awards
  • Padma Shri (2023)
  • Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar (2010)[1]
WebsiteSuper 30

Anand Kumar (born 1 January 1973) is an Indian mathematics educator, best known for his Super 30 program , which he started in Patna, Bihar in 2002. He is known for coaching underprivileged students for JEE–Main and JEE–Advanced, the entrance examinations for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Kumar was named in Time magazine's list of Best of Asia 2010.[2] In 2023, he was awarded the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India for his contributions in the fields of literature and education.[3] Anand Kumar was designated as the honorary ambassador of department of Korean Tourism of Government of South Korea .[4]

By 2018, 422 out of 510 students had made it to the IITs and Discovery Channel showcased his work in a documentary.[5][6][7][8][9] Kumar and his school have been the subject of several controversies over its success rate in getting students admitted to IITs, some of which have been reported in Indian media sources.[10] His life and work had been portrayed in the 2019 film, Super 30, where he was played by the well known actor Hrithik Roshan.

Early life

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Anand Kumar was born in Bihar, India. His father was a clerk[11] in the postal department of India. His father could not afford private schooling for his children, and Anand attended a Hindi medium government school, where he developed his deep interest in mathematics.[12][13] In his childhood, he studied at Patna High School, in Patna, Bihar. During his graduation, Kumar submitted papers on number theory, which were published in the Mathematical Spectrum.[14] Kumar secured admission to the University of Cambridge, but could not attend because of his father's death and his financial condition.[12][15][16]

Teaching career

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Further information: Super 30

In 1992, Kumar began teaching mathematics.[12][13] He rented a classroom for Rs. 300 per month, and began his own institute, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics (RSM).[12][17] Within the span of year, his class grew from two students to thirty-six, and after three years almost 500 students had enrolled.[12] Then in early 2000, when a poor student came to him seeking coaching for IIT-JEE, who could not afford the annual admission fee due to poverty, Kumar was motivated to start the Super 30 programme in 2002, for which he is now well-known.[12][16]

Since 2002, every May, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics holds a competitive test to select 30 students for the Super 30 program. Many students take the test, and eventually, thirty intelligent students from economically disadvantaged sections are selected. He tutors them, and provides study materials and lodging for a year.[12] 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.[12][18]

During 2003 to 2017, 391 students out of 450 passed the IITs.[12][19] In 2010, all the students of Super 30 cleared IIT JEE entrance making it a three in a row for the institution.[20] 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 Ramanujan Institute.[16] After the success of Super 30 and its growing popularity, he received offers from the private sector – both national and international companies – as well as the government for financial help, but he has refused it; Kumar wanted to sustain Super 30 through his own efforts.[16][18]

From 2006 to 2010, 30 out of 30 students cleared the IIT-JEE. In subsequent years, the pass rates for the 30 students at the IIT-JEE examinations were: 2011 – 24, 2012–27, 2013–28, 2014–27, 2015–25, 2016–28, 2017–30, and 2018–26.[18][21][22]

Personal life

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In 2019, Kumar revealed that he has been suffering from acoustic neuroma, a rare kind of brain tumor, and has lost 80-90% of the hearing in his right ear due to it. He is under treatment of noted neurosurgeon B. K. Misra at the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.[23]

Recognition

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Anand Kumar being awarded by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the occasion of Bihar Divas in 2023.
Anand Kumar addressing students at the famed Cambridge University, where he once aspired to study
Anand Kumar addressing students at the famed Cambridge University, where he once aspired to study
Anand Kumar receiving the prestigious Padma Shri Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan
Presenting the book encapsulating the  inspiring journey of Super 30 and the making of Anand Kumar, the teacher, to former President late Pranab Mukherjee at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

In March 2009, Discovery Channel broadcast a one-hour-long programme on Super 30,[6][15][24] and half a page was devoted to Kumar in The New York Times.[15] Actress and former Miss Japan Norika Fujiwara visited Patna to make a documentary on Kumar's initiatives.[17] Kumar has been featured in programmes by the BBC.[15] He has spoken about his experiences at various global-level institutes including Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, a number of IITs, University of British Columbia, Tokyo University and Stanford University.[15][25][26] He was also inducted in the Limca Book of Records (2009) for his contribution in helping poor students pass the IIT-JEE by providing them free coaching.[27] Time magazine included Super 30 in the list of Best of Asia 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.[28] 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.[29] Kumar was given the top award of Bihar government, "Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Shiksha Puraskar", in November 2010.[1] He was awarded the Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Yuva Puraskar award in 2010 by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bangalore.

In April 2011, Kumar was selected by Europe's magazine Focus as "one of the global personalities who have the ability to shape exceptionally talented people."[30] Kumar also helped Amitabh Bachchan in preparing for his role in the film Aarakshan.[31] Many people from Bollywood including renowned directors and producers are interested in making a movie on the life of Anand Kumar.[32] He was named by UK based magazine Monocle among the list of 20 pioneering teachers of the world.[33] He was also honoured by government of British Columbia, Canada.[34] Kumar was given the Baroda Sun Life Achievement Award by Bank of Baroda in Mumbai.[35] Kumar was conferred with the Ramanujan Mathematics Award at the Eighth National Mathematics Convention at function in Rajkot.[36] He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Science (DSc) by Karpagam University, Coimbatore.[37] He was also awarded Maharishi Ved Vyas by Madhya Pradesh Government for extraordinary contribution in education[38] Anand Kumar was honored by ministry of education of Saxony of Germany.[39]

Kumar presented his biography to then-President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, which was written by Canada-based psychiatrist Biju Mathew.[40] Kumar was awarded "Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award" by president of India Ram Nath Kovind.[41] A Canadian MP Marc Dalton has praised Anand Kumar's "inspiring work" with underprivileged children as a successful model for education in Canadian parliament.[42] Anand Kumar was conferred an honorary PhD by the National Institute of Technology.[43] Kumar was designated as the honorary ambassador of Korean Tourism for 2024 for the transformative impact of his work, and an endeavour to foster vibrant cultural and educational exchanges between the youth of India and Korea at a function in Seoul.[4]

Awards

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In 2018, Anand Kumar was awarded Mahaveer Awards in Chennai for excellence in human endeavour in the field of Education, presented by Bhagwan Mahaveer Foundation.[44]

On 8 November 2018, Anand Kumar was honoured with the Global Education Award[45] 2018 by Malabar Gold & Diamonds in Dubai. His efforts in the field of education are considered "pioneering".

Anand Kumar has been felicitated in the US with "Education Excellence Award 2019 " by the Foundation For Excellence in Education (FFE) at a function in San Jose, California.[46] Anand Kumar recently awarded with Bharat Ganit Ratna Award 2022- a special award declared by DASA India - National VO operated from Agartala Tripura on 10 March 2022, which has been handed over by Anjan Banik, National Chairman of DASA India.[47]

In 2023, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India for his contributions in the field of literature and education.[48]

[edit]

Bollywood director Vikas Bahl has directed a film titled Super 30, with Hrithik Roshan as Anand Kumar, based on his life and works. The movie was successful at the box office and became a great inspiration for many students.[49][50]

Anand Kumar at the premiere of biopic on his life ‘Super 30’ in 2019
Anand Kumar at the premiere of biopic on his life ‘Super 30’ in 2019

Smear campaign

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On 23 July 2018, an article in Dainik Jagran cited former Super 30 students who said that only three students from the program had passed the IIT JEE exam that year, contrary to Kumar's claim that 26 had passed.[51] The report also claimed that students who sought to enroll in Super 30 were pushed to enroll in another coaching center called Ramanujan Classes, a for-profit institution, on the pretext that Kumar would coach them if they performed well. Furthermore, the article alleged that by asking IIT aspirants to enroll in Ramanujan Classes, Kumar made over Rs 1 crore annually.[51]

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav spoke in favour of Anand Kumar and said that "propaganda is being run in media influenced by feudal mindset to discredit and defame Anand Kumar." Union Cabinet Minister and former actor, Shatrughan Sinha, has also spoken in Kumar's favour on Twitter.[52][53] In August 2018, The Hindu claimed that Kumar and his school are frequently the target of smear campaigns, and identified the potential sources of the stories in question that appeared in the Dainik Jagran newspaper in July.[10][54] Dainik Jagran later its ‘Editor’s Choice Award’ to Super 30 founder Anand Kumar in 2021 recognising his work in the field of education.[55]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Bihar honours Super 30 founder with top award". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  2. ^ Thottam, Jyoti (13 May 2010). "The Best of Asia 2010 - TIME". Time.
  3. ^ "Padma Awards 2023 announced". Press Information Buereau. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Super 30 founder Anand Kumar receives warm welcome in Seoul, appointed as ambassador of Korean tourism for 2024". The Times of India. 26 August 2024. Archived from the original on 8 September 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  5. ^ "JEE Advanced result 2017: It is 30/30 for Anand Kumar's Super 30". Hindustan Times. 12 June 2017. Archived from the original on 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b Chaudhary, Pranava K (14 March 2009). "Discovery to showcase Super-30 today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Living the vilayat dream at home – Teacher who failed to study abroad coaches students to do so". The Telegraph. 22 February 2005. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  8. ^ Tewary, Amarnath (21 September 2006). "Helping poor Indians crack toughest test". BBC News. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2010.
  9. ^ "Super 30 does it again: 28 of its students crack JEE Advanced". Hindustan Times. 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 22 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  10. ^ a b Amarnath Tewary (22 August 2018). "Bihar Super-30 founder faces smear campaign". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019. When asked who is behind all this, he quipped, "everyone knows in Patna who is he…why should I take his name?" Is he former DGP Abhyanand who was earlier associated with Super-30 for five years?, Mr. Kumar did not respond.
  11. ^ "He trains India's poorest students for the IIT: Rediff.com Get Ahead". Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i "He trains India's poorest students for the IIT". Careers360. 15 December 2009. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Super 30 Founder Anand Kumar, a Mathematician on a Mission". Success Stories. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Letter to the Editor: Happy numbers (page 122 and 123)". Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d e Sengupta, Uttam (14 June 2009). "Genius at work". The Sunday Tribune. Archived from the original on 23 September 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  16. ^ a b c d "Mr. Cent Per Cent". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 14 November 2009. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2013.
  17. ^ a b Kumar, Abhay (6 June 2009). "I am planning expansion of Super 30". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  18. ^ a b c "26 students from Anand Kumar's Super 30 academy crack IIT-JEE". The Economic Times. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  19. ^ Patna, PTI (19 June 2014). "JEE advance result: Anand Kumar's Super 30 wins laurels again, 27 out of 30 qualify for IITs'". Financial Express. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  20. ^ "Super 30's super record in IIT-JEE". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  21. ^ "JEE Advanced 2017 Results". Patna, India: NDTV. 17 June 2017. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  22. ^ "26 students from Anand Kumar's Super 30 academy crack IIT-JEE". TOI. Patna, India. 10 June 2018. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  23. ^ "Anand Kumar reveals he has brain tumour, says 'wanted Super 30 to be made while I am alive'". 11 July 2019.
  24. ^ "100/100 for Super 30 in IIT-JEE". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2009.
  25. ^ "Use skills to ensure country's growth: Super30 founder to IIT students". Economics Times. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  26. ^ "Anand focus on teachers for excellence". The Telegraph. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  27. ^ "Kumar of Super-30 finds place in Limca Book". The Times of India. 15 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
  28. ^ "Obama's special envoy hails Super 30". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 8 August 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  29. ^ "Super-30-incredible-says-Newsweek". The Times of India. 19 September 2010. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2010.
  30. ^ "Super 30 founder is Europe journal's global personality". Hindu Business Line. 20 April 2011. Archived from the original on 7 October 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  31. ^ "Big B gets teaching tips from Super 30's Anand". The Times of India. 31 July 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  32. ^ "Bollywood movie on Bihar's Super-30 on cards". The Times of India. 23 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2011..
  33. ^ "Math wizard Anand Kumar in list of world's 20 top teachers". Indian Express. 4 December 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  34. ^ "Bihar's Super 30 coaching idea wins high praise in Canada". The Times of India. 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012.
  35. ^ "Founder of 'Super-30' programme Anand Kumar honoured". The Economic Times. 21 July 2012. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  36. ^ "Anand Kumar, Founder of Super30 Classes, Gets Ramanujan Mathematics Award". Indiatimes. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  37. ^ "Honorary doctorate conferred on 'Super 30' founder". The Times of India. 14 December 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  38. ^ "ANAND KUMAR FOUNDER OF 'SUPER 30′ AWARDED MAHARISHI VED VYAS NATIONAL AWARD". Dreamiit. 17 August 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
  39. ^ "Super 30 founding mathematician honoured in Germany". Economics Times. 1 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  40. ^ "Mukherjee lauds Anand Kumar's work". Business Standard. 10 June 2016. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
  41. ^ "Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award presented to Super-30 founder". Hindu. 15 November 2017.
  42. ^ "Super 30 founder Anand Kumar's 'inspiring work' lauded in Canadian Parliament". The Hindustan Times. 23 February 2021.
  43. ^ "Super 30 founder Anand Kumar awarded honorary doctorate by NIT Delhi". The print. 7 August 2022.
  44. ^ "Super 30 Founder Anand Kumar To Receive Mahaveer Award". Outlook. 27 January 2021.
  45. ^ "Home – Prime Time Research Media Global Education Awards, Market Research Company". globaleducationawards.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  46. ^ "Rashtriya Bal Kalyan Award presented to Super-30 founder". The Economic Times. 19 September 2019.
  47. ^ "Anand Kumar awarded as Ganit Ratna". Northeast Color. 12 March 2022.
  48. ^ "Padma Awards 2023 announced". Press Information Buereau. Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt of India. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
  49. ^ "Confirmed! Hrithik Roshan is playing mathematician Anand Kumar in Vikas Bahl's Super 30". The Indian Express. 25 September 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  50. ^ "Super 30 trailer out. Hrithik Roshan stuns as math wizard Anand Kumar in new film". India Today. 4 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  51. ^ a b "Patna's Super 30 mentor Anand Kumar accused of deceit to gain popularity". India Today. 23 July 2018. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  52. ^ Subhash K Jha (3 August 2018). "Anand Kumar fighting a smear campaign". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019. But ever since the announcement of the project, it seems people are out to discredit Anand's works.
  53. ^ "Super 30 mentor Anand Kumar gets support from Tejashwi Yadav, Shatrughan Sinha amid charges of fabrication". The Financial Express. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
  54. ^ "Banker jailed for 86 days for 'no crime' in Bihar". The Times of India. 10 October 2018. Archived from the original on 1 March 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  55. ^ "Jagran Josh Education Awards 2021". Dainik Jagran. 25 March 2021.
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