Releasing a biography of Anand Kumar of the Super 30 coaching institute fame, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said the teacher had become the face of Bihar, thanks to his novel initiative in the field of education. He said people should learn from him “how to contribute to society despite facing adverse challenges in life.”
“What is remarkable is that he is neither in politics, nor in business or industry. He got an idea after he himself faced a lot of challenges in pursuing his higher education, and the idea was to help others like him. Today his initiative is discussed globally,” said the CM.
Anand Kumar, who started Super 30 in 2002 to provide free coaching, food and accommodation to 30 students coming from the poorest strata of society. Since then, over 350 students from the institute have cracked the IIT-JEE.
The book, titled Super 30: Anand Kumar , is published in English by Penguin Random House and in Hindi by Prabhat Prakashan. It has been written by Canada-based psychiatrist Biju Mathew in association with journalist Arun Kumar.
Mr. Nitish Kumar said, “Anand Kumar has proved with his initiative that merit cannot be the monopoly of a few. And, he has kept his exclusivity intact by not seeking financial help from the government or big corporate houses. It was his sheer hard work and the drive to pay back to society that has earned him global acclaim.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anand Kumar said, “My only message is that an honest effort does pay off, no matter how big the challenge is.”
Writer Biju Mathew said Bihar had become his second home due to the book. “It was really a very inspiring story to write and I thoroughly enjoyed writing a book on such a nice soul like Anand Kumar,” he said.
