Anand Kumar is an Indian Mathematician, best known for his Super 30 programme, which he started in Patna, Bihar in 2002, wherein he coaches underprivileged students for JEE-Advanced, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).
Kumar, rose to fame after Discovery channel showcased his work in a documentary. He has spoken about his programs for students from the underprivileged sections of Indian society at MIT and Harvard.
Kumar's life and work are depicted in the 2019 Bollywood film, Super 30, with Hrithik Roshan portraying his character in the movie.
As Anand Kumar turns 48 today, lets take a look at some Interesting facts about the Super 30 founder.
Anand Kumar was born on January 1st, 1973, in Patna, Bihar into a middle class family. His mother is Jayanti Devi, and he has a brother named Pranav Kumar, who is a professional violinist.
Kumar's father was a clerk in a post office and could not afford to send his children to private schools. Therefore, he and his brother went to a Hindi medium government school, where Kumar developed an interest in mathematics.
Kumar graduated from B. N. College in Patna where, in 1992, while he was still a student, he had founded the math club ‘Ramanujam School of Mathematics’. He began a free training program for math lovers under the guidance of his mentor, Devi Prasad Verma, who was the Head of the Department of Mathematics at Patna Science College, during that time.
Kumar had to take a 6-hour train journey to Banaras every weekend to study at the Central Library, BHU, as Patna University library did not have foreign journals. His brother, who was learning violin under N. Rajam, had a hostel room in the city, where Anand used to stay during the weekend.
In 1994, he had secured admission to Cambridge and Sheffield universities, but owing to his father's demise, the financial condition of the family dropped, and he failed to find sponsors in both Patna and Delhi. However, Kumar continued his study and submitted papers on number theory, which were published in 'The Mathematical Gazette' and 'The Mathematical Gazette'.
Anand Kumar's 'Super 30' program got recognition after Discovery Channel released a one-hour-long documentary on his work in March 2009. His amazing story was also covered in a half-page article in 'The New York Times'.
In the coming years, Kumar featured on many BBC programs and in a documentary hosted by actress and former Miss Japan Norika Fujiwara, who travelled to Patna to record his life.
He has also been invited to talk about his work at IITs, IIM Ahmedabad, University of British Columbia, Tokyo University and Stanford University.
In 2009, he secured himself a place in Limca Book of Records for his efforts to provide IIT-JEE coaching to under previleged students. His 'Super 30' program was also included in 'Time' magazine's list of Best of Asia 2010.
In June 2016, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar launched a biography written on him and lauded his self-less initiative by saying that he has become the face of Bihar. The book was penned by Canada-based psychiatrist Biju Mathew in association with journalist Arun Kumar, and was published in English by Penguin Random House and in Hindi by Prabhat Prakashan.
Bollywood film 'Super 30', released in 2019, is based on Anand Kumar's life. His character is portrayed by Hrithik Roshan.
With Agency Inputs
