25 'Super 30' students crack this year's IIT-JEE

As many as 25 of the 30 students of Bihar's Super 30 -- a free coaching centre for underprivileged students -- have cracked the highly competitive IIT-JEE this year, its director said on Thursday.

Children of taxi driver, mason, farmer, daily wager/farm labourer, helper in photo lab, and migrant workers are among the successful candidates.

"We are happy that this year, 25 of our 30 students have made it through the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination. The credit goes to the hardworking students and our teachers," Super 30's founder-director Anand Kumar told IANS here.

"All of them have succeeded in fulfilling their IIT-JEE dreams at Super 30 with dedication and hard work," he said.

This year's IIT-JEE result has once again underlined the fact that, with proper opportunity, even students from poor families can reach the prestigious IITs, the institute director added.

The father of one of the successful candidates, Neeraj Jha, is a taxi driver in Kolkata.

"I have realised my dream by making it to the ITT. I will perform well in studies to get a good job and lift my family out of poverty," Neeraj, who secured 1,217th rank in ITT-JEE, said.

"Everyone is in a celebratory mood. We distributed lots of sweets," said a visibly happy Rahul Kumar, a Super 30 student who cracked the IIT-JEE.

His father works as a mason in Hazaribagh in neighbouring Jharkhand.

The institute selects talented students from poor families and provides them free coaching, food and accommodation so that they focus only on cracking the IIT-JEE.

"Hard work, proper guidance and supervision are the secrets of our success," Anand Kumar said.

Brajesh Kumar Saroj, another Super 30 student who secured the 410th rank, said the facilities provided at the institute and encouragement from the faculty made it possible for him to crack the tough exam.

Brajesh's father works in Surat in Gujarat.

Similarly, Dhanajay Kumar, who secured 457th rank, said his father was also a migrant labourer.

"We were sure of positive results as we teach them to eat, sleep, walk and talk only IIT," said Anand.

He said the institute is supported by the income generated from his Ramanujam School of Mathematics, which has students who can afford to pay fees.

Super 30 was started by Anand along with former Bihar DGP Abhyanand over a decade ago. Later, Abhyanand dissociated himself from the institute.

Super 30, which helps economically backward students crack the IIT-JEE, was selected by Time magazine in the list of 'The Best of Asia 2010'.

Students from poor families have to pass a competitive test to get into Super 30 and then commit themselves to a year of 16-hour daily study routine. Coaching, food and accommodation are free for the students.