Bihar's Super 30 in British varsity's case study

Bihar's Super 30, known for providing free coaching and assistance to underprivileged students to help them crack the prestigious entrance examination of IITs, is now the subject of a case study by a British university.

The University of East London, in partnership with Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences, selected Super 30 as one of the three case studies from India.

"Super 30 is just one of three case studies selected from India and only one from Bihar. Two other case studies have been taken from Mumbai, while three case studies were from Britain," Anand Kumar, founder-director of Super 30, said here wednesday.

The project, supported by the British Council under the UK-India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI), is aimed at mapping social innovation strategies in overcoming multiple deprivations in select locations in India and Britain, he said.

Anand said the specific objectives of the study include identification of varied aspects of "deprivation and un-freedoms" which limit the potentials of people coming from deprived socio-economic background.

It also includes understanding the context of deprivations identified by the chosen organisations for their interventions, understanding and analysing strategies, approaches and methods and suggest arenas of policy practice in social protections and overcoming deprivations.

As part of the study, a team of researchers interviewed founder of Super 30 Anand Kumar and successful students of Super 30 in order to capture their experience in life.

Manish K. Jha, professor and chairperson, centre for community organisation and envelopment practice, TISS, Mumbai, said Super 30 was selected as case study for showing how education could make a lasting difference to deprivation, while two other case studies in Mumbai were on slums and Hindu-Muslim unity.

"The study has been completed and presentation will be made in a couple of days. It will be published in leading journals of the world," Jha said.

Anand, when contacted, said it was good that people were trying to understand the art and science of Super 30. The students from deprived sections have amply demonstrated that with right opportunity, they are themselves capable to scripting change.

Super 30 has featured in the national and international news media. Japan's famous actress Norika Fujiwara and its NHK channel have featured the initiative, as has French 24, Discovery Channel and China Central Television from China.

Time magazine declared Super 30 the "best of Asia", while Newsweek included it in the list of four most innovative schools of the world.

Students from poor families have to pass a competitive test to get into Super 30. Once they are admitted, they spend about 16 hours a day in their study routine. Coaching, food and accommodation are provided free of cost.