News Source: PTI
Students from remote villages of Maoist-hit districts of Bihar have made it to top engineering institutes over the past few years. And this has been made possible by an unconventional coaching centre in Gaya town. Bright students from underprivileged families of Gaya and neighbouring districts of Magadh region prepare for tests like JEE and AIEEE at ‘Magadh Super 30’ under the guidance of a former police officer.
Former Bihar Director General of Police Abhayanand started the endeavour in 2008. He told PTI, “Although it is called Magadh Super 30, the number is only indicative. The focus is on helping students with the requisite aptitude and not on admitting a certain number of boys and girls.”
THE SUPER-30 CONNECTION
Incidentally, Abhayanand had co-founded the legendary ‘Super 30’ in Patna along with mathematician Anand Kumar. A gold medallist in Physics from Patna Science College, Abhayanand had been driven by an urge to help meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds to realize their potential.
“Due to unavoidable circumstances, I had to dissociate myself from the Super 30 in 2007. But in 2008, I was egged on by my friends in Gaya, my home town, to start a similar project there,'” the 1977 batch IPS officer, who has devoted himself full time to teaching since retirement in 2015, said.
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
Pankaj Kumar, a Gaya resident who serves as the secretary of Magadh Super 30, said, the institute does not depend on any grants from the government or political parties.
“Our motto is for the society by the society. Good samaritans provide us with financial assistance and all funds are put to social audit. The monetary assistance helps us arrange for food, lodging and study materials for the students,” he said.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
The students are selected through a rigorous screening process, involving a written exam to assess proficiency in physics, chemistry and maths and an interview with Abhayanand.
