Super 30 founder to share dais with James Cameron

Anand Kumar, who founded coaching centre Super 30 and helped many economically backward students gain admission into the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, will share his experiences with filmmaker James Cameron at an international conference in Maharashtra in December.

"It is a matter of pride that a teacher like me is being given an opportunity to speak before such great personalities. It is an honour for Bihar, where I grew up and started my institute," Anand Kumar told rediff.com on Sunday.

Anand Kumar will share his experiences with Cameron during the Technology Entertainment and Design TED-assisted International conference in Lavasa, Maharashtra between December 10 and December 12.

Deepti Nair, who is involved in organising the conference, said that Anand Kumar is "viewed as a person who, despite not being able to study at Cambridge University due to financial constraints, did not give up his dreams and instead became a ray of hope for the talented students from poor sections of the society. Because of his efforts, he is bringing about a social change."

According to her, Cameron, who has directed several blockbuster movies including Titanic, Avatar and The Terminator, will be the star attraction of the programme.

In the last three years, all 30 students of Super 30 have cracked the Joint Entrance Examination. Since 2003, 212 students have made it to the IITs.

Kumar, who himself missed a chance to study at Cambridge because he didn't have enough money, gives full scholarships to the annual batch of 30 students.

They have to pass a competitive test to get into Super 30 and then commit themselves to a year of 16-hour study each day.

Anand, who started the Ramanujam School of Mathematics in 1992, founded the Super 30 in 2002.