Tarun Gogoi asks Super 30 founder to start initiative in Assam

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today praised 'Super 30' founder and mathematician Anand Kumar for his work in tutoring children from underprivileged families and urged him to start a similar initiative for the poor students of Assam in Guwahati.

Gogoi had a detailed discussion with Kumar in Guwahati at his official residence. Anand had come to Guwahati in connection with a programme.

Gogoi had visited 'Super 30' office in Patna in 2010 and praised Kumar's initiative and offered Rs five lakh for expansion of activities of the institute credited with sending students to the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

In 2010, all 30 students of 'Super 30' had made it to IITs. Kumar, however, had not accepted the money, saying it was against the principle of 'Super 30'.

Kumar said he had good talks with the chief minister and was impressed with his concern for the poor. "I will certainly look into his request and try to help the poor students in whatever way I can," the mathematician, who himself could not make it to Cambridge University for his poverty in his student days, said.

More than 300 students of the 'Super 30' have made to different IITs since 2002 when the experiment started at Kumar's home at Patna.