Welcome to the second contribution from our remarkable guest editor Utkarsh Joshi. In this interesting article he talks about the selfless commitment of one man who has made it his life’s mission to identify and nurture talent that has the potential but not the financial means to make it to the IITs. This is the story of Anand Kumar and his Super 30. 

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It takes a lot of resolve and hard work to come out of difficult situations and succeed in life. It takes even more to share one’s success with others like oneself and help them also succeed.

Anand Kumar has been there and done that.

Based out of Patna, Anand Kumar lost his father at a young age and his family faced many financial hardships early on. There was a time when the entire family was dependent on his mother’s earnings. At a point in time he even delivered home made papad’s made by his mother, to shops and homes on his bicycle. However, gifted with superb mathematical skills, he was encouraged by friends and family to pursue his dream of higher studies abroad. In 1992, he founded the Ramanujam School of Mathematics as a club where anyone could join free of any cost and attend training camps.

In 1994, he secured an admission in Cambridge and Sheffield universities but his financial health did not allow him to pursue his dreams. However he did not let that deter him. He converted his club into a coaching institute providing coaching for various competitive examinations. At the same time, he decided that what happened to him should not happen to others. Financial health should not come in the way of talent being recognized and nurtured.

This led to the creation of the Super 30 initiative.

This initiative provides free coaching, boarding and lodging to 30 talented students from financially weak backgrounds. These students are handpicked by Anand and his team and trained for the IIT JEE entrance exam. This initiative is funded by the money he earns from his coaching institute where he teaches up to 500 students in a single batch, thrice a week for two and a half hours each. He teaches upto 4 such batches at a time and charges these students a very reasonable 4000 rupees for the 11-month course. This money is channeled into the Super 30 initiative. The results for the Super 30 initiative have been extremely encouraging.

Founded in 2003, 18 students made it to the IIT’s in the founding year. The number rose to 22 in 2004 to 26 in 2005 to 28 in 2006 and 2007 and up to 30 in 2008 and 2009. Yes that’s correct! In the last two years, the super 30 boasts of a cent percent record with 30 out of 30 students coming through.

Today Anand Kumar has come a long way. His dream of going abroad has been fulfilled and he has been a speaker at Atlanta, where he addressed an annual conference organized by the American Mathematics Society and the Mathematics Association of America. He also has made contributions to The Mathematical Gazette and the Mathematics Spectrum, both reputed journals published from the UK, and Parabola, published in Australia. But he derives most satisfaction from the fact that he has helped talented students from the lower strata of society to fulfill their dreams. With future plans of spotting and nurturing talent in young students, he now intends to set up schools for the financially weak segment of society and leverage a similar business model. So that talent does not fade away for want of finances, and education does not remain the privilege of the financially stable only.

Visit the Super 30 website to read more about the wonderful initiative.

Image Courtesy: The Hindu

Read other articles by Utkarsh Joshi here.

Sahariya tribe is a nomadic tribe in Madhya Pradesh that deals with poverty of the magnitude that mothers buy saris and tear them in half so that their daughters have something to wear. These people have little money available for essentials, let alone luxuries like education. The women are typically very badly treated, often turning to prostitution or collecting dry wood to sell to neighbouring towns and villages to make ends meet.

This is when TARA (Technology and Action for Rural Advancement) came to their rescue in 1996 by setting up a handmade paper plant in Orchha, MP. TARA and its parent organization, Development Alternatives (DA) have striven to bring people, environment and technology together – delivering lasting solutions for basic human needs. TARA has done in- house innovations of various green technology and their Paper Recycling unit is one of them.

On observing that the Sahariya women were skilled with their hands, TARA imparted training to 21 women in making paper products like notebooks and file covers, and started the Handmade Paper Unit with 30 women who learnt to convert cotton rags to paper. With 29 surrounding villages as its stakeholders, the paper unit has flourished and now employs more than 60 Sahariya women.

The Handmade Paper Unit has changed the lives of these Sahariya women who can now earn enough to feed and clothe themselves, and have gained sufficient skills to to create innovative products. More so, they have been able to carve out a life of dignity for themselves, and have also established a women’s cooperative – the Sahariya Sangram Samiti, meaning the Struggle of the Sahariya Cooperative. This cooperative not only provides the women with literacy and skills training, but has also become the village node for loans and saving accounts.

Sahariya are truly writing their futures on the paper they make!

About TARA:
TARA Handmade Paper Technology is a unique technology to recycle waste like cotton rags, denim materials, fibres and used paper into high quality handmade paper. Today TARA is a proud producer of an infinite range of high quality handmade paper and paper products. Community groups are able to successfully use the technology to manufacture handmade paper and handcrafted products which are marketed commercially. To know more about them and their technology, contact them at the address below:

29, Ghitorni, Mehrauli, Gurgaon Road, New Delhi – 110030
Tele-fax – +91–11– 26801521, 26804482, 26805826
Website: http://www.tara.in

How much fun can Science be, you ask? Lots, if it is taught with the help of a simple rocket experiment and other practical applications! The techie duo of Udaya M V and Adithya B, who visit select government schools in Bangalore on weekends, do precisely this.

Both young software engineers who are in their early twenties realized that Indian students need to break away from the traditional mould of “mugging” and start taking a greater interest in their learning, with the aid of science projects. While educating themselves on the internet, they came across a demonstration on how to make Water Bottle Rockets. Taking off from that, they haven’t looked back. After successful programmes in six schools and a summer workshop as well, they are overwhelmed by the tremendous response. So much so that it has inspired them to create an NGO called Education Informal for improving the education process.

Handling everything by themselves, the two techies have so far funded their little experiment on their own. They do hope however that if they were to come across some talented student in need of financial backing, they will be able to source help.

Read the complete article in Bangalore Mirror.
Image Courtesy: Bangalore Mirror
Link Courtesy: Rithish. Thanks!

How many people would pay from their own pockets to restore life into old trees? Perhaps not many. That is why it is inspiring to hear about Dr Ramana Rao, who paid nearly Rs one lakh of his own to relocate two ancient peepal trees that were felled in Bangalore to make way for new roads.

Catching sight of the two giant trees – one 225 years and the other 240 years old, lying at the side of a highway, Dr Rao decided he could not let them die. With the help of 40 people and two 50-tonne trailer trucks, he managed to transport the trees to T Begur village, where they have been planted and given a new life.

Dr Rao wishes he could find sponsors for many more such rescue efforts, as more and more trees are being subject to the axe. Infrastructure projects in Bangalore have recently evoked the ire of citizens in their injudicious and widespread tree-felling. The latest victim to this mass tree-cutting drive has been the pristine locale of Lalbagh – a 250-year old botanical garden that has been the pride of Bangalore since the days of Hyder Ali.

A portion of this beautiful garden has been earmarked to make way for the Bangalore Metro rail project, which will lead to the felling of nearly 300 old and lovingly preserved trees. Dr Rao wishes the City authorities would take an interest in conserving trees, especially those of great significance like the ones in Lalbagh.

“These trees have seen and weathered so many storms. It would be tragic to uproot them merely for the sake of new infrastructure,” he said.

Citizen protests have fallen on deaf ears as the government refuses to consider alternatives. Read more about the citizen efforts and how you can participate at Hasiru Usiru. There is also a rally on Saturday, May 9th, at 8.00 am on Nanda Road in a final bid to save these trees. Bangalore readers, do try and be there to lend your support to the campaign.

Deccan Herald carries the remarkable story of Dr Rao’s efforts in this article.
Image Courtesy: Flickr

Link Courtesy: Faiq Gazdhar. Thanks!

It gives us pleasure to introduce our second guest writer, Utkarsh Joshi. Utkarsh is an IT professional and a budding entrepreneur. He belongs to Dehradoon, Uttaranchal and has an Engineering degree from the Vellore institute of Technology and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Having studied, worked and stayed in a number of places across India and having interacted with people from across the country, Utkarsh is a strong believer in the diversity and opportunities that India has on offer. Through this platform he is looking to create more believers in the experiment called India. His interests lie in Music and Writing.

In his first article for The Better India, Utkarsh explores the new trends that can be seen in the ongoing elections and the greater emphasis on youth.

Youth and ‘e’lections 2009 by Utkarsh Joshi

From April to May 2009, more than 700 million eligible voters will cast their vote in India’s 15th general elections. But elections 2009 are different from the other elections we have had so far, and how! A majority of voters this time around belong in the age group of 18-35 years with many voters casting their vote for the first time. And this has forced a change in the way these elections have been approached by all the stakeholders. An unprecedented number of online ventures are augmenting the campaigning, informational and voter registration activities – making this election move away from the traditional methods employed so far.

Not only has election campaigning has been happening online – keeping in mind the media preferences of the youth; a number of online initiatives are aiding these voters – first time or otherwise, to go out and vote.

This segment is large enough to swing the votes for any political party. Thus for obvious reasons, political parties have ensured that the major theme of their campaign focuses on the youth. Election campaigning has been happening online in a big way – keeping in mind the media preferences of the youth. Online blogs and social networking sites like facebook and orkut are abuzz with political parties and candidates forming profiles and reaching out to voters. These initiatives are ensuring that these voters are being reached and their opinions heard – not only by the political parties but by other voters as well.

A number of ventures have ensured that first time voters know more about the general elections and that they go out and register for voting. With a first of its kind partnership between and NGO and a corporate house – “jaagore.com” has tried to simplify the voting registration process while at the same time educating the youth. Online advertising and the usage of youtube support the dissemination of information online to create further voter awareness. For instance: Google has tied up with a national daily to provide comprehensive election based information for voters at this address.

With the youth being better informed and more vocal about their needs and with stakeholders going online to reach the youth – this general election should change the way Indian citizens participate in the election process. With an increased awareness of election processes and facts and just by sheer numbers – this segment is already necessitating change. Already young faces in political circles are coming to the fore – ahead of their older and more experienced peers – in order to cater to this segment of voters.

‘e’lections 2009 has heralded a change. Being a young nation, this definitely augurs well for the biggest democracy in the world.

Reference: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/battle-royale-for-votes-in-cyberspace/444131/3

Image courtesy: www.yqworld.com