A Saudi Arabia-based NRI has joined hands with Super 30, a free coaching centre which helps children from poor families reach the prestigious IIT engineering institutes, to help talented youth from the minority community prepare for the IIT and other technical education courses.
Obaidur Rahman, a businessman who is also chairman of the Bihar foundation in Saudi Arabia, has formed an organization called Rahman 30, which will select 30 talented students from the minority community through screening tests. These students will be provided free coaching by Super 30 founder director Anand Kumar.
"The main objective is to give the students employable education through rigorous training. This is what is lacking for the minorities. They don't get quality technical and job-oriented education, as they find it hard to reach that level due to their poor financial condition," said Rahman, citing various studies.
The initiative of Rahman and Super 30 will help provide opportunity to talented students from the minority community to move ahead in life, say experts.
According to a 2014-15 survey by the Human Resource Development Ministry, minorities continue to be at the bottom among all social groups when it comes to higher education, with just 4.4 per cent enrolment. The dropout rate among Muslims is also very high at 17.6 per cent.
Rahman said it was time for him to give something back to society in a meaningful way. "Education is the only way in which one can make meaningful contribution to society, as it has the power to change generations, as I have seen at Super 30," said Rahman, who is on a visit to Patna.
"When I see successful students like Arbaz Alam, who got into IIT despite coming from an underprivileged section of the society, it gives me inspiration to do more in the field of education for needy students.
It is quite refreshing to see professors and students from other countries coming to see Super 30 and understand how it shapes students from underprivileged sections of society. We will also look for needy, passionate and talented students," said Rahman.
Super 30 is a pioneering initiative that has ushered in a silent social revolution through mainstreaming of children belonging to the underprivileged sections by empowering them with quality education to take them to India's premier IITs.
So far, more than 400 Super 30 students - from the poorest sections of society and indifferent schooling mentored by Anand and looked after by his family - have made it to IITs.
