A Super - 30 for Muslims

PATNA: Inspired by the stupendous success of the "Super-30" initiative under which 30 poor Bihar students were coached free of cost to crack IIT-JEE by a group of good Samaritans, the Munger-based Rehmani Foundation has made a similar move exclusively for Muslim aspirants. Senior IPS officer Abhayanand, who ended his six-year association with the Super-30 after JEE results were declared this year, has consented to take charge of the coaching centre for Muslims. "It is for the first time this year that all the 30 students made it to IITs, and now this experiment is over for me," Abhayanand had said while announcing his decision to quit the Super-30 move. The Rehmani Foundation, headed by former Bihar legislative council deputy chairman Maulana Wali Rehmani, will provide food and lodging and other required facilities to the 30 Muslim aspirants selected for the coaching every year. The selection test will be held on July 20 at 13 towns, including Patna, Gaya, Biharsharif, Munger, Bhagalpur, Siwan, Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Supaul, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Bettiah. The students, who have secured more than 60% marks in plus-two examinations held not more than two years back, can take the test, said Abhayanand, who is currently Bihar Military Police's additional DG. "This will also be a successful venture," he told TOI on Saturday. As for the faculty, he said, some teachers of other coaching institutes have agreed to take time off their schedules for the new centre. "Few Muslim students crack the JEE but I don't think they lack merit," Abhayanand said. There was no Muslim aspirant in five of the six batches of students coached under the Super-30 initiative, he said. However, four Muslim boys were coached in the sixth batch and all of them were through. Incidentally, Flame, an organisation headed by eminent surgeon Dr A A Hai, had once requested Super-30 to reserve some of the 30 seats for Muslims. "I was against reservation even then," Abhayanand recalled and added he had told Dr Hai to instead inspire Muslim students to clear the mandatory test for getting coached at Super-30 classes.