MADHYA PRADESH: In 2011, Pradeep Mishra, a sub-inspector (handwriting specialist) in the Madhya Pradesh police headquarters, not only made it to the hot seat of Amitabh Bachchan’s Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) Season 5, but also ended up winning Rs 25 lakh.
Instead of using the money for his personal benefits, Mishra decided to build a centre to guide children from lower rung police families as well as economically weaker sections to crack government recruitment tests.
The prize money, coupled with the post-retirement benefits of his agricultural department surveyor father Mahesh Chandra Mishra were enough for him to transform a dilapidated hostel building of a private school into his dream project: Jai Hind Shiksha Sansthan (JHSS) in 2014.
Inspired by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army’s guiding slogan ‘Jai Hind’, the coaching centre works on the lines of the highly successful Super 30 programme.
The JHSS has guided 300-plus talented, but economically weaker girls and boys (including those from lower rung police families) from MP, Rajasthan, UP and Chhattisgarh in successfully cracking various state and central government recruitment tests.
Currently the deputy superintendent of police at the state PHQ, the 49-year-old Mishra’s JHSS success story is narrated by 300-plus selections in state government and central government jobs, including 150-200 state police constables, 39 MP police sub-inspector selections, 11 jail guards, 22 patwari selections, 12 forest guards, eight Railway Group-D selections and eight selections in a Central police organization’s constable and sub inspector tests.
Originally from Bhind district in Gwalior-Chambal region, Mishra joined MP Police as sub-inspector at the QD section at the state PHQ in 1999.
A few years later, his penchant for teaching saw him turn free-of-cost tutor to children from lower rung police families in Wireless Colony. His pupils were generally those who were studying up to Class 12 and couldn’t afford best coaching facilities.
“I’m an ardent follower of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Coincidentally my birthday comes on January 24 (a day after Netaji’s birth anniversary). I always wanted to do something which made my life meaningful. So I decided to teach and guide future generations to make them responsible citizens,” Mishra said.
He started giving free classes in 2008-09 and by 2012, one of the students cleared the state police constable recruitment exams.
This prompted him to work in a dedicated manner to guide economically underprivileged students in preparing for state government recruitment tests, like the police constable and sub inspector exams.
Few years later, he rented a small hall in Bhopal’s Jawahar Chowk area to teach the government recruitment test aspirants boys and girls.
“It was in 2011 that I got selected for the KBC and won Rs 25 lakh on the hot seat in front of Amitabh Bachchan. Three years later, I was made part of the ‘Triguni’ (three wise men) Helpline of the show for four episodes. The money won at the KBC Season 5 and part of my father’s post-retirement benefits were pooled in to transform the dilapidated two-storeyed hostel of a private school in Bhopal to start my dream institution Jai Hindi Shiksha Sansthan,” he recounts.
The same dilapidated building now houses classrooms, hostel for 70 girls and boy students, a mini gym, library and canteen, besides the office which is managed by Mishra’s wife Nidhi and one of his most senior faculties Dinesh Singh.
Working on the lines of Patna’s Super 30 program, Mishra and team now run the Super-50 for police sub inspector exams and Super-30 for the MP Public Service Commission’s (MPPSC) civil services exams. The latest addition is the program for the UPSC civil services exams aspirants.
“Though our initiative is non-profit, half of the students are those who can pay the full fees (hostel as well as tuition). It actually helps us to fund the other half, which includes those students whose tuition fees are waived and many other students whose entire tuition and hostel fees are not charged and they only need to pay caution fees after clearing the tough entrance test,” Mishra said.
The centre with 10 teachers at present also gets voluntary support of many senior officers of the state police force.
“Seeing our successful students, particularly the first success story Ankush Sarathe (who is in the same police section) at the state PHQ gives me immense satisfaction. These students motivate me to pursue my dream of running the Jai Hind Shiksha Sansthan totally free for all students,” Mishra said.