RAJASTHAN: This a story of Dr Bharat Saran, Barmer's own Anand Kumar — a mathematics educator in Bihar best known for his 'Super 30' programme. Inspired by former president APJ Abdul Kalam, he, a medical officer at the district hospital, has been providing free coaching to aspiring medical students belonging to economically weaker sections of society.
Saran has been running a coaching institute '50 Villagers' at a rented accommodation where he teaches 25 underprivileged students from Class XI and 25 from Class XII. Like Kumar, he also shortlists talented students and provides them free accommodation, food, books, school fees and all other amenities along with coaching for medical entrances.
Saran, who had started the institute eight years ago, spends most of his time teaching the students at the institute. "I have been running 50 Villagers for the last eight years. It is a free coaching institute for aspiring medical students from government schools in remote villages," Saran says. Saran, who also comes from a very humble background, is aware of the struggle a student has to face in the desert region of Rajasthan.
"A lot of my schoolmates had to quit studies after Class X due to poverty. Many later became construction workers and labourers at factories," Saran says. He adds that many patients in his area do not even get proper medical treatments and die prematurely.
"So, I decided to create a pool of doctors from my village," he says. To begin with, Saran selected 25 students who were struggling to continue their studies due to financial crunch. Soon, the coaching institution started providing free classes to 50 students every year for MBBS examinations.
Saran claims that there has been 100 per cent result of students from his institution as all of them have been selected by different medical colleges.
In the last eight years, 32 students from 50 Villagers have got admissions in MBBS courses, including four in AIIMS, some in veterinary and others in ayurvedic and nursing colleges. "Last year, 11 of my students were selected in the state medical entrance," Saran says.
While there is no consideration for any caste or religion here, orphans are given the first priority for admission. On average, Saran spends Rs 25,000 annually on each student. "We are in debt of Rs 10 lakh as we couldn’t pay the rent for the building where my students have been staying. We are completely dependent on donations," the doctor says.
Bhanwara Ram, a former student, recounts how the institute helped him when he was on the verge of quitting studies. He had lost his father at an early age and it was difficult for his mother to take care of his siblings.
"I was planning to stop studies after Class X. But miracle happened and I got admission in 50 Villagers. My rank was 286 in the NEET,” says Ram, who is studying in the first year of MBBS at the Government Medical College in Maharashtra’s Shivpuri," he says.