MADHYA PRADESH: 'Super 30', the famous free-of-cost coaching started in 2002 by math teacher Anand Kumar and former Bihar DGP Abhayanand in Patna to guide engineering aspirants from economically underprivileged sectionsm is now a global success story.
Hundreds of miles away in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital Indore, a young state administrative services (SAS) bureaucrat Santosh Tagore, social activist Someshwar Kher and others are making a similar attempt.
Welcome to Rupantaran, a free-of-cost residential coaching, which is guiding promising tribal youngsters from Alirajpur, one of the state’s most backward districts, in cracking the MP Public Service Commission's SCS exams.
Started at a private hostel in Indore's Khandwa Road area on February 2021, Rupantaran has successfully guided four tribal youths in cracking the SCS preliminary exam in the first attempt. They are now awaiting the results of the main exam.
Two other students, Naresh Parmar and Kamlesh Rathore, have cleared the state government's contractual teachers’ recruitment and Central government's Eklavya Model Residential School teachers' recruitment test, respectively.
Tagore, currently posted as additional collector in Ujjain, along with Ujjain-based social activist Someshwar Kher and another friend have been guiding in their individual capacities the tribal and non-tribal students for years.
Tagore cracked the SCS exam along with younger sister Pratibha Tagore (currently posted as joint director-finance at Jabalpur) in 2006. He has guided many students, one of whom is now a software engineer in Australia while another one is an assistant professor. "Last year we decided to start an organised initiative to shape the lives of tribal youths from my native Alirajpur district, which is the birthplace of Chandrashekhar Azad," he recounted.
Tests resembling the state civil services preliminary exams were conducted for tribal graduates and postgraduates, many of whom were working as daily wagers in the absence of suitable jobs. "As many as 827 youths took the exam, whose question papers were developed by professors. Out of them, 25 students, including two girls, made the cut and were called with their parents for interviews in Alirajpur," says Kher.
The induction of these youths in Rupantaran shows many painful facets of tribal families. "One of the students who cracked our test couldn’t come for the interview from his village to Alirajpur district headquarters as he couldn’t afford the bus fare," said Kher.
At this centre, not only are the students being guided by teachers for cracking the exam, but they are also being coached in yoga and stress management by trainers.
"Our base of teachers includes those from Delhi and Prayagraj. The students are made to take the preparatory tests for MPPSC next pre-exam (slated for June 19) at Rupantaran at the same time of day when the actual exam will take place. We aim to eliminate exam phobia. We're preparing the first set of students for two preliminary and mains exams of the MPPS. We not only make them lead a disciplined life, but also ensure best nutrition for them," Kher said.
The students often get emotional about the coaching. "Many of us come from families that can hardly afford rice on two festive occasions in a year. We’re getting everything here. All that we have to do is to put our best efforts," said a student from Bhilala tribe. The founders have also taken care of the health of their families.
Timely medical help saved a student’s leg from being amputated following infection, the timely efforts using government schemes, like the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, saved a student’s father from becoming blind due to a serious disease.The organised efforts, particularly Tagore’s association with students, has also helped them resolve long-pending land disputes.
Aiming high
Started at a private hostel in Indore's Khandwa Road area in February 2021, Rupantaran has successfully guided four tribal youths from Alirajpur in cracking the Madhya Pradesh Public Service Commission’s preliminary civil services exam in the first attempt. They are now awaiting the results of the main examination