Dehradun, Mar 9 (IANS): Mathematician and Super 30 founder Anand Kumar on Friday said bureaucrats can usher in real change in society as they have the opportunity to work at grassroot level and implement government's plans and programmes.

Addressing a batch of IAS trainees at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration in Mussoorie, he asked bureaucrats to translate their vision into reality with focus on the last man.

Kumar said the programmes should be aimed at bringing about lasting change in the society by ensuring that the benefits reach the targeted groups in the desired measure.

"More than the political leadership, it is the bureaucrats who can really make it happen, for they are the persons who shape programmes and policies at the grassroots and have the wherewithal to ensure its implementation," he said.

He said there are so many programmes and schemes for the poor, but the real issue is the effective and the timely implementation, which only bureaucrats can ensure on ground.

Speaking on the topic 'Equity in Education' on the academy's invitation, Kumar said: "Education is not the preserve of a select few, nor should it be allowed to happen. Given the opportunity, equality in education can lead to a world of difference in the society."

Started by Kumar, Super 30 is an initiative under which students belonging to the underprivileged sections are given coaching to help them get into India's premiere IITs.

Citing the examples of many Super 30 students, Kumar said it was just a matter of making available right opportunities to the right people at the right time to witness generational change.