Vidushi Nautiyal, Pune
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dhanbad was directed by the Supreme Court on Monday to admit Atul Kumar, a Dalit student who had lost his seat due to missing the deadline to pay the fee deposit by a few minutes.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra exercised their power under Article 142 and stated, “We are of the view that a talented student should not be left in the lurch. We direct that admission be granted to him in IIT Dhanbad.”
In his court filing, Kumar said that his father worked as a daily wage laborer and that the portal’s server had ceased working by the time he arranged the required amount and tried to pay the Rs. 17,500 tuition for the electrical engineering course that had been assigned to him at IIT Dhanbad.
The Supreme Court further noted that the deadline to pay the fee deposit had been 5 pm on June 24. Kumar’s parents had gathered the funds by 4.45 pm and the petitioner stated that he had logged into the portal at 4.45 pm, however, the portal closed by 5 and the payment couldn’t be processed.
Since IIT Madras was in charge of the JEE Advanced exam for the year, he first filed an appeal with the Madras High Court but the court declared that the relief he was seeking was outside its jurisdiction.
During the proceeding the counsel for the IIT authority stated that Atul Kumar had logged in at 3 PM, indicating he wasn’t attempting to access the system at the last minute. They also added that Kumar had been informed about the payment requirement during the mock interview. However, Justice Pardiwala asked the authority’s counsel, why they were opposing so much when they should’ve been considering if something could be done.
Kumar’s lawyer also emphasized that this was his last chance for admission, as only two attempts are allowed.
The bench ordered that Atul Kumar be admitted to the same batch. It specified that a supernumerary seat should be created for him without disturbing any existing students in the process. The court also stated he would be entitled to all related benefits, including hostel accommodation.
The Chief Justice remarked that Kumar is a bright student and that as Supreme Court judges, “we should ensure that no student loses their admission due to financial constraints.”