THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
New Delhi, Sept 30: The Supreme Court stepped in on Monday to support a Dalit youth who lost his admission to IIT (ISM) Dhanbad for failing to meet the fee payment deadline, ordering the institute to grant him admission into the BTech course.
The bench, which included Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, emphasized the importance of not abandoning such a young, talented individual. They expressed that he should not be left in a difficult situation.
“We cannot allow such a young talented boy to go away. He cannot be left in lurch,” the bench said.
SC invokes its special powers under Article 142
The Supreme Court invoked its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to direct IIT Dhanbad to admit Atul Kumar into its Electrical Engineering BTech program.
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The bench stated that a deserving student like the petitioner, who belongs to a marginalized group and made every effort to gain admission, should not be excluded. It ordered that the candidate be admitted to IIT Dhanbad and allowed to join the same batch he would have entered had the fees been paid on time.
“We are of the view that a talented student like the petitioner who belongs to a marginalised group who did all to secure admission should not be left out…we direct that candidate is granted admission to IIT Dhanbad and let him be in the same batch to which he would have been granted admission if the fees would have been paid,” the bench stated in the order.
Background of the case
Atul Kumar, 18, lost his seat at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad after his parents failed to pay the Rs 17,500 acceptance fee by the June 24 deadline. They sought assistance from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Jharkhand Legal Services Authority, and the Madras High Court to secure the seat.
Kumar, a son of a daily wage laborer from a below-poverty-line family in Titora village, Muzaffarnagar, was advised by the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority to approach the Madras High Court, which ultimately directed him to the Supreme Court for resolution. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes stated it could not assist him.