Supreme Court Grants Lifeline to Dalit Student, Secures IIT Admission
In a compassionate ruling, the Supreme Court intervened on Monday to ensure a Dalit student, son of a daily wage laborer, receives his rightful admission to IIT Dhanbad after he missed the fee payment deadline. The case, **Atul Kumar v Chairman Joint Seat Allocation Authority**, was heard by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
Utilizing its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Court directed IIT Dhanbad to create a supernumerary seat for the student, emphasizing the importance of not allowing such a talented individual to be overlooked. “We cannot allow such a young, talented boy to go away. He is a Dalit student being made to run from pillar to post,” CJI Chandrachud stated.
The student had achieved a rank of 1,455 in the Scheduled Castes category in this year’s Joint Entrance Examination, securing a seat for electrical engineering at IIT Dhanbad. However, due to his father’s daily wage of only ₹450, gathering the necessary ₹17,500 for the admission fee proved challenging and delayed.
After failing to complete the online fee payment in time, the student turned to the Supreme Court for assistance. The Bench recognized the merit of his case, stating, “A talented student from a marginalized group, who has done everything to secure admission, should not be left out.” The Court assured that no existing student would be affected by this decision.
The proceedings took a heartfelt turn when the student’s counsel shared that members of the Bar, including Senior Advocate Anand Padmanabhan, had offered to help cover the fees. In closing, CJI Chandrachud personally wished the student well, saying, “All the best. Achha kariye.”
(With inputs from agency)
Share your news, articles, deals, columns, or press releases with us! Click the link to submit and join our platform today.
