SC uses extraordinary power to help Dalit student, asks IIT Dhanbad to grant him admission

The Supreme Court on Monday came to the rescue of a Dalit youth, who had lost his seat in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dhanbad after he failed to deposit an admission fee till last date.

The apex court asked the institute to admit the Dalit youth to the B-Tech course.

“We cannot allow such a young talented boy to go away. He cannot be left in lurch,” a bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said.

“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 said in the order.

The top court used its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution in asking the IIT Dhanbad to admit Atul Kumar into its Electrical Engineering B-Tech course.

Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order in the interest of justice.

18-year-old Atul Kumar, the son of a daily wager, hails from a below poverty line (BPL) family living at Titora village in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh.

He had failed to deposit ₹17,500 as the acceptance fee by June 24, the deadline for depositing the requisite fees for blocking the seat.

His parents had also approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, Jharkhand Legal Services Authority and the Madras High Court to save the hard-earned seat.

However, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes had expressed its inability to help him.

As Atul had taken JEE at a centre in Jharkhand, the youth had also moved the Jharkhand State Legal Services Authority which suggested him to approach the Madras High Court as it was IIT Madras that had conducted the exam.

The high court had asked him to approach the Supreme Court.