Rs 17,500. That is the charge {that a} Dalit pupil needed to pay to safe his admission into the distinguished IIT Dhanbad. The Uttar Pradesh pupil had 4 days to submit the charge. The coed’s father, a day by day wage labourer, tried all he may, however missed the charge deadline by a whisker. He then took the struggle to courts.
For 3 months, the daddy did the rounds of the SC/ST Fee, the Jharkhand and Madras Excessive Courts. Ultimately, when nothing labored, he approached the Supreme Court docket.
“We can not permit such a younger proficient boy to go away. He can’t be left in lurch. He went to Jharkhand Authorized Companies Authority. Then to Chennai Authorized Companies Authority after which he’s despatched to Excessive Court docket. He’s a Dalit boy being made to run from pillar to publish,” mentioned Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, ordering the IIT to confess the coed.
“We’re of the view {that a} proficient pupil just like the petitioner who belongs to a marginalised group who did all to safe admission shouldn’t be omitted… we direct that candidate is granted admission to IIT Dhanbad and let him be in the identical batch to which he would have been granted admission if the charges would have been paid,” the bench mentioned in its order.
The petitioner’s counsel mentioned the coed’s father earns Rs 450 day by day. “The duty of arranging 17,500 is a giant deal. He collected cash from villagers.”
“The one factor that stopped him from paying was the lack to pay and because the Supreme Court docket of India, we have to see that,” the Chief Justice mentioned.
The highest court docket used its extraordinary powers underneath Article 142 of the Structure in asking the IIT Dhanbad to confess Atul Kumar into its Electrical Engineering BTech course. Article 142 of the Structure empowers the highest court docket to go any order within the curiosity of justice.
“All one of the best. Achha kariye (Do nicely),” the Chief Justice advised the 18-year-old pupil, who comes from a village in Muzaffarnagar district of UP.
A relieved Atul mentioned the “derailed practice is again on monitor now”.
“I’ve been supplied with the seat. I’m very completely satisfied. The court docket mentioned my seat couldn’t be snatched away solely because of a monetary drawback. The practice that had derailed is again on monitor now,” he mentioned with a smile. Atul mentioned he was hopeful of getting assist from the highest court docket.
Requested what lies forward, he replied, “I’ll work arduous and grow to be {an electrical} engineer from IIT-Dhanbad.”
What Mother and father Went Via
The mother and father of Atul Kumar didn’t deposit Rs 17,500 because the acceptance charge by 5 pm on June 24, the deadline for depositing the charge for blocking the seat.
The coed’s father managed to crowdsource the quantity by 4:45 pm on the final day. As Atul started importing his paperwork, the time for submission of charge was up. A dream crushed, the household regrouped and took the authorized route.
As the coed wrote the examination at a centre in Jharkhand, he approached the Jharkhand State Authorized Companies Authority which recommended him to method the Madras Excessive Court docket because it was IIT Madras that had carried out the examination.
The excessive court docket, in flip, requested him to method the highest court docket.