Rs 17,500. That’s the fee that a Dalit student had to pay to secure his admission into the prestigious IIT Dhanbad. The Uttar Pradesh student had four days to submit the fee. The student’s father, a daily wage labourer, tried all he could, but missed the fee deadline by a whisker. He then took the fight to courts.

For three months, the father did the rounds of the SC/ST Commission, the Jharkhand and Madras High Courts. In the end, when nothing worked, he approached the Supreme Court.

“We cannot allow such a young talented boy to go away. He cannot be left in lurch. He went to Jharkhand Legal Services Authority. Then to Chennai Legal Services Authority and then he is sent to High Court. He is a Dalit boy being made to run from pillar to post,” said Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, ordering the IIT to admit the student.

“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 its order.

The petitioner’s counsel said the student’s father earns Rs 450 daily. “The task of arranging 17,500 is a big deal. He collected money from villagers.”

“The only thing that stopped him from paying was the inability to pay and as the Supreme Court of India, we need to see that,” the Chief Justice said.

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 BTech course. Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the top court to pass any order in the interest of justice.

“All the best. Achha kariye (Do well),” the Chief Justice told the 18-year-old student, who comes from a village in Muzaffarnagar district of UP.

A relieved Atul said the “derailed train is back on track now“.

“I have been provided with the seat. I am very happy. The court said my seat could not be snatched away solely due to a financial problem. The train that had derailed is back on track now,” he said with a smile. Atul said he was hopeful of getting help from the top court. 

Asked what lies ahead, he replied, “I will work hard and become an electrical engineer from IIT-Dhanbad.”

What Parents Went Through

The parents of Atul Kumar failed to deposit Rs 17,500 as the acceptance fee by 5 pm on June 24, the deadline for depositing the fee for blocking the seat.

The student’s father managed to crowdsource the amount by 4:45 pm on the last day. As Atul began uploading his documents, the time for submission of fee was up. A dream crushed, the family regrouped and took the legal route. 

As the student wrote the exam at a centre in Jharkhand, he approached 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, in turn, asked him to approach the top court.