New Delhi- In a heartening ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court directed IIT Dhanbad to grant admission to a Dalit student in the B.Tech (Electrical Engineering) program, who had missed the deadline for paying the admission fee of ₹17,500 due to financial hardship. The court emphasized that a student whose father is a daily wage laborer should not lose such an opportunity because of economic difficulties.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra ordered IIT Dhanbad to create an additional seat for the student, ensuring that it does not affect other admissions. The bench remarked, "A talented student like the petitioner should not be left in limbo. The court's powers under Article 142 of the Constitution are meant to address such situations and ensure complete justice."

The student's lawyer, Atul Kumar, informed the court that the student, hailing from Khatoli in Muzaffarnagar, managed to raise the required fee with the help of villagers. Despite gathering the amount by 4:45 PM on June 24, the student could not complete the online payment by the 5 PM deadline.

During the hearing, the lawyer representing the IIT seat allocation authority mentioned that the student had logged into the portal at 3 PM but was unable to pay the fee on time. However, the bench noted that raising ₹17,500 was a significant challenge for the family, and the fact that they resorted to crowdfunding reflected their determination.

The court further observed that there was no deliberate delay on the student's part in making the payment. Considering his socio-economic background, the bench also highlighted that the student's elder brothers were pursuing higher education at prestigious institutions like IIT Kharagpur and NIT Hamirpur.

In its ruling, the court instructed that the student must personally submit the fee and be enrolled in the originally allotted batch. The student will also be entitled to all benefits, including hostel accommodation. The student had cleared the JEE Advanced exam in his second and final attempt. Before approaching the Supreme Court, he had sought assistance from the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, the Jharkhand Legal Services Authority, and the Madras High Court.

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