Dalit candidate moves Supreme Court to save his IIT seat

An 18-year-old poor Dalit student has moved the Supreme Court after he lost an IIT seat as his parents could not deposit Rs 17,500 acceptance fee by the June 24 deadline for blocking the seat.

Atul Kumar, son of a daily wager, hails from a BPL family in Titora village of Muzaffarnagar, UP. He cleared the JEE Advanced in his second and last attempt and if the court doesn’t come to his rescue, he will lose the opportunity. “We will help you as far as possible. But what were you doing for the last three months as the fee deposit deadline expired on June 24,” a Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud told Kumar’s counsel.

The Bench, however, on Tuesday issued notices to the Joint Seat Allocation Authority, IIT Admissions, IIT Madras, which conducted JEE Advanced this year. The counsel submitted that it was very difficult for the student to arrange Rs 17,500 by 5 pm of June 24, that too in just four days after allotment of the seat in IIT-Dhanbad. His parents also approached the NCSC, Jharkhand Legal Services Authority and the Madras high court to save his seat.