Atul Kumar, an 18-year-old promising youth and son of a Dalit daily wage laborer from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzzafarnagar, could not get into the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) despite cracking the JEE-Advanced as he was unable to make the required fee payment, that is Rs 17,500.
Atul, the son of a daily wage laborer from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, had secured a seat in the Electrical Engineering program at IIT Dhanbad. However, the excessive fee, which was beyond his family’s financial means, posed a significant barrier to his academic aspirations. Despite exhausting all available resources, including approaching various government bodies and even the Supreme Court, Atul was unable to secure the necessary funds.
The Supreme Court Help Dalit Student
The matter came to the notice of the Supreme Court and a bench of judges expressed its sympathy for Atul. Others wanted to know why he had waited until now, with the fee deadline having come and gone in June. Atul’s counsel narrated the financial struggle his family was facing and the insurmountable task of arranging it in a short duration.
The Supreme Court has also overruled that notice to the Joint Seat Allocation Authority as well as IIT Admissions and stayed certain decisions of IIT Madras. Supreme Court assures help to poor Dalit, the court will go through the case to determine whether an extension is possible and if any financial aid can be given to Atul.
