Atul Kumar, 18, was brought back to life on Monday when he appeared before the Supreme Court and a three-judge panel led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud issued a decision that would alter his whole trajectory. Atul’s future had been dire as he was refused admission to IIT-Dhanbad due to missing a fee payment deadline by a measly few minutes. However, the Supreme Court made an astounding decision by using its unique authority to guarantee that the gifted little child from a marginalized neighbourhood would not lose his well-earned place.
The panel, which also included justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed the IIT seat distribution body to allow Atul to enrol in the IIT-Dhanbad electronics engineering program in light of his exceptional potential and the struggles he had faced as a result of his limited financial resources.
“We are of the view that a talented student like the petitioner, who also belongs to a marginalised section, cannot be left in the lurch. The power under Article 142 has to be used to do justice in cases like these,” said the bench. making certain that Atul’s trip wouldn’t terminate because he didn’t have ₹17,500. It further stated that Atul would be entitled to hostel privileges and that IIT would create a new seat if necessary to accommodate him in the current batch.
Atul was in the courtroom for the hearing and held his composure while the bench reviewed his case. An 18-year-old Dalit lad from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, who passed one of the most difficult entrance tests in India but just barely missed the deadline to pay the acceptance fee, had already attracted a lot of attention to his story. Due to their extreme financial hardships, his family had borrowed money from neighbours to scrape together the funds. But before he could, the IIT-Dhanbad website shut him out.
The IIT attorney objected in court, stating that Atul had been inactive on the internet for two hours, which may be seen as carelessness. The bench, however, quickly disregarded this argument and brought attention to the more urgent problem, saying that “the boy simply did not have the money in time.” How come he wouldn’t pay if he had ₹17,500? The CJI shot back, “This is the last thing he would do to lose his seat.
The bench stated repeatedly that it intended to administer justice during the hearings. Renowned for his empathy in these situations, CJI Chandrachud said, “In certain places, judges assist; in other places, teachers assist.” The bench made it plain that they were not just addressing the legal intricacies but ensuring that Atul’s potential was not wasted.
Upon concluding the session, the CJI grinned broadly and said to Atul, “I hope everything goes well! “Achha kariye (do well),” wishing him luck on his next adventure. Atul thanked the Supreme Court with a grin on his face and folded palms, realizing that the decision had spared not only his academic career but also the hopes of his family.