Admit SC pupil who couldn’t pay fee, IIT-Bombay told

Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 22

Coming to the rescue of a Scheduled Caste student who couldn’t deposit fees on time, the Supreme Court on Monday created a seat in IIT, Bombay, for him, saying it will be travesty of justice if the boy missed out on admission due to no fault of his.

“Having regard to the facts of the case, it would be a grave travesty of justice to the young student who has to finally move this court, is turned away from its portals,” a Bench led by Justices DY Chandrachud said, exercising the top court’s plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution.

Calling for a humanitarian approach, it directed IIT, Bombay, to allocate within 48 hours a seat to the SC student from Allahabad who could not deposit his fees due to the non-functioning of his credit card.

On November 18, it had said “the court must sometimes rise above the law” as “who knows 10-20 years down the line he may be the leader of our nation”.

The Bench took note of the fact that if petitioner Prince Jaibir Singh, who has secured 864 all-India rank in the SC category in the IIT entrance exam, was not admitted in this academic year, he will be ineligible to appear for further entrance examinations as he has appeared in two consecutive attempts.