Village rallies behind Dalit youth who could miss out on IIT seat over payment 'glitch'

Muzaffarnagar (UP): For the past several months, the small village of Titora has been preoccupied with but one issue – the admission of Atul Kumar into IIT-Dhanbad and making sure he actually gets there.

It takes a village. And the 18-year-old Dalit youth and his family have realised just that as the residents of Titori first got together to raise funds and then rallied behind them as they waged a battle in the Supreme Court.

While 18-year-old Atul Kumar has cracked the highly competitive JEE Advanced exam, his dream of joining the elite engineering institution remains hanging in the air after he missed the deadline to pay Rs 17,500 -- a requisite fee to block a seat -- due to a technical glitch.

His family and members of his village have now pinned all their hopes on the Supreme Court, which has said it will help Atul as far as possible.

His father Rajendra Kumar said, "My son is facing this trouble for something which was not in his control. He studied hard to clear the exam." Rajendra, who works at a textile firm, added that they had to ask money from some relatives and some people in the village for the acceptance fee, which was to be paid by 5 pm on June 24. But a technical glitch the online portal has led to a three-month ordeal to get into IIT-Dhanbad.

Atul said they had managed the funds required just before the deadline. "Unfortunately, a technical glitch on the online portal prevented us from submitting the fee," he said.

He then approached the IIT-Dhanbad administration, where he had secured an electrical engineering seat based on his performance in the JEE Advanced exam. But he was informed that the admission process was strictly online and that the payment deadline was over.

Atul's family was then forced to approach the biggest court in the country.

Titora village is around 100 km from the Supreme Court in Delhi but a majority of the youth from the village work in sugarcane farms. Some, more ambitious, think of clearing the Army's recruitment.

Atul opted for the road not taken.

"Getting into the IIT was my dream ever since I cleared the class 10th exam. My parents supported me to continue my studies. But all that hard work has come to a halt because of this issue. I hope that all this is temporary and that I will be allowed for admission," he said.

Proud residents of Titora are waiting anxiously for the Supreme Court's decision on the matter.

Pawan Kumar, a villager who lent Atul Rs 10,000 for the admissions-related fee, expressed hope for a positive outcome.

"Atul is a very good student," said Rajkumar, a teacher at a primary school where he studied till class 8.

"It is an honour for the entire village that he has cleared the IIT exam. We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will help him in getting the assistance," Rajkumar said.

"The whole village is behind him to ensure that he gets the admission," said Naveen Kumar, another Titora resident.

Atul's father added, "My son studied very hard to get an admission into IIT. We are praying to the almighty that my son's future is not spoiled because of this error."