The Uttar Pradesh government announced today, Wednesday, October 2, that it will assist Atul Kumar, a Dalit student from Muzaffarnagar, in securing admission to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dhanbad, covering his entire tuition fees through a state scholarship, PTI reported.
According to an official statement from Lucknow, "Under the state's scholarship scheme, the Social Welfare Department will bear the entire fee of IIT through scholarship so that Atul's education can be ensured."
Atul Kumar, whose father Rajendra Kumar is a daily wage labourer, was unable to proceed with his admission to IIT Dhanbad owing to financial constraints. Despite performing well in the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and securing a seat in the Electronics Engineering branch, his admission was halted because the fees weren't paid by the June 24 deadline.
The family, after exhausting all efforts, eventually approached the Supreme Court for help. Following the intervention of the Supreme Court, and once the issue was brought to the attention of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the government stepped in to support the student.
The statement further explained that the chief minister had promptly directed officials to provide full assistance to Atul. Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun personally contacted the student's family by phone, assuring them that the state would cover the complete cost of his education.
In addition to this, the Uttar Pradesh government has been in touch with IIT Dhanbad to take the necessary measures for the admission process. Not only will the initial fees be paid, but the state will also cover the full four-year course fees through the scholarship programme.
