Supreme Court Allows IIT Kharagpur Student's Transfer To IIT Roorkee On Mental Health Grounds
The Supreme Court invoked Article 142 to permit the transfer of an IIT Kharagpur student to IIT Roorkee, holding that his ongoing treatment for recurrent depressive disorder at PGI Chandigarh warranted exceptional relief
The Supreme Court invoked Article 142 to permit a B.Arch student to transfer from IIT Kharagpur to IIT Roorkee, citing his mental health condition and ongoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh
The Supreme Court has permitted a B.Arch student of IIT Kharagpur to transfer to IIT Roorkee, taking into account his serious mental health condition and ongoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh.
The Bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan held that the case warranted complete justice in view of the petitioner's peculiar medical circumstances, directing IIT Kharagpur to issue the necessary transfer/migration certificate and all original documents within one week.
The Court further directed IIT Roorkee to admit the petitioner into the first year of its B.Arch programme, clarifying that he would be required to comply with all applicable admission and fee requirements.
During the hearing, Senior Advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for the petitioner, relied on medical records from PGI Chandigarh and an AIIMS evaluation, submitting that the student suffers from recurrent depressive disorder requiring continuous medication and treatment.
Taking note of the medical report, Justice Nagarathna observed, "This is not something one-time treatment. It is regular medication."
Counsel for IIT Roorkee opposed the transfer, contending that the AIIMS report, while acknowledging the student's depression and medical issues, did not specifically recommend a transfer between IITs.
The institute also argued that the rules governing student transfers placed before the Court applied only to IIT Kharagpur and not uniformly across all IITs.
Responding to the submission, the Bench observed that each IIT functions independently through its own Senate.
"Each IIT independently has a Senate. These rules are for IIT Kharagpur, not IIT Delhi… What about IIT Roorkee then?" the Bench remarked.
When informed that IIT Roorkee had no regulations governing such transfers, the Court declined to base its decision on institutional rules.
Instead, the Bench observed that the matter would have to be considered under Article 142 of the Constitution, which empowers the Supreme Court to pass orders necessary for doing complete justice.
The Court also focused on the practical difficulties faced by the petitioner, noting that his continued treatment at PGI Chandigarh made it difficult for him to pursue studies at IIT Kharagpur because of the considerable distance.
IIT Roorkee informed the Court that if the transfer was permitted, the petitioner would have to begin afresh from the first year of the B.Arch course as academic continuity through transfer was not possible. The petitioner's counsel accepted the condition.
The institute further requested that any relief granted be confined to the facts of the present case and not be treated as a precedent for future transfer requests. The submission was recorded by the Court.
Clarifying the limited scope of its order, the Supreme Court observed that the direction was being issued solely because of the petitioner's unique health condition and the necessity of his ongoing treatment at PGI Chandigarh, making it impracticable for him to continue his studies at IIT Kharagpur. The Court made it clear that the order was confined to the peculiar facts of the case.
Earlier, on July 15, this year, the Court had directed the Director of AIIMS to constitute a Medical Board to assess an IIT Kharagpur student seeking transfer to IIT Roorkee on mental health grounds, while ordering IIT Roorkee to keep one seat vacant until the matter is decided.
The Bench had passed the interim directions while hearing a writ petition filed by a student pursuing Architecture at IIT Kharagpur, who sought migration on account of depression and the need for specialised therapy unavailable at Kharagpur.
In July 2025, the Court had questioned IIT Kharagpur about what it was doing to prevent student suicides. "Why are students committing suicide? Have you given a thought to it," a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and Mahadevan asked today.
The counsel for IIT KGP had informed the bench that 10-member committee has been constituted and there was a counselling center in place for identifying students facing mental health problems.
Case Title: XXX v. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
Bench: Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan
Hearing Date: July 30, 2026