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The Allahabad High Court has lauded the efforts and placing on record its special appreciation for one Dr. Sonal Chauhan for her gesture before the Court, of seeking to sponsor the entire studies of Dalit student Sanskriti Ranjan at IIT-BHU for a Mathematics and Computing dual-degree five-year course.

The doctor based in Mumbai had volunteered to sponsor the girl's entire studies, after Allahabad High Court's decision that led to a Dalit girl securing admission at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT, Banaras Hindu University).

The Single Judge Bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh which was informed that the doctor had filed an intervention application in the matter, observed

“This is quite heartening that (someone from the) capable section of the society is willing to sponsor the study of a meritorious girl student from a lower strata of the society. The Court places (its) appreciation on record to all such persons, who have volunteered to sponsor (the) entire study of the petitioner.”

The petitioner informed the Bench that she does not have any objection to such a magnanimous gesture by the Doctor and was infact deeply grateful.

According to the facts of the present case, the student had secured 92.77 per cent marks in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains Examination and secured the rank 2,062 in the Scheduled Caste (SC) list. She was allotted a seat at IIT-BHU, but due to a financial crisis had failed to submit ₹15,000 as the seat acceptance fee.

Considering the said aspect, the Court also urged for a reply from Union of India as well from the State Government on, “whether there was some scheme/fund for sponsoring the study of such students who secure admission in the best of institutions through entrance exams such as JEE/ NEET/ CLAT etc, but are unable to pay their fee because of their poor economic conditions.”

The Bench also remarked that,

“…this is not a solitary case where a brilliant student coming from a lower strata of Society faces such a difficulty in depositing the fee after cracking the admission test for a prestigious institution such as IIT. Others might not have been so fortunate to come to Court.”

Previously, invoking its equity jurisdiction, the bench of Justice Dinesh Kumar Singh of the Allahabad High Court had come to the rescue and volunteered to pay the said fees and had observed that,

"..considering the facts of the present case, where a young bright Dalit girl student has come before this Court seeking equity jurisdiction to enable to pursue her dream of getting admitted in the IIT, this Court on its own has volunteered to contribute Rs.15,000/- fee for allocation of the seat. The said amount has been handed over to the petitioner after court hours today itself." 

The Bench listed the matter for next hearing on December 20 and also directed the Central and State government to place on record the instructions.

Cause Title: Sanskriti Ranjan v. Joint Seat Allocation Authority and Others