The following step, however, required paying 17,500 rupees ($281; £156) online in order to validate his admittance. For the Muzaffarnagar family from Uttar Pradesh, in northern India, it was a significant sum of money.
Atul claims he missed the online fee deadline by a few seconds, partially because of technological difficulties, but his father was able to borrow the money.
The family persisted, bringing court challenges and petitions. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Dhanbad was ordered to reinstate Atul’s admittance this week by the country’s highest court.
Atul’s tale has garnered attention in India due to his affluent upbringing and the obstacles he overcome.
Atul’s parents struggled to raise the online entry fee; Atul’s father, Rajendra Kumar, once sold his house to pay for his son’s education.
Atul belongs to the Dalit community, which is one of the most marginalized in India and is positioned at the bottom of the caste system.
