SC directs IIT Bombay to grant interim admission to student who lost seat due to wrong click

Siddhant Batra had lost his seat for the four-year electrical engineering course in the prestigious IIT Bombay after he “inadvertently” clicked on a “wrong” link which was meant to withdraw from the process.

The Supreme Court has directed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay to grant interim admission to the 18-year-old student after he lost his seat in the institute by clicking on a wrong link in the online admission process. 

Siddhant Batra had lost his seat for the four-year electrical engineering course in the prestigious IIT Bombay after he “inadvertently” clicked on a “wrong” link which was meant to withdraw from the process.

A bench headed by Justice S K Kaul took note of the submissions of lawyer Pralhad Paranjpe on behalf of the student and asked the IIT Bombay to grant provisional admission to him. The bench, also comprising Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrishikesh Roy, issued notice to the prestigious institution and fixed the plea of Siddhant for hearing after winter break.

During the hearing, Paranjpe said the admission will be subject to the final decision of the apex court on the plea of the student.

The plea was filed in the apex court after the Bombay High Court dismissed the petition by noting the submissions of the IIT that it cannot intervene at this stage as all the seats for the course were full and moreover, the admission rules had to be followed. It had said Siddhant could apply again next year for JEE (Advanced).

The High Court had initially directed the IIT to consider Siddhant’s petition, after he approached it, as a representation and pass appropriate orders.

In JEE Advanced 2020 exam, Siddhant had secured All India Rank (AIR) of 270 and secured admission. He had claimed in his plea that he had clicked the wrong link which was meant to withdraw his seat.

He intended to freeze the seat, the plea said.

On November 23, a division bench of the high court dismissed his petition noting that IIT had considered his representation and passed its order. In his petition to the top court, Siddhant has sought a direction to the IIT to consider his case on humanitarian grounds and requested the creation of an additional seat to undo his loss.

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