MUMBAI: Hours after TOI published an exclusive news report about an 18-year-old orphaned teenager who lost his seat at IIT-B after inadvertently clicking on a wrong link, people from across the country and beyond sent their support on Monday. Some even offered help to make sure a parentless 18-year-old’s dreams of being an IIT citizen came true and weren’t stolen. There was also a great deal of support on social media.
Siddhant Batra, who lost his single mother two years ago, scored almost 96% on the CBSE class XII exam and strove to pursue his goal of being admitted to the prestigious BTech Electrical Engineering course at IIT Bombay. However, due to an inadvertent mistake, he said, he lost his seat.
JEE 270 orphan clicks wrong link, loses seat at IIT-B
In response to the news report on, waging a legal battle to regain his ‘Bachelor of Technology’ position at IIT Bombay, SRM University, Andhra Pradesh, tweeted an offer to grant him full scholarship admission.
“SRMUAP will be pleased to grant admission to the brilliant student Siddhant Batra, all of India is ranked 270 in JEE with a 100 percent exemption from tuition for four years, along with free room and board, ”he said in a post. Speaking to TOI later, R Nandakummar, SRM’s director of communications, said the university was moved by the story of how an orphan boy showed courage and merit to pass the toughest 2020 JEE (advanced) entrance exam.
He said that P Sathyanarayanan, president of SRMUAP, extends his comprehensive support to the young student to study in any discipline of his choice from a “world-class faculty” and “be part of the SRMAP family.”
“He is a very talented boy who, despite his recent deep losses, has been able to secure a rank of 270 across India in JEE,” said Nandakumar, adding that the university’s founding rector, TR Paarivendhar, has offered Free room and board to ensure that the worthy mind can focus only on studies and related co-curricular activities.
The IIT said there was little it could do to reverse the loss, but offered him a second chance, directly through JEE Advanced in 2021. It would mean a lost year, says his petition now seeking justice, before the Supreme Court. The SC is expected to hear it this week.
On November 23, the Bombay High Court had dismissed his statement, after noting that the Secretary of the IIT on November 21 considered his representation for a supernumerary position and rejected it.
Dr. V Nagaraja Naidu, Founding Registrar of the Open University Dr. BR Ambedkar also wrote to say that Batra’s “unfortunate” removal from his IIT-B selection led him to “contact V Sambasiva Rao, Vice Chancellor of SRMAP to obtain help”. Rao added, “Our doors are always open for such brilliant minds.”
There was also great support on social media for the child’s plight due to his “genuine mistake.” “How sad this is … a deserving student in trouble,” wrote ‘Akon Buddy’ from Mumbai, while Ashish Choudhary said, “to be provided a seat at some other IIT in the same branch for humanitarian reasons.”
There were almost 550 responses imploring a beneficial stance in Batra’s case towards him. GK Prasad from Hyderabad said he “sincerely appeals to the courts”, while Ganesh from Berkeley, California, USA said that “people make mistakes with links.” I think IITs are fully capable of overlooking such mistakes and giving people their well-deserved admission. ”
Aadya Madan, posted with a JusticeforSiddhant hashtag, “I have been friends with this person for the entirety of my high school years and he is such a pure soul. Hardworking without measure, vivacious and one of the sharpest minds. Little by little, losing all his reasons to smile, I hope he doesn’t have to lose this one. ”
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