Maharashtra: No HC relief to student who failed to submit admission form within deadline

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The Bombay High Court has refused any relief to a student who failed to submit a form for admission to a science institute within the deadline, saying he cannot be allowed to participate in the admission process only because he secured a good rank, according to PTI.

As per the PTI report, a division bench of Justices A. S. Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil, in its order on July 10, also said relief cannot be granted merely on the ground of sympathy. Any such relief would cause injustice to other students, it added.

The court was reportedly hearing a petition filed by Siddhant Rane, seeking a direction to the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, to accept his application form for the four-year Bachelor of Science (Research) programme.

Due to his late submission of his online application form, Rane was considered ineligible for the admission process.

According to the institute, the forms were to be submitted online from April 1 to May 7, 2024 and the date was then extended until May 14. However, Rane submitted the form on June 9.

As per the news agency report, Rane said, in his plea, that his All India Rank in the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT) was 10 and hence he was eligible to secure admission as per the cut-off marks prescribed.

He said that based on his ranking, he ought to be permitted to participate in the admission process and to upload the necessary documents, reported PTI.

According to the PTI report, the institute opposed the plea and said that until the last date of application submission, it had received about 11,180 forms. Accepting Rane's application now would result in giving a go-bye to the last date of submission of applications, the institute contended.

The bench noted that Rane submitted his application form on June 9, which was much beyond the last date prescribed.

"It is true that the petitioner (Rane) has secured a good All India rank, but only on that basis can he be permitted to participate in the admission process as he had submitted his application beyond the deadline prescribed," the court said, reported PTI.

"Merely on the basis of sympathy," relief cannot be granted to the student, it said.

"Granting such relief would cause injustice to the other applicants," the HC said, dismissing the petition.

(With inputs from PTI)