Students at IIT Bombay have been protesting since September 18 following the death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. The agitation intensified over the weekend, with students staging a sit-in near the institute's main gate and submitting an 18-point charter of demands to the administration.
After a nearly three-hour meeting on Sunday night, IIT Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare signed the charter. Today, the institute suspended Prof Suryanarayana Doolla from his post as Dean of Administrative Affairs with immediate effect, saying further action would follow the investigation. Doolla was the invigilator during the examination involving Wakode and has been named in an FIR registered on the basis of the student's family's complaint.
The institute also apologised for its earlier communication about the circumstances preceding Wakode's death, saying those details remained under investigation and should not have been characterised before being established through the appropriate process.
The developments came amid reports that Kedare had told protesting students he would resign after following the required process. However, IIT Bombay clarified that Kedare has not resigned, calling reports of his resignation false. The institute's Board of Governors is meeting to consider the students' demands, with an open house also planned.
What triggered the protest
Wakode, a second-year student of Energy Science and Engineering, died on September 18 after an incident during a mid-semester examination. IIT Bombay's initial communication said he had been found using a mobile phone during the exam and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT.
The institute later apologised for the communication, saying that the circumstances preceding Wakode's death remained under investigation and that it was inappropriate to characterise those events before they had been established through the appropriate process.
Wakode's parents have alleged caste-based discrimination and named Prof Suryanarayana Doolla in their complaint. Mumbai Police has registered an FIR and the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch. These allegations remain subject to investigation.
What are the 18 demands
Suspension of Prof Suryanarayana Doolla
Students have demanded his immediate suspension and removal of any other stakeholder found guilty after the investigation.
Public apology over Sahil Wakode’s portrayal
Students want IIT Bombay to apologise for what they describe as defamatory details about Wakode published in an institute LinkedIn post.
Open house with senior officials
Students want an open house with the Director, Dean of Student Affairs, Dean Academic Programmes and Wakode’s department head before September 22.
Accountability for implementing demands
Students have demanded that the Director, Dean Academic Programmes and Dean Student Affairs resign if demands 5 to 14 are not implemented within a month. They also want weekly progress updates.
Independent investigation into Wakode’s death
They want a panel comprising professors, student representatives, external members and members recommended by students to investigate the circumstances of his death, including the emergency and hospital response. An interim report is sought by September 30 and the final findings by October 15.
Financial support for bereaved families
Students have sought fair and prompt monetary assistance, along with continued institutional support, for the four families who have lost a loved one at IIT Bombay in recent months.
Student representation in committees
Students want voting rights and equal representation in academic and non-academic committees dealing with student matters, without an administrative veto over the student representatives.
Review of decisions affecting student culture
They want decisions imposed without student consultation to be reconsidered after taking students' views into account.
Code of conduct for professors
Students have demanded a committee to establish a system for complaints against professors, including an escalation mechanism and defined timelines.
Changes to disciplinary action cases
When a student is accused of academic malpractice, students want their mentor or student companion and a student-selected buddy to be informed. Interactions related to the case should also be documented and conducted with their knowledge.
More accessible counselling
The charter seeks at least one counsellor for every 250 students, independent audits of the Student Wellness Centre and at least one counsellor in every hostel.
24/7 psychiatric and hospital support
Students want a psychiatrist on call round the clock, better-qualified emergency and night-shift doctors, regular mental-health training for hospital staff and a mechanism to address student concerns about the hospital.
Mental-health sensitisation for faculty and staff
Professors and staff who directly interact with students should undergo mandatory mental-health sensitisation workshops every two months. The training should also be part of staff onboarding.
Greater access to the Dean of Student Affairs
Students want at least 20 hours a week dedicated to one-on-one interactions with the Dean of Student Affairs, along with written responses to concerns within 48 hours and weekly publication of available interaction slots.
Support for hostel wings
The administration should support students in restoring hostel wing groups and allow wingmates to remain together in subsequent years, including through adjacent room allotments.
Open student concerns portal
Students want a portal where institute-wide concerns can be raised and both the complaints and administrative responses are visible to the student community.
Permanent student well-being task force
The charter seeks a standing body comprising students, faculty, mental-health professionals and external experts to study student distress, recommend preventive measures and publish semester-wise reports.
No action against protesters
Students want a written assurance that those participating in the protest will not face disciplinary, hostel, financial, legal or indirect action.
What happens now
The signing of the charter does not by itself mean that all 18 demands have already been implemented. The administration has indicated that due process will be followed, while the Board of Governors is considering the issues raised by students.
The institute has already apologised for its earlier communication about Wakode's death and suspended Doolla from his deanship pending further action. The police investigation and the independent inquiry sought by students will also determine what action, if any, follows against individuals.
The immediate focus is therefore on the implementation of the charter, the institute's response to the students and the findings of the investigations into Wakode's death.