IIT Bombay accepts 18 Demands as Students Protest over Campus Suicide

Even though there are signs of resolution, IIT Bombay authorities and protesting students and parents appear headed for a standoff over the death by suicide of 22-year-old BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode. A sheet containing 18 demands raised by protesting students has been signed by IIT Bombay Director Shirish Kedar. The institute is expected to make a formal announcement on the demands today.

IIT Bombay Protest: Director Signs 18-Point Charter

This happened after the IIT Bombay administration held a late-night meeting with protesting students on Sunday to discuss their 18-point charter. Most of the demands include student representation in academic committees, an independent investigation into four cases of death by suicide on campus and mental health workshops for professors. The people familiar with the matter said, a formal announcement on the demands is likely to be made today. Despite the meeting, protesters have announced plans to gather at the IIT Bombay main gate today under the banner of 'India Against Casteism'. They have also raised the issue of other student deaths by suicide in the past, which they allege were linked to casteism. Their main slogan has been, "We are not here to die."

Sahil Wakode Death After Exam Incident

A second-year BTech student, Wakode from Maharashtra's Yavatmal, was found dead in his hostel room at the IIT Bombay campus on Friday. His death came hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. The circumstances surrounding the examination have since become a major point of contention between the institute and the protesting students and family.

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed solidarity with exam invigilator Suryanarayana Doolla. They said, he was following institutional protocol after discovering Wakode in "unauthorised possession and use of a smartphone." The forum said the professor had carried out his academic responsibilities and followed the prescribed procedure by reporting the incident to the authorities concerned for further action.

Students, Family Allege Harassment and Caste Discrimination

Even though, the faculty forum has defended the invigilator's actions, the protesters and Wakode's family have alleged that the student faced institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus. They claim that this contributed to his death by suicide. The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, while expressing grief over Wakode's death and condolences to his family, said that statements made against the professor had affected him deeply.

The dispute has consequently widened beyond the examination incident. The protesters now are demanding institutional reforms and an independent probe into previous suicide cases on campus.

Parents File Case Under SC/ST Act

Wakode's parents have filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, alleging discrimination. The position of competition has intensified the standoff between the administration and protesters. The students and the family are seeking accountability and institutional reforms meanwhile the faculty forum is saying that the invigilator acted according to the institute's prescribed procedure.

With the director having signed the document containing the students' 18 demands, today's formal announcement by IIT Bombay is expected to indicate how the institute responds to the protesters' demands.

Also read: IIT Bombay Student Dies by Suicide, Protests Erupt on Campus