IIT Bombay Student Warned Of 1-Year Suspension For Using ChatGPT In Exam? What Institute Said

Sahil Wakode, a second-year Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay student, died by suicide hours after he was caught using a mobile during an exam on Friday.

The institute said that Wakode was caught uploading the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers during the examination.

After his death, many students held protests in the institute, claiming that he was threatened with a one-year suspension. The officials, however, said that no disciplinary action was initiated against him. 

What IIT Bombay Said

"A second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay died by suicide today evening. Earlier in the day, during an examination, the student was found using a mobile phone in the exam hall. He had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers," the IIT Bombay said in a statement.

"No disciplinary action was initiated against the student. The matter was also discussed with the student by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career," the statement read.

The institute said that Wakode had subsequently returned to his hostel room.

"Later in the evening, he was found dead in his room," the institute said.

Protests Against Suicide Inside Campus

Following the incident, students began protesting on the IIT Powai campus, and alleged that the institute was not revealing the complete truth about the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Students claimed that he had been threatened with a one-year suspension. They said that if suspended, the student would have had to vacate the hostel and live outside the campus.

According to the students, such action could also have extended the student's engineering course from four years to five years or longer.

The protesting students alleged that fear and pressure over the disciplinary action may have contributed to Wakode taking the extreme step. However, this claim has not been independently verified.

The protesting students demanded "accountability" from the institute's administration.

"The reason for our protest is that a suicide took place in our college today. That is why we have gathered to protest, to demand accountability, transparency, and answers from our administration," a student said.

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