After 3 days of protests, IIT-B agrees to students’ demands; details of deal to be announced Monday

IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare addresses protesting students on the campus on Sunday night. (Express Photo)

After three days of sustained student protests following the death by suicide of 20-year-old IIT-Bombay student Sahil Wakode, the institute administration on Sunday agreed to the students’ 18-point charter of demands. The details of the agreement will be formally placed before students at an open house on Monday, after which the protesting students will decide whether to continue their agitation.

The development came after a lengthy discussion between students staging a sit-in near the main gate and IIT-Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare and other senior administrators. While the institute has not issued an official statement on the agreement, a livestream of the meeting showed the director signing the 18-point charter submitted by the students.

One of the demands was the immediate suspension of Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, who was invigilating the examination taken by Sahil and has been named in the FIR registered on the basis of a complaint by his parents. On the demand for his suspension, Prof Kedare is seen saying in the livestream: “We will follow the process.”

The students had submitted the charter on Sunday, seeking both immediate action in Sahil’s case and systemic changes to the institute’s academic, disciplinary and mental-health systems.

Sahil, a second-year BTech student of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on Friday, hours after he was allegedly found with a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. His parents have held Doolla responsible for their son’s death and alleged that he faced caste-based discrimination on campus.

The students have demanded an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death, with an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15. They have also sought an open house with the director, Dean of Student Affairs and other senior officials, including the head of the Energy Science and Engineering department, by September 22.

They have demanded that the institute address their concerns about the incident and issue an apology for what they described as Sahil’s defamation.

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“The initial statement by the IIT Bombay administration stating use of AI platform by Sahil during exams, is like putting an allegation against a student who is not even here to defend himself. There is a rule that disciplinary action taken against any student is kept confidential, yet IIT Bombay issues such a statement without even conducting an investigation into it,” a protesting student said.

The demands include a code of conduct for professors, mental-health sensitisation for faculty and staff, improved in-person counselling and changes to the Disciplinary Action Committee process.

The students have also sought a task force comprising students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts to examine the causes of student distress and recommend preventive measures. They have proposed that the task force publish a semester-wise report for campus residents.

Other demands include greater administrative accountability, increased student representation, improved mental-health and medical care, and a 24/7 psychiatrist-on-call facility at the IIT-Bombay hospital.

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The students had sought a written response to their demands within 24 hours and an implementation plan by September 26. They have also demanded a written assurance that no action will be taken against students participating in the peaceful protest.

They have further said the institute director should resign if the proposed reforms are not implemented within a month.

Meanwhile, as students demanded Doolla’s suspension, the Faculty Forum of IIT-Bombay came out in his support, saying he was only performing his invigilation duties and following the institute’s approved procedure.

In a statement signed by Faculty Forum president Prof Rajkumar S Pant, the forum expressed condolences to Sahil’s family but said it was concerned about what it described as the “tarnishing” of Doolla’s reputation.

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The statement said Doolla, who was invigilating the mid-semester examination on Friday, “observed that a student was indulging in an academic malpractice, viz., unauthorized possession and use of a smart-phone during the exam”. It said he reported the incident to the institute authorities as required under the approved procedure.

“The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay is absolutely distressed with the tarnishing of the reputation of our colleague Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was merely discharging his academic duties, and following the institute approved procedures,” the statement said.

Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra. Expertise Senior Role: As a Principal Correspondent at The Indian Express, her designation reflects her seniority, specialized knowledge, and the editorial rigor applied to her reporting. Core Authority & Specialization: Pallavi Smart is the definitive voice for Education news in the region. Her coverage scope is comprehensive: Policy and Regulatory Changes: Reports on major shifts in educational policy, including the restructuring of entrance exams (e.g., MHT-CET adopting the JEE Main model), the draft regulatory framework for coaching classes, and revised teacher recruitment processes. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs): Provides in-depth reporting on prestigious institutes like IIT Bombay and TISS (Tata Institute of Social Sciences), covering institutional initiatives, administrative debates (e.g., renaming IIT Bombay), and student welfare programs (e.g., mandatory mental health courses). Teachers and Eligibility: Covers crucial issues affecting the teaching fraternity, such as the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers and related controversies and application numbers. Student Welfare & Rights: Focuses on issues concerning students, including the rollout of government scholarships, the financial strain on schools due to midday meal reimbursement delays, and instances of child rights violations (e.g., the Powai studio hostage crisis). Admissions and Vacancy: Tracks the outcome of centralized admission processes (e.g., MBBS, BPharm) and analyzes vacancy concerns, providing essential data-driven insights for parents and students. Credentials & Trustworthiness Dedicated Beat: Her consistent focus on the "KG to PG" education beat allows her to develop unparalleled subject matter knowledge, ensuring her reports are accurate, detailed, and contextualized. Proactive Reporting: Her articles frequently break news on policy and institutional planning, providing the public with timely, essential information about a sector that directly impacts millions of families. She tweets @Pallavi_Smart ... Read More

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