IIT Bombay students split over professor’s fate amid Sahil Wakode suicide protests
The student representatives' new statement now emphasises that the students’ demand concerning Professor Doolla was to temporarily relieve him of his administrative duties as dean, and not to presume his guilt.
(Pictured left) Professor Suryanarayana Doolla's deanship of Students Affairs at IIT-Bombay was suspended after a student's suicide; heavy police security deployed outside IIT-B .(Credit: https://www.ese.iitb.ac.in/~suryad, Express photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee)
As protests demanding justice for 20-year-old Sahil Wakode continue, the student representatives issued another statement on Monday night, saying they stand by Professor Suryanarayana Doolla’s right to a fair and impartial investigation, and sought his suspension as a “precautionary measure”, revealing differences among the students’ sections over the protests and their demands.
Sahil Wakode died by suicide hours after he was allegedly caught using ChatGPT for answers inside his examination hall. Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the invigilator who had also allegedly caught Sahil, was suspended from his deanship on Monday. IIT Bombay, however, retained him as a professor.
The statement also emphasised that the students’ demand concerning Professor Doolla was to temporarily relieve him of his administrative duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs during the probe, and not to presume his guilt.
However, one of the 18 demands the student representatives submitted to IIT Bombay Director Shireesh B Kedare on Sunday night called for Professor Suryanarayana Doolla’s suspension with immediate effect. His removal as dean had angered the students, who had argued yesterday that they had sought his suspension as a professor.
“We do not stand for or condone cheating or any form of academic misconduct. At the same time, the loss of our fellow student, Sahil, is a deeply tragic event that has compelled us to reflect on the systems and processes within our institute,” the statement read.
About Prof. Doolla, the statement said, “Our position has never been one of presuming guilt or prejudging the ongoing investigation. We stand with Professor Doolla as a member of our faculty community and believe that the investigation must be allowed to proceed fairly and impartially.”
The statement also mentioned that relieving him of his administrative duties was sought “as a precautionary measure to ensure that the investigation remains completely independent and cannot be influenced in any manner,” adding that the findings and appropriate action should follow the established investigative process.
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The student representatives further sought to draw a line between the campus-led movement and outside organisations, saying the concerns should remain within the institute.
“The loss of Sahil should not become a platform of external political interest, organisation, or narrative to shape the concerns of the IIT Bombay student community,” said the statement.
It further said that the students’ protest was not intended to justify academic misconduct, but aimed at raising concerns over system issues that have existed for some time. The statement also noted that an open house has allowed students to raise concerns and questions directly with the administration authorities – also one of the key demands.
The statement comes amid continued discussions on the campus over Sahil’s death, the circumstances surrounding the examination in which he was allegedly found with a mobile phone, and wider concerns raised by students about mental-health support, grievance redressal, student representation and institutional accountability.
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“We stand united in seeking accountability, transparency and meaningful institutional reform,” said the statement, adding that the reform process should remain “rooted in the student community and the institute.”
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.
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