IIT Bombay Director Signs 18-Point Charter as Student Protest Enters New Phase Following Death of BTech Student

Late on Sunday, IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare put his signature to an 18-point document drawn up by students demanding accountability and institutional change in the wake of BTech student Sahil Wakode's death by suicide, marking a new development in the ongoing dispute. Kedare convened an approximately three-hour discussion with students who had been conducting a sit-in protest outside the institute's main entrance for three days. At the gathering, students called for measures to be taken against Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who had been overseeing the exam that Wakode attended shortly before his passing. According to the document, disciplinary measures ought to be pursued against the faculty member accused of making threats towards Wakode. Calls have also been made for an independent investigation into the circumstances of the student's death, with pupil representatives and externally nominated members forming part of the inquiry panel. When the question of action against Doolla arose at the gathering, Kedare was overheard stating that the institution would adhere to established procedure, while an official subsequently clarified that endorsing the charter did not constitute an immediate commitment to every individual demand raised. The 18-point document additionally calls for a formal public apology regarding what demonstrators have characterised as the reputational harm done to Wakode. Pupils have called for a preliminary report from the proposed independent inquiry no later than 30 September, with a concluding report to follow by 15 October. A number of the proposals address wider reforms to IIT Bombay's academic structures, disciplinary procedures, and student welfare frameworks. Among the proposed measures are behavioural guidelines for academic staff, awareness training on mental health for faculty and employees, enhanced face-to-face counselling services, and revisions to the disciplinary review procedures. Calls for broader student involvement in institutional governance have accompanied a proposal for a multidisciplinary task force — drawing on pupils, academics, mental-health practitioners, and independent specialists — to investigate the causes of student distress and develop preventive recommendations. Among its provisions, the document calls for round-the-clock psychiatric on-call coverage and broader access to mental-health and medical care at the institution's hospital. Protesters have requested a written plan for implementation by 26 September, along with a guarantee that those taking part peacefully will be exempt from disciplinary measures. One of the demands calls for the director's departure should the proposed reforms fail to take effect within a 30-day period. These events came in the wake of Wakode's passing, after his body was discovered in his hostel accommodation on 18 September. A second-year Energy Science and Engineering student was reportedly discovered with a mobile phone during a mid-semester test held earlier that day. According to the institution, Wakode had submitted the exam question paper to an artificial intelligence platform to obtain answers, though no disciplinary proceedings had been launched against him. According to the institution, he received guidance and was given assurances that the matter would have no bearing on his progress as a student. A case of abetment of suicide was filed by Mumbai Police on the basis of a complaint lodged by Wakode's family, with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act also invoked following the family's assertion of caste-based harassment. The case has since been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch. The institution disputed the caste-discrimination claims, stating that Wakode had not lodged any complaint with its SC/ST cell or administration. The institution's Faculty Forum expressed support for Doolla, indicating that he had carried out his examination oversight responsibilities in line with established academic guidelines. The group additionally raised concerns about damage to his standing and noted that he had submitted the alleged examination irregularities through the appropriate channels. Footage allegedly depicting Kedare appending his signature to the charter at the demonstration venue has been spreading across social media platforms. No independent verification of the footage has been carried out. A meeting of the institute's Board of Governors has been arranged for Monday. The terms of the overnight deal are expected to be presented at a public forum, after which students will likely determine whether to carry on with their demonstration.

IIT Bombay Director Signs 18-Point Charter as Student Protest Enters New Phase Following Death of BTech Student

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IIT Bombay Director Signs 18-Point Charter as Student Protest Enters New Phase Following Death of BTech Student

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