A major part of the students’ charter focuses on mental healthStudents have called for more counsellors, stronger emergency and psychiatric support, mental-health training for faculty and staff and better access to student welfare officials.
Published: September 22, 2026, 11:21 AM IST
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IIT Bombay student death: Protesters issue statement, says ‘do not condone cheating’; Clarify stand on Dean Doolla
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Student representatives at IIT Bombay have clarified that their three-day protest following the death by suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode was not aimed at defending cheating or any other form of academic misconductIn a statement issued on September 21, the students said they did not support cheatingThey said their protest was instead focused on what they described as wider problems within the institute, including student welfare, accountability, mental-health support and the way complaints involving students are handled.
The clarification came on the same day IIT Bombay removed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his post as Dean of Administrative AffairsDoolla will continue to serve as a professor while the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death continues.
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IIT-Bombay student’s death: Family demands CBI probe, access to CCTV, phone, laptop records
What happened to Sahil Wakode?
Sahil, a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on September 18Earlier, IIT Bombay had said that Sahil was found using a mobile phone during an examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answersThe institute had said he was counselled following the incident and that no disciplinary proceedings had been started against him.
The institute later apologised for the way it had described the events, saying the circumstances leading to Sahil’s death were still under investigation and should not have been characterised before the facts were established.
Sahil’s family has made allegations of harassment and caste-based discrimination and has sought a detailed investigationMumbai Police has registered a case based on the family’s complaint, and the matter remains under investigation.
Protest not about supporting cheating, students clarify
The student representatives said their position on academic integrity was clearThey said they did not condone cheating or any form of academic misconductAccording to them, the protest was about examining the systems and practices at IIT Bombay after Sahil’s death.
The students said the incident had led them to raise concerns that, in their view, had existed on campus for some time.
Their demands covered several areas, including institutional accountability, student participation in decision-making, mental-health services and procedures for dealing with student complaints.
18-point charter of demands
During the protests, students submitted an 18-point charter of demands to IIT Bombay Director Shireesh KedareAfter a meeting lasting nearly three hours, Kedare signed the charter, according to reportsHowever, the signing does not mean that every demand has already been implementedThe institute’s Board of Governors is considering the issues raised by students.
The demands include an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death, better mental-health and medical support, greater student representation in committees and a system for dealing with complaints against faculty members.
Students have also sought protection from disciplinary or other action against those who took part in the protest.
What students said about professor Dolla
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla was the invigilator during the examination in which Sahil was allegedly found with a phoneIn their statement, the student representatives said they had never declared Doolla guilty or tried to prejudge the investigation.
They said their demand was that he be removed from his administrative responsibilities while the investigation continuedAccording to the students, this was intended to prevent any possible conflict during the inquiry.
IIT Bombay subsequently removed Doolla from the deanship with immediate effectHe remains a professor at the institute.
The development has also led to support for Doolla from sections of the facultyThe IIT Bombay Faculty Forum said he had followed the institute’s approved examination procedures while dealing with the incidentFaculty members at IIT Delhi and IIT Madras have also expressed support for a fair investigation and due process.
Students seek better mental-health support
A major part of the students’ charter focuses on mental healthAmong other measures, students have called for more counsellors, stronger emergency and psychiatric support, mental-health training for faculty and staff and better access to student welfare officials.
They have also proposed a permanent student well-being body involving students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts.
