Mumbai, In view of protests over the suicide of an IIT Bombay student, the institute’s director, Prof Shireesh Kedare, has said he will resign on Monday, but noted he must follow the process.
The Board of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the issue. Prof Kedare told protesters late Sunday night, “I will resign; however, I have to follow the process and will convey my decision after a meeting on Monday. Sahil Ravindra Wakode , a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hotel room on the IIT Bombay’s Powai campus on Friday evening, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination, according to officials. Following a complaint by the student’s parents, the police on Saturday registered an FIR on charges of abetment of suicide under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act.
His family has alleged that Wakode, a native of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination before he took the extreme step, which triggered a protest by students on the campus. The protesters claimed that Wakode faced severe pressure and threats of academic suspension. As per a statement from IIT Bombay, Wakode had allegedly uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers during the exam.
The institute’s administration has agreed to 18 demands put forth by the protesters during a meeting.
A professor has been named as an accused in the case, which is being investigated by the Crime Branch, according to police. However, no disciplinary action was initiated against him, it said.
Tragic Incident Claims Student’s Life
A student was found dead in his hostel room after a meeting with his instructor and the Head of the Department. During the meeting, they provided counseling and reassured him that a recent incident would not negatively impact his academic career. The student returned to his room later that evening, where he was later discovered deceased. The circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation.
