Student representatives at IIT Bombay issued a statement on Monday, clarifying that their recent protest, sparked by the tragic death of a second-year student, was not an endorsement of cheating or academic misconduct. Instead, the protest aimed to shed light on systemic issues within the institute and to advocate for necessary institutional reforms. The students emphasized their commitment to addressing these underlying problems rather than justifying any form of academic dishonesty.
“The protest initiated by students was not intended to justify academic misconduct. “With respect to Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, we would like to clarify that our position has never been one of presuming guilt or prejudging the ongoing investigation. “The loss of Sahil should not become a platform for external political interests, organisations, or narratives to shape the concerns of the IIT Bombay student community.
It was a collective effort to raise concerns about systemic issues that have existed for some time and to seek meaningful and strong institutional reforms so that no student has to face circumstances of this nature again,” it said.
“The Director addressed these concerns in detail and responded openly to the questions raised by students,” the representatives said, adding that they appreciated his engagement with the student community and his approach to identifying and addressing institutional issues that had come to light. 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,” they said. Our demands have emerged from the experiences and concerns of students on campus, and we believe that the process of reform should continue to remain rooted in the student community and the Institute,” the statement said.
