Sahil Wakode, second year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, who was discovered using a mobile phone in an exam on Friday evening, has reportedly killed himself after the incident. The incident later raised concern among the students at the Powai campus when they protested the lack of transparency and accountability of the powers that be.
Wakode, a student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found using a phone during the exam. He had shared the question paper of the exams with ChatGPT to get a solution from it, IIT Bombay said.
There was no disciplinary action taken against Wakode, according to the institute. The instructor and Head of Department discussed the incident, counseled him, and told him that nothing of it would impact on his academic career, it said. He then went back to his dormitory room where he was later discovered dead. His death case is currently under investigation.
Students Protest On IIT Bombay Campus
Hundreds of students rallied on campus after the incident in protest and demanding answers of the administration. Students’ expressed concerns included questioning how the incident was dealt with and whether disciplinary action could take place.
Some protesters have claimed that Wakode has been told that he could be suspended for one year and “may have to continue his academic course elsewhere”, if he is suspended. These allegations have not been independently substantiated and IIT Bombay has said it had not taken any disciplinary action against him.
Learners expressed their protest to demand accountability and transparency on the circumstances of the death and also to demand clarity. Students are also said to have had their mid-semester exams delayed after the protests.
Investigation Into Student’s Death
The police are investigating Wakode’s case. The institute of technology (IIT), Bombay, has extended its sympathies and added that it will provide “assistance to the students, faculty members and other individuals concerned with the incident.
The case has also reignited the issue of academic pressure, support systems for students, and how to deal with disciplinary issues, all of which are concerns that have been sitting on the campus. The fact that no formal disciplinary measures were taken tops the discussion at the institute, and students impose more demands for answers.