Students are seen protesting; IIT-Bombay has constituted a 10-member inquiry committee and accepted the 18 demands made by the students
The story so far:
On September 18, 20-year-old Dalit student Sahil Wakode died by suicide in his hostel room at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. He was a second-year B.Tech student. Sahil’s parents have claimed their son was facing caste discrimination. They registered an FIR against the faculty of IIT-Bombay, invoking provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Mumbai Crime Branch is continuing its probe. Meanwhile, IIT-Bombay has constituted a 10-member inquiry committee and accepted the 18 demands made by the students. The institute had initially stated that Sahil was apprehended for cheating during an examination. It later apologised and said: “It was inappropriate to have set out or characterised details relating to the events preceding his demise before they had been duly established through the appropriate investigative process.”
What are the students demanding?
After the suicide case, protests were held at IIT-Bombay. The students gave a charter of 18 demands, which included taking action against the stakeholders, issuing an apology for Sahil’s defamation, holding an open house with all the stakeholders, an independent investigation, accountability for the implementation of the demands, a code of conduct for professors, students’ representation in academic and non-academic committees, and a task force for students’ well-being. The students also sought better handling of cases of malpractice, in-person counselling, round-the-clock psychiatrist on call and mental health sensitisation, dedicated time from the Dean for one-to-one interaction with students to address their concerns, open students’ concerns portal.
They have also sought at least one counsellor for every 250 students to reduce the waiting period. Students have also sought independent audits of the Student Wellness Centre and at least one counsellor in every hostel.
How has the institute responded?
IIT-Bombay Director Shireesh Kedare signed the memorandum submitted by the students. A 10-member committee has been appointed by the institute to probe the circumstances around Sahil’s death. The institute issued an apology for its previous statement. It also suspended Prof. Satyanarayan Doolla from the position of Dean of Administrative Affairs.
But some students have continued to protest, calling IIT-Bombay’s apology “a joke”. “Not only did the institution not take any responsibility for the tarnishing of the reputation of the deceased, but the narratives casting doubt on his image have only compounded since then,” said a letter issued by Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle IIT Bombay. It has sought the resignation of IIT-Bombay Director, alleging that four suicides have taken place during his tenure. The group also sought the resignation of Prof. Doolla.
Why is the faculty divided?
The faculty stands divided on the issue. Some faculty members have questioned whether the institute had followed the due process laid down for handling examination malpractice. They have also asked if Sahil was given a fresh answer sheet after being caught for alleged malpractice, as per the rules. IIT-Bombay Faculty Forum issued a statement in support of Prof. Doolla. “We are distressed by the vilification of our colleague’s reputation by misleading reports,” it stated. A group of faculty members distanced themselves from the forum, adding that it was not an official representative of the faculty members. It questioned how the forum could issue a statement in support of a faculty member when the case was still under investigation.
What do the numbers show about caste discrimination?
The numbers on caste discrimination in India’s premier institutions are stark. In September, the National Task Force on ‘mental health of students and prevention of suicides in higher educational institutions’ released its interim report. It said 13,600 students from disadvantaged communities had dropped out of premier institutions between 2018 and 2023. During this period, 4,596 OBC, 2,424 Scheduled Caste and 2,622 Scheduled Tribes students left central universities. At the IITs, the numbers were 2,066 OBC, 1,068 SC and 408 ST students. At the IIMs, 163 OBC, 188 SC and 91 ST students dropped out. The report noted that these dropouts occurred despite measures such as fee waivers, stipends, and other government support. It said the figures pointed to academic or other forms of stress affecting students.
(For those in distress, counselling is available at Tele MANAS 14416)
Published – September 27, 2026 02:00 am IST
