A tragic incident occurred at the prestigious educational institution IIT Bombay: Sahil Wakode, a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide, hanging himself in dormitory room H-4 on campus grounds. Following this terrible news, a tense atmosphere arose at the institute, and outraged students began active protests directly on campus.
The IIT administration released an official statement explaining that on Friday, during an exam, the student was observed using ChatGPT on his mobile phone to load and view answers from the exam paper. The administration claimed that the student was explained the situation and was guaranteed that no strict disciplinary measures would be taken against him. According to the institute's information, after this, the student returned to his dormitory room, where he was later found dead that evening.
Students participating in the protests completely reject the administration's statements, insisting that the management is hiding the truth. Protesters claim that the student was threatened with suspension for plagiarism. They believe that this psychological pressure and fear for the future were the reason the student decided to take his own life. However, independent confirmation of these claims could not be obtained.
Protesting students state that they feel like they are in a cage on campus, noting excessive pressure and an atmosphere of fear from faculty members. A significant number of students are demanding the resignation of the institute's director, Professor Shirish B. Kedare. They insist on a transparent investigation into the matter.
For his part, IIT Bombay Director Shirish B. Kedare took moral responsibility for what happened and stated his intention to establish accountability in the case. He emphasized: 'My moral responsibility for this entire situation will be fully accounted for.' However, he did not give a direct answer regarding the resignation.
In this regard, DCP Dattatrey Nalawde reported that negotiations between the IIT administration and the students are ongoing.