IIT Bombay Postpones Mid-Sem Exams To October 10-11 After BTech Student Sahil Wakode's Death By Suicide

IIT Bombay has postponed mid-semester exams scheduled for September 26 and 27 to October 10 and 11 following consultations after BTech student Sahil Wakode's death. The institute said the delay will allow a committee to prepare a student-friendly SOP for invigilators handling suspected academic misconduct. The proposed guidelines will later be placed before the Senate for approval.

IIT Bombay | File

Mumbai: IIT Bombay has postponed its mid-semester examinations scheduled for September 26 and 27, days after the death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode triggered protests on the campus.

Exams Shifted To Next Month

The exams have now been shifted to October 10 and 11, reported . The institute said the decision was taken after consultations with student representatives and other stakeholders. The postponement is also intended to give a newly constituted committee time to prepare a student-friendly Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for invigilators dealing with suspected cases of academic misconduct.

According to the institute, the revised SOP will lay down clearer procedures for handling alleged academic misconduct and is aimed at ensuring that examination-related cases are dealt with fairly and consistently. Faculty members have also sought detailed, step-by-step guidelines covering the various stages of such cases. The proposed SOP and revised rules will later be placed before the Senate for formal approval before being implemented.

The development comes amid continuing protests at IIT Bombay following the death of 22-year-old Sahil Wakode on September 18. Wakode, a second-year student, was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination shortly before he was found dead in his hostel room.

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CCTV Allegedly Shows Wakode Caught Cheating

CCTV footage from the examination hall shows Wakode seated in a front-row seat when an invigilator, Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, approaches him. The footage reportedly shows Wakode handing over his mobile phone to the professor before gathering his belongings and appearing to leave the examination hall.

Wakode's family has alleged that he faced caste-based harassment and had spoken to them about the issue. Police then registered an FIR alleging abetment to suicide and invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Professor Doolla, who has been named in the FIR, was sent on leave amid the investigation. He was also removed from his administrative responsibilities following protests by students. IIT Bombay and its faculty forum have defended Doolla, maintaining that he was performing his duty as an invigilator and had followed the prescribed procedure after allegedly detecting misconduct.

The institute has said Wakode was counselled after the examination incident and assured that it would not affect his academic career. On Wednesday, IIT Bombay also constituted a 10-member high-level committee to examine the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death.

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