IIT Bombay accepts 18 student demands after Sahil Wakode death, professor suspended

Big news has come after three days of student protests at IIT Bombay's Mumbai campus. Institute director Professor Shirish Kedare has signed an 18-point charter of demands from protesting students. The decision was taken after nearly three hours of talks between the administration and students on Sunday night. The matter is linked to protests that began after the death of student Sahil Wakode.

While the director has signed the charter, this does not mean all the demands have been immediately met or implemented. Official information from the administration on how and by when the demands will be acted upon is still awaited.

Among the students' main demands, top of the list is an independent probe into the circumstances of Sahil's death. Other demands include action against the professor who has been accused, a code of conduct for teachers, strengthening mental health and counselling services for students, and greater student participation in major administrative decisions. Students also objected to information about Sahil that the institute made public, and have demanded a public apology. They have also asked for a timeline to be set for interim and final reports of the independent probe.

Sahil Wakode was a second-year student in the Energy Science and Engineering department at IIT Bombay. He was found dead in his hostel room on September 18. IIT Bombay says that on the same day, it had emerged that he had used his mobile phone during an exam. According to the institute, no disciplinary action had been initiated against Sahil; instead, the concerned teachers and the department head had spoken to him, counselled him, and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

Sahil's father, Ravindra Wakode, has made serious allegations against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla. According to his complaint, Sahil had faced caste-based remarks and mental harassment for several months. The complaint also alleges that he was threatened with being framed in a false case. These allegations are currently under investigation and have not yet been proven; the probe into the matter is ongoing.

Following the father's complaint, Powai police registered a case against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla and other concerned persons. The case includes charges of abetment to suicide along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The investigation has now been handed over to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, meaning the Crime Branch is now probing the actual cause of Sahil's death.

The IIT Bombay administration has denied allegations of caste-based discrimination. The institute says Sahil was assured about his career after the exam incident. Meanwhile, following the family's allegations, an independent police probe is underway. IIT Bombay's faculty forum has also spoken up in the professor's defence, saying unauthorised use of a mobile phone during an exam is an academic irregularity.

Following Sahil's death, IIT Bombay students had begun protests on campus. The protesters demanded an independent and transparent investigation and that administrative accountability be fixed. After the three-day agitation, director Professor Shirish Kedare held talks with students and signed the 18-point charter. Students and Sahil's family will now be watching which of these demands are implemented, in what manner and within what timeframe, and what emerges from the Crime Branch investigation.