The passing of a second-year B.Tech student, Sahil Wakode of IIT Bombay, has resulted in campus protests and raised various concerns regarding the welfare of the students of the institute, mental health care, and handling of academic affairs in such institutions.
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What happened at IIT Bombay?
IIT Bombay has clarified that Wakode was seen using a mobile phone during the exam period and had uploaded the test’s question paper of the test to ChatGPT in search of solutions. According to the report, no disciplinary action was taken against him. However, it is reported that the instructor and head of the department had counseled him and assured him that the matter would not hamper his future academic career, and then he returned to his hostel room only to be found dead later in the evening.
Mental health support became a significant issue.e
Mental health support was one of the key issues that were raised by students during their discussions. They wanted to know if the counseling services offered are readily available and if students who feel distressed can go for counseling without being judged. This issue has led to increased focus on how schools will react when there is any academic stress or some other kind of distress among the students.
Broader demands from students
Students drafted an 18-point charter, which was aimed at holding people accountable, providing mental health care support, and making some modifications to the campus procedures. Among other things, the demands included an external investigation of the situation in which the student died.
The investigation and the institutional response
While the investigation is still going on, the student’s family accused the institution of caste-based discrimination. IIT Bombay stated that the student was not under any disciplinary proceedings after the exam episode.
