Mumbai: Students from the Powai campus of IIT Bombay demonstrated in mass following the death of a second-year undergraduate student by suicide on Friday evening. They demanded a proper inquiry into the circumstances of the incident and expressed concerns regarding the institute’s handling of student mental health.
The student, enrolled in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, had been caught in exam by an instructor. IIT Bombay stated in a post-protest press statement that the student had been found using a mobile phone and had uploaded the question paper to an artificial intelligence platform to ask for answers.
The statement said the instructor and the Head of Department addressed the student, “counselled him and assured him the incident would not affect his academic prospects.” Further, the institute said, “no disciplinary measure was taken” either.
The department said the student then returned to his hostel room where he was found dead in the evening. Police on the scene are probing the circumstances of his death.
As word spread of the death, students lined up across campus, demanding answers and a comprehensive investigation. Protestors say that mental health concerns haven’t been given due attention by the authorities. Footage shared by ANI showed students holding placards and cheering as talks with the authorities continued.
DCP Dattatray Nalawade said the probe was being carried out. He added that after the talking some students had gone home, but others stayed out as the authorities continued talks to reach an “amicable solution.”
He said the grievances were about “internal administrative matters” and that the institute had handled such demands previously. “We are in talks with them as well,” he said.
The development has reignited debate over allowing AI in exams and how institutions cope with alleged AI-assisted academic misconduct. While rules for AI-assisted work are still being finalized at many institutions, using a phone/other AI platform during an invigilated examination is normally a violation of examination conduct. The IIT statement said no disciplinary action had been taken and the student was “assured of his academic future.”
Mental health support remained a major concern for the protesting students. While the institute said counselling was already being provided by the instructor and the Head of Department, students felt a larger investigation was needed in terms of the death itself and other possible factors that led to it.
The police have filed the case. Talks between students and the administration were going on on Friday night with some protesters still on campus.
