IIT Bombay to postpone mid-semester exams amid students protest: Report

Amid the protest at IIT Bombay over the death of a student on campus, the engineering institute has decided to postpone the mid-semester exams, TimesNow reported. The mid-semester exams, that were scheduled to be held on September 26 and 27, will now be conducted on October 10 and 11, the report said.

The postponement comes a few days after a second-year BTech student, Sahil Wakode, was found hanging in his hostel room on September 18, hours after being caught allegedly using a ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

In another report by Jagran Josh, the Mumbai-based engineering institute is also planning to introduce a twin-sharing hostel model for students across all years.

Also read ‘Not individual failure’: IIT Bombay students protest suicide, want director to quit, action against professor

IIT Bombay plans twin-sharing hostel model for BTech students

Currently, IIT Bombay provides accommodation with a twin-sharing only for first year students. However, as per the new model, this will be extended to every year students, the report read.

The move aims to tackle student mental health and loneliness after the death of the BTech student, it added.

Currently, the Mumbai Police is investigating Sahil’s death and allegations of caste-based harassment are being pressed by his family against professor Suryanarayan Doolla, and others.

According to the institute, the BTech-engineering student was caught cheating during the exam and counselling by the invigilator Doolla.

Furthermore, recently, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi extended his support to the deceased student’s parents and assured them of all help in seeking justice for their son, PTI reported.

IIT Bombay’s BTech student’s parents had been on an indefinite hunger strike outside the IIT Bombay gate from 11 am today, the report read.

In addition, the engineering institute has sent professor Doolla on leave, citing an impartial probe into the suicide of the BTech student on grounds of caste discrimination, it added.