A second-year undergraduate student at IIT Bombay was found dead in his hostel room on Friday, hours after an examination during which he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone. The incident has triggered protests on the Powai campus, with students demanding answers from the institute administration.
The student was pursuing a degree in Energy Science and Engineering. His death is the third reported student death at the IIT Bombay campus this year.
According to some students, the incident began during an examination when the student was allegedly found looking at another student's answer sheet and was asked to leave the examination hall. Students claimed that he was later told that disciplinary action, including possible suspension, could follow.
However, IIT Bombay has given a different account of what happened. In a statement issued on Friday evening, the institute said the student had been found using a mobile phone during the examination. According to the institute, he had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers.
The institute said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student. It stated that the matter was discussed with him by the instructor and the head of the department. They reportedly counselled the student and assured him that the incident would not have an adverse impact on his academic career.
The student later returned to his hostel room. He was subsequently found dead in the evening, according to the institute.
News of the death led to a protest outside IIT Bombay's main gate. A group of students gathered and raised slogans, demanding greater clarity about the circumstances surrounding the incident. They also sought a meeting with the institute director.
Police were called to the campus as the protest continued late into Friday night.
In its statement, IIT Bombay expressed sadness over the student's death and said it was extending support to his friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident.
The institute also said that authorities were examining the circumstances surrounding the student's death.
The incident has once again raised concerns among students about academic pressure, disciplinary procedures and the handling of examination-related incidents on university campuses. Students are seeking a transparent account of the events leading up to the death, while the institute's statement maintains that no formal disciplinary proceedings had been started against the student.
Authorities are expected to examine the available information and circumstances surrounding the case before drawing conclusions about what led to the student's death.
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