Not suspended: IIT-B faculty forum backs Prof Doolla after student suicide

IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum has come out in support of Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, days after he was removed as Dean (Administrative Affairs) following the death by suicide of 22-year-old student Sahil Wakode on September 18.

The faculty body said Doolla was only temporarily relieved of his administrative responsibilities to facilitate an independent and unbiased inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death. It also clarified that Doolla had not been suspended as a faculty member and remains on the IIT Bombay faculty.

The Forum also staged a protest on campus and marched in support of the professor.

'HE FOLLOWED PRESCRIBED PROCEDURE': FACULTY FORUM

In a statement issued on September 21, the Faculty Forum said Doolla had been performing his duties as an invigilator during the examination in accordance with IIT Bombay’s prescribed procedure.

Wakode, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination on September 18. IIT Bombay had initially said he uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute said Wakode was subsequently counselled by the instructor, faculty adviser and head of department and assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. It also said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.

Wakode was found dead in his hostel room later that day.

His parents subsequently alleged that he had faced harassment and caste-based discrimination and held institute officials responsible for his death. Mumbai Police registered a case of abetment of suicide and invoked provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act based on the family’s complaint. Doolla was named in the FIR. The allegations remain under investigation.

The Faculty Forum, however, maintained that Doolla had reported the alleged examination malpractice through the prescribed institutional process and was performing his duties as an invigilator. It objected to what it described as “false and misleading” reports about the professor, saying these had affected his reputation before the facts could be established through an inquiry.

The Forum also highlighted Doolla’s academic and administrative record, saying he had received several academic and teaching honours, including two awards based entirely on student feedback. It referred to his earlier tenure as Dean (Student Affairs), during which it said several student-welfare initiatives were introduced.

DOOLA REMOVAL FOLLOWS 3 DAYS OF PROTESTS

Doolla’s removal as Dean of Administrative Affairs came after three days of student protests on campus over Wakode’s death. Students had included action against Doolla among an 18-point charter of demands submitted to IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare.

Kedare signed the charter on September 20, agreeing to take forward the demands, including an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death. The students have sought an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.

The charter also includes demands for reforms to the institute’s disciplinary processes, a code of conduct for faculty, greater student representation, improved counselling and mental-health services, and a task force comprising students, faculty members, mental-health professionals and external experts.

The institute subsequently apologised for its earlier communication about Wakode’s death, saying it was inappropriate to characterise details surrounding the events preceding his death while those circumstances remained under investigation.

The Faculty Forum said it was deeply saddened by Wakode’s death and acknowledged the grief surrounding the incident. At the same time, it argued that sympathy for the student and fairness to those whose conduct is being examined need not be competing principles.

“Both” principles, the Forum said, should guide the institutional response while the inquiry and police investigation continue.

The statement was signed by Professor Rajkumar S. Pant, president of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum. The Forum is a formal faculty body representing around 750 faculty members.

The latest development comes as the institute faces continued scrutiny over Wakode’s death, the circumstances surrounding the examination incident and allegations of caste-based discrimination. The police investigation and the institute’s enquiry are ongoing.