A second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening, the institute said, hours after he was found using a mobile phone during an examination.

According to IIT Bombay, the student had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that the matter had instead been discussed with him by the instructor and Head of Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

IIT Bombay Says No Disciplinary Action Was Initiated

Following the examination incident, the student returned to his hostel room. He was later found dead in his room in the evening.

In a statement, IIT Bombay said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of a student” and that it was extending support to his friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident.

“The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities,” the institute said.

Students Protest On IIT Powai Campus

Following the student’s death, a group of students staged a protest on the IIT Powai campus, alleging that the institute had not disclosed the complete circumstances surrounding the incident.

The protesters claimed that the student had allegedly been threatened with a one-year suspension after being accused of cheating. They said such a suspension would have required him to leave the hostel and stay outside the campus.

Students further alleged that disciplinary action of this nature could have extended his four-year engineering course to five years or longer.

According to the protesters, the fear and pressure they associate with the alleged disciplinary action may have contributed to the student’s death. This claim has not been independently verified.

The students demanded “accountability” and greater transparency from the institute administration.

Students Seek Answers From Administration

One of the students participating in the protest said the demonstration was organised following the death on campus and what the student described as a series of similar incidents.

“The reason for our protest today is that a suicide took place in our college today. That is why we have gathered to protest, to demand accountability, transparency, and answers from our administration,” the student said.

IIT Bombay, meanwhile, has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student following the examination incident and that he had been counselled by the instructor and Head of Department.

The circumstances surrounding the death remain under investigation by the appropriate authorities.

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