A second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide on Friday evening, the institute said.
The student had been found using a mobile phone during an examination earlier in the day. According to IIT Bombay, he had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.
The institute said no disciplinary action was initiated against the student following the incident. The matter was discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.
The student subsequently returned to his hostel room. He was later found dead in his room in the evening.
What IIT Bombay Said
In its statement, IIT Bombay said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of a student.”
The institute said it was extending support to the student’s friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident.
“The circumstances surrounding the death are being looked into by the appropriate authorities,” IIT Bombay said.
Students Protest
Students staged a protest on the IIT Powai campus following the incident, alleging that the institute had not disclosed the complete circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
The protesting students claimed that the student accused of cheating had allegedly been threatened with a one-year suspension. They said such a suspension would have required him to leave the hostel and stay outside the campus.
They further alleged that disciplinary action of this nature could have extended his engineering course from four years to five years or longer.
According to the protesters, the fear and pressure allegedly associated with the disciplinary action may have contributed to the student taking the extreme step. This claim has not been independently verified.
The students demanded “accountability” from the institute administration.
Among those participating in the protest, a student said the demonstration was prompted by the death on campus and what he 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.
[DISCLAIMER: Suicide Prevention. News 18. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)]
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