Join thousands of students achieving their dreams with expert-led courses.
Join free and unlock everything on EasyShiksha.
Takes less than 3 seconds โ no password needed
Please enter a valid email address.
Checking your emailโฆ
Almost done โ just verify your number so we can send course updates and certificates.
Used only for verification & updates
Incorrect OTP. Please try again.
Takes less than 10 seconds
Please select your country.
Please select your state.
Amid the controversy surrounding the death by suicide of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode, Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant has defended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, saying he was โvilified for no reasonโ and urging that the ongoing inquiry be allowed to establish the facts before any conclusions are drawn.
Speaking to India Today senior journalist and news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, Professor Pant maintained that Doolla was simply carrying out his duties as an invigilator when the alleged examination malpractice involving the 22-year-old BTech student came to light, and stressed that the inquiry should be completed before any conclusions are drawn.
Doolla was temporarily relieved of his responsibilities as Dean (Administrative Affairs) following student protests after Wakodeโs death. The Faculty Forum has clarified that he was not suspended and remains a faculty member at IIT Bombay.
Speaking to India Today, Professor Pant said the Faculty Forum believed that Doolla was simply discharging his responsibilities during the examination. โOur colleague was simply discharging his duties,โ he added.
He also said there was no confirmed evidence of caste-related remarks by Doolla. โThere is absolutely no proof. There is absolutely no confirmation of any caste remarks made by him anywhere,โ Professor Pant said, stressing that conclusions should be drawn only after the inquiry is completed.
โLet the inquiry be completed, let the facts come out, and then everything will be automatically clear,โ he added. The Faculty Forum had earlier said Doolla followed the prescribed procedure after allegedly detecting examination malpractice involving Wakode.
Professor Rajkumar Pant also clarified that Doolla had not been suspended from IIT Bombay. He said Doolla was only relieved of his administrative duties while the inquiry is underway.
The Board of Governors decided to keep his deanship in abeyance and asked him to go on a one-week leave. โHe has not been suspended. He still is and will be a professor of the institute in good standing,โ Professor Pant said.
The Faculty Forum has maintained that temporarily removing Doolla from the administrative position was intended to facilitate an independent and unbiased inquiry.
Asked about the student protests and allegations of caste discrimination, Professor Pant said the Faculty Forum was focusing on the examination incident and the alleged academic malpractice.
He said students had protested to communicate their concerns and that the institute had subsequently held discussions with them.
The student representatives submitted an 18-point charter of demands, including an independent investigation, changes to disciplinary procedures, greater student representation and improved mental-health support. They have sought an interim report by September 30 and a final report by October 15.
Further, Professor Pant also said the Faculty Forum was not seeking to turn the issue into a caste-related confrontation.
Responding to allegations that caste discrimination may have contributed to Wakodeโs distress, Professor Pant said he had not personally witnessed clear or visible caste bias during his 39 years at IIT Bombay.
โWhen we meet a student in the classroom, we don't know his or her caste. We don't deal with them on the basis of the caste,โ he said.
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president also acknowledged that caste-related issues exist in wider society and said he could not rule out the possibility of individuals engaging in casteist behaviour.
His comments come as Wakodeโs family has alleged caste-based harassment. Mumbai Police have registered a case based on the familyโs complaint, including provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The allegations remain under investigation.
On the larger issue of student suicides, Prof Pant said the problem should not be viewed as one specific to IIT Bombay. โIf there are suicides happening, it is not just happening in IIT Bombay. It's not just that this is a place where there is a problem,โ he said.
Important Announcement EasyShiksha has officially launched the Online Internship Program โAb India Sikhega Ghar Seโ
He said student suicides were a wider societal concern and added that IIT Bombay was also concerned about student wellbeing. The institute has highlighted student counselling and wellness measures, while students have sought further strengthening of mental-health services as part of their 18-point charter.
The comments by IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant come as fresh CCTV footage has emerged showing Wakode being questioned and subsequently leaving the examination hall on September 18.
According to the footage reviewed by investigators, Wakode was seen leaving the examination hall between around 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm. The Crime Branch is examining CCTV footage from the examination venue, campus and hostel to reconstruct his movements before his death.
Wakode, a second-year BTech student in Energy Science and Engineering, was allegedly found using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. IIT Bombay had initially said he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers, but later apologised for characterising the circumstances preceding his death while the matter was still under investigation.
Furthermore, Professor Pant also said the ongoing controversy should not create a divide between students and faculty. โStudents and faculty are a family on campus,โ he said, adding that students were like their children.
He urged all sides to allow the inquiry to establish what happened rather than drawing conclusions before the investigation is complete.
With the Crime Branch examining CCTV footage and the institute conducting its own inquiry, the circumstances surrounding Wakodeโs death and the events inside the examination hall remain under investigation.
For the Faculty Forum, the central demand is that the inquiry be completed, and the facts placed on record before conclusions are drawn about Doolla or any other individual.
Source Click here More News Click here
Credentials
Discover thousands of colleges and courses, enhance skills with online courses and internships, explore career alternatives, and stay updated with the latest educational news..
Gain high-quality, filtered student leads, prominent homepage ads, top search ranking, and a separate website. Let us actively enhance your brand awareness.
Download EasyShiksha Mobile Apps from Android Play Store, Apple App Store, Amazon App Store, and Jio STB.
1 million+ย learned on the EasyShiksha App
Trusted by Standards & Global Compliance Frameworks
Built under internationally recognized standards for quality, information security, educational excellence and business continuity.
ISO 9001:2015 | ISO/IEC 27001:2022 | ISO 21001:2018 | ISO 22301:2019 | DPIIT Recognized Startup | MSME Registered
