Following a student's alleged suicide after being caught cheating, IIT Bombay is undertaking a significant review of its academic malpractice disciplinary framework. A newly constituted committee, featuring equal representation from faculty and students, is developing enhanced protocols. These include provisions for student mentoring before disciplinary action, clearer communication of consequences on exam papers, and revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for invigilators. The institute has also postponed further mid-semester examinations to allow the committee ample time to formulate these changes, aiming for a fairer and less stressful examination process.

Following a student's alleged suicide after being caught cheating, IIT Bombay is undertaking a significant review of its academic malpractice disciplinary framework. A newly constituted committee, featuring equal representation from faculty and students, is developing enhanced protocols. These include provisions for student mentoring before disciplinary action, clearer communication of consequences on exam papers, and revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for invigilators. The institute has also postponed further mid-semester examinations to allow the committee ample time to formulate these changes, aiming for a fairer and less stressful examination process.

Following a student's alleged suicide after being caught cheating, IIT Bombay is undertaking a significant review of its academic malpractice disciplinary framework. A newly constituted committee, featuring equal representation from faculty and students, is developing enhanced protocols. These include provisions for student mentoring before disciplinary action, clearer communication of consequences on exam papers, and revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for invigilators. The institute has also postponed further mid-semester examinations to allow the committee ample time to formulate these changes, aiming for a fairer and less stressful examination process.

Following the suicide of student Sahil Wakode after he was allegedly caught cheating during an examination, IIT Bombay is reviewing its disciplinary framework. A newly formed committee at the institute has proposed updated protocols for handling academic malpractice, including allowing students to speak with a mentor before any disciplinary action is initiated.

Listing the consequences of exam malpractice on the first page of answer sheets is another measure under discussion. Framing student-friendly Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for invigilators and reviewing how cases of suspected academic misconduct are handled are also among the key measures considered by the committee.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student, was allegedly found with a mobile phone inside an exam hall during the mid-semester examinations. IIT Bombay's statement said that he was allegedly found using an AI platform to seek answers to questions.

The committee formed will have equal representation of faculty and students, after students raised it among the 18 demands in a charter submitted to the IIT Bombay director on September 20.

The institute has also further postponed the remaining mid-semester examinations. The papers, earlier rescheduled for September 26 and 27 after being postponed on September 18, will now be held on October 10 and 11.

A 10-member high-level committee was set up to probe the circumstances surrounding the alleged suicide of the student. A separate email from the General Secretary (Academics) informed students about the constitution of the new committee.

“The postponement allows time for the newly constituted committee, which has equal student representation, to prepare a clear and student-friendly Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for invigilators, along with revised rules regarding academic misconduct. The aim is to ensure fair and consistent conduct of examinations, with due consideration for students’ concerns,” the email said.

Additionally, the committee will establish clear protocols for invigilators responding to incidents of academic misconduct. The revised SOPs and disciplinary rules will be presented to the Senate for final approval before being implemented, the email said.

The institute is reviewing the disciplinary rules for academic malpractice notified in July 2026. While those rules lay down the consequences of various forms of misconduct, the new committee is expected to focus on how they are implemented, with an emphasis on preventing unnecessary student stress.

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