Stories
IIT Bombay Replaces Ceiling Fans with Wall-Mounted Units After Student Suicide
- •IIT Bombay is replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans in hostels following the recent death by suicide of second-year B Tech student Sahil Wakode.
- •Sahil Wakode, from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found hanging in his hostel room after allegedly being caught using ChatGPT during an exam.
- •The institute had previously discussed replacing fans after another student's suicide in July, with Sahil's death renewing urgency for the change.
- •NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gavande criticized the move, arguing that fan replacement will not solve the student suicide crisis and called for more focus on mental health support.
- •Gavande highlighted that over 117 students have died by suicide at IITs in the last 20 years, questioning the effectiveness of the fan replacement strategy.
Key Questions Answered
IIT Bombay initiated the removal and replacement of ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans across campus hostels following recent student suicide incidents, including the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. While critics argue this change does not address the underlying mental health crisis, institute sources and reports noted that the measure follows discussions sparked by previous student tragedies.
Sahil Wakode was a second-year B Tech student belonging to Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district who studied in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay.
IIT Bombay issued an apology for its earlier communication regarding the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death, stating it was inappropriate to characterise events prior to an official establishment by authorities. The institution confirmed that the details leading up to the incident remain under investigation as the Mumbai Police Crime Branch took over the probe.
