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IIT-Bombay Student Council Distances Itself from Protest, Cites External Affiliations
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Moneycontrol•05-10-2026, 08:24
IIT-Bombay Student Council Distances Itself from Protest, Cites External Affiliations
- •The IIT-Bombay student council has distanced itself from an ongoing protest, stating that 10-12 students do not represent the wider student community.
- •The protest began after the death by suicide of 20-year-old BTech student Sahil Wakode, with a small group continuing a relay hunger strike after an open house.
- •The council claims some protesters have affiliations with ‘external vested interest entities’ and lack the mandate to speak for all students.
- •Eighteen demands, finalized by 50 student representatives after concerns from over 1,000 students, were submitted to the institute, which expressed intent to act on them.
- •Protesting students reject the council's position, alleging the administration failed to release an implementation plan and questioning the council's independence due to its structural embedding within the administration.
Key Questions Answered
The official student council distanced itself from the protest, stating that the 10 to 12 participating students do not represent the wider student community and that their continued agitation is disrupting academic and campus life.
The protesting students rejected the council's position, claiming their peaceful agitation has not disrupted daily operations and questioning the council's independence from the administration.
The protests began following the tragic death by suicide of 20-year-old BTech student Sahil Wakode on September 18, leading to an 18-point charter of demands submitted by student representatives to the institute administration.
