Stories
IIT-Bombay Overhauls Cheating Protocol: Mentors to Support Students Caught Copying
- •IIT-Bombay proposes student mentors immediately assist juniors caught copying, part of an overhaul following student Sahil Wakode's death by suicide.
- •Student mentors are senior undergraduates and postgraduates selected for academic record, empathy, and leadership, forming a peer-support ecosystem.
- •Their role includes academic guidance, emotional support, and campus integration, helping freshers transition and identifying students needing wellness center support.
- •The new protocol allows students caught copying to speak with their mentor before disciplinary action, providing an empathetic buffer and peer counseling.
- •Mentors will have a mandatory presence in Disciplinary Action Committee proceedings, and academic malpractice rules will be clearly printed on answer sheets.
Key Questions Answered
Under the proposed changes, a student caught copying is given the opportunity to speak with their student mentor immediately. The mentor acts as an empathetic buffer to provide peer counseling, reassure the student, and mitigate acute panic or anxiety before any disciplinary committee proceedings.
Student mentors are selected senior undergraduate and postgraduate students who undergo a competitive process based on a strong academic record with a high Cumulative Performance Index, empathy, communication ability, leadership qualities, emotional intelligence, and a history of responsible campus behavior.
The mid-semester exams originally scheduled for September 2026 were deferred to October 2026 to allow a newly formed committee time to draft a student-friendly Standard Operating Procedure for invigilators handling academic misconduct.
