Stories
IIT Professor's Viral Post: A Story of Empathy Amidst Cheating Scandal
- •An IIT Bombay professor shared a social media post about a cheating incident from a few years ago, which has now gone viral.
- •Last year, a student was caught cheating with a smartphone and smartwatch during a final exam.
- •Instead of expelling the student, teachers confiscated the devices but allowed him to complete the exam.
- •The professors maintained the student's confidentiality and gave him a chance to rectify his mistake without severe action.
- •Today, that student holds a good position and remains in contact with the professors, sending them wishes on Guru Purnima.
Key Questions Answered
In a previous year's incident, professors confiscated the student's smartphone and smartwatch but allowed him to finish the exam. Instead of taking harsh action, they preserved his self-respect by keeping his identity confidential, giving him zero marks only for the answers written using the phone, and securing a written apology.
Sahil Wakode, a second-year student, died by suicide in his hostel room after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to upload a question paper to ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination. While the institute stated that no disciplinary action was initiated against him, his family alleged that he faced caste-based harassment on campus.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed strong solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, stating that he was merely discharging his duties in accordance with the institute's Senate-approved academic policies after discovering unauthorized possession and use of a smartphone.
