IIT Bombay Denies Director Shireesh Kedare's Resignation Amid Uproar Over Student Suicide

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay on Monday denied reports that its Director, Prof. Shireesh B. Kedare, had resigned, amid continuing student protests following the death by suicide of second-year BTech student Sahil Ravindra Wakode.

In a clarification issued on September 21, IIT Bombay said the reports were false and confirmed that Kedare had not resigned. The clarification came a day after Kedare told protesting students that he would resign, but only after following the required institutional process.

IIT Bombay says Kedare has not resigned

The institute stated that “Director IIT Bombay has NOT resigned” and categorically rejected reports suggesting otherwise. The clarification followed an intense weekend of protests on the Powai campus over Wakode's death and demands for accountability from the administration.

On Sunday night, Kedare had met protesting students during discussions over an 18-point charter of demands. According to PTI reports, he told the protesters that he would resign, while also saying that he needed to follow the formal process and would communicate his decision after a meeting on Monday.

The institute's subsequent clarification indicates that no resignation has taken effect.

Protests followed Sahil Wakode's death

Wakode, a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on September 18. The death followed an examination incident in which the institute had earlier said he was found using a mobile phone and allegedly using an AI platform to seek answers.

IIT Bombay had initially said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against Wakode and that he had been counselled following the examination incident. His family, however, has alleged institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination. These allegations are being investigated and have not been established as facts.

Institute apologises over earlier communication

Alongside its clarification on Kedare's position, IIT Bombay issued an apology concerning its earlier communication about Wakode's death.

The institute said the details and circumstances leading up to the student's death remain under investigation and acknowledged that it was inappropriate to characterise events preceding his death before they had been established through the appropriate investigative process.

The apology addressed a major concern raised by protesting students, who had objected to the institute publicly discussing allegations concerning Wakode when the student was no longer alive to respond to them.

Professor Suryanarayana Doolla suspended from deanship

The developments came on the same day that IIT Bombay suspended Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his administrative position as dean with immediate effect.

Doolla was the invigilator during the examination involving Wakode and has been named in a police FIR based on allegations made by the student's parents. IIT Bombay said any further action against Doolla would follow an investigation. He will continue as a professor and head of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, according to reports.

The suspension was among the demands raised by students during their protests.

What was in the students' 18-point charter?

Students had submitted an 18-point charter seeking action on several issues, including an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding Wakode's death, reforms to student-welfare mechanisms and greater student representation in institutional processes.

The charter also included demands concerning the administration's handling of the incident and action against Doolla. Kedare signed the charter after meeting the protesters on Sunday night.

The IIT Bombay Board of Governors was also scheduled to discuss the demands, with further decisions expected through the institute's administrative process.

Investigation remains underway

The controversy has now produced competing accounts about the events preceding Wakode's death. The student's family has made allegations against institute authorities, while IIT Bombay has said that the circumstances remain under investigation.

The institute's latest clarification is significant because it separates the reported intention of Kedare to resign from an actual resignation: as of September 21, IIT Bombay says the Director remains in office. The investigation into Wakode's death and the allegations surrounding the incident is continuing.