In our country, IITs are considered highly prestigious technical institutions. Students risk their lives to gain admission there. B.Tech and M.Tech degrees are considered highly valued in the national and international employment markets. Recently, the suicide of Sahil Wakode, a Dalit student at IIT Bombay, shocked everyone. The second-year B.Tech exam was underway. In the final moments of the exam, the Dean allegedly caught him cheating using ChatGPT, and he was forced to leave the examination hall. The student became so emotionally distressed that he hanged himself from a ceiling fan in his room. This sparked widespread protests. Protests have been ongoing at the institute for four days, and demands are being made for severe punishment for the Dean, in accordance with the new UGC law, for the incident involving the Dalit student. The incident of the student caught cheating is now taking a political turn. This should not happen in the education world and IIT institutes. Latest news from IIT Bombay indicates that the Dean, who was Dean, has only resigned and remains in his job. However, following the suicide, an FIR has been filed against the professor under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint from the family. The family alleges that their son had been facing caste-based harassment for a long time, while the institute claims that the SC/ST Cell had not received any complaints from the student. The controversy over this new rule appears to be escalating once again. Upper caste people say that if they are subjected to injustice, the penal system is not as effective for them as it is for Dalit students. Now, following the latest clarifications, the situation is that an inquiry committee has been formed and is investigating. No professor has been immediately blamed or removed from their job. Everything will be decided after the investigation results are out. But if we set aside this law designed for Dalits and seek the truth, the student body is under immense pressure due to the rigorous academics at IITs. As a solution, the institute has replaced ceiling fans in rooms to prevent them from being used for suicide, but this is not a solution. In fact, the Union Ministry of Education, in its data, states that between 2018 and 2023, 39 students from various IITs across the country committed suicide. Two upper-caste students have previously committed suicide at this same IIT. In our view, politics should be avoided in such sensitive matters and the reasons should be examined to determine the reasons that are driving young students to end their precious lives. The issue is not political; it could be related to the curriculum, teaching methods, or the institution’s failure. The investigation should take these factors into account. Following this suicide at IIT Bombay, student organizations issued a letter disapproving of cheating in exams but insisting on an investigation into the facts. The reality could be academic and social pressure, a difficult curriculum, or a lack of proper teaching methods, so it is essential to find solutions. Self-proclaimed leaders should not try to ruin the education system by politicizing every problem.
Suicide Case of a Dalit Student
