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IIT Bombay Postpones Exams After Sahil Wakode Death

By Drooid · Sep 26, 2026, 4:13 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

IIT Bombay Postpones Exams

IIT Bombay postponed mid-semester exams to October 10-11 after a student death.
The Board of Governors created a 10-member committee to probe the death of 22-year-old Sahil Wakode on September 18.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the invigilator, was placed on leave pending the inquiry.
Students submitted an 18-point demand list calling for an independent probe.
Students also demanded stronger grievance mechanisms and mental-health support.

Summary

Wakode Parents Strike

Parents Ravindra and Sonali Wakode began a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan demanding arrests.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi video-called the Wakode parents, pledging all possible assistance.
MP Varsha Gaikwad and NSUI activists were detained while attempting a protest outside IIT Bombay.
Union Minister of State Ramdas Athawale visited IIT Bombay, urging a thorough investigation into the death.

History

Historical Context

In 1995, India inaugurated the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), a federal effort to broaden mental-health services across the nation. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare pledged INR1.5 billion, while the World Health Organization helped train 1,000 community health workers. Today, IIT Bombay students demanding an independent probe and counseling echo NMHP’s accountability aim, as Wakode parents’ hunger strike draws Rahul Gandhi’s video support. That precedent suggests sustained pressure could force the university and the Ministry of Human Resource Development to institutionalize grievance redressal cells, extending NMHP safeguards.

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IIT Bombay Postpones Exams

IIT Bombay postponed mid-semester exams to October 10-11 after a student death.
The Board of Governors created a 10-member committee to probe the death of 22-year-old Sahil Wakode on September 18.
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, the invigilator, was placed on leave pending the inquiry.
Students submitted an 18-point demand list calling for an independent probe.
Students also demanded stronger grievance mechanisms and mental-health support.

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