Full Breakdown
IIT Bombay Issues New Anti-Discrimination Guidelines Amid Student Protests
By Drooid · · How we work
New Guidelines Target Caste-Related Queries
On October 13, 2026, the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs at IIT Bombay circulated anti-discrimination guidelines to all students, faculty and staff. The memo warns that asking about *birth or admission category*, *JEE rank*, *GATE score* or any detail that could reveal caste may create bias and “adversely affect” the student. It bans abusive, casteist or sexist messages on any platform and states violations could attract severe punishment. The institute urges friendships based on academic interests, sports, music, hobbies or hometowns, reaffirming its commitment to the reservation policy “in letter and spirit.”
Catalyst: Death of Sahil Wakode
The guidelines followed the suicide of Sahil Wakode, a 22-year-old second-year BTech student, on September 18, 2026. An institute post on September 19 claimed he had been caught uploading exam questions to ChatGPT, but said no disciplinary action was taken. Wakode’s parents, an SC family from Yavatmal, allege that Professor Suryanarayan Doolla harassed him on caste grounds after the exam. They filed an FIR invoking the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The case was transferred to the Mumbai Crime Branch. On September 21, IIT Bombay clarified that the incident remains under investigation and its earlier statement was premature.
Student and Community Response
Students have maintained a continuous protest at the campus main gate for 26 days, demanding dialogue with the administration, (2) suspension of Professor Doolla, and withdrawal of the September 19 statement. A hunger strike began at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on September 28. Protesters label the October 13 email a “templated” response, noting a similar advisory was issued in 2023 after the death of another Dalit student.
Official Statements & Responses
The administration says the new guidelines are part of broader measures to strengthen student welfare and decision-making participation. It also announced a revision to examination-malpractice rules, introducing a one-year suspension for first-time offenders—a change students deem overly punitive. The institute reiterates adherence to the reservation policy and warns that breaches of the anti-discrimination code will attract “severe punishment.”
Criticism & Opposition
Student leaders argue the guidelines cover only students, leaving faculty-related discrimination unregulated. A faculty group, the Faculty Forum, issued a statement supporting Professor Doolla, while sociology professor Suryakant Waghmore dissented, calling the Forum “not a legal body” and warning against pressuring the investigation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Uncertainties remain: (1) Whether Wakode was actually caught cheating—media-released CCTV shows a student handling a device, but the identity is unclear; (2) The institute’s initial cheating claim versus the FIR alleging caste-based harassment; (3) Police initially recorded the death as accidental, later re-classifying it under the SC/ST Act. The September 19 statement was retracted, and forensic analysis of phone data is pending.
Data & Statistics
What’s Next
The Mumbai Crime Branch continues to record statements from students, faculty and the Wakode family. IIT Bombay has pledged to hold a dialogue with protesters, though no date is set. The disciplinary committee will review Professor Doolla’s case, and the enforcement of the new anti-discrimination guidelines will be monitored as the campus addresses immediate grievances and longer-term concerns about caste bias.