An IIT Bombay student died by suicide on Friday after being found using a mobile phone during an examination, prompting a protest by more than 400 students on campus and the postponement of the ongoing mid-semester examinations, according to the institute and police.
The 19-year-old, a second-year student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found using the phone in an examination hall, where mobile devices are not permitted. In a statement, IIT Bombay said the student had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.
The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student. It said the incident had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that it would not adversely affect his academic career. The student then returned to his hostel room, where he was later found dead.
A police officer from Powai police station said the examination was scheduled to continue until 4 pm and that the student subsequently went to his hostel room. Police were conducting a panchnama and sent the body to Rajawadi Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The student was a resident of Hostel 4.
The death led to a tense atmosphere on the Powai campus, with more than 400 students gathering near the institute’s main building and raising slogans against the administration. The protest continued until IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare met the students at around 10.30 pm. The gathering was later moved to the convocation hall opposite the main building.
Students present at the protest said the ongoing mid-semester examination was postponed following the meeting. One student said the administration had faced repeated complaints that normal operations continued after serious incidents, and that students questioned this response after the death. The postponement was subsequently shared as an outcome of the discussions, according to information provided by students.
IIT Bombay said it was deeply saddened by the loss and was extending support to the student’s friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident. The institute added that the circumstances surrounding the death were being examined by the appropriate authorities.
The police inquiry and post-mortem examination are the next formal steps in establishing the circumstances of the death. The institute’s postponed examination schedule and further administrative communication will determine how academic activities resume.
