IIT-Bombay student death: ‘Keep politics away from institute’, former board chairperson appeals

Former Indian Institute of Technology Bombay IITBombay Board of Governors chairperson Dr Sharad Saraf has appealed to political parties to keep away from the institutersquos campus warning that continued disruptions could jeopardise the academic performance mental wellbeing and future prospects of 12000 studentsThe statement comes against the backdrop of a protest at IITBombay on Sunday marking one month since secondyear BTech student Sahil Wakode was found dead on campus He was allegedly found using ChatGPT during an examination hours before his deathIn a statement Saraf said the ongoing politicisation of campus developments was affecting the academic atmosphere at IITBombay with examinations and other academic commitments at stakeldquoIITBombay is a globally respected institution and political interference risks damaging Brand IIT and the career prospects of its studentsrdquo he saidEmphasising the institutersquos reputation for technological excellence academic rigour and innovation Saraf stated that its academic environment and discipline played an important role in shaping studentsrsquo careers and futuresHe said he was deeply concerned about what had happened to Wakode but stressed that steps must be taken to prevent any further unfortunate incident on campusldquoThe wellbeing safety and academic future of every student must remain paramountrdquo Saraf saidSaraf warns of impact on studentsrsquo academic futureSaraf said campus disruptions were placing thousands of students under unnecessary stress potentially affecting their examination performance and future career prospectsHe warned that poor academic performance resulting from circumstances beyond studentsrsquo control could have serious consequences for their confidence mental wellbeing and future opportunitiesldquoWe must not allow political parties to compromise the future of 12000 studentsrdquo he said urging stakeholders to take these concerns seriously before the situation deteriorated furtherSaraf appealed to all political parties to exercise restraint and allow students to prepare for and appear in examinations in a peaceful and academically conducive environmentIssuing a warning over the potential consequences of continued disruption he said all stakeholders must be prepared to accept responsibility if studentsrsquo academic performance and wellbeing were jeopardisedldquoWe cannot afford to wait for another tragedy before recognising the harm that prolonged disruption can causerdquo he saidSaraf urged political parties to keep their political activities away from the institute and allow students to focus on education research and innovationldquoStop playing with the lives and futures of 12000 IIT Bombay students Keep politics away from IIT Bombay Let our students focus on their education research and innovationrdquo he saidProtest marks onemonth anniversary of Sahil Wakodersquos deathAccording to Saraf Wakodersquos parents sought permission to visit the campus at 11 am on Sunday to pay tribute to their son The institute granted permission for the visitThe parents also wished to meet the chairperson of the Board of Governors but the chairperson was unavailable due to ill health Saraf saidBefore the parents arrived around seven to eight protesting students allegedly abused and behaved aggressively towards Mumbai Police personnel leading to their detention Saraf claimed Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad gave a press interview outside the institutersquos main gate before joining the parents at the protest siteSaraf further stated that the IIT Bombay director personally approached the parents and offered condolences but they were unwilling to engage with him At the insistence of the parents and protesters the detained students were subsequently brought back to the protest siteAround 10 to 12 protesting students gathered at the site along with media personnel and representatives of the Congress MP For nearly two hours protesters addressed the media and criticised the police and the institute administration Saraf saidThe parentsrsquo advocate submitted demands seeking the preservation of CCTV footage and an independent inquiry according to the account of the dayrsquos eventsSaraf said further detentions took place around 3 pm after protesters allegedly continued their behaviour despite police interventionThe protest site was eventually cleared while the studentsrsquo belongings were preserved separately he addedSaraf reiterated his appeal for restraint saying students must be allowed to pursue their academic commitments without disruptions that could affect their education and future opportunities