Amid the raging storm at IIT Bombay over the death by suicide of a student, the institute’s faculty forum has thrown its weight behind the professor at the centre of the controversy.
Professor Suryanarayan Doolla, who reported the malpractice to the head of the department, has been at the centre of a raging storm since the incident. Prof Doolla reported the matter to the head of the department. IIT Bombay Faculty Forum chief Prof Rajkumar Pant He added that even the crime branch has confirmed that the student used a mobile phone during the exam.
“The student indulged in malpractice during the exam. “The same has also been verified by other faculty members and students in the exam room. He urged the public and students not to form an opinion without a proper probe. Professor Pant also rejected caste discrimination allegations levelled by Wakode’s family. Defending Prof Doolla against the allegations, Prof Pant pointed out that he has been Dean Students Affairs for six years and is well-known for his support for students. “He has always been very helpful towards the students. “He was the Dean of Student Affairs before taking up his current position as Dean of Academic Affairs. “Professor Suryanarayana Doolla is considered a champion of student reforms in the institute. Maintaining that every member of the institute has been hurt by Wakode’s death, Prof Pant appealed against targeting a faculty member who is not at fault. “We are all upset with the death of Sahil. All students are like our family. But we are only against the vilification of a member of the faculty simply for discharging his duty. The incident has since triggered protests and counter-protests at IIT Bombay, with students raising concerns over institutional processes and demanding reforms. Student representatives have maintained that their protest was not intended to justify academic misconduct and that they had not presumed Doolla’s guilt.
Sahil Wakode, a second-year student, died by suicide on September 18 after he was allegedly caught cheating during an exam. On September 21, IIT Bombay relieved Doolla of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs amid the investigation.
Defending Prof Doolla, IIT Bombay Faculty Forum chief Professor Rajkumar Pant told NDTV that he is being maligned just for doing his job. If a professor is being vilified just for discharging his duties, then it is a problem for the entire teaching community in the country,” Prof Pant said in a detailed interview with NDTV. “People are taking sides and passing judgements without a proper investigation,” he stated. Pant said the institute has a dedicated SC/ST Cell where students can raise complaints or concerns, including through anonymous procedures. “No complaint was recorded by him – forget about a formal complaint; he had not even approached the SC/ST cell for anything,” Pant said. So, to expect that a person of his nature – who is known to be very helpful to students – would do this is unreasonable,” Pant said. If you talk to the students he has interacted with, they are unanimous in saying that, of all people, they would never expect him to behave in such a manner,” he said. The IIT Delhi Faculty Forum also extended support to Doolla and said he was discharging his duties during the examination as per institute guidelines.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum had earlier staged a campus march in support of Doolla, saying he had acted in accordance with the institute’s academic policies.
