The Indian Institute of Technology (Bombay) has prepared a draft to change the rules for dealing with cases of cheating and the use of unfair means during examinations, following the death of student Sahil Wakode.
Under the proposed rules, students caught allegedly using unfair means will not face immediate disciplinary action. The student’s explanation will be heard first, after which a decision on disciplinary action will be taken.
Under the present system, the process for disciplinary action begins when the use of unfair means is detected during an examination. The new draft proposes a clearer procedure, including a more explicit opportunity for students to present their side.
The proposed changes come amid questions surrounding examination and disciplinary procedures at IIT Bombay following Wakode’s death.
The death by suicide of the 22-year-old student last month had sparked massive protests on the campus. Wakode was found dead in his hostel room on the IIT Bombay campus hours after he was caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.