The IIT Madras Faculty Association has urged for a fair, transparent, and time-bound inquiry into an IIT Bombay student's death. It cautioned against media trials and holding individuals responsible before due process is complete, stressing student well-being.
In a statement issued by the Faculty Association of Indian Institute of Technology Madras, it urged that the circumstances surrounding the death of a young IIT Bombay student be examined through a fair, transparent and time-bound inquiry, while cautioning against publicly holding individuals responsible before the due process is completed.
In the statement, the association expressed condolences to the student’s parents, family, friends, classmates and the wider IIT Bombay community following his death on Friday. It said the death of any student was a loss to the entire academic community and underlined the need to keep student wellbeing a central priority.
Upholding Examination Integrity
The faculty body also referred to a statement by the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum, which said that Prof Suryanarayana Doolla, as course instructor and invigilator, acted in accordance with the Senate-approved academic procedures of the institute. The IIT Madras association said faculty members across the IIT system were entrusted with upholding the integrity of examinations and should be able to discharge that responsibility in good faith, in accordance with established institutional procedures and without fear of personal vilification.
Call for Restraint and Due Process
It urged that any inquiry into the incident be conducted by the appropriate institutional and legal authorities with full respect for the dignity of the student and his family.
The association also called for restraint in public and media discourse, stating that no individual should be held responsible publicly or in the media before the inquiry process had run its course. “Premature conclusions, media trials and speculation, including on social media, cause lasting harm to all concerned and do not serve the cause of justice or the memory of the student,” it said.
Focus on Student Support Systems
The faculty body further urged authorities to examine whether institutional procedures for handling academic malpractice provide students with adequate support, counselling and safeguards during periods of acute stress. It appealed to students, faculty, administration, media and the public to allow the process to establish the facts, while expressing solidarity with its colleagues at IIT Bombay and with the students and families of institutions whose wellbeing and trust, it said, were the foundation of their work.
Developments at IIT Bombay
Meanwhile, IIT Bombay Faculty Forum staged a campus march to support Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who has been suspended from the deanship of IIT Bombay. Sahil Wakode, a student from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide on Friday.
Harassment Allegations and Institute's Retraction
In an earlier statement issued on Saturday, IIT Bombay had alleged that the student was caught cheating in an examination. However, the institute issued a formal apology retracting its earlier characterisations of the incident. The father of the deceased student levelled serious allegations of harassment in the complaint, saying that the professor hurled casteist slurs at the student over the last three months. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)