IIT Bombay Starts Removing Ceiling Fans From Hostels After BTech Student Sahil Wakode Found Hanging In Powai Campus Room

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has initiated the process of removing ceiling fans from the student hostel rooms and installing wall-mounted fans, with the first consignment of new fans already reaching the Powai campus. 

The decision to install wall-mounted fans was taken in the wake of intense scrutiny over student deaths at India’s premier engineering institutes, following the death of 20-year-old Sahil Wakode, a second-year BTech student. Wakode was found hanging from a ceiling fan inside his hostel room on September 18, leading to a massive protest by his fellow students.

Sources familiar with the matter indicated that the proposal to replace the fans had been under active discussion for nearly 2 months and was finalised only recently. The students on campus have confirmed that the initial batch of wall-mounted fans has now arrived.

Planned Renovation, Not A Reaction, Says Institute

The administration at IIT Bombay had in July assured students that several corrective measures would be taken, and the replacement of fans was listed among them. However, the officials now maintain that the exercise is part of a pre-scheduled hostel renovation plan and should not be linked directly to recent tragedies.

According to the institute administration, multiple refurbishment works had been lined up for the hostels, and changing the ceiling fans formed just one element of that overhaul. They stressed that the decision had been taken well before the latest incidents.

However, the timing has inevitably attracted attention, as several educational institutions across the country have previously opted for wall-mounted fans as a means-restriction step after concerns over suicides. Reacting to the move, NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande remarked, “Absurd to think replacing a ceiling fan will fix a broken system!”

Wakode Suicide Case Triggers Protests

Sahil Wakode, who was enrolled in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, was found dead in his hostel on Friday evening. The institute stated that the student had been caught with a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination just hours earlier.

His family has contested that version, alleging that he was subjected to institutional harassment and caste-based discrimination. The death triggered massive protests by students who questioned the manner in which the institute handled the case. Amid the unrest, IIT Bombay removed the Dean of Administrative Affairs, Suryanarayana Doolla, from his post. The police have since booked Doolla under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and for abetment to suicide.

In a counter move, the faculty members on Monday organised a march inside the campus extending support to Doolla. The Faculty Forum stressed that he had merely adhered to the “Senate-approved exam procedure” while reporting Wakode for alleged use of a phone during the examination.

Crisis Across IITs

The incident at IIT Bombay has once again spotlighted the larger crisis of student suicides in higher education. The Ministry of Education informed Parliament in July 2023 that 39 students had died by suicide across IITs between 2018 and 2023. The figures compiled by the Global IIT Alumni Support Group estimate 171 unnatural student deaths across IITs in the last 20 years, with 82% classified as on-campus suicides.

The issue has become more pronounced after an IIT Delhi student died by suicide last month and the death of a PhD scholar at IIT Kanpur earlier this year led the Centre to order a review of mental health and student support frameworks.

An interim report of the Supreme Court-appointed National Task Force (NTF) on student suicides, released in June 2026, pointed to multiple contributing factors including academic pressure, caste-based discrimination, financial distress, sexual harassment and examination-related setbacks.

The panel also outlined institutional shortcomings as feedback from 31 centrally funded institutions, including 23 IITs, revealed that faculty across IITs frequently felt unprepared to deal with mental health concerns, with 90% lacking adequate training to handle such delicate matters. The report noted that only 4 of the 31 institutions had formal training for faculty mentorship programmes, while 10 had structured training for peer-support initiatives.

In response, the Centre has stated that it is strengthening mental health support. Under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training (MMTT) Programme, the Ministry of Education has outlined an integrated approach to strengthen positive mental health, resilience and wellbeing. Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar informed the Parliament that fortnightly sessions are being conducted with faculty to help them identify and address mental health concerns early.

On the other hand, individual IITs have rolled out their own measures to address the mental health concerns. IIT Kharagpur has introduced evening power blackouts to nudge students away from gadgets and encourage interaction, while IIT Guwahati’s ‘Know Your Neighbour’ programme looks to build stronger peer bonds. Other initiatives include curriculum reforms, on-campus wellness and counselling centres, wellness apps and websites, gatekeeper training and peer-support groups.

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