Debate With Arnab LIVE: IIT-Bombay Students Come Out In Support Of Prof Doolla As Caste Narrative Fails

Students at IIT Bombay have reportedly come out in support of Prof. Doolla amid the ongoing controversy and competing claims surrounding the caste-related narrative.

The IIT Bombay student-death case has ignited a nationwide debate: was the episode limited to an alleged examination irregularity, or do the family’s allegations of caste-based harassment demand deeper institutional accountability?

Second-year student Sahil Wakode died on September 18 after an exam-related incident. IIT Bombay’s Faculty Forum says course instructor and invigilator Professor Suryanarayana Doolla observed alleged unauthorised smartphone use during the mid-semester exam and reported it under Senate-approved academic procedure. IIT Bombay had earlier said no disciplinary action was initiated against the student and that he was counselled and assured the incident would not affect his academic future.

After student protests, IIT Bombay suspended Prof Doolla’s deanship and withdrew/apologised for aspects of its earlier public communication. The student’s family has alleged caste-based harassment; an FIR invokes provisions related to abetment of suicide and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the allegations, and no final finding of liability has been established.

Watch Debate With Arnab LIVE as the panel asks: academic protocol or institutional failure? What do the protests and IIT-B’s action signal? And what should the investigation establish before conclusions are drawn?