What happened
IIT Bombay has drafted a new hearing-first rule for exam cheating cases, adding a mentor-support step before the disciplinary committee meets.
Why it matters
Students caught in exam malpractice will now have a formal chance to be heard before any disciplinary action is taken against them.
Remember this
Hear the student first, then decide the punishment.
More context & who is affected
IIT Bombay has drafted a new hearing-first rule for exam cheating cases: a student's explanation must be heard before any disciplinary action is taken. The draft follows BTech student Sahil Wakode's suicide on 18 September 2026, hours after he was caught with a phone and ChatGPT in a mid-semester exam.
The draft also adds a mentor-support step before the disciplinary committee sits — a provision absent from current IIT Bombay rules, giving a student a formal chance to be heard.
A 10-member committee with equal faculty and student representation is drafting student-friendly SOPs for invigilators and revised misconduct rules for Senate approval. Mid-semester exams were postponed to 10-11 October to give that process time.
- Victim
- Sahil Wakode, 22, BTech 2nd year Died by suicide on 18 September 2026 after being caught using a phone and ChatGPT in a mid-semester exam.NDTV
- Exam schedule
- Postponed to 10-11 October Remaining mid-semester papers postponed again to 10-11 October to give the new committee time to draft SOPs and revised rules.The Week
- Committee
- 10 members, equal faculty-student New committee with equal faculty and student representation is drafting student-friendly SOPs for invigilators.The Week
What happened so far
- 18 September 2026 — BTech student Sahil Wakode dies by suicide after being caught with a phone and ChatGPT in a mid-semester exam.
- Mid-semester exams postponed twice, now held 10-11 October while the committee drafts revised SOPs.
- 10-member committee with equal faculty and student representation is drafting student-friendly SOPs and hearing-first rules for Senate approval.
Students
Students get a formal chance to be heard before any disciplinary action in exam cheating cases, shifting IIT Bombay from a punishment-first to a hearing-first approach.
Students
A mentor-support step is added before the disciplinary committee, aiming to reduce the academic and mental pressure on students caught up in malpractice cases.
Reporting fromNDTV ↗The Week ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- NDTVReportingPublished Oct 7, 2026 · Accessed Oct 7, 2026
- The WeekReporting
Sahil Wakode suicide: IIT Bombay reviews academic malpractice rules, proposes new protocols ↗
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Accessed Oct 7, 2026
Claims and linked sources
IIT Bombay has drafted a new rule requiring that a student's explanation be heard before any disciplinary action is taken in an exam cheating case.
BTech student Sahil Wakode, 22, died by suicide on 18 September 2026 after being caught using a mobile phone and ChatGPT in a mid-semester exam.
The draft proposes a mentor-support step before the disciplinary committee — a provision absent from current IIT Bombay rules.
A 10-member committee with equal faculty and student representation is drafting student-friendly SOPs for invigilators to be placed before the Senate.