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Tag: IIT Bombay student death

  • Who is Suryanarayana Doolla? IIT Bombay professor suspended after student’s death

    Who is Suryanarayana Doolla? IIT Bombay professor suspended after student’s death

    Suryanarayana Doolla, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, was suspended as Dean (Student Affairs) on Monday amid an investigation into the death of a 20-year-old student. The Mumbai Police have registered an FIR naming Doolla and other officials following the student’s death on September 18.

    The professor came under scrutiny after he was invigilating a mid-semester examination held from 11 AM to 1 PM that day. During the examination, Doolla allegedly found the student using a mobile phone and uploading the question paper to an artificial intelligence platform to seek answers. The student, who was from IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide later that day.

    Who is Suryanarayana Doolla?

    Suryanarayana Doolla is a professor in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at IIT Bombay. He has also served as the institute’s Dean (Student Affairs), a position he took up in March 2023, according to information available on IIT Bombay’s official website.

    Doolla’s academic work focuses on power electronics and power systems. His work includes teaching and research in the field of energy systems.

    Before joining IIT Bombay, Doolla worked at Machine 2 Machine in Hyderabad from 2006 to 2008. He later joined Power Research and Development Consultants in Bengaluru in 2009.

    Doolla completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from Nagarjuna University in 2000. He then earned an MTech in Energy Systems Engineering from IIT Bombay. He completed his PhD in Power Systems from IIT Delhi in 2007.

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    Suryanarayana Doolla’s roles and awards at IIT Bombay

    Doolla has held several administrative positions at IIT Bombay during his academic career. His responsibilities have included student affairs, hostel management and national-level entrance examinations.

    He served as the organising chairman for JEE Advanced, CEED and UCEED in 2022. He was also the warden of Hostel 6 from 2012 to 2021 and had earlier served as its associate warden in 2011.

    Doolla has also received recognition for his teaching and research. His awards include the Prof S P Sukhatme Excellence in Teaching Award from IIT Bombay in September 2021 and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering in 2017.

    He received the Young Faculty Award from IIT Bombay in 2009 and the Bhaskara Advanced Solar Energy Fellowship in 2017.

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    FAQs

    Q: Who is Suryanarayana Doolla?
    Suryanarayana Doolla is a professor in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering. His academic work focuses on power electronics and power systems.

    Q: Why was Suryanarayana Doolla suspended?
    IIT Bombay suspended Doolla from his deanship amid an investigation into the death of a student who died by suicide on September 18.

  • IIT Bombay student death: FIR filed after ChatGPT exam row

    IIT Bombay student death: FIR filed after ChatGPT exam row

    The IIT Bombay student death case has taken a serious legal turn after police registered an FIR against the institute following the death of a second-year student. The FIR invokes Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide, along with provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The development came amid protests by students seeking answers over what happened after the student was pulled up for using a mobile phone during an examination.

    The IIT Bombay student death case has taken a serious legal turn after police registered an FIR against the institute following the death of a second-year student. (ANI)
    The student death case has taken a serious legal turn after police registered an FIR against the institute following the death of a second-year student. (ANI)

    IIT Bombay student death case moves to FIR

    The student death case began after the student was found using a mobile phone during an examination. According to the institute, he had uploaded the examination question paper on ChatGPT to seek answers.

    IIT Bombay has maintained that no disciplinary action was initiated against him. The institute said the instructor and Head of Department discussed the matter with the student, counselled him, and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. He later returned to his hostel room, where he was found dead.

    The police FIR now means the circumstances surrounding the IIT Bombay student’s death will be examined as part of a formal investigation. The registration of an FIR does not establish guilt, and the allegations against the institute remain subject to investigation and due process.

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    The IIT Bombay student death case began after the student was found using a mobile phone during an examination. (ANI)
    The IIT Bombay student death case began after the student was found using a mobile phone during an examination. (ANI)

    IIT Bombay student death sparks campus protests

    The student death has also triggered protests on campus, with students demanding greater clarity from the administration. More than 100 students gathered at the main gate on Saturday, while earlier protests had drawn a larger crowd.

    Students have alleged that the deceased was asked to leave the examination hall and faced the possibility of disciplinary action, including suspension. IIT Bombay has disputed that account, saying that no disciplinary proceedings were initiated. The conflicting accounts are now among the issues surrounding the investigation.

    The student’s parents also joined the protest and sought an explanation from the institute. They have alleged that discrimination may have played a role, although this remains an allegation and has not been established by investigators.

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    The IIT Bombay student death has also triggered protests on campus, with students demanding greater clarity from the administration. (ANI)
    The IIT Bombay student death has also triggered protests on campus, with students demanding greater clarity from the administration. (ANI)

    IIT Bombay student death raises mental health concerns

    The IIT Bombay student death has renewed concerns about academic pressure, student welfare, and the way institutions respond when students face disciplinary or academic difficulties. The institute’s director has said that greater attention will be given to student mental health, with IIT Bombay stating that psychologists are available on campus.

    The case also comes amid previous student deaths at the Powai campus this year, adding to concerns among students about mental health support and institutional communication.

    The investigation will now have to establish the circumstances surrounding the IIT Bombay student death and examine the competing accounts of what happened after the examination. For the institute, the case has also brought renewed scrutiny over student support, academic discipline, and communication during moments of distress.

    FAQs

    Why was an FIR registered after the IIT Bombay student death?

    Police registered an FIR under Section 108 of the BNS and provisions of the SC/ST Act to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.

    What did IIT Bombay say about the exam incident?

    IIT Bombay said no disciplinary action was initiated and that the student was counselled and assured that the incident would not affect his academic career.