Technology · India Bureau
IIT Bombay replaces ceiling fans with wall-mounted units after student death
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has initiated a campus-wide replacement of ceiling fans with wall-mounted alternatives following the recent suicide of a second-year student. The move has drawn criticism from opposition parties who question whether infrastructure changes address deeper institutional concerns.
LSN India ·
IIT Bombay is undertaking a systematic replacement of ceiling fans with wall-mounted units across all hostels and utility areas on its Powai campus, according to sources familiar with the development. The initiative follows the death of Sahil Wakode, a second-year B.Tech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, who was found hanging in his hostel room on Friday evening.
Wakode, a native of Maharashtra's Yavatmal district, died hours after an alleged incident during a mid-semester examination in which he was caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT. The circumstances surrounding his death have raised concerns about examination protocols and student mental health support at the institution.
Images of wall-mounted fans arriving at the campus as part of what the institute described as "renovation work" have circulated widely on social media, drawing public attention to the infrastructure changes. The installation programme represents one of the institution's responses to recent student deaths on campus.
NCP (Sharad Pawar) spokesperson Anish Gavande criticised the measure, suggesting that replacing ceiling fans alone cannot address the underlying factors contributing to student distress. The criticism reflects broader concerns about whether structural modifications substitute for comprehensive institutional reforms addressing student welfare and academic pressures.