IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode’s death has triggered protests and renewed debate over student suicides across India’s premier engineering institutes.
The case has raised questions about academic pressure, mental health, caste discrimination, and institutional accountability. An 18-point student charter, allegations against an IIT Bombay professor and the institute’s response have brought the issue into focus. Meanwhile, IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur have also faced scrutiny following student deaths.
This explainer looks at the numbers, the National Task Force findings, measures taken by IITs, and how IIT Madras has strengthened its student support system.