Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 22 : Socio-political activist and columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, on Tuesday called for an impartial investigation into the death by suicide of student Sahil Ravindra Wakode and extended solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, urging IIT alumni and faculty members to oppose what he described as the "misuse" of the SC/ST Act.
In an appeal addressed to the alumni community of all IITs and former faculty members, Kulkarni said every student suicide was a matter of profound pain, but argued that the circumstances following Sahil's death had raised concerns about the principle of "innocent until proven guilty".
"Let's stop the misuse of the SC/ST Act at IITs -- and everywhere in India. Let's stand in solidarity with Prof Suryanarayana Doolla. My appeal to all fellow IITians and faculty members of all IITs," Kulkarni wrote in the appeal dated September 21.
Kulkarni, who said he joined IIT Bombay in 1975, said Sahil's death on September 18 had shocked him and expressed condolences to his family.
"Every student suicide regardless of caste, class, religion, region or gender, brings profound pain and concern. Every loss of a precious life is an irreplaceable loss to the family and the nation," he said.
He referred to the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum's support for Doolla, who was the course instructor during the mid-semester examination in which Sahil was allegedly found using a smartphone.
"The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay has taken a principled stand in the matter, as is clear from its press release dated 20th September," Kulkarni said.
He quoted the Faculty Forum as saying that it "strongly" expressed solidarity with Doolla, who was "discharging his duties in line with the institute's Senate-approved academic policies currently in force".
Kulkarni then listed nine points that he said deserved serious consideration in the wake of the incident.
"The exact reasons behind the suicide must be impartially investigated, and accountability established," adding that no action should be taken against Doolla unless his guilt was established by the probe.
Kulkarni further called for the case against Doolla under the SC/ST Act to be withdrawn.
Kulkarni said student suicides occurred across caste and community groups and argued against automatically attributing blame to people from so-called upper castes when a student belonged to the SC or ST communities.
"Tragically, many students at lits and other institutions of higher learning take their own lives. They belong to all cades and communities. The causes behind these tragedies váry. However, if a student belongs to the SC or ST communities: it is wrong to automatically fix guilt on persons belonging to the so-called "upper castes and to seek punishment for them under the stringent provisions of the SC/ST Act. It amounts to "reverse casteism".'," he said.
He said media reports suggested that the Act had been widely misused and called for a broader debate on reforming the law.
"As media reports suggest, this Act, which is defective on many counts, has been widely misused across the country. Therefore, a wider national debate is needed to reform this law," Kulkarni said.
Kulkarni said IITs and other higher educational institutions should continuously improve campus life and take steps to reduce student stress.
He further called for additional coaching, peer-support initiatives and other measures to help students from marginalised communities.
Kulkarni also raised concerns over stress among faculty members and vacancies in IITs.
"Faculty members at IIT's also face significant stress. Despite the establishment of many new IITs and a substantial increase in student intake, the number of faculty positions has not increased proportionately. According to media reports out of 12,480 sanctioned faculty posts across all 23 IITs, 4,004 (38.4%) were vacant as of January 30, 2028 IIT Kharagpur, the first Incian Institute of Technology, established in 1950, has a facully vacancy rate of 51.39%," he said.
Kulkarni questioned the impact of punitive action against faculty members who follow institutional rules.
"If a conscientious faculty member is punished simply for carrying out one's duty as per the institute's principles and guidelines, doesn't it instil fear across the entire faculty community?" he asked.
He said IITs were already finding it difficult to recruit top-quality teachers and questioned whether faculty from reputed universities abroad would want to return to India if they feared action under the SC/ST Act.
"If the Sword of Damocles in the form of the SC/ST Act hangs over their heads, which patriotic Indian from reputed universities abroad would want to return to India and take up a faculty position at IITs?" he said.
Kulkarni said efforts should be made to counter casteism and communalism and called for campuses to remain spaces for critical thinking and diverse ideas.
"Every effort must be made by campus communities and society at large to counter casteism and communalism in whatever form they manifest. Our institutions must be allowed to maintain a vibrant intellectual environment that fosters critical thinking and respects diverse streams of ideas," he said.
He also said activism that "breeds bigotry" and receives political patronage or protection for "vote-bank considerations" should be discouraged.
"The spirit of social unity, fraternity, harmony, justice, mutual respect and patriotism that we seek at the national level should be nurtured first and foremost on our campuses," he added.
Kulkarni said IITs were "the Pride of India" and credited their reputation to the dedication and professional excellence of their faculty.
"A major source of the national and global prestige they enjoy is the dedication and professional excellence of our Guru Jan. Tarnishing their reputation is tantamount to tarnishing the reputation of our institutions—and, indeed, the reputation of India," he said.
Concluding his appeal, Kulkarni said, "Therefore, I appeal to you. We must stand in solidarity with Prof. Doolla. We must raise our collective voice to stop the misuse of the SC/ST Act. Jai Hind!"
https://x.com/sudheenkulkarni/status/2102010388980302008
The appeal comes amid an ongoing investigation into Sahil's death by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch. The probe is examining CCTV footage from the examination hall, campus and hostel to establish the sequence of events.
According to investigators, CCTV footage from the examination hall shows Sahil between 12:30 pm and 12:45 pm on September 18, with around 15 minutes of the examination remaining. He was allegedly seen looking at something in his pocket before Doolla questioned him and took him aside. The footage is being examined as part of the investigation.
Sahil later reached his hostel room at around 1:25 pm and did not step out thereafter. He was found dead in his room later that day.
Sahil's family has alleged caste-based harassment and mental harassment and sought a thorough probe, including a CBI inquiry. A case has also been registered under the SC/ST Act.
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum president Professor Rajkumar S Pant has defended Doolla and said the professor was discharging his duties according to institute procedures.
"Students can protest due to various reasons, and sometimes an incident or a situation can act as a trigger for them to express their frustration about many underlying issues," Pant told ANI.
Pant also said Doolla had simply been relieved of his duties as Dean of Administrative Affairs and continued to be a professor at IIT Bombay.
"Professor Doolla has simply been relieved of his duties as the Dean of Administrative Affairs. He continues to be a professor in good standing at the institute. He has not been suspended from his position," Pant said.
The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has staged a march in support of Doolla, while students have continued to demand institutional reforms and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Sahil's death. Student representatives have maintained that their protests were not intended to justify academic misconduct. 
IIT Bombay had earlier issued a statement describing Sahil as having been caught using a phone during an examination and alleging that he had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT. The institute later apologised for its earlier communication and retracted its characterisations of the circumstances before the investigation was completed. 
The case has since been transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which is continuing its investigation.