IIT Bombay ends 57-day protest: students call off sit-in after reforms promised
By TUF News Desk · Published 14 November 2026 · 4 min read
Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy
Fifty-seven days after students at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay set up a sit-in outside the main gate, the protest is over. The students called it off on November 13, saying the administration has started work on several of their demands.
More than 2,000 students took part from the first day, the group said. The sit-in, held under the banner of Justice Corner, asked for justice in the death of a fellow student and for reforms to campus democracy and welfare.
What the administration has done
The Dean of Student Affairs met the protesting students, shared updates on the steps taken over the past two months, and assured them the dialogue would continue.
Shortly after, the students received an email from director Shireesh Kedare, promising more accountability and open communication and setting out the steps taken.
The administration has set up review committees for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) Cell, the Student Wellness Centre and hostel affairs, and held several open-house meetings and general body meetings since the protest began.
IIT Bombay is also rolling out new welfare measures: better grievance redressal, professional counsellors, a well-being app and better hostel life. Faculty will also get sensitisation training.
Most of the belongings seized from the first protest site, including laptops, have been returned. When the site was cleared on October 18, laptops, books, room keys and notes were taken away, and students said the delay hurt their exam preparation. Our earlier report on day 45 of the protest covered that standoff in detail.
What is still unresolved
Ending the sit-in does not mean their demands are met, the students said. The internal committee report is still unpublished, and they called on the student community to keep pressing for its publication.
They also expressed solidarity with Sahil’s family, urged the institute to cooperate fully with the criminal investigation, and said the movement would continue in other forms.
The protest also raised questions about the Students’ Wellness Centre, the SC/ST Cell and the Disciplinary Action Committee, whose working the students alleged lacked transparency and had been misused on several occasions by Professor Doolla as Dean of Student Affairs.
How the protest began
The protest began after second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode died by suicide on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. His parents allege he faced harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus.
Students set up the Justice Corner site outside the main gate with 18 demands, including a transparent account of what happened. On October 18, police cleared the site and detained protesters. The sit-in then moved inside the main building, near the director’s office, where it stayed until November 13.
Sahil’s parents are not satisfied. They have been protesting at Azad Maidan in Mumbai and plan to continue at the campus gate from November 23, then travel to Nagpur on December 7, during Parliament’s winter session, to press their case. Updates are available on the official IIT Bombay website.
If you or someone you know is in distress, call AASRA on 9820466726 or iCALL on 9152987821.
Frequently asked questions
Why did IIT Bombay students end their 57-day protest?
The students said the administration has started review committees for the SC/ST Cell, the Student Wellness Centre and hostel affairs, and promised welfare measures including professional counsellors and a well-being app. The Dean of Student Affairs met them on November 13 and the director wrote to students promising more accountability.
What demands are still unresolved?
The internal committee report has not been released yet, and the criminal investigation into Sahil Wakode’s death is still going on. The students said they will keep pressing for the report, and his parents plan to continue their own protest.
What started the IIT Bombay protest?
Second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode died by suicide on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination. His parents allege he faced harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus.
What welfare measures has IIT Bombay promised?
Better grievance redressal, hiring professional counsellors, a well-being app, improvements to hostel life and sensitisation training for faculty.
Frequently asked questions
Why did IIT Bombay students end their 57-day protest?
The administration has started review committees for the SC/ST Cell, the Student Wellness Centre and hostel affairs, and promised welfare measures including counsellors and a well-being app. The Dean of Student Affairs met the students on November 13, and the director wrote to them promising more accountability.
What demands are still unresolved?
The internal committee report is still unpublished, and the criminal investigation into Sahil Wakode's death continues. The students said they will keep pressing for the report, and his parents plan to continue their own protest.
What started the IIT Bombay protest?
Second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode died by suicide on September 18, hours after he was allegedly caught using a mobile phone in a mid-semester examination. His parents allege he faced harassment and caste-based discrimination on campus.
What welfare measures has IIT Bombay promised?
Better grievance redressal, hiring professional counsellors, a well-being app, improvements to hostel life and sensitisation training for faculty.
Sources: Careers360, NewsBytes, Mid-Day