A second-year Indian Institute of Technology Bombay student died by suicide Friday after being caught using a mobile phone during an examination, leading to protests on campus, the institute and police said.
According to a statement from IIT Bombay, the student from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering uploaded the question paper of the examination to ChatGPT to seek answers. The institute said no disciplinary action had been taken and that the student had been counselled by the instructor and the department head who assured him it would not affect his academic career.
The student later returned to his hostel room where he was found dead, the institute said.
Police said they were investigating the circumstances of the death.
The event prompted a protest by over 400 students demanding accountability and transparency from the administration. The Indian Express reports that the mid-semester examinations are underway and have been postponed.
“IIT Bombay is deeply saddened by the loss of a student,” the institute said, adding that it was supporting the student’s friends, classmates and faculty.
The circumstances of the death are under investigation by authorities.
