New Delhi: The conflict between the students and the administration that has been going on for the last several days at IIT-Bombay reached a major turning point late on Sunday night. The administration has finally accepted the 18 demands of the students who have been protesting for a long time and has now agreed to work on them further. The director of the institute, Professor Shirish Kedare, signed this proposal after a long conversation with the students who were sitting on strike near the main gate for three days.
Let us tell you that this whole incident started after the tragic death of 20 year old student Sahil Wakode on September 18. After this incident, students were continuously demanding accountability from the administration and strict action, due to which an atmosphere of tension was created in the campus.
Demand for action against professor raised
One of the most important demands of the students was action against Professor Suryanarayan Dulla, who was present as an invigilator during Sahil's examination before his death. When this issue was raised during the meeting, Director Shirish Kedare assured that the institute will take action as per the laid down rules and procedure. However, another official of the institute also clarified that signing the charter does not mean that every demand will be decided immediately.
The meeting lasted for three hours
Before this late night agreement, there were intense talks for about three hours between the protesting students and senior officials of the administration. The proposal also includes demands for an investigation into Sahil's death as well as major changes in the academic, disciplinary and student welfare systems of the institute. Meanwhile, some videos are also going viral on social media, in which it is being said about the resignation of the director, although there has been no official confirmation of this yet.
What are the demands included?
The most prominent among the 18-point demands of the students is an independent inquiry into the death of Sahil Wakode. The students have demanded that the interim report of the investigation be released by September 30 and the final report by October 15. Apart from this, a demand has also been made to call an open meeting in the presence of the Director, Dean and other senior officials.
These demands include not only investigation but also improvements in the entire system of the institute. Students have demanded creating a clear code of conduct for professors, training teachers to understand the mental health of students and improving individual counseling facilities. There has also been talk of changing the process of the disciplinary committee and increasing the participation of students in major decisions.
Special emphasis on mental health
The students have also demanded the formation of a special team, which includes students, teachers and external experts, to understand and prevent mental health problems. Apart from this, a demand has also been made to provide 24-hour psychiatrist facility in the institute's hospital. The students have asked for a written plan for all these reforms by September 26 and have also said that if these changes are not implemented within a month, the director should resign.