A second-year student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay died by suicide on the evening of September 18, 2026. The student was studying in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering and had been found using a mobile phone during an examination and uploading the question paper to ChatGPT. IIT Bombay said no formal disciplinary action had been initiated against the student.
According to an official statement from IIT Bombay, the student was found using a mobile phone during an examination on Friday. The institute said the student had uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT in an attempt to obtain answers.
Following the incident, the instructor and head of the department spoke with the student about the examination-related matter. According to the institute, the student was counselled and assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career. IIT Bombay also said that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him.
According to police, the examination ended at around 4 pm. The student then went to his hostel room, where he was later found dead. Police have begun an investigation, and the body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital for a postmortem examination.
IIT Bombay expressed deep sorrow over the student's death. The institute said necessary support was being provided to his friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident. According to the institute, the circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated by the relevant authorities.
After news of the student's death emerged, a large number of students held a protest on the IIT Bombay campus. According to reports, more than 400 students participated in the protest against the administration. The students sought answers and transparency regarding administrative aspects related to the incident.
Students and the administration also held discussions during the protest. IIT Bombay Director Prof. Shirish Kedare met the students and heard their concerns. Police were also present on the campus.
Amid the student's death and the subsequent protest, the ongoing mid-semester examinations at IIT Bombay were postponed. Information about the postponement emerged from students participating in the protest.
The incident occurred while mid-semester examinations were underway at the institute. The student's death took place a few hours after a case involving the use of a mobile phone and an AI tool during an examination came to light. However, based on the available official information, the examination-related dispute has not been identified as a direct cause of the student's suicide. The relevant authorities are investigating the circumstances of the case.
Following the September 18 incident, student suicide cases at IIT Bombay's Powai campus in 2026 have again come under discussion. Available reports describe this as the third such incident at the campus this year. Earlier, student suicide incidents were reported at Hostel-4 in February and July 2026.
However, different reports contain variations regarding the number and details of incidents reported this year. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to link any of the incidents to a single cause. In the September 18 case too, the police and institute are investigating the circumstances.
In its statement, IIT Bombay expressed grief over the student's death. The institute said it was providing support to the student's friends, classmates, faculty members and others affected by the incident.
The institute also said that the circumstances related to the death were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. At present, the available official information does not confirm any specific cause behind the student's death.
IIT Bombay has mental health and wellness support services for students. The institute's Student Wellness Centre provides individual counselling and assistance in dealing with stress.
Following such incidents, experts generally advise taking changes in a student's behaviour seriously, including sudden changes, social withdrawal, persistent distress, disengagement from studies, or major changes in sleep and eating patterns. If such signs are observed in a student, contacting friends, classmates, family members or institutional support services may be useful.
The IIT Bombay incident has also raised questions related to the use of artificial intelligence tools in examination systems. The use of generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT in education has increased, while institutions have their own rules governing their use during examinations.
In this case, IIT Bombay said that no formal disciplinary action had been initiated against the student and that he had been assured that the incident would not affect his academic career. Therefore, based on the available facts, it would not be appropriate to establish a direct causal link between the use of AI during the examination and the student's death before the investigation is completed.
Following the September 18 incident, discussions took place among the IIT Bombay administration, police and students. The circumstances surrounding the student's death are under investigation. Further information related to the case may emerge following the postmortem and other investigative procedures.
The institute has expressed grief over the student's death and said it is providing support to those affected, while students have sought transparency from the administration and answers on issues concerning the campus. The mid-semester examinations were also postponed following the incident.
