IIT Bombay Open House: Students Seek Action Plan On 18-Point Charter After Administration Assures Grievance Reforms

Mumbai: IIT Bombay held a nearly four-hour-long open house on Monday, during which students questioned the administration over its response to their grievances and sought clarity on the implementation of their 18-point charter of demands.

Students Raise Concerns Over Complaint Mechanism

The discussion followed IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh Kedare’s signing of the charter after a prolonged meeting with protesting students late on Sunday night. The open house was held in the institute’s Common Hall, with senior officials and representatives of the Board of Governors present to respond to students’ concerns.

Students alleged that the institute lacked an effective mechanism to receive, track and resolve complaints. Responding to the criticism, Kedare acknowledged that receiving grievances through email was not an efficient or streamlined system.

Student Support Portal in Development

He said a student-support portal was already being developed and would soon be launched, allowing students to submit concerns and suggestions. The portal will also include a feedback mechanism through which students can receive regular updates on the status of their complaints.

The institute will constitute a committee to examine the 18 demands and prepare an implementation plan within a week. The administration will seek to resolve the issues within the one-month deadline set by the students.

Anonymous Complaints Mechanism Proposed

“The committee will not comprise three random professors and three students merely for the sake of it. Its members will be sensitised people who understand the gravity of the matter,” Kedare said.

Under the proposed grievance-redressal mechanism, a professor will be assigned to handle different categories of complaints. Students will also be permitted to report matters anonymously, particularly when a complaint concerns the faculty member or official responsible for handling grievances.

During the open house, students raised concerns extending beyond academic pressure and the institute’s rigorous examination system. They also highlighted problems concerning hostel facilities, mental-health support, administrative accountability and other aspects of campus life.

The 18-point charter was prepared during the student agitation that followed the death of second-year BTech student Sahil Wakode. It seeks immediate action in the case as well as wider reforms to IIT Bombay’s academic, disciplinary, mental-health and grievance-redressal systems.

It remained unclear following the open house whether students would withdraw their protest or continue the agitation until the institute announced concrete measures and a formal implementation schedule.

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