IIT Bombay Faculty Forum Backs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Amid Concerns Over Reputation After Student Death

IIT Bombay Faculty Forum Backs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Amid Concerns Over Reputation After Student Death

The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla after concerns over alleged damage to his reputation following a student’s death, the forum said. It stated Doolla was following institute-approved procedures when he reported alleged smartphone use during an examination on September 18. The statement was issued by forum president Rajkumar S Pant at IIT Bombay.

Shreya JachakUpdated: Sunday, September 20, 2026, 08:07 PM IST
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum Backs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Amid Concerns Over Reputation After Student Death
IIT Bombay Faculty Forum Backs Professor Suryanarayana Doolla Amid Concerns Over Reputation After Student Death |

Mumbai: The IIT Bombay Faculty Forum has expressed solidarity with Professor Suryanarayana Doolla amid concerns over the alleged tarnishing of his reputation following the death of a student at the institute.

Forum Offers Condolences To Student’s Family

In a statement issued on Sunday, the forum mourned the student’s death and offered condolences to his family. It said Professor Doolla had been discharging his responsibilities in accordance with the academic policies approved by the institute’s Senate.

According to the forum, Professor Doolla was invigilating a mid-semester examination between 11 am and 1 pm on Friday, September 18, when he allegedly found a student in unauthorised possession of a smartphone and using it during the examination.

Action Taken As Per Institute Procedure

The professor subsequently reported the alleged academic malpractice to the institute’s authorities for further action, following the prescribed procedure, the statement said.

“The Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay is absolutely distressed with the tarnishing of the reputation of our colleague Prof. Suryanarayana Doolla, who was merely discharging his academic duties and following the institute-approved procedures,” the forum stated.

Forum Does Not Link Examination Incident With Death

It did not provide further details about the circumstances surrounding the student’s death or indicate whether the student referred to in the examination incident was the same individual whose death it mourned.

The statement was issued by Professor Rajkumar S Pant, president of the IIT Bombay Faculty Forum. The forum is a formal body through which faculty members at IIT Bombay convey their views to the institute and other organisations.

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