IIT Bombay has begun the process of removing ceiling fans from its hostels and installing wall-mounted fans following the suicide of student Sahil Wakode.
Sahil was a second-year BTech student in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering. His body was found in his hostel room on the Powai campus on Friday evening.
According to sources, the institute began discussing replacing the fans after a student’s suicide in July. Sahil’s death brought the decision back into focus.
A photograph of a batch of wall-mounted fans arriving on campus has gone viral on social media. The fans will be installed in all hostels and other functional areas of the campus.
NCP (SP) leader questions decision
NCP (SP) spokesperson Aneesh Gawande criticised the decision to replace the fans. He said that merely replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans would not solve the problem of student suicides. He called for greater focus on suicide prevention and mental health support.
Gawande claimed that more than 117 students had died by suicide at the IITs over the past 20 years.
