IIT Bombay to replace ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans after student’s death
The image of a batch of wall-mounted fans arriving at the campus as part of ‘renovation work’ has gone viral on social media.
IIT Bombay is replacing ceiling fans with wall-mounted fans following the death of a second-year B-Tech student, Sahil Wakode, sources say. The 20-year-old from Yavatmal district was found dead in his hostel room on the Powai campus on September 18, 2026, hours after he allegedly used a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester exam.
The institute plans to install wall-mounted fans across all hostels and utility areas on campus. NCP (SP) spokesperson Anish Gawande criticized the move, arguing that it cannot solve the student suicide crisis and called for greater focus on mental health support. Gawande noted that over 117 students had died at IITs over the past two decades.
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