Exam Does Not Measure What You’ll Become: IIT Kharagpur Director Amid IIT Bombay Student’s Death
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty urged students to remember that an examination measures what they write on one day, not who they are or what they will become, amid the death of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty has shared a message for students appearing for their examinations. In the message, he said an examination measures what a student wrote on one day and not who they are or what they will become. He further told students that they should know they are not carrying the pressure alone.
The message comes a few days after an IIT Bombay student, Sahil Wakode, died by suicide after he was caught uploading question papers on ChatGPT to seek answers.
“As you walk into your examination halls, remember this: an exam measures what you wrote on one day. It does not measure who you are or what you will become,” the director said in a post on X.
Specifically addressing the students of IIT Kharagpur, he said they had earned their place at the institute through years of hard work and that the strength behind that achievement was still with them.
“You earned your place at IIT Kharagpur through years of effort, and that strength has not left you. Trust your preparation. Breathe. Take one question at a time,” he said.
“And whenever the pressure feels heavy, know that you are not carrying it alone. My hand is on your shoulder, today and always,” he added.
IIT Bombay Student Death
Sahil Wakode, a second-year MSc student in IIT Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering, died by suicide after returning to his hostel room following an incident in which he was caught using ChatGPT during an examination.
Sahil’s mother alleged that he was harassed and sought justice. “My son has been killed. He was severely harassed. I want justice,” she said.
Sahil’s father alleged that a professor at the institute had made “casteist remarks” against his son for three months before his death. According to the complaint, Mumbai Police invoked provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the case.
An IIT Bombay senior official, however, denied allegations of caste-based discrimination on campus, saying that caste-related information of every student is kept confidential.
In an official statement, the institute said that no disciplinary action was taken against Sahil after he was caught. It said he was counselled by the faculty advisor and head of the department, who assured him that the incident would not affect his academic career.
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Sahil Behl is an education journalist at Jagran with over a year of experience in journalism. Prior to joining Jagran, he worked as a Sub-Editor in NDTV’s Education department, where he was responsible for writing and editing education-related content as well as managing the department’s social media presence. At Jagran, he covers a wide range of education topics, including board examinations, school updates, admissions, and job notifications, while leveraging his editorial expertise and strong understanding of digital content strategy. Sahil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and has also completed an eight-month certification program in Data Science. Passionate about emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, he closely tracks their growing role in journalism and explores how they are transforming shaping the future of the media industry.
