Shireesh Kedare took charge as IIT Bombay Director in May 2024, succeeding Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri.
A viral video showed Kedare telling protesting students he would resign from the director’s post.
IIT Bombay has not officially confirmed Kedare’s resignation, while protests continued over Wakode’s death.
IIT Bombay Director Prof Shireesh B Kedare has come under the spotlight after student protests erupted on the Powai campus following the death by suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode.
More than 400 students reportedly took part in the protests, with students demanding greater accountability and transparency from the institute administration. The protests followed Wakode's death on September 18, hours after he was reportedly caught using a mobile phone during an examination. IIT Bombay said the student had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.
Amid the protests, a video of Kedare addressing students went viral. In the video, Kedare is seen telling students that he would resign as Director, with September 21 mentioned as the resignation date. The video was timestamped around 1 AM on September 19, according to NDTV Profit.
However, there was no official confirmation of the resignation from IIT Bombay, the Ministry of Education or Kedare himself. IIT Bombay's official website continues to list Kedare as the institute's Director.
As per IIT Bombay's statement, the instructor and Head of Department counselled Wakode and assured him that the examination incident would not adversely affect his academic career. The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. Students, however, alleged that he had been threatened with suspension and raised questions about how the matter was handled.
Academic Profile
Kedare is an alumnus of IIT Bombay and a professor in its Department of Energy Science and Engineering. According to his official IIT Bombay profile, he completed his BTech in Mechanical Engineering in 1985 and PhD in 1992, both from IIT Bombay.
His research interests include concentrating and other solar technologies, renewable energy technologies for decarbonisation, energy transition pathways and participatory technology development. He has also served as Professor-in-Charge of IIT Bombay's Centre of Excellence in Oil, Gas and Energy.
From Student To Director
Kedare took charge as Director of IIT Bombay on May 6, 2024, succeeding Prof Subhasis Chaudhuri.
Before becoming Director, he held several academic and administrative positions. IIT Bombay's profile lists him as a former independent director of ONGC, a member of the Board of Governors of IIT Madras and a nominated member of the Council of IITs under the Ministry of Education.
His academic record includes 57 papers in international journals and 44 papers in international conferences and proceedings, according to IIT Bombay. He has also guided PhD students and Master's dissertations and has received awards for technology development and teaching.
