Who is Suryanarayana Doolla, the IIT-Bombay professor at the heart of student protest?
Professor Suryanarayana Doolla, who spent more than a decade as a faculty member of IIT-Bombay’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering and was a key member of the institute’s academic and administrative establishment, was suspended on the evening of September 20 following sustained student protests over the death by suicide of second-year student Sahil Wakode who had allegedly been caught using a mobile phone and seeking answers through ChatGPT.
.The suspension came after IIT-Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare met protesting students sitting outside the campus gate and signed an 18-point charter of demands that included action against Doolla.
The IIT-Bombay Faculty Forum has also publicly backed the professor, maintaining that he was performing his duties and following the policy of IIT Bombay as an invigilator and had followed the institute’s prescribed procedure after detecting the alleged examination malpractice.
Professor Doolla’s long career at IIT-Bombay has been distinguished by numerous academic achievements and by his leadership of several research endeavours.
Yet, as his name now stands at the centre of the controversy, it is important to look back upon the career and work of the professor.
Here, then, is the story of the man behind the name.
Doolla’s career at IIT-Bombay, meanwhile, stretches well beyond the present controversy. A specialist in power systems, smart grids, microgrids and renewable-energy integration, he has been part of the institute’s academic community for more than a decade and has received several teaching and research distinctions.
As per the information available on IIT Bombay page confirmed by India Today, he completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from Nagarjuna University in 2000, an M.Tech in Energy Systems Engineering from IIT-Bombay in 2002 and a PhD in Power Systems from IIT Delhi in 2007.
Before joining IIT-Bombay, he worked with Power Research and Development Consultants in Bengaluru and Machine 2 Machine in Hyderabad.
At IIT-Bombay, Doolla has held responsibilities extending beyond research and teaching. He served as warden of Hostel 6 and later as Dean of Student Affairs, besides being associated with the organisation of JEE (Advanced), UCEED and CEED.
His academic record includes the Prof S. P. Sukhatme Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021, IIT-Bombay’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017 and the Young Faculty Award in 2009, along with recognition through IEEE awards and fellowships.
The present controversy has therefore placed a long-serving academic and administrator at the heart of a dispute that extends far beyond one examination. While Wakode’s family has alleged harassment and caste-based discrimination, IIT-Bombay has rejected those allegations and maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against the student.
Doolla has been named in the FIR registered following the family’s complaint, and the matter remains under investigation. The students, meanwhile, have demanded an independent inquiry, institutional reforms and accountability from those found responsible.
For now, the question of Doolla’s future at IIT-Bombay remains tied to two separate processes: the demands emerging from the student protest and the formal investigations into the circumstances surrounding Wakode’s death.- EndsPublished By: Rishab ChauhanPublished On: Sep 21, 2026 08:41 IST
