A student at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has come under fire after allegedly submitting an ongoing examination paper to the AI chatbot ChatGPT in real time to seek answers during the test. The incident, which recently came to light, has sparked a debate on academic integrity and the growing use of artificial intelligence tools in high-stakes examinations across Indian higher education institutions.
According to the institute, the student, identified as Sahil Wakode, uploaded the examination question paper to ChatGPT while the exam was underway. The questions from the test paper were fed into the generative AI platform in hopes of obtaining solutions, a move that constitutes a serious breach of examination conduct rules at the premier engineering institute.
Upon coming to know of the incident, the institute launched an inquiry and reportedly warned the student of a potential one-year suspension. The warning letter serves as a formal disciplinary notice, indicating that the institute is treating the matter as a significant violation of its academic policies. The exact duration and nature of the punishment, if any, are expected to be finalized after a thorough review of the case.
This is not the first time AI tools have been at the center of academic misconduct discussions at IITs. Over the past year, several institutions across India have reported cases where students used generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to complete assignments, projects, and even examinations. In response, many IITs and other premier institutes have begun revising their evaluation frameworks, introducing proctoring mechanisms, and updating their conduct codes to explicitly address AI usage during assessments.
IIT Bombay, like other IITs, has strict rules regarding examination malpractice. Students found guilty of sharing or attempting to share exam content with external sources—whether human or technological—face severe penalties ranging from fines and detentions to suspension and even expulsion, depending on the severity of the offense.
The incident has reignited a broader conversation about how educational institutions should balance the integration of useful AI tools with the need to maintain fairness and originality in academic evaluations. While AI literacy is increasingly considered an essential skill, experts stress that it must be learned and practiced within ethical boundaries, especially during exams where independent understanding and problem-solving are being tested.
