Exam stress? IIT-Kharagpur director's message for students amid IIT Bombay case

IIT Kharagpur director Chakraborty urged students not to let exams or grades define them. His message came amid fresh concern over student welfare and mental-health support after Sahil Wakode's death at IIT Bombay.

In Short

• The note urged students to trust preparation and tackle questions calmly
• He said one bad paper should never define ability or future
• Students were advised to sleep well, eat properly and support friends

“An exam is indeed important, but it is not bigger than you. A grade is important, but it does not define you,” Chakraborty said in a message to students ahead of their examinations.

His message comes days after the death of an IIT Bombay student following an incident during an examination. The second-year student, Sahil Wakode, was found dead in his hostel room on September 18, hours after he was caught using a mobile phone during an examination. IIT Bombay said the student had uploaded the question paper on ChatGPT and that he was subsequently counselled by the instructor and the Head of Department.

The institute said no disciplinary action had been initiated against him and that he had been assured that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

Against this backdrop, Chakraborty’s message takes a different approach to examinations. Rather than speaking only of performance, he asked students to keep the examination in proportion to the rest of their lives.

“An exam measures what you wrote on one day. It does not measure who you are or what you will become,” he said.

The advice was practical. Students, he said, should trust the preparation they had already made, breathe, and take one question at a time. He also urged them to sleep adequately, eat properly and help their friends remain positive.

“Walk into the exam hall with confidence and above all with honesty,” he said.

Chakraborty also cautioned students against treating a poor examination as a judgment upon themselves.

“Sometimes you will surprise yourself very positively. And sometimes, despite sincere preparation, an exam may simply not go your way,” he said. “Please do not catastrophise such a moment.”

“A poor exam is not a poor life. A disappointing grade is not a verdict on your ability,” he added.

The director’s message went beyond examination advice. He asked students who found themselves unable to cope with academic or personal difficulties to speak to someone rather than carry the burden alone.

“If at any point things seem overwhelming, academically or otherwise, please speak to someone,” he said.

He also assured students that the institution would stand by them in difficult moments.

“If you find yourself in a genuinely difficult situation and you have not intentionally harmed any person, please remember that you are not standing there alone,” Chakraborty said. “As your director, imagine my hand on your shoulder to protect you.”

IIT Kharagpur, one of the country’s oldest IITs, has in recent months placed student welfare alongside academic work in its institutional messaging. Chakraborty, who has served as director since June 2025, has also spoken of the need for a more humane approach to education.

His message ends with a simple request: students should do their honest best, remain cheerful and keep moving forward.

“No single exam can capture the full measure of your talent. No single grade can write the story of your future,” he said.

- Ends