Startup CEO Opens Up On Suicidal Thoughts At IIT-Bombay, Reveals What Saved Him After He 'Contemplated Jumping Off'

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "A former IIT Bombay student who is now the CEO of a company has shared some insights into his struggles at the institute. Deepak Baghel who is the founder and CEO of startup Mielo India has spoken about his suicidal thoughts and mental health struggles when he was studying at the institute. Baghel who lives in Indore passed from IIT in 2016. Apart from being a CEO, he is also a motivational speaker, his LinkedIn profile states a post on LinkedIn, he wrote,“As an IITian, today I'm a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker, but in the past I've grappled with mental health challenges, even contemplating suicide once. However, seeing my father's photo in my mobile gallery halted me in my tracks. Suicidal thoughts and mental health struggles take various forms. In March 2015, in IIT Bombay Hostel 13, Room 506, I found myself alone, gazing at Powai Lake and Hotel Renaissance between 1 AM and 3 AM from the 5th floor.”He added,“The weight of these challenges constantly haunted me, leaving me unable to share my pain with anyone. Then, in a fleeting 2-5 second moment, all problems vanished as I contemplated jumping off the 5th floor. But then, I saw my father's photo and remembered his struggle till he was Brutally murdered by society in 2004.“ Whether your father is rich, poor, or disabled doesn't matter. What truly matters is having a father who matters a lot to you,” he wrote financial strain to academic pressure, Baghel lists four problemSpeaking on Problem number 1, Baghel spoke on personal struggles when he was locked up by the warden as he couldn't afford the hostel fees.“The hostel warden locked my room because I couldn't afford the hostel fee, leaving me feeling deeply embarrassed in front of my peers. With no money in my account and my mother's salary delayed due to the financial year closing in 2015-16, I also had to arrange funds for my sister's medical college fees.”He also spoke on how he struggled to understand English questions as he was from Hindi medium school. He also added that he was once publicly cricticised by a professor at the institute.“Failing a first-year course and retaking it in my fifth year was a blow to my confidence. A professor at IIT Bombay publicly criticized me, questioning how I could fail such a basic course when I came from a Govt. Hindi Medium school in M.P. I struggled to understand English questions for a year at IIT-B. The professor's words embarrassed me in front of over 200+ first-year students, leaving me holding back tears.”Speaking on the third problem, he said the institute had rigid Academic Reinforcement Program rule.“Another professor failed me due to a rigid Academic Reinforcement Program rule. My Moodle Account was disabled for six months, forcing me to handle all tasks offline, including course registration. Every professor I approached for physical signatures to enroll in courses questioned why I had previously failed. This constant embarrassment compounded my struggles,” he wrote.“Coming to the point, I scored well in one of the courses, expecting to clear a course with an AB or AA grade. However, due to my disabled Moodle account, I missed the endsem exam after the professor changed the date last minute. Consequently, I failed the course again,” he said.

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