A former IIT Bombay student, now the CEO of a company, has shared insights into his struggles at the institute. Deepak Baghel, founder and CEO of startup Mielo India, spoke about his suicidal thoughts and mental health struggles during his time at the institute. Baghel, who resides in Indore, graduated from IIT in 2016.
In 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.”
Baghel wrote that the weight of the challenges constantly haunted him, leaving him unable to share his 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,” Baghel, also a motivational speaker, wrote.
Speaking on Problem number 1, Baghel talked about his personal struggles when he was locked up by the warden because 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 about how he struggled to understand English questions as he came from a Hindi medium school. He added that he was once publicly criticized 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 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 wrote.
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.