A 22-year-old MBA student of the IPS College allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at his home in the Kadam Sahab Ka Bada area of the city. Tarun Bhatia was rushed to the hospital where doctors failed to revive him. His mother informed the police that she had found him unconscious in his room with his mouth covered in froth.
The exact reasons for the suicide are yet to be ascertained but the police suspect that depression associated with the pressures of studies could be the main reason for this extreme step. According to his relatives and friends Tarun was under intense depression for the last four months, always worrying whether he would get a good job. According to his mother the deceased had been visibly disturbed for the past few days and that she had tried to cheer him up. Tarun had lost his father when he was only 14 months old.
One of his classmates, Yugal Chauhan said that Tarun had always been a lively student, scoring first division in all exams, but was noticeably upset for the past few weeks. He also said that during the internal examination, a couple of weeks back Tarun had broken down in the exam hall and was crying uncontrollably.
When asked about this trend of college students ending their lives, Prof Dr Ayub Khan, notable sociologist and HOD, Department of Sociology, MLB College , Gwalior said that this is an issue of major concern that requires a strong response from parents. He also said that depression can be genetic in some cases and could manifest in the adolescent stages.
He further said that in India parents often go into a denial mode when it comes to their child’s mental health, thinking that their child cannot have such problems. The sociologist counseled that this attitude must go and parents must understand how fragile their child’s mental well-being can be and be proactive in assessing it.