Charan Mahananda, from Sambalpur District in Western Odisha, works as a Junior Research Associate at the Centre for Commercial Determinants of Health (C-CDoH), Institute of Public Health, Bangalore, focusing on psychoactive substances and public health. He is a former Urban Fellow at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, Bengaluru.
An exploration of how caste-based discrimination in educational and professional spaces erodes mental health, turning belonging into a lifelong battle. It argues that true wellness demands confronting caste as a systemic cause of psychological harm.
