STARVATION

STARVATION

By Parichita Basak

Starvation is a condition characterized by a deficiency in calorie energy intake and is a graver form of malnutrition which ultimately leads to death if not taken care about.

Starvation can take place in a country due to many reasons like war, famine, the disparities between the rich and the poor and so on.  According to World Health Organization, the top ten causes of death through disease include the deficiencies of iron, vitamin A and zinc.

A major hindrance in fighting starvation in India is the lack of proper implementation of government schemes which are directed towards providing food for one and all.

In the context of India, it becomes needless to say that the food distribution system is flawed. The Supreme Court has issued orders over the past decades directing the government to take measures like mid-day meal schemes and the provision of health care schemes for pregnant and lactating women.  

Starvation deaths are beyond food. They are also a result of failure of government institutions that are meant to help the needy and the poor. Illiteracy also puts these people at a higher risk when the food supply dries up due to the lack of knowledge. Also, the medical treatments are subpar in their approach which again impedes the deaths caused by starvation. Government hospitals are located far-off and private hospitals are expensive.

Thus, the need of the hour is to implement existing as well as future schemes of the Government with a mission to eradicate the hunger of the people and to make the phenomenon of starvation deaths a thing of the past. And for that purpose, apart from administrative authorities, NGOs and people in general will have to make effort with compassion and with the spirit of brotherhood.

UNTOUCHABILITY

UNTOUCHABILITY

By Parichita Basak

Untouchablity in simple terms can be understood as a practice whereby a particular class or caste of persons are discriminated with on the ground of their being born in that particular caste or on the ground of their being members of those social groups involved in menial jobs. The discrimination can be in the form of physical or social boycott from the society. For instance: the members of so-called higher castes such as Brahmin, Kshatriyas etc would not dine or sit with a person of Bhangi class.

It was believed that people of higher castes could become impure even if a shadow of an untouchable person touches him and to re-gain his purity he had to take a dip into holy waters of the Ganga.

However, historically persons born in lowest castes and classes of persons doing menial jobs, criminals, persons suffering from contagious diseases and tribals living outside the so-called civilized world were considered as untouchables. Their exclusion from the mainstream society was based on the belief that they are impure and harmful and it was necessary to ostracized them for the overall benefit of the society.

Untouchability was also practiced as a form of punishment to the law-breakers and criminals; they were socially boycotted for their misdeeds.

Untouchables are also known as depressed classes, harijans etc; but today they are more frequently referred to as ‘Dalits’. In modern times, ‘Dalit’ refers to one’s caste rather than class; it applies to members of those so-called menial castes which are born with the stigma of “untouchability” because of the extreme impurity and pollution connected with their traditional occupations. They are considered impure and polluting and are therefore physically and socially excluded and isolated from the rest of society.

Today members of Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (SC/ST) are considered as ‘Dalits’ and they are subjected to various forms of discrimination in the society. Especially, Schedule Castes such as Chamars, Passi, Bhangis and Doms etc are known as ‘Dalits’; these people are generally associated with menial jobs such as tanning, skinning of hides, works on leather goods, sweeping, scavenging etc.

There are various forms of discriminations being practiced against Dalits in India, these are:

• Prohibited from eating with other caste members,
• Prohibited from marrying with other caste members,
• Prohibited from entering into village temples,
• Prohibited from wearing sandals or holding umbrellas in front of dominant caste members,
• Prohibited from using common village pat,
• Separate burial grounds,
• No access to village’s common/public properties and resources (wells, ponds, temples, etc.),
• Segregation (separate seating area) of Dalit children in schools,
• Bonded Labor,
• Face social boycotts by dominant castes for refusing to perform their “duties”

India got Independence on 15^th of August, 1947 after long and painful struggle of more than one hundred years. The struggle was not only against the foreign rule of British but it was also against the social evils such as untouchability prevailing from centuries. After Independence when great leaders of freedom struggle agreed to make our own Constitution, it was decided that there must be provisions under the Constitution regarding the abolition of social evils and upliftment of down-trodden castes and social groups etc.

JUVENILE DELIQUENCY

JUVENILE DELIQUENCY

By Parichita Basak

Children are considered to be gifts from God and are greatest personal as well as national assets. We as individuals, parents, guardians and society as a whole have a duty that children should be allowed and provided opportunity to grow up in a healthy socio-cultural environment so that they could become responsible citizens, physically fit, mentally alert and morally healthy. It is the duty of the State to provide equal opportunities for development to all children during the period of their growth which would reduce inequality and ensure social justice. Children are expected to be obedient, respectful and have virtues and good quality in them. However, due to various reasons certain percentage of children do not follow settled social and legal dictum. Such children are most often than not get involved in criminal behaviour which is known as juvenile delinquency or juvenile crime.

Crime by juveniles is a harsh reality in India. In recent times juveniles were found to be involved in most heinous of the crimes such as murder and gang rape. It’s a disturbing trend and society as a whole is anguished by such criminal acts by children. 

Juvenile means a person who is very young, teenager, adolescent or underage. In other words, juvenile means children who have not yet reached the age of adults in the sense that they are still childish or immature. Sometimes the term “child” is also interchangeably used for the term “juvenile”.

Legally speaking, a juvenile can be defined as a child who has not attained a certain age at which he can be held liable for his criminal acts like an adult person under the law of the country. Juvenile is a child who is alleged to have committed certain acts or omissions which are in violation of any law and are declared to be an offence. In terms of law, a juvenile is a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years. It has a legal significance. 

Petty crimes in general and heinous crimes in particular are being committed regularly in India by children. Crimes such as theft, burglary, snatching which are not so serious in nature or crimes such as robbery, dacoity, murder and rape etc which are relatively serious are on the rise in whole of the country. And the unfortunate thing is that all types of these crimes are also being committed by children below the age of 18 years. Among juveniles also there is a specific trend that juveniles between the age of 16 to 18 years are found to be more involved in heinous criminal acts.

The recent inhuman gang rape of a young girl on December 16, 2013, shocked the collective conscience of the nation. The brutality with which the heinous crime was committed was most shocking; it was later found out that among five accused, one was minor and he was the most barbaric one.

No one is a born criminal. Circumstances make him so. Socio-cultural environment, both inside and outside of home, plays significant role in shaping one’s life and overall personality.

Some of the most common causes which are associated with juvenile crimes are: Poverty; Drug Abuse; Anti-social Peer Group; Easy availability of firearms; Abusive parents; Single-parent child; Nuclear Family; Family Violence; Child sexual abuse and Role of Media.

However, as far as India is concerned, it is Poverty and the effect of media, especially the social-media which make juveniles more inclined towards criminal activities.

Poverty is one of the biggest causes which force a child to get involved in criminal acts. Also, role played by social media today which is having a more negative than positive imprints on young minds.

YOUTH CRIMES by the Teenager or is it the Poverty that kills?

YOUTH CRIMES

By Parichita Baasak

Teenagers are known the world over for their under-developed sense of right and wrong, their impulsive decision-making, their overly emotional responses, and their unavoidably reckless behavior. Psychological and sociological studies have examined the impact of all types of stimuli on teenagers’ criminal behavior — like peer-pressure, dropping out school, drinking, drugs, etc. But as important as it is to keep the teenage brain in mind when we as a society decide how poor decisions should be punished, maybe it’s not the most important factor in how those decisions get made in the first place.

As one would expect, teenagers perpetrated more of the homicides than other age groups — but only when he did not control for poverty. When he did control for poverty, teenagers committed more crimes than other age groups only in high-poverty areas. In the areas where teenagers had as much money as other middle-aged people, they tended to commit fewer violent crimes. And in the areas where middle-aged people had as little money as other teenagers, those middle-aged people tended to commit just as many violent crimes.

In other words, financially secure teens act as responsibly as stereotypical middle-aged people; and poor middle-aged people act as recklessly as stereotypical teens. The financial situations of the would-be perpetrators had a lot bigger impact than what age they were at the time. And that impact was huge: The homicide rate among the poorest teenagers Males looked at was 18 times higher than it was among the wealthiest.  

"In every case we have investigated of supposedly signature ‘”adolescent risks” — fatal traffic crashes, firearms mortality, felony crime, violent crime, and, in the present study, homicide and firearms homicide — we find they are severely mitigated or disappear altogether once the economic playing field is leveled."

So how to level that playing field? Addressing youth unemployment could provide some hope. Teens’ unemployment, and under-employment, have always been a given: Young people typically don’t yet have the experience or education to get well-paying jobs. And in tough economic times like these, teenagers are also often competing for entry-level jobs with more experienced people who would otherwise be higher up the professional ladder.

So, is it the Teenager Brain or Poverty that kills?

CHILD MARRIAGE

CHILD MARRIAGE

By Parichita Basak

Child marriage has been one of the greatest evils plaguing India. Marriage is a sacred relationship between two individuals who are ready to accept each other. Child marriage is an abuse of such union and is not permitted by law in India. History has always proven child marriage detrimental for our society.


The recent statistics released by the Government of India on married Indian women show 31.3% Hindu women and 30.6% Muslim women marry before the age of 17.6% of all Hindu women married before turning 10.The corresponding figure for Muslim women was 5%. Only 6% of men were married before 18.

The legal age for marriage is 18 for women and 21 for men. Any marriage below the legal age is considered child marriage. One in three married women from Hindu and Muslim communities got married before their 18th birthday making them vulnerable to not just higher maternal mortality rates but also domestic violence. Studies show girls who give birth before turning 15 and the infants of child mothers are at greater risk. Underage marriages interrupt education and most child brides are unable to negotiate with their family members making them liable to domestic violence.


Only laws and law enforcing agencies will not prove instrumental in reducing and eventually eradicating child-marriages. The mindset of the society has to be targeted in order to create a world free of such evils. Citizens will have to actively participate in spreading awareness regarding this practice and by abiding to the existing restrictions imposed by the government. Girl child has to be given equal opportunities and right education to safeguard themselves from such practices and rise in the society. The journey of gender equality will only be completed once practices like child marriages; female feticides violence against women are eradicated.


According to the report ‘Why Children Commit Offences’ published by Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) in June 2015 focused on children in conflict with the law in Delhi. The report looks at multiple issues like the socio-economic profile of children with a criminal record, the nature of offence that these children were accused of and analyzed the factors that push children towards deviant behavior. The report highlighted the role of the family, the community, the school and education as well the peer influence. The report after studying 182 children in observation homes, special homes found that poverty is one of the biggest contributing factor in children taken to crimes. Most of the children had undergone multiple deprivations with low economic households, uneducated parents; disrupted families. The children were dropouts and working independently to support their families.

Are We Equal?

Lately there have been many talks and debates on Equality for women. Feminists from all over the world have come up to speak about the kinds of inequality women’s have to suffer even in the 21^st century. In a country like ours where females have a long history of inequality it is a much greater concern as to what kind of society are we living in and what are the changes that are not just desirable but also important to make so as to change the present conditions. The government has brought about many changes for women. For example the reservations for women’s in governmental jobs to reserved seats in buses and even metro’s.

But aren’t reservations for the weak? And we clearly are not weak. I believe that all the children’s should be provided with education (free for those who cannot afford it) and let there be fair competition. Why do we need to have reserved seats in a bus or a metro? What we should work on is to change the mentality of the society rather than forcing someone to give up their seats because law says so. I am not willing to take a seat from a guy because it’s an offence to sit in one of those for them but only if he truly respects women and he willingly want to. I don’t want a separate ladies line, I want to be treated as any other person. If we say we want equality then why do we seek for such inequalities in name of gender? I don’t want just equality, I want justice to reside with equality. I want a society wherein we all are actually equal with no one getting special preferences. Want we really need is a change in mentality which I don’t think can come from forcing someone, because that would do the opposite. 

    Acid attack, a dreadful stunt

every now and then we hear acid attacks taking place on women. No matter what the situation is, such an inhuman act could never be justified. Destroying somebody's body to such an extent where the victim herself have hard time in accepting it and the sufferings, that person goes through because of it is something indefinable. According to the statistics 2014 saw a never-before 309 acid attack incidents being reported from across the country. This is almost 300 per cent more than the average number of such cases witnessed during the preceding three years.
Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 185 cases till November 2014, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 53 cases.
The years 2011, 2012 and 2013 witnessed 83, 85 and 66 cases being reported respectively, but this number shot up to 309 in 2014 – almost four times the average number of acid attack cases in the preceding years. The number of persons arrested is only 208 as against 309 cases reported.
The most common reason these days behind such attacks is REVENGE. We all must have heard cases like where a guy attacks women with acid after being rejected by her or refusal by a woman for sexual advances or dowry disagreements. How could someone be so insensitive? And would such action turn that rejection into an approval? Or would such action bring any positive changes in their lives? I understand accepting a rejection could be tough but it doesn't mean they have to take such drastic step. People need to simply accept the rejection and move on with it.Life is much beyond it and people just need to see things from different perspective. When one door closes, many other opens but one needs to tackle with situations smartly and humanly. You will never get anything from destroying someone else's life. Intact in a way you will destroy your life too.  

  Acid attack victims are often reported to have a higher level of anxiety, depression and score high on the Derriford appearance scale, which measures psychological distress due to one's concern for their appearance.   In 2013, India introduced amendment to the Indian Penal Code through the Criminal law (Amendment) act, 2013, making acid attacks a specific offence with a punishment of imprisonment not less than 10 years and which can extend to life imprisonment and with fine. But this law doesn't seem to be that effective, seeing the rising number of acid attacks.  There is a need to take more strict actions against such a crime. 10 years imprisonment is not sufficient for lifetime destruction caused by them and it should be replaced by life imprisonment. Also there is a need to put ban on the sale of acids. Most of the surgeries these victims go through are extremely expensive and beyond the reach of most. So, government needs to give proper compensation and jobs to the acid attack victims.

                      

              Education and stress
          

Those days are gone when students used to live freely and happily. These days with the increasing level of competition in academics, the stress level is also reaching to its peak among the students. The stress level is so much that most of the students are not able to handle it and take inappropriate actions, among which the most trending one is suicide. In India according to the statistics student suicides have increased 26% from 2006 to 2010, with Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai accounting for most victims, in that order. While 5,857 student suicides were reported in 2006, the figure jumped to 7,379 in 2010, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau. In other words, 20 students killed themselves every day in 2010, something both academicians and mental health professionals blame on a flawed education system where performance pressure ranks above all else. Whether it is class 12 boards exam or college entrance exams, the level of pressure a student goes through is something only a student can understand. Why students getting less than 90% in boards or not getting admission in top colleges are made to feel they are less than others. Is marks everything?

Stress is a very normal and natural phenomenon and is also good to an extent but when the stress level reaches to such a point where everything seems to be wrong or bad then the major problem starts. Due to this stress level, most of the students become victim of depression leading to emotional, physical and mental issues.The major pressure comes from our parents and the society to score well. Every parent want their child to excel in all the fields but don’t you think it is too much? Every child has different abilities, you can’t expect everyone to score 90+.Rather than pressurizing your kids into things which you want them to do, help your kids to find his or talents and let them pursue in that field. Your kids need your help, give them support and then nobody in the world could stop them to achieve their goals.  Why does it matters what our society would think if we score less? Why does it matters what our society would think if we prefer dancing career over studies?  It’s our life then why society has more say into it? BECAUSE we allow them!  It’s high time that we stop bothering ourselves with what society would say and do whatever we feel like. Education is surely very important but not the only important thing our lives. Life is beyond marks! All we have to do is see the world from a different perspective. So what if you are not good at studies? There are many millionaires in the world who were just like you but their hard work paid off. Don’t fear from failure, fight with it and the success would be waiting for you at your front door.

Societal norms for women at fault
               

ever thought of how difficult it is to be a women in this society? All our life we are being told everyone is equal and so does the constitution says, irrespective of the gender. But how far it has been practiced in personal lives?    If we go around and ask people, most of them will claim that they treat their son and daughter in an equal manner. But do they really? If they are considered equal then why sons are allowed to do late night parties and daughters are not? Why daughters are expected to learn household works along with education and sons are not? Why there is a constant pressure on daughters after a certain age to get married while sons are allowed to give their career first priority, no matter how long it takes? These inequalities might not be intentional but these are taking place at a wide scale.  It’s not our parents fault only but the whole so called societal norms or mentality set up is at fault. Whenever a women's rape case takes place, why her character is being questioned first? How wearing short clothes does justifies rape? Why are women being asked to wear appropriate clothes rather than people teaching their son to learn some respect for women?  Why women are made to feel shameful when on periods? Why is it treated like a disease when it’s just another natural biological function! Barring a woman to enter in a temple when on periods is something unacceptable.  Why a woman is pressurized to have children just after marriage? Ever realized she might not be ready yet? Or she might had some other things scheduled first? Why a woman is expected to obey her husband no matter what he says? Are women slaves?   Being a woman is not less than being a superhero. A woman is fighting and struggling on every day basis and still not complaining. Even after all of this women are considered weak?
The society needs to change its norms and to bring such a big change, one needs to start first from its own family. Give your daughters power to make decisions for her life, encourage her to do whatever she feels like doing and give her equal freedom as you give to your sons.

Kanyadaan which gave birth to DOWRY SYSTEM

 Kanyadaan which gave birth to DOWRY SYSTEM

By Parichita Basak

Dowry is derived from the ancient Hindu customs of "kanyadan". In "kanyadan", the father of the bride offers the father of the groom money or property, etc.  In "varadakshina", the father of the bride presents the groom cash or kind. All of these could be done voluntarily and out of affection and love.

A marriage is forever, and there is no scope for a separation. Among the various ceremonies previously practiced, the ceremony in front of a "godly" fire  has taken over. The dowry custom continues to rule society. The evil of the dowry system has spread  in almost all parts of the country and sections of society. There are several reasons for the prevalence of the dowry system, but the main one is that it is a necessary precondition for marriage. "No dowry, no marriage," is a widespread fear. The price tag for the groom is now bigger and bolder. Families arrange most marriages, and a man who does not marry for love learns he can marry for possessions.

For this man, and his family, a woman becomes the ticket to shortcut riches through the system of dowry. There are a number of things people desire to have in their own houses but cannot afford; they use the opportunity of a son's marriage to get them. Dowry as a phenomenon has gone beyond the ritual of marriage. Pregnancy, childbirth and all kinds of religious and family functions are occasions when such demands are made. A more sophisticated public image of an extended gifting session has replaced the old system. Now there is demand for receptions in marriage palaces.

The women have become a kind of commodity. It is them who are the worst sufferers because dowry is most often a monetary agreement between two men - the bride's father and the groom. Caste-based practices have only added fuel to the fire. Dowry rituals have now spread even to communities where they were unknown. It has gone to different castes, crossed the boundaries of provinces and education and religion.

Official statistics show a steady rise in dowry crimes. More than 9, 5000 women are killed every year in India over dowry. The cases of dowry torture are the highest accounting for 32.4% of crimes against women in the country.

The Dowry Prohibition Act, in force since 1st July 1961, was passed with the purpose of prohibiting the demanding, giving and taking of dowry. The Dowry Prohibition Act clearly stipulates that a person who gives or takes or helps in the giving or taking of dowry can be sentenced to jail for 5 years and fined Rs.15, 000/- or the amount of the value of dowry, whichever is more. The Act also prohibits the giving and taking directly or indirectly any property or valuable security, any amount either in cash of kind, jewelry, articles, properties, etc. in respect of a marriage. The control is provided by stating a limit and names of gifters and their relationship to the married couple to be signed by both sides of parents.

 Despite protest by women's organizations, serious activism, legal amendments, special police cells for women, media support and heightened awareness of dowry being a crime, the practice continues unabated on a massive scale. Despite every stigma, dowry continues to be the signature of marriage. Women need real social, political, financial and moral support in their fight against the system. They have to be empowered so that they can take their decisions about their own life by refusing the dowry system.

Water Crisis

Water, like religion and ideology, has the power to move people. Since the starting of the humankind, people have moved to settle close to water. Despite water being an existential need for humans, it’s also one of the most under prioritized but over abused commodity. Water is central to our lives but it has not been the central point of focus in our planning while we rapidly evolve into urban society.

More than 100 million people live in areas of poor water quality. With 54% of Indians face high to extreme high Water stress. Dispatching a water train for the drought-hit district of Latur shows the seriousness of the issue.

Over the years the, increasing population, growing industrialization, expanding agriculture and risinf standards of living have pushed up the demand for water. Efforts have been made to collect water by building dams and reservoirs and creating ground water structures as well. Recycling and desalination of water are other options but cost involved is very high. Our water resources have now entered an era of scarcity. We have started facing water shortage crisis. It may be maintained that water available to us is the same as it was before but the population and the consequent demand for water has increased manifold. Ground water Is also depleting at a fast rate.

High time for us to realise that something as essential as water needs to be saved and used judiciously. Single drop could also mean huge when it comes to saving water. Just as we are moved by water, we must move quickly in order to save it.

Religious Violence

A glance at the world affairs would suggest that religion is at the core of much of the strife around the globe. Often, religion is a contentious issue. Religion is important also because it plays a central part in many of the individual’s identity, any threat to one’s belief is a threat to one’s being. This is a primary motivation for ethno-religious nationalists.

Increasing number of people who think that religion is now much more than ‘opium of the masses’ , that it is actually a destructive feature of the society. But is it? We must not forget the immense positive role religion has played in our society, past and present. It has given people hope and a future where there was aversion. Religious extremists can contribute to conflict escalation. They see radical measures as necessary to fulfilling god’s wishes.

India is characterized by more ethnic and religious groups than most other countries of the world. In medieval India examples of religious violence like destruction of Hindu temples and construction of mosque. But the biggest religious violence happened at the time of India Pakistan partition. There was so much hatred for each other that those feelings still persists today. India being a pluralistic society, the multiracial, multi-religious, multi-lingual, and multicultural polity is bound to have conflicting interests. Each community tries to preserve and conserve its interest.

But one must understand that religion comes after humanity. We must always remember that religion is made for human, human is not made for religion. And violence in the name of religion should not take place as no religion promotes violence. 

Suicide

To live means not only to live biologically or as a psychic entity, but also to cope up with difficulties, interact and communicate with people, make decisions, and sometimes undergo excessive psychological pressure. Even an adult mind can fail to maintain pressure, making an individual see no other solution but suicide.

Suicide is not something that can be over looked. It is the third leading cause of death in today’s youth. Suicide is defined as an act or an instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally. In India according to National Crime Records Bureau 1,10,417 people committed suicide in the year 2002, which is 1.8% more than compared to 2001. Suicide is a global phenomenon in all regions of world, in fact 75% of the global suicide occurred in low and middle-income countries in 2012. Suicide accounted for 1.4% of all deaths worldwide, making it 15^th leading cause of death in 2012.

There are many reasons for someone to commit suicide. Depression is one of the leading causes. It can have dire consequences if left untreated. It can be compared with heart disease or diabetes. It seems like an unlikely comparison, but it shows that depression cannot be taken lightly. Other reasons like life history like traumatic experience during childhood, life style for example misuse of drugs or alcohol, employment- such as poor job security, relationships- being socially isolated, victim of bullying, genetics and family history can lead to such extreme measure.

Most of us can hardly imagine the suffering that precedes suicide and the pain left in its wake. The public, however remains disturbingly unaware of the prevalence of suicide among people. We need to generate far more public awareness of how prevalent a killer suicide is and the symptoms of and treatment for depression and other causes implicated in suicide. 

UNEMPLOYMENT-AN EVIL

UNEMPLOYMENT- AN EVIL

By Parichita Basak

Unemployment in underdeveloped countries is a long-term problem. This is due to lack of the stock of capital in relation to needs of growing population. Now, with the advancement of technologies and specialization, one needs much more capital in the productive activity. These aids to production belong to communities stock of capital.

The entire addition of labour force cannot be absorbed in productive employment if working force grows faster than stock of capital of a country. There would not be enough instruments of production to employ them. This unemployment evil is long-term.

A nation’s stock of capital can be enlarged by increased investment which, in the absence of any unutilized resources, requires additional savings on part of community. The employment opportunities need to be successfully enlarged to absorb the additions to the working force of a country as result of population growth.

In recent times, the labour force in India has been growing at an annual rate of 2 percent and our rate of investment of our stock of capital has not been growing at a fast enough rate so as to keep balance with population growth. So, there is limited country’s ability to offer productive employment.

To enlarge employment opportunities there is a need of faster rate of capital information. Every possible encouragement should be given for productive utilization in increasing the rate of investment.

If population grows at rapid rate, then to maintain people even at their existing levels, large amounts of capital are needed which could otherwise have been used to raise the amount of capital available per man and hence to raise living standards at a faster rate.

Unemployment affects an individual, family, as well as society, or it may be said that unemployment causes personal disorganization, family disorganization, and social disorganization.

PEER PRESSURE- a major bad influence

Peer pressure in one of the most prevalent thing that every teenager goes through but it’s totally up to individuals, basically how they tackle it. Unfortunately most of the teenagers get trapped into such pressures causing them to involve in inappropriate activities. Smoking and drinking alcohol addiction are the major consequences of peer pressure. In spite of strict age bars by government laws, in a study conducted by the National Survey on Drug and Alcohol Use (NSDUH) 2009, 10.4 million young individuals between ages 12-20 reported that they drank alcohol 'beyond a few sips'. So also, 2.1 million young people had more than 5 drinks on the same occasion, more than 5 times in the same month.
Teenagers consider smoking and drinking cool but they don’t realize the amount of harm that they are causing to themselves and others also by forcing them to indulge in such activities along with them. According to the Canadian Lung Association, 70% of teens who actively smoke, said that they started smoking because their friends smoked, or because they felt the peer pressure to try smoking. Therefore the fear of being left out alone is becoming one of the biggest pressure for teenagers.
Another bad influence includes rash driving. First of all according to the laws 18 and above people with license only has the permission to drive vehicles and secondly there are certain speed limits but teenagers these days don’t tend to follow any of these rules. When teenagers see their friends driving fast, breaking off all the rules and being appreciated by their friends, they also tend to do the same in order to show off others. And this has become the major reason behind accidents that are taking place.
Smartphones are equally acting as major actor in pressuring children. Smartphones these days have become an important factor in defining a person’s class. When children see their friends with expensive phones ,they also wish to have the same and then the parents are left with no option than buying phones at such small ages. A recent study on digital lifestyle of urban teens shows that around 72% teenaged students own smartphones in India.
There are various other pressures that a teenager goes through but here is a tip for all the teenagers: don’t let others influence your lives, you only live once and make sure that you make the best use of it. If there is something bothering you so much so rather than just following others blindly, just take advice from your parents or any other significant adult, share with them and I am sure they would come up with best solutions for you. Life is too short for bad decisions!

-        ANSHIKA AGARWAL

Malnutrition

The Data from the National Family Health Survey or NFHS-4 confirms the finding from the Rapid Survey on Children (RSoC) of 2015 that there has been a significant decline in child malnutrition in the country during the last decade.

While there has been a decline in childhood stunting (considering one of the most important indicators as it represents chronic malnutrition) in almost all states, there still exists a wide gap between states. Therefore, while 28 per cent of children’s in Telangana and 27 per cent in Tamil Nadu have a low height for age, the corresponding figures for Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are 48 per cent and 42 per cent. The Global Nutrition Report 2015 finds Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh have high initial rates of stunting and yet subsequent declines in stunting in these states are lower than most other states.

From earlier studies we do know that a number of factors contribute to malnutrition, including food availability and quality, women’s status within the household and in the society, access to health services and prevalence of open defecation. It would be wrong to focus only on economic growth as an explanatory factor for the improvement in malnutrition in this period.

The India Health Report compares the levels of stunting in India to other countries with similar levels of per capita income or even lower and finds that the level of stunting in India is higher than what would be expected based on its per capita income levels. A number of countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Tanzania, Kenya etc have a lower per capita income than India but also lower level of stunting.

Other indicators such as those related to women’s status also show a very strong correlation with malnutrition levels. Takin the percentage of institutional deliveries and the percentage of institutional deliveries and the percentage of women who received full antenatal care as proxies for the availability of health services, these factors are also highly correlated with levels of stunting.

To keep up the momentum gained in reducing malnutrition, there is a need to put more resources into the public programmes that contribute to improvements.

A not-so-warm welcome

According to the latest data available from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), of the 486 crimes against foreigners reported across the country in 2014, 164 took place in Delhi, the highest among all the states and union territories. Another damning figure is the number of crimes against foreign tourists; of the 384 cases in 2014, 135 were recorded in Delhi. According to the World Bank, over 76 lakh foreign tourists visit India every year.

In January in 2014, a Danish women was raped by nine persons, including three juveniles, near the New Delhi railway station in the heart of the city. According to the government data, the highest number of foreign travellers in India come from the United States, followed by United Kingdom, Bangladesh, Canada and Australia.

While most of the countries list elaborate instructions for their citizens travelling in India, UK is particularly specific in its advisory. The High Commission website states, under its Foreign Travel Advice (India), “Women should exercise caution while travelling in India”. In a separate page, the High Commission provides travel tips for women travellers in India, “think about how your clothing will fit in with local customs”.

The 2014 gangrape had prompted Delhi Police to set up a helpline to help out foreigners. But the number of calls received by the helpline has been dwindling. The first year, 2014, it had received 60 calls, the next year it got 22 calls and till June 9 this year, it has received only seven calls.

Long considered an unsafe city for women, the capital may well be on its way to earning another ignominious title-a city equally unsafe for foreigners. 

TAKING BIRTH AS WOMEN IN INDIA IS A CURSE??

TAKING BIRTH AS WOMEN IN INDIA IS A CURSE??

By Parichita Basak

In India, people used to worship various female goddesses, saints and poets. India is famous for being the largest democracy in the world, however, women backwardness is also very prominent. They face problems of sex discrimination, illiteracy, dowry system, female infanticide, etc.

So, is it true that taking birth as a women in Indian society is a curse? Female infanticide is very common where a girl child is killed in mother’s womb. They are considered as burden as society think that women are here only to consume money whole life. From birth till death, they face sex discrimination. Some other big issues counts illiteracy, responsible for household works, sexual harassment, rape, etc.

Women are considered inferior than men for many years. People in middle age were considering women as key destruction and they were never even allowed to go outside. Women do not have equal access to autonomy, mobility to outside the home, social freedom, etc. than men. Many problems are faced due to domestic responsibilities, cultural and social roles, etc. Women are considered in the society only for upbringing of a child, caring of family members, etc. There is an old and traditional faith that men are for working outside and women for home. But now, women are breaking every barrier. They are enjoying equality status and even getting ahead in many field than men.

Earlier women were facing issues like child marriage, sati prabha, widows exploitation, etc. All these old traditional problems have been disappeared but given rise to other issues like violence against women. Women is getting kidnapped every 44 minutes, raped at every 47 minutes and dowry death every day. Gender discrimination, where women are considered as weaker section of the society than men. In rural areas, women education percentage is very low. Dowry system is increasing day by day where women are ill treated, disrespected and suffer other cruelties.

However, there are various rules and regulations act and laws made by the Indian govt. regarding the safety of women in India. And ofcourse, lots of positive changes has occurred as the number of educated people is increasing in the country.

“WHEN YOU ARE EDUCATING A MAN, YOU ARE EDUCATING A MAN, BUT WHEN YOU ARE EDUCATING A WOMAN, YOU ARE EDUCATING A GENERATION”