Depression
(major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that
negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.
Fortunately, it is also treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or
a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of
emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at
work and at home.

Depression affects an estimated one in 15
adults (6.7%) in any given year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience
depression at some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on
average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are more likely
than men to experience depression. Some studies show that one-third of women
will experience a major depressive episode in their lifetime. There is a high
degree of heritability (approximately 40%) when first-degree relatives
(parents/children/siblings) have depression.

CAUSES

The medical community does not fully
understand the causes of depression. There are many possible causes, and
sometimes, various factors combine to trigger symptoms.

Factors that are likely to play a role
include:

ü genetic
features

ü changes
in the brain’s neurotransmitter levels

ü environmental
factors

ü psychological
and social factors

ü additional
conditions, such as bipolar disorder

SYMPTOMS

People who have depression will experience
some or all of the following symptoms almost every day for at least two weeks:

ü Feelings
of hopelessness, helplessness, emptiness, worthlessness, or guilt

ü Low
energy, fatigue

ü Irritability,
restlessness, anxiety

ü Slowed
thinking, speaking, or movement

ü Loss
of interest in activities they once enjoyed

ü Trouble
concentrating, remembering, or making decisions

ü Loss
of appetite, or eating too much

ü Weight
gain or loss

ü Trouble
sleeping, or sleeping too much

ü Headache,
stomachache, and other aches and pains that do not have a clear physical cause

ü Persistent
sad or empty mood

Some people with depression will
experience many of these symptoms. Others will have just a few. The severity of
depression symptoms can range from mild to severe enough to impact the person’s
day-to-day life.

TREATMENT

The typical treatment for depression
includes antidepressants or other medications, psychotherapy (talk therapy), or
a combination of the two interventions. Personalizing treatment to the
individual can increase the chances that it will be successful.

Antidepressants are a class of drugs used
to treat depression. They include the following types:

ü Selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often the first drugs doctors
prescribe for depression. These drugs affect the chemical messenger, serotonin,
which helps to regulate mood. Low serotonin levels have been linked to
depression.

ü Serotonin-norepinephrine
reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) work on two brain chemicals—serotonin and
norepinephrine.

ü Atypical
antidepressants act on the brain in a different way from other antidepressants.
These drugs may be an option for people who have not found relief from SSRIs or
SNRIs.

Sometimes doctors will prescribe another
type of medication—such as an anti-anxiety drug, antipsychotic medicine, or
stimulant—along with the antidepressant. Antidepressants can take up to four
weeks to start working. It can take a few tries to find the best drug and
dosage combination that will relieve your depression.

The term “Secular” means being “separate” from religion, or having no religious basis.

A secular person is one who does not owe his moral values to any religion. His values are the product of his rational and scientific thinking.

Secularism means separation of religion from political, economic, social and cultural aspects of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter.

It emphasized dissociation of the state from religion and full freedom to all religions and tolerance of all religions.

It also stands for equal opportunities for followers of all religions, and no discrimination and partiality on grounds of religion.

Secularism in the History of India

• Secular traditions are very deep rooted in the history of India. Indian culture is based on the blending of various spiritual traditions and social movements.
• In ancient India, the Santam Dharma (Hinduism) was basically allowed to develop as a holistic religion by welcoming different spiritual traditions and trying to integrate them into a common mainstream.
• The development of four Vedas and the various interpretations of the Upanishads and the Puranas clearly highlight the religious plurality of Hinduism.
• Emperor Ashoka was the first great emperor to announce, as early as third century B.C. that, the state would not prosecute any religious sect.
  • In his 12^th Rock Edict, Ashoka made an appeal not only for the toleration of all religion sects but also to develop a spirit of great respect toward them.
• Even after the advent of Jainism, Buddhism and later Islam and Christianity on the Indian soil, the quest for religious toleration and coexistence of different faiths continued.
• In medieval India, the Sufi and Bhakti movements bond the people of various communities together with love and peace.
• The leading lights of these movements were Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Baba Farid, Sant Kabir Das, Guru Nanak Dev, Saint Tukaram and Mira Bai etc.
• In medieval India, religious toleration and freedom of worship marked the State under Akbar. He had a number of Hindus as his ministers, forbade forcible conversions and abolished Jizya.
  • The most prominent evidence of his tolerance policy was his promulgation of ‘Din-i-Ilahi’ or the Divine Faith, which had elements of both Hindu and Muslim faith.
  • That this was not imposed upon the subjects is obvious from the fact that there were few adherents to it. Along with this he emphasized the concept of ‘sulh-i-kul’ or peace and harmony among religions.
  • He even sponsored a series of religious debates which were held in the ‘Ibadat Khana’ of the Hall of Worship, and the participants in these debates included theologians from amongst Brahmins, Jains and Zoroastrians.
• Even before Akbar, Babar had advised Humayun to “shed religious prejudice, protect temples, preserve cows, and administer justice properly in this tradition.”
• The Indian freedom movement was characterized by secular tradition and ethos right from the start.
  • In the initial part of the Indian freedom movement, the liberals like Sir Feroz Shah Mehta, Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale by and large pursued a secular approach to politics.
  • The constitution drafted by Pandit Moti Lal Nehru as the chairman of the historic Nehru Committee in 1928, had many provision on secularism as: ‘There shall be no state religion for the commonwealth of India or for any province in the commonwealth, nor shall the state, either directly or indirectly, endow any religion any preference or impose any disability on account of religious beliefs or religious status’.
  • Gandhiji’s secularism was based on a commitment to the brotherhood of religious communities based on their respect for and pursuit of truth, whereas, J. L. Nehru’s secularism was based on a commitment to scientific humanism tinged with a progressive view of historical change.
• At present scenario, in the context of Indian, the separation of religion from the state constitutes the core of the philosophy of secularism.

Philosophy of Indian Secularism

• The term ‘secularism’ is akin to the Vedic concept of ‘Dharma nirapekshata’ i.e. the indifference of state to religion.
• This model of secularism is adopted by western societies where the government is totally separate from religion (i.e. separation of church and state).
• Indian philosophy of secularism is related to “Sarva Dharma Sambhava” (literally it means that destination of the paths followed by all religions is the same, though the paths themselves may be different) which means equal respect to all religions.
• This concept, embraced and promoted by personalities like Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi is called ‘Positive secularism’ that reflects the dominant ethos of Indian culture.
• India does not have an official state religion. However, different personal laws – on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony varies with an individual’s religion.
• Indian secularism is not an end in itself but a means to address religious plurality and sought to achieve peaceful coexistence of different religions.

Secularism and the Indian Constitution

• There is a clear incorporation of all the basic principles of secularism into various provisions of constitution.
• The term ‘Secular’ was added to the preamble by the forty-second constitution Amendment Act of 1976, (India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic).
  • It emphasise the fact that constitutionally, India is a secular country which has no State religion. And that the state shall recognise and accept all religions, not favour or patronize any particular religion.
• While Article 14 grants equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all, Article 15 enlarges the concept of secularism to the widest possible extent by prohibiting discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
• Article 16 (1) guarantees equality of opportunity to all citizens in matters of public employment and reiterates that there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth and residence.
• Article 25 provides ‘Freedom of Conscience’, that is, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion.
• As per Article 26, every religious group or individual has the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes and to manage its own affairs in matters of religion.
• As per Article 27, the state shall not compel any citizen to pay any taxes for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious institution.
• Article 28 allows educational institutions maintained by different religious groups to impart religious instruction.
• Article 29 and Article 30 provides cultural and educational rights to the minorities.
• Article 51A i.e. Fundamental Duties obliges all the citizens to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood and to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.

How is our Secularism different than the western form of Secularism

Over the years, India has developed its own unique concept of secularism that is fundamentally different from the parallel western concept of secularism in the following ways:

• As per the western model of secularism, the “State” and the “religion” have their own separate spheres and neither the state nor the religion shall intervene in each other’s affairs. Thus, the western concept of secularism requires complete separation of religion and state.
• However, in India, neither in law nor in practice any ‘wall of separation’ between religion and the State exists. In India, both state and religion can, and often do, interact and intervene in each other’s affairs within the legally prescribed and judicially settled parameters. In other words, Indian secularism does not require a total banishment of religion from the State affairs.
• As per the western model, the state cannot give any financial support to educational institutions run by religious communities.
• On the other hand, Indian model has chosen a positive mode of engagement. In India, the state provides all religious minorities the right to establish and maintain their own educational institutions which may receive assistance from state.
• In the western model, State does not intervene in the affairs of religion till the time religion is working within the limits of the law.
• On the other hand, in Indian secularism, state shall interfere in religion so as to remove evils in it. India has intervened by enforcing legislation against the practices of sati or widow-burning, dowry, animal and bird sacrifice, child marriage, and preventing Dalits from entering temples.
• In western concept of secularism, religion is relegated entirely to the private sphere and has no place in public life whatsoever. The western model prohibits any public policy to be drafted on the basis of religion therefore; state is absolutely distanced from the religious activities and practices of its citizens.
• In India, state has the policy of setting up Departments of Religious Endowments, Wakf Boards, etc. It is also involved in appointing Trustees of these boards.

Conclusion

• In a pluralistic society, the best approach to nurture secularism is to expand religious freedom rather than strictly practicing state neutrality.
• It is incumbent on us to ensure value-education that makes the younger generation understands and appreciates not only its own religious traditions but also those of the other religions in the country.

Often, as soon as there is talk of transgender, many questions come in the mind of people that this is not normal, this transgender is not like us. But the life of transgender is also like us normal human beings, they also have a heart like us, they have a brain like us, they are also hungry like us, they also need shelter like us. So how is it different from us ?transgender is also a part of this beautiful world and nature like us. In our nature apart from male and female, there is another class that is neither completely male nor female. Whom the people of the society know as Hijra or Kinnar or Transgender. And transgender is known by another name which I find very beautiful name for them is Ardhanarishwar which is made for them only.

Transgender: They have both male and female qualities at the same time. Their living style, dress and occupation are also different from both male and female. Despite being like a common man, she is different from us. Transgender If this word is read then it will hardly take a second or two and if we try to understand it, then in 15 to 20 minutes any knowledgeable person will easily explain who are transgender. The same transgender we call Hijra, or six. But we hardly know this pain. By pressing this pain in their chest, transgender’s dance with their palms in front of common people, entertain them. His palms are his sigh and his thumb is pain. These people do not belong to any second or third house but are part of our own society. Because Seeing the way we treat them, the only question that arises in our heart is that eunuchs are not a part of human society? Probably not because it is the people who are indulging in the society, who have accepted only one religion, dance, sing, beat the palm, or you can give any other name if you want, like Hijra, six, etc. We always forget that his body is his too, he takes breath too, he eats food, he also casts his vote, he wears clothes too. Then how is he different from the society?

Our government has made many bills for transgender’s, Ardhanarishwar has also been given the right in the society, he is also a part of our society like us. Ardhanarishwar has been given the right to study like us, he has got all those rights like us, he has been given respect. Some actors have even made movies on them. They have every right to live their life like us because just as we are a part of this world, they are also a part of it.

Now is the time to change us, to change our thinking, To understand Ardhanarishwar as a part of our society, Transgender is also called the form of God Ardhanarishwar, But if we do not consider him as a god, then we should consider him as a human being. And there are many such families in our country who consider Ardhanarishwar as respect and a part of our society And it is true that no one can change it that transgender is an important part of our nature.

A systematic way of living life evolved gradually over the years. Early humans, over time, developed ways to sustain. Earlier they survived on grass and leaves and slowly tools were devised for hunting down animals. The invention of fire played a crucial role in the life of man. 

All this happened years ago, but the zeal of man to invent and develop new things, for his smooth lifestyle sees no stop. We live in a highly technology-driven world. A world where technology has become an inevitable part of our life. These technological developments include the invention of machines and artificial intelligence. 

When it comes to artificial intelligence, which is very popular these days, versus the human brain, some people believe artificial intelligence is more efficient than the human brain. As time passed by, humans became dependent on machines. Humans need to interact with each other because communication is not possible with machines. We feel comfortable in expressing, probing, and getting our problems solved with humans.

Is it possible that technology will one day surpass the human brain or rather, humans collectively? That we will be subject to the technological devices we are making for our ease? Let us try to see.

They are a creation of mankind – Humans are the most superior ( though not important) creatures on the earth. They have emotions and feelings, they express different emotions at different times. Machines work with their mechanical brain which is programmed by humans. Humans understand the situation and respond accordingly whereas machines do not have the capability of understanding. This makes humans superior to machines because though they may solve technical problems and materialistic ones, but at the emotional level, a human requires the presence of another human.

Impact of technology on human life – 

Machines and technology are replacing manpower for certain jobs and this is the big reason for unemployment and which is also a drawback of the machines. As humans are being replaced by machines hence certain jobs are disappearing. The industrial revolution has also led to unemployment, as a result, there is a loss of medium-skill jobs in various sectors.

Some effects of a machine on humans are competency, wars, and destruction, The radiation released from smartphones is absorbed by human bodies which can cause tumors, and also the power consumption has increased.

The increasing use of vehicles has increased air pollution that is damaging the environment. The effect of technology on our environment is severe and is responsible for drastic climate changes such as Global warming which leads to several diseases in humans. Technological machines are also responsible for the extinction of several birds, plants, and animal species due to climate changes.

Conclusion–

Machines have become a very important part of our lives and undoubtedly are helpful in many ways, though it also harms our lives. There is no competition between humans and machines because humans are the creators of the machine. Humans have created machines for their use and it is also important to know the purpose of developing machines and artificial intelligence and their impact on human life. Machines can be used for creation as well as destruction by the power of human intelligence for the very humans who created them.