POSITIVE THINKING

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hello frds aapko pta hai life me positive thinking bhut jruri hoti or mushkil time par to bhut need hoti hai bcz kbhi kbhi esa time aata jb sbhi jgh se  raste band dikhai dete hai but hmare bichar agr shi hote hai hm galt nhi sochte to sb thik ho jata hai aaj kal aapne dekha hai choti si muskil aane par log socide kr lete hai ya kisi ka murder kr dete hai vhi us time agr thode time ke liye shanti se positive socha jaye to sb thik ho jata hai khrab time bhi nikal jata hai esa koi insan nhi hai ish duniya me jishki life me khrab time nhi aata hai but insan ko unse harna nhi chaiye balki samna krna chaiye or wo samna hm ache bichar se kr skte hai ishliye apne aas pass esa mahil or log hone chaiye jo hme positive baat bole motivate kre kyuki aaj kal dipression itna ho rha hai logo me ki insan apni jaan lene se phele sochta nhi hai apni life ko khulkar jina chaiye life pesaaata jata jata hai khusi or dukh bhi aate hai but ye life vapish kbhi nhi milti hai kha jata hai insan ka jnam bdi muskil se hota hai ishliye use west nhi krna chaiye insan ke andar bhgwan ne itna dimag diya hai ki wo har muskil ka samna kr skta hai muskil time to bhgwan raam ki life me bhi aaya tha unhone harkar galt kadam nhi uthaya balki ush time ko nikala or jeet kar aaye ishliye ese time ne bhgwan ne bhi jhela hai hm unse bde to nhi ho skte hai na to hmari life me bhi utar chdav aate hai.meri life me bhi bhut preshani aai thi esa time bhi tha ki insan mar jaye but mene hope nhi chodi ki sb thik hoga aaj vhi hua jo mene socha kyuki jesa insan sochta hai wo vesa hi bnta hai or ushke sath vhi hota hai ye life bhut short hai ishe ese kharb nhi krna chaiye ishe to enjoy se jina chaiye me aapko btati hu meri life me aaj bhi bhut problem aati hai chaye wo family ki ho ya pese ki but apne bhgwan par belive rkhti hu wo jo krta hai ache ke liye krta hai ye mushkiltime bhut kuch sikha kar jata hai btata hai ki kon apna kon praya hai.

mene apni life me dekha hai ish duniya me log rishto se jada peso ko mante hai yha rishto ka koi mol nhi hai agr aapke pass pesa hai to sre rishte aapke hai lekin pesa kmane ke liye muskil time ka samna krna pdta hai ishliye hmesha acha socho or acha hi kro bhagwat gita me likha hai aapka karm lotkar jrur aata hai aapke sath jo hota hai wo aapke karm ke karn hota hai ishliye positive rhna jruri hai taki aap acha kar sko or acha paa sko mene itna sb dekha hai ki mere andr ye bichar khud aate hai ki kish trh se ish time me logo ki soch ho rhi hai wo ek choti si bat ko lekr apni jaan dete hai ya galt kaam krne lgte hai hme bhgwan ne ache kamo ke liye bheja wo pariksha leta har insan ki koi khra utrta hai to koi fail hota hai or ye hmre hatho me hai ki hme fail hona hai ya pass.or aap pass tbhi hote ho jb aap kuch ache karm krte ho wo tb honge jb aapke bichar positive honge ishliye ek acha insan banne ke liye or acha pane ke liye apni soch ko positive krna bhut jruri hai.

 

MERA JEEVAN

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hello me aap sbhi ki frd. me ek bhut simple ldki hu,mera jnam ek chote se town me hua hai but dream bhut bde hai ishliye hmesha unhi par kaam krti hu mujhe apni life apne tarike se jina pasand hai meri life me bhut muskile aai hai but me hmesha ldi hu hari nhi hu middle class family se blong krti hu ishliye har sapna pura nhi kr pati thi khud ki phdai ho ya dress ho sbhi ke liye bhut strugle kiya hai ish life me bhut kuch khokr bhut paya bhi hai.mene choti si age bhut kuch dekha hai rishto ko bante bigdte sb but ek chiz sikhi hai ki himmat kbhi nhi harni chaiye apni life ke kuch rule rkhne chaiye unhe follow krna chaiye ushselife bhut aasan ho jati hai.vrna ish duniya ke rules par chlne khud ki life end ho jati hai,aaj bhi ish smaj me bhut si ldki,women hongi jo jine ke liye everyday strugle krti hongi unki life aasan nhi hongi but uparwala sbhi ko soch smjhkar bnata hai dukh sukh bhi ushki shen skti ke according deta hai mene apnilife me kbhi koi frd nhi bnai bcz mujhe pta hai ish life me koi itna imandar or sachha nhi hota but mene apni life bhut best life parter ko chuna hai jo dream mene bchpan me dekhe the unhe ushne pura kiya meri har wish ko pura krne ke liye puri mhenat krta hai ishliye life me hmesha ek ese partner ko chunna chaiye jo aapse pyar kre wo aapko smjhe vhi meri life me hai ushke sath meri life bhut easy hai ushko pakar meri life complete hai hm dono har muskil ka samna ek sath krte hai kyuki ush bande ne  bhi apni life me bhut dukh dekhe hai bhut mushkilo ka samna kiya hai me ye sb ishliye likh rhi hu kyuki mujhe ushke bare me btana bhut acha lgta hai me chati hu har ldki ko esa husband milna chaiye,

me bachapan se hi kuch bnna chati thi family ke liye khusiya lana ye sb mujhe krna hai ushi ke liye me aaj mhenat kr rhi hu wo bhi mere maa baap ko mujhse jada pyar krta hai unki har baat manna unko har chiz lakr dena sb krta hai ek ldki bahu se beti ban jati hai but ek ldka damad bhut kam bete bnte hai but meri life me wo humsfar hai jo ek beta bna hai me apne maa baap se bhi bhut pyar krti hu unko har khusi dena chati hu wo me krti hu jitna mujhse hota aapko pta hai mere parents bhi mujhse bhut hope rkhte hai bete ki trh treat krte hai unhone mere karn logo se bhut kuch suna hai ki beti ko jada mat phdao bahar mat bhejo ldki esi nhi honi chaiye but unhone kisi ki nhi suni or mujhe aajadi di mujhe kisi kaam se nhi roka ishliye har ladki ko apne sapno ke liye ldna chaiye har nhi manni chaiye smaj to sbhi ke bare me bolta hai but aapko apni life apne according jini chaiye kyuki ish duniya ne pavitr sita maa ko bhi nhi chora tha ishliye girls hmesha man ki suno apna naam kro bcz khud ka naam hona jruri hai ldkiyo ka na apna ghr hota hai na sasural ka dono tr praya ishliye khud ke liye kuch krna jruri hai proof krna ki haa ldki ka bhi ghr hota hai apni life me apna jivan sathi khud chunna or esa banda jo aapse prem krta ho kyuki woaapke liye kuch bhi kr skta hai chlo aage ki bat bad me krte hai bye guys

A field guide to visiting the locations of real ghost stories

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Real ghost stories and the places that inspired them are scattered around the world. Surprisingly, you can visit many of them, and sleep, dine or drink in countless. Almost any destination has its share of tales. I make it my work to explore both, the stories and the destination.

 

My name is Todd Atteberry, and I’m at various times a writer, artist, photographer, musician – in other words, barely employable. I’ve wandered somewhat extensively the eastern half of these United States, as well as Ireland and England, looking for history and haunts.

On occasion I have witnessed the supernatural on my travels. I’ve heard the laughter of a niece of Washington Irving, author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, who has been dead nearly two centuries. In fact, I’ve seen the specter of a full garbed Revolutionary War soldier twice in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. I was locked out of Jerusha Howe’s bedroom in Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Massachusetts, the hook thrown on the door from the inside of an empty room. I’ve seen the white lady in the George and Pilgrim Hotel in Glastonbury, in Great Britain. And I swear I was set upon by a host of ghosts in the Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Those however, are exceptions. When visiting the sites of real ghost stories, the best you should hope for is a mood, a setting that quickens the pulse and  brings your senses to life. Best of all are the times and places where the present disappear and you feel yourself beginning to time travel.

A place with a gothic mood, steeped in the past will go a long ways towards creating those feelings, and also makes for an interesting place to have drinks or dinner, or to spend the night. If you don’t mind sharing your bed with ghosts.

Real ghost stories run in the family

My own search for real ghost stories began in my family home, long ago.

October of 2018 and I was in the kitchen of the family home. I’d lived here taking care of my parents for nearly a decade. Mom had died. Dad was in a nursing home. I was about to shut off the light and go to another part of the house when I got a whiff of dad’s cologne.

It wasn’t wafting through the room. It wasn’t subtle, as his cologne was never subtle. There’s something about an Aqua Velva Man. Foul smelling stuff but that’s what he liked, strong and manly.

I chalked it up to my imagination, but the scent held on. I said aloud to the silent house, “dad must have just died, and laughed at myself. Those with a gothic disposition are prone to making superstitious statements like that, and I felt kind of stupid for falling into the same trap.

I came upstairs and sat down at my desk and started to work when the phone rang … it was the nursing home. “Come right away.”

That wasn’t the first real ghost story in this house for me. They started before I was five. Not disembodied scents, lights switching on and off, footsteps or any of the smaller pantheon of ghostly occurrence, though those all came later. The first time was a full bodied apparition, and it wouldn’t be the last time I saw it here.

My parents told me it was my imagination, so I spent most of my childhood believing I was crazy. People who believed in such things are crazy, right?

Then when I was in my thirties I told my mother that and she laughed. Turns out she’d seen it too, as had her mother. My dad wouldn’t talk about what he saw, but he was afraid of the house. I thought the spirits in this house had finally found peace while I lived elsewhere for over thirty years. But over the past couple years I’ve come home to find two house guests, sitting on my porch at night, having chose not to stay in the house alone after disturbing occurrences.

And those are the just the people who will talk about it. So it’s safe to say, growing up in this house and coming back to it, I come by this shit naturally. I didn’t have to look far for real ghost stories.

Real science versus real ghost stories, who comes out on top?

So the first question to decide if real ghost stories are in fact real, is are there really ghosts? Having run across them in a number of locations, a number of times, you’ll never convince me otherwise. What are they? Beats the hell out of me.

It’s arrogance to say they don’t exist. There is too much evidence, stretching back far too may years, across too many cultures and civilizations to say with any degree of certainty that nothing is there. Or that it’s simply our imagination, our just awakened mind experiencing half dreams.

On the other hand, it’s also arrogant to state with certainty what they are and the rules of how they operate. If anyone actually knew that shit, it would be easy to prove they exist?

Science can’t prove it because of its own limitations. A scientist has to look at evidence and apply it to what we know of the rules of nature. The same for the historian, the archaeologist. They can only speak on what they can back up with sound evidence. That causes egos to get in the way and when that happens, people start speaking loudly and with certainty over things they know nothing about.

Science gets things wrong all the time. On The Origin of Species is filled with inaccuracies, even if the basic theory is somewhat sound. These people with initials behind their names are only qualified to speak on the existence of things they understand and are within their realm. No one knows the laws of the supernatural, so no one can explain it, nor offer evidence that any scientist could accept as truth. It’s not in their DNA.

Body, Soul, Spirit: Simply Explained

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I am a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body. You are a spirit, who has a soul, that lives in a body.

 

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again (1 Thessalonians 5:23, NLT)

BODY

Your body is your “earth suit.” Your body is your connection with this world. Your body is the vehicle through which you experience the natural realm. Every single interaction that you share with others is through your body. With the body, you speak and communicate. With your physical being, you see, hear, and touch the world around you. Contrary to what some religious ideologies have led us to believe, the body itself is not a sinful, corrupt thing. Sure, the body is decaying and dying. And, yes, your physical body can be trained to become an instrument of the sin nature, but that doesn’t mean that your body is itself sinful. Your body can be used for either sin or holiness. The choice is yours. In fact, your body can be a carrier of the glory of God.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT) 

Your body can be a holy host of the Holy Spirit’s presence. You can be the Holy Spirit’s physical connection with this world.

SOUL

The soul is the realm of decision. In the soul lives your mind, will, emotions, and personality. Your mind—what you imagine. Your will—what you want. Your emotions—what you feel. The soul is the neutral ground between the body and the spirit. It is the place where free will is exercised.

The soul is eternal, and everyone has a soul—redeemed and unredeemed alike. The wicked have souls.

The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes (Proverbs 21:10, KJV). 

The godly have souls.

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth (3 John 1:2, KJV).

Every human being has a soul.

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind (Job 12:10, KJV). 

The breath of life is in the soul. The soul gives animation, consciousness. The soul is where your free will is exercised.

SPIRIT

Your spirit is your connection with God. It is the innermost part of your being, the center of you, the source of your identity. Your spirit is the deepest part of you, and your spirit knows perfect fellowship with God.

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT)

No one knows your thoughts like your spirit does. The same is true of God. The Holy Spirit knows God’s thoughts. The Holy Spirit, who is God’s Spirit, searches out the deep things of God. The Holy Spirit knows God’s secrets, intentions, and desires. The Holy Spirit knows God’s will. The Holy Spirit perfectly and completely understands God’s nature and power. Everything there is to know about our infinitely intricate God, the Holy Spirit knows. The Holy Spirit is not learning about God. The Holy Spirit knows God. He knows Himself fully.

The Holy Spirit communicates what He knows of God with your spirit. God’s Spirit shares revelations with your spirit. God’s innermost Being shares mysteries with your innermost being. In that place of inner oneness, divine secrets are being imparted. By the Holy Spirit, every believer has this privilege of internal, eternal connection with God Himself.

No matter how you feel in body or soul, your connection in the spirit remains. You live, not to connect with God, but from connection with God.

Your body belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 6:19, NLT)

Your Spirit is one with God. (1 Corinthians 6:17, NLT)

And, yes, even your soul is filled and owned by God. (Ephesians 1:14, AMP)

You are a Spirit, who has a soul, that exists in a body.

‘मातृ देवो भवः’, शास्त्रों में मिलता है मां की ममता और महिमा का बखान

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सनातन धर्म में मां का स्थान सबसे ऊपर है. क्योंकि हमारी संस्कृति में मां की तुलना ईश्वर से की गई है. यहां तक कि वेद-पुराणों में भी मां की ममता और महिमा का बखान किया गया है.

 

तैतरीय उपनिषद में लिखा गया है- ‘मातृ देवो भव:’ यानी मां देवताओं से भी बढ़कर होती है. मां जननी है, यानी जन्म देने वाली, जिसका स्थान संसार में सबसे ऊपर है. प्रेम, करुणा, भाव और वात्सल्य का दूसरा रूप यदि कोई है तो वह ‘मां’ ही है. मां का अपनी संतान के साथ खास लगाव होता है.

हम चाहे कितने भी बड़े क्यों न हो जाए, लेकिन जब भी हम किसी परेशानी में होते हैं या अकेला महसूस करते हैं तो आज भी ऐसा लगता है कि संसार के सभी सुखों का त्यागकर बस मां के आंचल से लिपट जाएं और फिर से बच्चा बन जाएं. क्योंकि मां का आंचल ही है जहां सबसे अधिक सुकून है और यह एक बच्चे के लिए दुनिया की सबसे सुरक्षित जगह है.

मेरी दुनिया है मां तेरे आंचल में

मां का आंचल बच्चे के लिए दुनिया के सब सुखों से बढ़कर है. इसलिए तो मां के आंचल की आड़ से जब नन्हे बच्चे देखते हैं तो उन्हें यह दुनिया रंगीन नजर आती है.

मां के आंचल का कोना हमारे लिए कभी गुल्लक बन जाया करता था तो कभी तिजोरी, जिसमें बंधे पैसे ऐसा खजाना होते थे, जिससे दुनिया की सारी खुशियां खरीदी जा सकती है.

बच्चे की खुशियों के लिए मां अपना आंचल भगवान के समक्ष फैलाती है. इसलिए तो मां का आंचल संतान के लिए कभी छोटा नहीं पड़ता. मां के आंचल, लाड़, प्यार, ममता और दुलार का जितना भी बखान किया जाए कम ही है. मां के आंचल और उसकी ममता का बखान केवल कविता और किताबों में ही नहीं बल्कि धार्मिक ग्रंथों में भी मिलता है.

रामचरितमानस के किष्किंधा कांड में एक प्रसंग है कि, जब माता सीता को रावण ने हरण कर लिया था तो उन्होंने अपने आभूषण साड़ी के आंचल में बांधकर ही फेंके थे, जिससे कि अगर किसी को रास्ते में आभूषण मिले तो उससे सीताजी के बारे में कुछ संकेत मिल सके.

अब आप ही बताइए रामायण में सीता जी के पल्लू में आभूषणों को बांधकर फेंकना और भगवान राम द्वारा उसका बखान करना क्या आंचल की कम महत्वपूर्णता को दर्शाता है.

इससे यह पता चलता है कि, ग्रंथ, काव्य और महाकाव्य सभी में ‘आंचल’ का कितना सुंदर चित्रण किया गया है. समय और परिवेश चाहे कितने भी क्यों न बदल जाएं लेकिन एक बच्चे के लिए उसकी मां का आंचल दुनिया का सबसे सुरक्षित स्थान है, जोकि संतान के लिए कभी छोटा नहीं पड़ता.

मां की ममता का कोई मोल नहीं है. मां के इसी पावन रिश्ते को दर्शाता है मदर्स डे या मातृत्व दिवस. मातृत्व प्रेम और माताओं के सम्मान में हर साल मई महीने के दूसरे रविवार को मदर्स डे के रूप में मनाया जाता है, जोकि इस साल 12 मई 2024 को है. हिंदू धर्म के वैदिक ग्रंथ, शास्त्र और वेद-पुराण में विशेषत: मां की महिमा और ममता की विस्तारपूर्वक वर्णन किया गया है.

मां को माता, आई, मम्मी, माई, महतारी, अम्मा, मातृ, अम्मी, जननी, जन्दात्री, जीवनदायिनी, जननी, धात्री, प्रसू जैसे अनेकों नामों से संबोधित किया जाता है.

विभिन्न संस्कृतियों में मां को पुकारने का तरीका भले ही अलग-अलग हो. लेकिन मां और संतान का रिश्ता हमेशा ममता और वात्सल्य से भरा होता है.

मां का प्यार, दुलार, ममता सब अतुलनीय है. इसलिए भगवान श्रीराम भी रामायण में अपने श्रीमुख से मां को स्वर्ग से भी ऊपर मानकर कहते हैं-जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी।

यानी- जननी (मां) और जन्मभूमि का स्थान स्वर्ग से भी ऊपर है.

आइये जानते हैं मां की महिमा और ममता को लेकर क्या कहते हैं वेद-पुराण

वैसे तो मां की ममता का शब्दों में बखान करना संभव नहीं है. क्योंकि मां ऐसा आलौकिक शब्द है, जिसके स्मरण मात्र से ही शरीर का रोम-रोम पुलकित हो जाता है और हृदय में भावनाओं के अनहद ज्वार उठने लगते हैं. केवल मां शब्द के उच्चारण मात्र से ही शरीर की पीड़ा खत्म हो जाती है, क्योंकि मां की धन्य धारा से ही तो समस्त सृष्टि का सृजन हुआ है.

महाभारत में यक्ष धर्मराज युधिष्ठर से पूछते हैं कि, भूमि से भी अधिक भारी क्या है. तब युधिष्ठिर कहते हैं- ‘मता गुरुतरा भूमेरू।’ यानी माता इस भूमि से भी अधिक भारी है.

महर्षि वेदव्यास मां का वर्णन करते हुए लिखते हैं-

नास्ति मातृसमा छाया, नास्ति मातृसमा गति:।

नास्ति मातृसमं त्राण, नास्ति मातृसमा प्रिया।।

यानी- मां के समान संसार में कोई छाया नहीं, मां के समान कोई सहारा नहीं. मां के समान रक्षक नहीं और मां के समान कोई प्रिय चीज भी नहीं है.

शतपथ ब्राह्मण की सूक्ति के अनुसार- अथ शिक्षा प्रवक्ष्याम: मातृमान् पितृमानाचार्यवान पुरुषो वेद:।अर्थ है- जब तीन उत्तम शिक्षक, एक मां दूसरा पिता और तीसरा आचार्य हो तभी मनुष्य ज्ञानवान हो सकता है.

रामायण की पांडूलिपियों में स्थान पर प्रभु श्रीराम लक्ष्मण से कहते हैं –

अपि स्वर्णमयी लङ्का न मे लक्ष्मण रोचते।
जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी॥

अर्थ- लक्ष्मण! भले ही यह लंका सोने से निर्मित हो, लेकिन फिर भी इसमें मेरी कोई रुचि नहीं. क्योंकि जननी (मां) और जन्मभूमि स्वर्ग से भी महान है.

मां के गुणों का उल्लेख कुछ प्रकार से भी मिलता है-

प्रशस्ता धार्मिकी विदुषी माता विद्यते यस्य स मातृमान।

यानी, वह माता धन्य है, जोकि गर्भावान से लेकर विद्या के पूर्ण होने तक सुशीलता से उपदेश करे.

आपदामापन्तीनां हितोऽप्यायाति हेतुताम्। 
मातृजङ्घा हि वत्सस्य स्तम्भीभवति बन्धने।।

यानी, जब परेशानी आने वाले होती है, तब हितकारी भी उसमें कारण बन जाता है. एक बछड़े को बांधने के लिए मां की जांघ ही खम्भे का कार्य करती है.

अकाल मृत्यु को भी टाल सकती है मां की दुआएं

हर मां अपनी संतान को दुआएं देती हैं. निश्चल भाव और हृदय से मां द्वारा दी गई दुआओं में इतनी शक्ति होती है कि, उससे अकाल मृत्यु तक टल सकती है.

मां के संस्कार, आशीष और दुआ से ही व्यक्ति सत्मार्ग पर चलता है और महानता के शिखर को छूता है. इसलिए वह जीवन नीरस है, जिसमें मां का आशीर्वाद और नारी चेतना का सानिध्य न हो.

 

A History of the Public Health System

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In Chapter 1, the committee found that the current public health system must play a critical role in handling major threats to the public health, but that this system is currently in disarray. Chapter 2 explained the committee’s ideal for the public health system—how it should be arranged for handling current and future threats to health. In this chapter the history of the existing public health system is briefly described. This history is intended to provide some perspective on how protection of citizens from health threats came to be a public responsibility and on how the public health system came to be in its current state.

History

During the past 150 years, two factors have shaped the modern public health system: first, the growth of scientific knowledge about sources and means of controlling disease; second, the growth of public acceptance of disease control as both a possibility and a public responsibility. In earlier centuries, when little was known about the causes of disease, society tended to regard illness with a degree of resignation, and few public actions were taken. As understanding of sources of contagion and means of controlling disease became more refined, more effective interventions against health threats were developed. Public organizations and agencies were formed to employ newly discovered interventions against health threats. As scientific knowledge grew, public authorities expanded to take on new tasks, including sanitation, immunization, regulation, health education, and personal health care. (Chave, 1984; Fee, 1987)

The link between science, the development of interventions, and organization of public authorities to employ interventions was increased public understanding of and social commitment to enhancing health. The growth of a public system for protecting health depended both on scientific discovery and social action. Understanding of disease made public measures to alleviate pain and suffering possible, and social values about the worthiness of this goal made public measures feasible. The history of the public health system is a history of bringing knowledge and values together in the public arena to shape an approach to health problems.

Before the Eighteenth Century

Throughout recorded history, epidemics such as the plague, cholera, and smallpox evoked sporadic public efforts to protect citizens in the face of a dread disease. Although epidemic disease was often considered a sign of poor moral and spiritual condition, to be mediated through prayer and piety, some public effort was made to contain the epidemic spread of specific disease through isolation of the ill and quarantine of travelers. In the late seventeenth century, several European cities appointed public authorities to adopt and enforce isolation and quarantine measures (and to report and record deaths from the plague). (Goudsblom, 1986)

The Eighteenth Century

By the eighteenth century, isolation of the ill and quarantine of the exposed became common measures for containing specified contagious diseases. Several American port cities adopted rules for trade quarantine and isolation of the sick. In 1701 Massachusetts passed laws for isolation of smallpox patients and for ship quarantine as needed. (After 1721, inoculation with material from smallpox scabs was also accepted as an effective means of containing this disease once the threat of an epidemic was declared.) By the end of the eighteenth century, several cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore, had established permanent councils to enforce quarantine and isolation rules. (Hanlon and Pickett, 1984) These eighteenth-century initiatives reflected new ideas about both the cause and meaning of disease. Diseases were seen less as natural effects of the human condition and more as potentially controllable through public action.

Also in the eighteenth century, cities began to establish voluntary general hospitals for the physically ill and public institutions for the care of the mentally ill. Finally, physically and mentally ill dependents were cared for by their neighbors in local communities. This practice was made official in England with the adoption of the 1601 Poor Law and continued in the American colonies. (Grob, 1966; Starr, 1982) By the eighteenth century, several communities had reached a size that demanded more formal arrangements for care of their ill than Poor Law practices. The first American voluntary hospitals were established in Philadelphia in 1752 and in New York in 1771. The first public mental hospital was established in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1773. (Turner, 1977)

The Nineteenth Century: The Great Sanitary Awakening

The nineteenth century marked a great advance in public health. “The great sanitary awakening” (Winslow, 1923)—the identification of filth as both a cause of disease and a vehicle of transmission and the ensuing embrace of cleanliness—was a central component of nineteenth-century social reforms. Sanitation changed the way society thought about health. Illness came to be seen as an indicator of poor social and environmental conditions, as well as poor moral and spiritual conditions. Cleanliness was embraced as a path both to physical and moral health. Cleanliness, piety, and isolation were seen to be compatible and mutually reinforcing measures to help the public resist disease. At the same time, mental institutions became oriented toward “moral treatment” and cure.

Sanitation also changed the way society thought about public responsibility for citizen’s health. Protecting health became a social responsibility. Disease control continued to focus on epidemics, but the manner of controlling turned from quarantine and isolation of the individual to cleaning up and improving the common environment. And disease control shifted from reacting to intermittent outbreaks to continuing measures for prevention. With sanitation, public health became a societal goal and protecting health became a public activity.

The Sanitary Problem

With increasing urbanization of the population in the nineteenth century, filthy environmental conditions became common in working class areas, and the spread of disease became rampant. In London, for example, smallpox, cholera, typhoid, and tuberculosis reached unprecedented levels. It was estimated that as many as 1 person in 10 died of smallpox. More than half the working class died before their fifth birthday. Meanwhile, “In the summers of 1858 and 1859 the Thames stank so badly as to rise “to the height of an historic event … for months together the topic almost monopolized the public prints’.” (Winslow, 1923) London was not alone in this dilemma. In New York, as late as 1865, “the filth and garbage accumulate in the streets to the depth sometimes of two or three feet.” In a 2-week survey of tenements in the sixteenth ward of New York, inspectors found more than 1,200 cases of smallpox and more than 2,000 cases of typhus. (Winslow, 1923) In Massachusetts in 1850, deaths from tuberculosis were 300 per 100,000 population, and infant mortality was about 200 per 1,000 live births. (Hanlon and Pickett, 1984)Earlier measures of isolation and quarantine during specific disease outbreaks were clearly inadequate in an urban society. It was simply impossible to isolate crowded slum dwellers or quarantine citizens who could not afford to stop working. (Wohl, 1983) It also became clear that diseases were not just imported from other shores, but were internally generated. ”The belief that epidemic disease posed only occasional threats to an otherwise healthy social order was shaken by the industrial transformation of the nineteenth century.” (Fee, 1987) Industrialization, with its overburdened workforce and crowded dwellings, produced both a population more susceptible to disease and conditions in which disease was more easily transmitted. (Wohl, 1983) Urbanization, and the resulting concentration of filth, was considered in and of itself a cause of disease. “In the absence of specific etiological concepts, the social and physical conditions which accompanied urbanization were considered equally responsible for the impairment of vital bodily functions and premature death.” (Rosenkrantz, 1972)

At the same time, public responsibility for the health of the population became more acceptable and fiscally possible. In earlier centuries, disease was more readily identified as only the plight of the impoverished and immoral. The plague had been regarded as a disease of the poor; the wealthy could retreat to country estates and, in essence, quarantine themselves. In the urbanized nineteenth century, it became obvious that the wealthy could not escape contact with the poor. “Increasingly, it dawned upon the rich that they could not ignore the plight of the poor; the proximity of gold coast and slum was too close.” (Goudsblom, 1986) And the spread of contagious disease in these cities was not selective. Almost all families lost children to diphtheria, smallpox, or other infectious diseases. Because of the the deplorable social and environmental conditions and the constant threat of disease spread, diseases came to be considered an indicator of a societal problem as well as a personal problem. “Poverty and disease could no longer be treated simply as individual failings.” (Fee, 1987) This view included not only contagious disease, but mental illness as well. Insanity came to be viewed at least in part as a societal failing, caused by physical, moral, and social tensions.

The Development of Public Activities in Health

Edwin Chadwick, a London lawyer and secretary of the Poor Law Commission in 1838, is one of the most recognized names in the sanitary reform movement. Under Chadwick’s authority, the commission conducted studies of the life and health of the London working class in 1838 and that of the entire country in 1842. The report of these studies, General Report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population of Great Britain, “was a damning and fully documented indictment of the appalling conditions in which masses of the working people were compelled to live, and die, in the industrial towns and rural areas of the Kingdom.” (Chave, 1984) Chadwick documented that the average age at death for the gentry was 36 years; for the tradesmen, 22 years; and for the laborers, only 16 years. (Hanlon and Pickett, 1984) To remedy the situation, Chadwick proposed what came to be known as the “sanitary idea.” His remedy was based on the assumption that diseases are caused by foul air from the decomposition of waste. To remove disease, therefore, it was necessary to build a drainage network to remove sewage and waste. Further, Chadwick proposed that a national board of health, local boards in each district, and district medical officers be appointed to accomplish this goal. (Chave, 1984)Chadwick’s report was quite controversial, but eventually many of his suggestions were adopted in the Public Health Act of 1848. The report, which influenced later developments in public health in England and the United States, documented the extent of disease and suffering in the population, promoted sanitation and engineering as means of controlling disease, and laid the foundation for public infrastructure for combating and preventing contagious disease.

In the United States, similar studies were taking place. Inspired in part by Chadwick, local sanitary surveys were conducted in several cities. The most famous of these was a survey conducted by Lemuel Shattuck, a Massachusetts bookseller and statistician. His Report of the Massachusetts Sanitary Commission was published in 1850. Shattuck collected vital statistics on the Massachusetts population, documenting differences in morbidity and mortality rates in different localities. He attributed these differences to urbanization, specifically the foulness of the air created by decay of waste in areas of dense population, and to immoral life-style. He showed that the poor living conditions in the city threatened the entire community. “Even those persons who attempted to maintain clean and decent homes were foiled in their efforts to resist diseases if the behavior of others invited the visitation of epidemics.” (Rosenkrantz, 1972)Shattuck considered immorality an important influence on susceptibility to ill health—and in fact drunkenness and sloth did often lead to poor health in the slums—but he believed that these conditions were threatening to all. Further, Shattuck determined that those most likely to be affected by disease were also those who, either through ignorance or lack of concern, failed to take personal responsibility for cleanliness and sanitation of their area. (Rosenkrantz, 1972) Consequently, he argued that the city or the state had to take responsibility for the environment. Shattuck’s Report of the Massachusetts Sanitary Commission recommended, in its “Plan for a Sanitary Survey of the State,” a comprehensive public health system for the state.

The report recommended, among other things, new census schedules; regular surveys of local health conditions; supervision of water supplies and waste disposal; special studies on specific diseases, including tuberculosis and alcoholism; education of health providers in preventive medicine; local sanitary associations for collecting and distributing information; and the establishment of a state board of health and local boards of health to enforce sanitary regulations. (Winslow, 1923; Rosenkrantz, 1972)

Shattuck’s report was widely circulated after publication, but because of political upheaval at the time of release nothing was done. The report “fell flat from the printer’s hand.” In the years following the Civil War, however, the creation of special agencies became a more common method of handling societal problems. Massachusetts set up a state board of health in 1869. The creation of this board reflected more a trend of strengthened government than new knowledge about the causes and control of disease. Nevertheless, the type of data collected by Shattuck was used to justify the board. And the board relied on many of the recommendations of Shattuck’s report for shaping a public health system. (Rosenkrantz, 1972; Hanlon and Pickett, 1984) Although largely ignored at the time of its release, Shattuck’s report has come to be considered one of the most farsighted and influential documents in the history of the American public health system. Many of the principles and activities he proposed later came to be considered fundamental to public health. And Shattuck established the fundamental usefulness of keeping records and vital statistics.

Similarly, in New York, John Griscom published The Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of New York in 1848. This report eventually led to the establishment of the first public agency for health, the New York City Health Department, in 1866. During this same period, boards of health were established in Louisiana, California, the District of Columbia, Virginia, Minnesota, Maryland, and Alabama. (Fee, 1987; Hanlon and Pickett, 1984) By the end of the nineteenth century, 40 states and several local areas had established health departments.

Although the specific mechanisms of diseases were still poorly understood, collective action against contagious disease proved to be successful. For example, cholera was known to be a waterborne disease, but the precise agent of infection was not known at this time. The sanitary reform movement brought more water to cities in the mid-nineteenth century, through private contractors and eventually through reservoirs and municipal water supplies, but its usefulness did not depend primarily on its purity for consumption, but its availability for washing and fire protection. (Blake, 1956) Nonetheless, sanitary efforts of the New York Board of Health in 1866, including inspections, immediate case reporting, complaint investigations, evacuations, and disinfection of possessions and living quarters, kept an outbreak of cholera to a small number of cases. “The mildness of the epidemic was no more a stroke of good fortune, observers agreed, but the result of careful planning and hard work by the new health board.” (Rosenberg, 1962) Cities without a public system for monitoring and combatting the disease fared far worse in the 1866 epidemic.

During this period, states also established more public institutions for care of the mentally ill. Dorothea Dix, a retired school teacher from Maine, is the most familiar name in the reform movement for care of the mentally ill. In the early nineteenth century, under Poor Law practices, communities that could not place their poor mentally ill citizens in more appropriate institutions put them in municipal jails and almshouses. Beginning in the middle of the century, Dix led a crusade to publicize the inhumane treatment mentally ill citizens were receiving in jails and campaigned for the establishment of more public institutions for care of the insane. In the nineteenth century, mental illness was considered a combination of inherited characteristics, medical problems, and social, intellectual, moral, and economic failures. It was believed, despite the prejudice that the poor and foreign-born were more likely to be mentally ill, that moral treatment in a humane social setting could cure mental illness. Dix and others argued that in the long run institutional care was cheaper for the community. The mentally ill could be treated and cured in an institution, making continuing public support unnecessary. Some 32 public institutions were established due to Dix’s efforts. Although the practice of moral treatment proved to be less successful than hoped, the nineteenth-century social reform movement established the principle of state responsibility for the indigent mentally ill. (Grob, 1966; Foley and Sharfstein, 1983)

New ideas about causes of disease and about social responsibility stimulated the development of public health agencies and institutions. As environmental and social causes of diseases were identified, social action appeared to be an effective way to control diseases. When health was no longer simply an individual responsibility, it became necessary to form public boards, agencies, and institutions to protect the health of citizens. Sanitary and social reform provided the basis for the formation of public health organizations.

Public health agencies and institutions started at the local and state levels in the United States. Federal activities in health were limited to the Marine Hospital Service, a system of public hospitals for the care of merchant seamen. Because merchant seamen had no local citizenship, the federal government took on the responsibility of providing their health care. A national board of health, which was intended to take over the responsibilities of the Marine Hospital Service, was adopted in 1879, but, opposed by the Marine Hospital Service and many southern states, the board lasted only until 1883 (Anderson, 1985) Meanwhile, several state boards of health, state health departments, and local health departments had been established by the latter part of the nineteenth century. (Hanlon and Pickett, 1984)

 

What are the Top 10 Biggest Health Issues Today?

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India has yet to overcome the issues of malnutrition and communicable diseases. Additionally, the country is witnessing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) also. Non-communicable diseases are those which are not caused by any infection but are caused due to changing lifestyles and environmental factors. In recent times, NCDs have greatly contributed to health loss not only in India but also globally. NCDs’ contribution to the overall disease burden has increased by more than 50% in India. Most of the NCDs are caused by preventable risk factors like tobacco use, hypertension, and ongoing nutrition transition.  This article speaks about the 10 biggest health issues we are facing today.

What are Health Issues?

India being the most populated country in the world, also has the highest number of patients suffering from chronic health issues. Medical issues happen when the body’s normal metabolism is affected by factors like lifestyle, diseases, pathogens or pollution. A majority of the critically ill patients are below 60 years old. Following are the factors that are contributing to these health issues in the young population:

  • Consumption of processed food
  • Excessive use of tobacco and alcohol
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Stress
  • Pollution
  • Expensive medical care

  • Top 10 Rising Health Problems in India

    Economic growth, rapid urbanisation, environmental factors and lack of physical activity are leading to a growing number of issues with health. Here is a list of the top 10 medical issues or health related issues:

    Obesity

    Obesity has become an epidemic in India. It is the excessive fat in the body. Visceral obesity is considered to be a serious health threat. Young kids as well as adults are equally struggling with physical issues like high BMI, body fat, etc. today. Reduced outdoor playtime, fattening junk food and sitting all day in the comfort of AC has made more than 30% of Indian kids obese.

    Cardiovascular Diseases

    Cardiovascular diseases are among the most common health problems and the top factor causing death in India. It includes diseases or conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels resulting in heart attacks. Blockage in arteries is the most common health issue causing cardiovascular diseases among the Indian population. Except for genetic heart defects, most heart conditions are preventable with a change in diet and lifestyle.

    Cancer

    It is the second most common disease in India and accounts for 70% of deaths in the age group of 30 to 69 years. The most common forms of cancer in India are oral, breast, lung, stomach and cervical which can be treated if diagnosed at an early stage and can also be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, late diagnosis affects the treatment outcomes, which is the major reason for cancer deaths.

    Chronic Respiratory Diseases

    High air pollution, smoking, use of biomass fuel and poor living conditions are major factors contributing to a rise in respiratory diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pneumonia, and bronchitis. These diseases are major causes of death among children and elders.

    Diabetes

    India is known to have the highest cases of diabetes in the world. It is characterised by high blood sugar levels. It is the biggest health threat in India today which leads to many other medical problems like heart disease, chronic kidney disease, vision problems, etc. Diabetes is called the ‘silent killer’ due to the lack of symptoms in the early stages. Today, diabetes is a major health concern among children as young as 12 years due to poor lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits.

    Hypertension

    Hypertension or high blood pressure is one of the most common medical concerns in India. It is the leading factor causing a brain stroke and a heart attack. A stroke caused by high blood pressure can also lead to a disability or affect brain function. It is again caused by physical inactivity and unhealthy habits.

    Chronic Kidney Disease

    Chronic kidney disease is caused by many other underlying medical issues such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, etc. It is a slow-progressing disease causing kidney failure over time. The symptoms include fatigue, swelling in ankles, loss of appetite and skin issues. These symptoms are not visible in the early stages.

    Reproductive Health Issues

    Reproductive health issues particularly faced by women are also on the rise. One in five women suffers from reproductive issues in India. Changing lifestyles, stressful work-life, pressure to maintain work-life balance and the dual responsibility of career and household on women have led to a rise in the cases of reproductive health issues such as hormonal imbalance, menstrual issues, PCOS, PCOD, and infertility.

  • Mental Health Issues

    Lately, the cases of mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and substance abuse have increased significantly in India. Various social and cultural factors and a lack of access to mental healthcare lead to a rise in such cases. Addressing community health issues to promote community participation, bringing awareness and integration with primary healthcare can help reduce stigma and bridge the gap in accessibility.

    Community Health Problems

    Malnutrition, neonatal disorders, infectious diseases like diarrhoea, measles, tuberculosis, etc. and poor healthcare infrastructure are some common community health problems still prevalent in rural India and low-income groups. Various community health programs initiated by the government are addressing some common health issues, but there is still a long way to go.

    Managing Major Health Issues with Health Insurance

    All the major health issues discussed above are preventable, treatable and reversible with proper medical care. However, considering the high costs of treatments for lifestyle diseases, it is crucial to invest in comprehensive health insurance to manage a wide range of medical issues. A right health insurance policy can ease your financial burden when undergoing medical treatment.

    Did you know that Care Health Insurance plans provide coverage for all major critical illnesses, heart conditions, and pre-existing medical conditions? They also offer wellness benefits to help manage lifestyle diseases. Health insurance plans like Care Supreme, Care Super Mediclaim etc. come with comprehensive coverage that plays a major role in mitigating those unexpected expenses arising out of a medical emergency. Care Health Insurance has customised plans designed to meet your specific medical requirements and budget. You can consult our health insurance experts to learn more about our product offerings and coverage.

Operation Sindoor – Important takeaways

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The short conflict between India and Pakistan may be over for the present but the discussion it has started will go on for a long time. The Indian media, as expected, is going overboard with analysis and re-analysis of different aspects of the events that unfolded in the five days of active hostilities. The Western media has never been a fan of India or its achievements. It thrives on downplaying anything Indian in line with the philosophy of their parent countries. However, this time some of the more knowledgeable and expertise-driven among the foreign media, are discussing the Indian approach to this fight against terror objectively and lauding India’s achievements. 

At the cost of sounding pompous, today every Indian can be proud of our nation’s leadership, scientific fraternity, armed forces and various defense entities for their contribution in writing this success story that the world is taking note of. This, despite the fact that many nations, who are part of the developed world, would like to stem and stall the Indian growth story that is unfolding over the last one decade. The list includes those labelled as superpowers. A resurgent, rising, strong and ambitious India has never been a part of their vision of the world order. They would instead like to see a divided, staid, weak and vulnerable India that can be exploited and arm-twisted at will.  

The question that arises is, has India actually made the world sit up and take note of what it has done in these five days of conflict? A truthful answer to this question will be a big ‘Yes’. The key takeaways that reinforce this affirmation are:

Disproportionate response: The cross-border surgical strikes in 2016 and the Balakot air strikes in 2019 were symbolic and punitive in nature. This time, India escalated the matrix and went for a very decisive and calibrated response aimed at near annihilation of selected targets. The list included terror outfit strongholds and Pakistan’s airbases to cripple its Airforce. Pakistan’s air defence systems based on US and Chinese hardware were rendered ineffective. India’s own air defense shield effectively negated Pakistan’s missile and drone attacks. India had a near free run for all five days of the conflict.

Technology: The equipment and systems for this supremacy were largely homegrown and part of ‘Make in India’ initiative. The world has been taken by surprise at this very successful debut of Indian air defence, surveillance and guiding systems that use contemporary technology. More importantly, Indian missiles, drones and UAVs, including Brahmos, have established their mark to show that they are second to none. India’s technology has come of age and now offers another cost-effective alternative to potential buyers across the world. This may not sit well with major western nations who currently control the market. USA and China will be seriously concerned about the limitations and performance of their missiles, surveillance and air defense systems in Pakistan. 

Coordination & expertise: India showcased how its military, security and intelligence agencies can mount a successful and lethal attack deep in enemy territory with perfect coordination without actually setting foot in their territory or air space. The accuracy of the intelligence available and the precision of the strikes was unmatched. As per some experts, what has been show cased in last five days was only a part of the package, there is much more in the pipeline. 

Nuclear blackmail: India has successfully called out Pakistan’s oft repeated nuclear threat. India has clearly demonstrated that it will not hinder India’s disproportionate response in any manner. This, despite India continuing to be a signatory to the 1988 treaty with Pakistan, which came into force in 1991, that prohibits both parties from attacking each other’s nuclear assets. 

Indus water treaty: Logic defies how a sovereign India could sign such a one-sided treaty with Pakistan foregoing nearly all rights on the three rivers, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum that run through India before entering Pakistan. India has since corrected its mistake by suspending the treaty. India now controls the lifeline of Pakistan’s economy, agriculture and water needs. It should be an important strategic move for the future. 

Terror – an act of war: India has made it clear that henceforth any act of terror, perpetuated by Pakistan or outfits based in Pakistan, will be viewed as an act of war on India. In doing so, India has obliterated the line separating the state and non-state actors in this proxy war. 

Talks and terror: India has reiterated its stand that talks and terror will not go together. In fact, India has gone further to clarify that neither trade and terror nor water and blood will go together. If Pakistan wants to talk or trade or receive water, it must stop sponsoring and nurturing terrorists and terror groups in a meaningful manner. Finally, India has reiterated that it remains firm on no third-party mediation.

Pakistan – a confirmed terror state: The five-day conflict has established the credentials of Pakistan as a terror state beyond any doubt. Their Defence Minister and Mr Bilawal Bhutto, Chairman of the main opposition party (PPP), have admitted in international forums of their country’s sponsorship, support and use of terror groups for over three decades. On 14 May, 2025 Pakistan government announced a compensation of Rs 140 million to the globally declared terrorist Masood Azhar (JeM) for losses suffered in the Indian attack on their establishment in Bahawalpur. For the record, the first tranche of the IMF bailout to Pakistan was paid on 13 May, 2025. Obviously, this Rs 140 million will be paid out of that money.  Does the world need any more evidence to establish Pakistan’s stake and links with terror?

Absence of anti-India resolutions: Unlike in the past, where anti-India resolutions were passed by UN and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (57 member states) during such conflicts with Pakistan, this time there has been no such initiative. India has maintained that the current conflict was a war against terror and not Pakistan. Perhaps, this development points towards a newfound international status for India on one hand and an unmistakable branding of Pakistan as a terror state on the other. 

Leadership: Indian leadership at the highest level, both political and military, has sent a very clear message across the world – please do not mess with us. This is a new resurgent India that will not take any meddling in its affairs or threats to its security lightly. India has also emphatically stated that Operation Sindoor has only been suspended and not ceased. This is a very clear indication of India’s continued intent, resolve and commitment towards fighting terror.

The role of QUAD alliance too needs a discussion here. Australia and Japan were conspicuous by their absence while Operation Sindoor was unfolding. Perhaps, they were chary of antagonising China which was openly supporting Pakistan to safeguard its 62-billion-dollar investment in CPEC and BRI. USA showed no concerns for India and failed to condemn Pakistan where it continues to have stakes in different forms for various reasons. With China now well entrenched in Pakistan, perhaps USA neither wanted to upset China nor become irrelevant in Pakistan. In doing so, has USA compromised the QUAD itself which is primarily a front against Chinese hegemony in the region and distanced itself from India?

Next is the stance of BRICS, which is now a ten-nation alliance. Russia’s response was subdued and called for peace and harmony in the region. But India knows it can count on its support when needed. All was quiet on the Brazil and South Africa front, perhaps trade ties with China came to the fore. China left no doubt which side it was on. The other five nations are all Muslim nations (Egypt, UAE, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Iran). Their silence, signifying neutrality, can be understood and India would be satisfied with the same. USA would be happy if fissures develop among the five major BRICS nations as it will put the increasing Yuan (China) and Rupee (India) based trading in peril. That should help the dollar to retain its pole position in international trading. 

Operation Sindoor defines India’s new doctrine of deterrence in its fight against terror. It can be defined as, ‘A calibrated but decisive response against well-defined multiple targets within enemy territory that define the enemy’s core strengths; preferably from a standoff position within own airspace and territory at a pace and intensity dictated by India; exploiting technology, real time intelligence and surveillance as force multipliers; creating an environment where own weapon systems can be deployed to strike the enemy targets with impunity for maximum effect to achieve the objectives while neutralizing enemy’s strike capabilities at targets within own territory.’ A tall order but this is what India showcased in sharp contrast to what is happening in other parts of the world like Ukraine and Gaza.

भारत के सामाजिक-आर्थिक मुद्दे

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भारत विश्व का क्षेत्रफल अनुसार सातवाँ सबसे बड़ा और जनसंख्या अनुसार दूसरा सबसे बड़ा एक दक्षिण एशियाई राष्ट्र है। इसकी विकासशील अर्थव्यवस्था वर्तमान समय में विश्व की दस सबसे बड़ी अर्थव्यवस्थाओं में से एक है। 1991 के बड़े आर्थिक सुधारों के पश्चात भारत सबसे तेजी से बढ़ती प्रमुख अर्थव्यवस्थाओं में से एक बन गया तथा इसे नव औद्योगीकृत देशों में से एक माना जाता है। आर्थिक सुधारों के पश्चात भी भारत के समक्ष अभी भी कई सामाजिक चुनौतियाँ है जिनमें से प्रमुख सामाजार्थिक मुद्दे हैं: गरीबी, भ्रष्टाचार, नक्सलवाद व आतंकवाद, कुपोषण और अपर्याप्त सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य सेवा।

भारत में सामाजार्थिक मुद्दों से सम्बन्धित आँकड़ों का अभिलेख भारत सरकार का सांख्यिकी और कार्यक्रम कार्यान्वयन मंत्रालय रखता है। 1999 में स्थापित इस मंत्रालय का राष्ट्रीय प्रतिदर्श सर्वेक्षण कार्यालय हर वर्ष सामाजार्थिक सर्वेक्षण करता है जो कि दौरों के रूप में किया जाता है। इस सर्वेक्षण में थोड़े बहुत क्षेत्रों को छोड़ कर सम्पूर्ण भारत को शामिल किया जाता है। जिन क्षेत्रों को इस सर्वेक्षण से बहार रखा जाता है उनमें सम्मिलित हैं नागालैंड के वे आंतरिक गाँव जो बस मार्ग से पाँच किलोमीटर से अधिक दूरी पर स्‍थित हैं व अण्डमान और निकोबार द्वीपसमूह के वे गाँव जो पूर्ण रूप से अगम्‍य हैं।[1

आर्थिक मुद्दे

गरीबी

भारत में गरीबी व्यापक है, देश में अनुमानतः विश्व के एक तिहाई गरीब निवास करते हैं। विश्व बैंक की 2010 में आई एक रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत की पूरी आबादी का 32.7% हिस्सा अन्तरराष्ट्रीय गरीबी रेखा $1.25 के नीचे जीवन व्यतीत करता है और 68.7% आबादी प्रतिदिन $2 से भी कम में अपना जीवन निर्वाह करती है।

भ्रष्टाचार

भारत में भ्रष्टाचार एक प्रमुख मुद्दा है और इससे देश की अर्थव्यवस्था पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पड़े हैं। ट्रांसपेरेंसी इंटरनेशनल द्वारा 2005 में कराए गए एक अध्ययन में पाया गया था कि सफलतापूर्वक सार्वजनिक कार्यालयों में अपना काम निकालने के लिए 62% से भी अधिक भारतीयों को प्रत्यक्ष रूप से रिश्वत देने या किसी तरह के प्रभाव का सहारा लेने का अनुभव था। 2008 में इसी तरह की रिपोर्ट में पाया गया कि 40% भारतीयों को सरकारी कार्यालयों में रिश्वत देने या किसी तरह के निजी सम्पर्क का सहारा लेने का अनुभव था।[2] 2012 में ट्रांसपेरेंसी इंटरनेशनल के भ्रष्टाचार सूचकांक में शामिल किए गए 176 देशों में से भारत विश्व का 94वां सबसे भ्रष्ट देश था।[3] ट्रांसपेरेंसी इंटरनेशनल के द्वारा जारी भ्रष्टाचार सूचकांक 2023 में भारत का रैंक शामिल किए गए 180 देश में 93 था जबकि 2022 में जारी किए गए सूचकांक में भारत का स्थान 85 था जो यह दर्शाता है कि भारत में निरंतर भ्रष्टाचार बढ़ रहा है।

हिंसा

नक्सलवाद व आतंकवाद

भारत बहुत समय से आतंकवाद का शिकार रहा है। गृह मंत्रालय के अनुसार आतंकवाद देश के लिए एक महत्वपूर्ण खतरा बना हुआ है। भारत के कई राज्य आतंकवाद या नक्सलवाद से प्रभावित रहे हैं, इनमें प्रमुख रूप से शामिल हैं: जम्मू और कश्मीर, उड़ीसा, छत्तीसगढ़, झारखण्ड और उत्तर-पूर्व के सात बहन राज्य। 2012 में देश के 640 जिलों में से कम से कम 252 जिले विद्रोही और आतंकवादी गतिविधियों से विभिन्न स्तर पर पीड़ित थे।[4]

आर्थिक असमानता किसी व्यक्तियों के समूह, आबादी के समूहों या देशों के बीच, स्थित आर्थिक अंतर को दर्शाता है। आर्थिक असमानता कभी-कभी आय असमानता, धन असमानता, या धन अंतर को संदर्भित करती है। अर्थशास्त्री आम तौर पर आर्थिक असमानता के अध्ययन हेतु तीन मापीय प्रणाली पर ध्यान केंद्रित करते हैं: धन, आय और खपत।[1] आर्थिक असमानता का मुद्दा समानता के विचारों, परिणामों की समानता और अवसर की समानता के लिए प्रासंगिक है।[2]

आर्थिक असमानता समाज, ऐतिहासिक काल, आर्थिक संरचनाओं और प्रणालियों के बीच बदलती है। यह शब्द किसी भी विशेष अवधि में आय या धन के पार-अनुभागीय वितरण या लंबी अवधि के दौरान आय और धन के परिवर्तनों को संदर्भित कर सकता है।[3] आर्थिक असमानता को मापने के लिए विभिन्न संख्यात्मक सूचकांक हैं। एक व्यापक रूप से उपयोग सूचकांक गिनी गुणांक है, लेकिन कई अन्य विधियां भी हैं।

शोध से पता चलता है कि अधिक असमानता विकास की अवधि में बाधा डालती है लेकिन इसकी दर नहीं।[4][5] जबकि वैश्वीकरण ने वैश्विक असमानता (राष्ट्रों के बीच) को कम कर दिया है, इसने राष्ट्रों के भीतर असमानता में वृद्धि की है।[6]

Start a Daily Routine to Support Your Health & Wellbeing

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A routine is a sequence of actions regularly followed, or a fixed program. A little bit of daily structure, or routine, can help support your wellbeing in all its dimensions. Creating a wellness routine can make it easier to stay on track and keep your wellbeing at the forefront of your mind.

A wellness routine is a daily schedule that incorporates all of your healthy habits, such as your movement, sleep, meals, work/study/social life balance, and self-care activities. The best wellbeing routine will support you on the tough days and give you some extra energy and good feelings on the best days.

Then, mix and match ideas from the list below to create a wellbeing routine that fits your goals and lifestyle.

Start your day on the right foot

Stretch. Before you roll out of bed, try this stretch: Reach your arms above your head, stretch your legs out as straight as you can, and expand your rib cage with a deep inhale. As you exhale, relax. Give your wrists and ankles a roll, and then get out of bed.

Hydrate. Drink a glass of water as soon as you get up in the morning. This simple habit makes it easier to hit your hydration goals.

Meditate. Even just a few minutes of meditation each day can benefit your overall wellness, so this definitely deserves a spot in your routine. Try a guided meditation app — like Headspace — to help you calm your mind and body and feel more balanced.

Eat breakfast. When you head to the fridge in the morning, it can be tempting to grab the first, most convenient thing you see. Create a healthy breakfast with a balance of protein, healthy fat, and complex carbohydrates to keep you energized until lunch.

Grab your refillable water bottle. Not only will it help you meet your hydration goals, but using a refillable water bottle, thermos and/or coffee mug helps reduce the amount of waste generated by single use containers.

Beat the midday slump

Keep moving. Your workout shouldn’t be the only activity you get during the day. Take short movement breaks throughout the day: walk a few laps around the block, do a few squats at your desk, or take a stretch break wherever you are.

Don’t skip lunch. When your day gets hectic, it can be tempting to work right through lunch. Your body will feel better if you stop and eat a well-rounded meal.

Schedule in mini-breaks. Sure, you could work for 10 hours straight and get up only to use the bathroom. But is that truly what’s best for your mind and your body? When creating your afternoon wellness routine, build in short breaks throughout the day to increase productivity and creativity. Make a specific plan for how you’ll spend your downtime — one study found that engaging in physical activity or relaxation exercises during your break seems to offer a more effective energy boost than an unstructured break (or no break at all). And another study found that walking, in particular, has a positive effect on creative thinking.

Create an anxiety- or stress-reducing strategy. If you find yourself feeling anxious during the day, have a few tools on hand to help you manage your feelings. Check out the Headspace app for relaxation and calming techniques, as well as breathing exercises.

Take time to be social. Just like you need movement, water, and sleep, it is also important to support your social wellbeing. Take time to connect with other humans for conversation, laughs, support, and pleasure. It doesn’t have to be a huge effort — share a meal, make a phone call, or run an errand with a friend.v

Take care of yourself after a long day

Restore. When creating your personalized wellness routine, think about adding in some gentle or restorative movement at the end of the day — like foam rolling, stretching, or restorative yoga.

Power down. The blue light emitted by phone, computer, and TV screens can disrupt your sleep cycle. Your wind-down routine should be about preparing your mind and body for sleep, so schedule a time to shut down your devices for the night.

Practice gratitude. A gratitude practice is a great way to acknowledge your accomplishments from the day and refocus your mind. For example, you might make it a habit to write down three things you’re grateful for in a gratitude journal before you end your day.

Get a solid night’s sleep. When you don’t get enough zzz’s, it’ll be harder to accomplish the rest of your wellness goals — so make it a priority in your wellbeing routine.