Discuss critically various problem faced by women with mental illness and measures needed to address these problem?

Mental illness is a kind of psychological disorder affecting people’s mood, behavior and thinking.

Since in women rate of depression is twice more than men, hence they are even more vulnerable to mental illness. The patriarchal mindset further put strain on their suffering. Our egregious social life is even reflected in World Happiness Index, where we are placed at 118 position out of 156 countries.

In India women faced several problems and issues being mentally ill such as

1)LACK OF AWARENESS – Awareness is a big issue in our country as mental illness is still considered as myth. They are mostly related with behavioral and attitudinal problem not a medical condition. So, People continue to suffer without any treatment.

2)SOCIAL STIGMA – Due to widespread illiteracy and ignorance, mental illness is considered as social taboo. Just on the pretext, People with mental illness is believed to be mad or insane.

3) Health infrastructure – India still lack proper medical practitioner and treatment center for people with mental illness.

4)Discrimination – People with mental illness are generally seen indifferently. They are socially often discarded. They donot have proper provisions for protection by law and lack of proper implementation.

5) Witchcraft – Women showing abnormal behavior is seen as inheriting some ghastly depiction. So, they are often tortured and mistreated, even killed.

In accordance with UN Convention on Rights of Disability, GOI formulated The Disability Bill recently passed by Rajya Sabha. It has quite nuanced and affective method to address the concern of people with disability including mental illness.
The bill has specific provision for punishing people discriminating people with disability. It is considered as an cognizable offence with jail term and fine.
It is also talking to give reservation to people with disability in higher education with separate reservation to people with mental illness.

several steps can further be taken to address the problem such as:-

1) Social awareness – Govt in collaboration with NGOs and local population should educate people about mental illness, its symptoms and treatment. They must dispel the stigma surrounding mental illness.

2)Codification of law – GOI still could not pass the Disability Bill. It must be passed to address the concern with aim to end social boycott of people with disability. It must have features to provide free treatment and discrimination in the case as cognizable offence.

3) Community based organization – Local people should play active role in their treatment and social acceptability. Female must be given special care. NGOs too should step up their effort.

4)Special fund – Govt should allocate special fund for their well being. Special provision should be created in hospital for treatment of mental illness. A female nurse must be in their attendance to protect women from any kind of exploitation.

Benevolence and compassion towards people and their suffering is key to our social existence. Hence, we must take their grievances seriously and all round cumulative effort should be initiated to address the issue.

How far do you agree that the Mauryan empire was a new form of government, which was marked by centralised control and planning?

The idea of empire and centralisation was earlier believed to be mutually-enforcing each other. They were believed to go together. Especially Arthashastra gave us an understanding of centralised and a well planned mechanism of administration as a trait of any Empire.

King being the centre of administration, appointer of all important officials, and protector of Dharma, Direct communication of king with its pupil through rock-edicts, Ashokan belief in Dhamma and it’s extensive propagation all gives us references of centralised and a kind of planned administration.

However, a close study of Arthashastra makes it difficult to relate it with Mauryan Empire. Arthashastra is talking of an ideal state. Hence, in such condition, taking Arthashastra as an ideal source for study of  Mauryan state can be problematic.

ROMILA THAPAR has explained Mauryan realm into metropolitan, core and peripheral area. The nature of administration varied and usually Mauryan ruler had centralised planning and administration only in core region. Their authority gradually declined from core to periphery.

Further inscriptions , rock edicts, from Dhauli and jaugada shows four cardinal politico- administratie region. Taxila in north-western region, Tosali near in south-east MP, Ujjayini in western MP and Suvarnagiri in South india.

With recent study several new provincial head has come in light. Whsu, a governor in north-western India, A governor named Shamba in MP, shows during Mauryan rule. It shows growing decentralized feature of the empire.

The presence of Parisha, the council of ministers (Mantriparishad) too is a check on king authority and discusses different ruling of state.

The Mauryan state in a way do reflect a kind of planned administration. Division of civilian and non-civilian officials. Properly organising army into five different division, each having its own head.

Civilian officials like rajuka, yukta and Pradeshika.

Division of court of justice into civilian and criminal too is reflection of planned governance.i e. Dharmasthya and kantaksodhan.

The impression of Municipal administration based on close supervision of trade and commerce by officials as shown by Megasthenes too envisages a kind of planned governance.

Proper placing of Dhamma near important channel of communication and propagating it beyond boundaries with varying purpose too reflect a planned rule.

However, battle of Kalinga, appropriation of tax and uncertain rates too shows kind of unplanned ruling.

Thus, as we often tend to see history through our modern perspective and imposed our understanding on distant past. Mauryan empire was among the earliest state. It did have the features of centralised planning but it varied both with time and region. Hence, it was not acute and rigid centralised planning