Corticosteroids and Mental Disorder

Corticosteroids and Mental Disorder Abstract Corticosteroid medication is an essential treatment in almost all medical specialties. Psychiatric side effects of corticosteroids may be both common and severe and include psychosis, mania, depression, delirium and dependence. Only a small evidence base exists about susceptibility to and epidemiology of these conditions. Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder typically has an acute onset and is dose related. Manic symptoms predominate acutely however long term use may be associated with depression. Steroid dependence and withdrawal syndromes have been documented. Case reports suggest that a combination of mood stabilizers and antipsychotics may be useful in management severe acute effects. This article will give psychiatrists working in a general hospital a guide to the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder. Introduction Corticosteroids were first introduced into medical practice in the late 1940s, since when they have been used by almost all medical specialists as effective treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Over 5 million prescriptions are written for corticosteroids in the UK each year, at a cost of over  £100 million. (NHS Health Care Statistics 2005) About 1% of the general population and as many as 7% of hospitalized patients are receiving oral corticosteroid therapy at any given point in time. (NHS Health Care Statistics 2005) Whilst being renowned for important therapeutic actions they can have many adverse effects which must be considered in long term treatment. Physical effects such as osteoporosis, central obesity and immunosuppression are frequent in patients receiving corticosteroids. Psychiatric effects include alterations in mood, delirium, dementia and psychosis. As corticosteroids have a critical place in the management of chronic disease, psychiatrists should be equipped with the knowledge to recognize and manage corticosteroid induced mental disorder. This article describes the epidemiology, clinical presentation and management of these conditions. Indications and Pharmacology There are several forms of corticosteroid medication licensed in the UK, including: betamethasone, cortisone acetate, deflazacort, hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone (prednisolone) and triamcinolone. Each of these drugs has varying degrees of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid activity. All of the above preparations exist in oral or intramuscular form. Inhaled steroid preparations are also will not be discussed as there is little evidence that they can induce mental disorder. The main indications for these medications are: Suppression of inflammatory and allergic bowel disease; chronic or treatment resistant Asthma and COPD; Immunosuppression in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Hodgkins and non-Hodgkins disease, and Hormone sensitive breast cancer; Palliation of symptomatic end-stage malignant disease; Organ transplant rejection; Auto-immune (Rheumatic) disease such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosis and Wegners Granulomatosis. Corticosteroids are rapidly absorbed across the Gastro Intestinal  membrane following oral administration. Peak effects can be observed after 2 hours. The circulating drugs bind extensively to the plasma proteins Corticosteroid Binding Globulin (CBG), albumin and transcortin, with only the unbound portion of a dose active. Systemic prednisolone is quickly distributed into the kidneys, intestines, skin, liver and muscle. Corticosteroids also distribute into the breast milk and cross the placenta. Corticosteroids are predominantly metabolized by the liver to active metabolites then further metabolized to inactive compounds. These inactive metabolites, as well as a small portion of unchanged drug, undergo urinary excretion. The plasma elimination half-life is 1 hour whereas the biological half-life of prednisone is 18-36 hours. Corticosteroids act as glucocorticoid receptor agonists. On binding, the corticoreceptor-ligand complex translocates itself into the cell nucleus, where it binds to Glucocorticoid Response Elements (GRE) in the promoter region of target genes. Insert Figure 1 about here The DNA bound receptor then interacts with basic transcription factors, altering gene expression. There are high concentrations of CBG in specific brain areas such as the hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex and these can therefore be thought of as a potential mediator of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder. Chronic disease and corticosteroids In parallel to the psychiatric side effects of corticosteroid therapy, most chronic medical conditions may be associated with considerable psychiatric morbidity. A primary objective of the psychiatrist is to distinguish between the psychiatric effects of chronic illness and corticosteroids. The 1-year prevalence for ICD-10 depressive episode alone is 3 ·2% (95% CI 3 ·0-3 ·5) and an average of between about 9% and 23% of patients with one or more chronic physical diseases have co-morbid depression. In an international meta-analysis, patients with a variety of chronic physical diseases and co-morbid depression had significantly worse health scores than those with chronic disease alone. (Moussavi et al 2007) There are many potential reasons for this, including physical symptoms such as pain and secondary disability leading to loss of function. Studies of depression amongst the medically ill almost always fail however to account for possible corticosteroid effects. In patients with severe COPD given 30 mg of prednisolone for 14 days, when lung spirometry and mood state were measured, no changes in spirometry were detected until 7 days of active therapy. However, small but significant reductions in anxiety and depression were measured after 3 days of prednisolone and before any measurable improvement in lung function. This single study is a major part of a small evidence base suggesting that corticosteroids produce a mild sense of wellbeing rather than the wellbeing necessarily being a consequence of physical improvement. (Swinburn et al 1988) Classification, Epidemiology and Clinical Features Psychiatric side effects were first described and classified by Rome and Braceland in 1952 shortly after the initial introduction of corticosteroids into the pharmacopoeia. As can be noted in Table 1, the descriptions of symptoms in 1952 have an implicit hierarchy which places psychosis above ego disturbance of a neurotic nature and places these above euphoria. (Rome and Braceland 1952) Insert Table 1 about here Epidemiology The proportion of patients developing psychiatric symptoms during corticosteroid therapy has been reported to range from 3 to 75 percent, with a weighted average of about 28 percent. (Lewis and Smith 1983) Amongst the larger studies, the Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program (Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program 1972) monitored 718 hospitalized medical patients who received prednisolone, of whom just 21 (3%)had acute psychiatric reactions: in 6 of 463 (1%) patients receiving 40mg prednisolone, 8 of 175 (5%) patients receiving 41-80mg and 7 of those receiving above 80mg (18%). The dose-response trend was significant, but the study was conducted in 1972 and deals with relatively small numbers of affected subjects who underwent only a basic psychiatric screening. In terms of speed of onset, symptoms appear to develop rapidly. In groups of both patients and healthy subjects, psychiatric symptoms occurred between 3 days and one week. (Lewis and Smith 1983, Hall 1979, Naber 1996) Evidence shows that significantly more women than men (P =0.009) develop psychiatric symptoms as a function of corticosteroid treatment. (Nielsen et al 1963) Prednisolone is the medication most cited to cause psychiatric side effects. In case reports, prednisolone was responsible for 37 cases followed by methylprednisolone, dexamethasone betamethasone, and hydrocortisone. (Lewis and Smith 1983) When dose equivalences were calculated, ranging from 5 to 200mg prednisolone per day, a mean dose of 58.3mg per day or more was cited as substantially raising the risk of a psychiatric reaction. This does not mean that psychiatric reactions only occur at higher dosages. While dosage is not related to the risk of developing mental disturbances, dosage nor duration of treatment seems to impact upon the time of onset, duration, severity, or type of mental disturbances and it is unclear whether patients with a history of psychiatric disorder are predisposed to such disturbances. (Ling 1981) Affective Symptoms The most common psychiatric reaction during glucocorticoid therapy is mood change, which accounts for almost 90 percent of the psychiatric reactions (Hall 1979, Stiefel 1989) In a review of 56 case studies of psychiatric reactions to steroids, of those reporting mood symptoms (45 cases), mania was observed in 48%, depression in 25%, and a mixed state in 9%. (Flores and Kenna) Reversible mood change can be seen in healthy control subjects after administration of prednisone and dexamethasone. One study showed that 8/12 healthy controls experienced this, with manic symptoms predominating. (Brown 1998) A further study which looked at methylprednisone in ophthalmology patients, all of whom were free of psychiatric disorder, found that 36% developed mania or depression during high dose steroid treatment. (Naber 1996) Studies examining the consequences of low dose steroid treatment have found little or no affective symptomatology (Swinburn 1988). With regard to steroid induced mania, patients typically report sudden euphoric mood, excessive energy, indefatigability and some grandiosity. In addition to the rapid development of mood symptoms, suicidality can be associated with steroid treatment. (Flores and Kenna). In addition to mood symptoms patients have been reported to experience sleep disturbances and weight gain. Recurrent affective disorder A further important consideration is whether any such affective disturbance involves one isolated episode or leads on to recurrent disorder. Nine patients whose initial clinical presentation met DSM-IV criteria for a steroid-induced mood disorder were shown in the long term to have a clinical course of bipolar disorder. (Wada 2001) Seven patients initially developed a manic or hypomanic state with sub-acute onset ranging from 1 to 3 months and six patients had manic episodes accompanied by psychotic features. The proportion of manic episodes relative to total mood episodes of the 9 patients was 66%, suggesting manic predominance. Seven patients had future mood episodes that had no direct relationship to corticosteroid therapy and were preceded by various psychosocial stressors. Four of 5 patients who received future steroids rapidly became manic or hypomanic. Recurrent cases of corticosteroid-induced mood disorder therefore appear to have clinical features such as sub-acute onset, fr equent accompanying psychotic features, and similar recurrent episodes in association with psychosocial stressors and corticosteroid use. Psychotic Symptoms In a review of 55 case reports of steroid induced psychiatric disorder, 58% of cases demonstrated psychotic symptoms. (Ling 1981) In 72% of the cases with psychotic symptoms, they were combined with an affective disorder. Similarly, in a review of 79 case reports there was a 71% incidence of psychotic symptoms with affective symptoms reported in over 75% of these. Hallucinations occurred in 58% of the cases and delusions in 74% .(Lewis and Smith 1983) In a more recent review of 56 case reports, psychotic symptoms were reported in 65% of cases. In eight of these, the development of psychotic symptoms was more clearly associated with the withdrawal, rather than with the administration, of steroids. (Flores and Kenna) Interestingly, but perhaps coincidentally, seven of these eight cases occurred in female patients. All eight cases included mood disturbance; 2 with depression, 4 with mania, and 2 with a mixed state. Cognitive effects The cognitive effects of corticosteroid therapy have been seen in patients receiving short term or long-term corticosteroids, and relate primarily to declarative or verbal memory. (Flores and Kenna) In one study, patients on corticosteroids had poorer performance on the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), (a measure of declarative memory), the Stroop Color Word Test (a measure of working memory) performance, smaller hippocampal volumes and lower levels of N-acetyl aspartate (a putative marker of neuronal viability in the temporal lobe region). (Brown 2001) Deficits in declarative memory have been observed in subjects receiving as low as 4 to 5 days of dexamethasone or prednisone. (Newcomer 1999) A dose-dependent impairment in declarative memory has been reported with high dose (160 mg/day), but not low dose (40 mg/day) hydrocortisone. It appears that these cognitive impairments may be reversed with the reduction or withdrawal of corticosteroids. Similar results for declarative memory deficits are found in persons with Cushings disease. Such findings are consistent with reductions in hippocampal volume which are correlated with cortisol levels. (Starkman 1992) Steroid Dependence and withdrawal Several case reports suggest that corticosteroids may be abused for their euphoric effects. (34) Typically this will involve higher doses of oral systemic steroids although there is one report of dependence secondary to a nasal spray. (35) In a case review, 8 patients out of 11 cases of steroid dependency had a previous psychiatric history (predominantly depressive symptomatology), and 4 had a history of drug or alcohol mis-use or dependence. It has been suggested that patients who may request higher steroid doses or who resist dose reduction despite their improving health should be carefully monitored. (Stoudemire 1994) In the more recent review of case studies (Flores and Kenna), the development of psychiatric symptoms was also associated with the withdrawal of steroids. Corticosteroid withdrawal symptoms generally include depression and fatigue but mania and delirium have also been reported during dose reduction or discontinuation. Psychiatric symptoms during steroid withdrawal generally improve or resolve when corticosteroids are re introduced. Cushings disease and psychiatric disorder Cushings syndrome relates to the multi-organ over exposure of iatrogenic or endogenous corticosteroid and is associated with a variety of psychiatric and psychological disturbances. In one study examining 43 patients before and after treatment for Cushings psychopathology was observed in a considerable number. Only 8 patients of 43 with active Cushings syndrome (19%) were without psychiatric symptoms. Psychiatric diagnoses included: neurotic depression in 20 (46%), possible neurotic depression in 1 (2%), reactive depression in 6 (14%), and non-specific neurotic symptoms in 8 (19%). Psychoses were suspected in 3 of the patients who were depressed, but none of the 43 patients with active Cushings syndrome had a definite diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Mania, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or Generalised Anxiety Disorder. After treatment in 25 patients, when cortisol levels had been substantially reduced (to within normal limits in 88% of them), the percentage rated as psychiatrically asymptomatic increased from 19% to 68%. Scores for depression and anxiety showed significant improvements after treatment for Cushings syndrome and Eysenck Personality Inventory assessments showed a significant improvement in neuroticism score. (Kelly 1996) Treatment of Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder There is a very limited literature on the treatment of corticosteroid induced mental disorder, although it can be noted from the forgoing that psychiatric symptoms generally resolve with discontinuation of the medication. In one review of the literature, tapering the dose of steroids alone appears to be effective up to 90% cases. (Flores and Kenna) Case studies also suggest that switching steroids may be of value. (Okishiro et al 2009) The primary objective in managing these conditions is to balance the relative risk of psychiatric disturbance against the medical consequences of withdrawing the steroid. The management of corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder can otherwise be largely divided into managing an acute psychotic/manic episode versus managing long term depressive symptoms and dependency. Although little evidence exists either way, it can be assumed that severe behavioral disturbance should be managed as it usually is symptomatically with appropriate doses of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. In terms of managing acute psychotic/manic episodes one study found that of 27 patients treated with lithium carbonate prophylactically none developed severe mood symptoms while receiving corticosteroids. However, six out of 44 patients (14%) not receiving lithium developed mania or depression. (Falk 1979) Antipsychotics, specifically haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine, are noted from case reports to be useful in mania, mixed affective states, psychosis and delirium. A further case report suggested the successful use of low-dose olanzapine (2.5 mg/day) for severe mood swings and suicidal ideation in a patient with asthma on chronic prednisolone therapy. With regard to depressive symptoms, several case reports have demonstrated some evidence with lithium following the onset of depressive symptoms. Carbemazepine has been reported to be useful in managing both manic and depressive symptoms secondary to corticosteroids. (Wada 2001) There appears to be little benefit from the use of tricyclic antidepressants and in fact, a worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms has been reported. (Hall 1978) Case reports have been published describing the successful treatment of steroid-induced depression with sertraline, fluvoxamine, and fluoxetine. One such report supports the use of a combination of an antidepressant and antipsychotic in the treatment of steroid-induced psychotic depression (Ismail 2002). Case reports are noted to suggest the effectiveness of benzodiazepines, in the management of specific steroid-induced symptoms as insomnia and anxiety Conclusions Above all, it is clear that the literature on the psychiatric adverse effects of corticosteroids is limited and larger studies on medically ill populations need to be carried out. Clinical practice continues to be informed by case reports despite over 50 years of awareness of these problems. There exists a great opportunity for future research to find predictors of steroid response including their genetic and neuroimaging antecedents and it is clear that the literature could be enhanced with prospective studies and clinical trials. The ICD 10 codes steroid induced psychiatric disorder under F55.5 Abuse of non-dependence-producing substances Steroids or Hormones. No distinction is made about type or chronicity of symptoms. Arguably it may be more useful to classify steroids induced psychiatric disorder under F19.-Mental and behavioral disorders due to multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances. Corticosteroid induced psychiatric disorder can pragmatically be classified at present as described in table 2. Insert Table 2 about here With regard to the acute corticosteroid syndrome, the clinical presentation can be diverse but the severity of the symptoms appears to be dose dependent and they tend to occur within the first week of steroid administration. Affective symptoms are most common and a hypomanic/manic presentation is most likely. Some patients appear to have sub clinical hypomanic symptoms which they do not report. Symptoms resolve in most cases on discontinuation of the steroid. Cases are best treated with a mixture of a mood stabilizer (possibly prophylactically) and antipsychotic. With regards to chronic steroid syndrome, the merits of continuation of the steroid must be considered and a small literature suggests that depression in this group can be managed with an SSRI and not a tricyclic antidepressant. In patients who are on long term steroids, a dependence and withdrawal syndrome may be seen. No evidence exists as to how this should be managed but again negotiation should occur between the clinicians and the patient on the need for steroids and a gradual tapering of dose should be considered. Presently it is not known whether individuals have idiosyncratic reaction to steroids or that, given a high enough dose everyone would suffer some mental disturbance. There is a suggestion that those with a previous affective disorder or a family history may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of steroids. If as many as 27% of those on high dose steroids suffer psychiatric symptoms, it is surprising that millions of patients do not present to psychiatric services. Case vignette: Steroid-induced psychosis A 40-year-old woman was admitted to a GI ward for corticosteroid treatment as a result of a flare-up of her inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Her previous psychiatric history included recurrent depression, for which she had been successfully prescribed fluoxetine by her GP for several years. She was treated for 5 days with prednisolone 40mg IV which was then switched to oral prednisolone prior to her discharge home. Over the next week she progressively became increasingly irritable, experiencing hyperacusis, preferring to stay up all night doing housework and decorating, and suffered from marked lability of mood, fluctuating from euphoria to extreme despair and tearfulness, and anxiety. She began to experience command hallucinations of her late father, who had suffered from schizophrenia, telling her to kill herself, as he had in fact done a number of years earlier. She experienced delusions of being unclean and malodorous. She was visibly seen to be responding to unseen stimuli. She was unable to leave her home for fear that people wished to harm her. On day 5 post-discharge her family sought help from her GP who recommended that she stop her steroids, after noting that 18 years earlier she had experienced a similar episode in response to steroid treatment for her Crohns disease. Her GP prescribed Chlorpromazine but unfortunately the patient developed a marked pill-rolling tremor and akathisia. Next day the patient attended a GI outpatient clinic and due to her distress and anxiety a psychiatric opinion was immediately sought. She was informally admitted and commenced on olanzepine and diazepam with a significant diminution of her psychosis and anxiety such that after a few days she was able to be discharged home. Over the next several weeks she was closely followed-up by liaison psychiatry as an outpatient. Her psychotic symptoms had completely resolved with olanzapine treatment. She did, however, continued to experience low mood and anxiety as a result of on going stress associated with her IBD and required further treatment with antidepressant medications.

Womens Education And Empowerment In India Sociology Essay

Womens Education And Empowerment In India Sociology Essay Women constitute almost half of the population in the world. But the prevailing masculine ideology made them suffer a lot as they were denied equal opportunities in different parts of the world. The rise of feminist ideas have, however, led to the tremendous improvement of womens condition through out the world in recent times. India being a developing nation and having huge tussles among its political, religious and administrative organs resulting into blocked development and the worst effect of that we can witness into women condition .They do not have proper chance to learn and grow and access to education has been one of the most pressing demands of womens rights . Women education in India has also been a major preoccupation of both the government and civil society as educated women can play a very important role in the development of the country. History of Women Education in India(4,6): Although in the Vedic period women had access to education in India but as the time grew they lost this right to avail education and academic exposure. However, in the British period there was revival of interest in womens education in India due to Britishers strong influence to the core Indian education system. During this period, various socio religious movements led by eminent persons like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar emphasized on womens education in India. Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Periyar and Baba Saheb Ambedkar were leaders of the lower castes in India who took various initiatives to make education available to the women of India. They also ensured about their participation in the social gatherings and events by introducing them into polity and administration at all levels. However womens education got a fillip after the country got independence in 1947 and the government has taken various measures to provide education to all Indian women. As a result womens literacy rate has grown over the three decades and the growth of female literacy has in fact been higher than that of male literacy rate. While in 1971 only 22% of Indian women were literate, by the end of 2001 54.16% female were literate. The growth of female literacy rate is 14.87% as compared to 11.72 % of that of male literacy rate and is on growing path. Government has taken a step forward by making education compulsory and free to girl child till the age of fourteen. They are getting reservations in public sector exams and private sectors like Banks, Transport Services, Hospitality and Tourism, Healthcare etc. (4. Freedom Struggle By- Bipin Chandra Pal) Table The Literacy Rate in India 1901-2011 Percentage  Ã‚   of  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Literates  Ã‚  Ã‚   to  Ã‚   total  Ã‚  Ã‚   population Year  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Persons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Males  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Females 1901  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5.3  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   9.8  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   0.7 1911  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   5.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.1 1921  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1.8 1931  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   9.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15.6  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   2.9 1941  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   16.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.3 1951  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   16.7  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  24.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   7.3 1961  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   34.4  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   13.0 1971  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   29.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   39.5  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  18.7 1981  Ã‚           Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   36.2  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   46.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   24.8 1991  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   52.1  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   63.9  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   39.2 2001  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   65.38   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  76.0  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   54.0 2011(Recent data) 74.04 82.14 65.46 The above table shows that there is an improvement in women literacy in India during the years. But when we compare it with male literacy it becomes a concern area. (9. Censusindia.gov.in) Importance of Women Education in India(7): Women education in India plays a very important role in the overall development of the country. It not only helps in the development of half of the human resources, but in improving the quality of life at home and outside. Educated women not only tend to promote education of their girl children, but also can provide better guidance to all their children. Moreover educated women can also help in the reduction of infant mortality rate and growth of the nation. Education is a potent tool in the emancipation and empowerment of women. Its true that greatest single factor which can incredibly improve the status of women in any society is education. It is indispensable that education enables women not only to gain more knowledge about the world outside of her shell and home but helps her to get status, positive self esteem, and self confidence. It imparts necessary courage and inner strength to face challenges in life. Apparently it also facilitates them to procure a job and supplement the income of family and achieve social status. Education especially of women has a major impact on health and nutrition as an instrument of developing a sustainable strategy for population control. Moreover educated women can play an equally important role as men in nation building. Thus there is no denying fact that education empowers women. For example the different organs of the United Nations and experts on womens liberation argue for womens education as the basic step to attain equality with men. ( 7. Saraswathi Mishra, Status of Indian Women, Gyan Publishing House, New Delhi, 2002) Obstacles : As we have discussed earlier to improve women education and condition in India various initiatives and corrective measures have been done but still a lot is expected to be accomplished. THE ROOT CAUSES FOR LOW LITERACY AMONG WOMEN IN INDIA Women education is a multi-dimensional phenomenon. No single factor or cause can be held responsible for very low literacy rate of women in India. Subsequently it is associated with combination of many factors including social, cultural, economic, educational, demographic, political and administrative and so on. The following are the some of the important factors which could be attributed for the present poor state of affairs of womenfolk in education. The Lower Enrolment: The lower enrolment of girls in schools is one of the foundational factors which stand as stumbling block for women empowerment in India. Reliable sources indicate that more than 50 % of the Non-Starters (those who have never been to school) are girls.   According to the latest statistics, two out of every ten girls in the age group of 6-11 are still not enrolled in schools. (1) Higher drop-out rate among girls from schools: The incidence and prevalence of drop -outs among girls especially in rural, tribal and slums areas seem to be quite high. According to available sources, occurrence of drop-out and stagnation amongst girls is nearly twice that of boys all over India. (1) Girl Child as Second Mother: In many families girl children play the role of second mother by shouldering the responsibilities of household work such as looking after the sibling, fetching water, collecting firewood, bringing fodder for cattle, cleaning and cooking etc.   In rural India especially in poor families this traditional sex role makes girl child handicapped and conditioned by the attitude of mother and the family and discourages girl child to go school as it becomes secondary and unimportant. Hence girl child is getting deprived of her basic and fundamental right of education and freedom. (8) Bonded Labor System: This social evil is a quite discouraging phenomena which stand as barrier for girls education in rural areas for the underprivileged families of washer men and agricultural labor , scheduled caste and scheduled tribes. Caste System as a Barrier : Children belonging to low caste families are forced to learn skills and work ways and not encouraged to go to school due to various factors. Strict instruction /threat from high caste communities for their selfish motives of keeping them as domestic servants and child laborers in the farms or factory. We can witness this through the stories of various factories and farm houses in industrial cities of India. Media is also playing a crucial role here in promoting as well as resisting these mishaps. (8) Bane of Dowry: Dowry system and other social practices act as main causes of the neglect of the girl child and discrimination against girl child including the deprivation of right of education. In many families especially poor and down-trodden think that if their daughters are educated more, they have to accumulate more assets and properties to provide as dowry in large proportion at the time of marriage, so prefer rather to either stop their children with average education and so on but never higher education. This prevails more in underprivileged families and communities. (1) Child Labour Practice: A large segment of child population in India is engaged in child labour practices. According to UN sources   India is the most child labour populous nation in the globe with more than 50 million child labourers indulged in beedi works , carpet making , bricks,   mining , quarrying ,glass, bangles, match and fireworks, gem polishing ,handloom works. zari,   embroidery ,coir industry, domestic works, construction etc. In most of these industries girl children are preferred for high productivity and low cost. (8) Poor School Environment for girls: In general the school environment for girls in India is not really interesting and encouraging. The subjects taught in schools are also not related to the environment of girl children. The methods of teaching are mostly out dated, rigid and uninteresting. There are still hundreds of schools with poor basic amenities such as drinking water, latrine and toilet facilities, improper building, and inadequate number of teachers especially female teachers preferable for any parents for safety of their girl children from different types of exploitation and abuse. (7) Female age at marriage: There is high association of female literacy with female age at marriage.   By and large the female age at marriage of 18   ( recently 21 years ) as prescribed by various legislations not at all followed in India .It is very much ignored and neglected by the families of parents with low literacy and illiteracy background. This obnoxious practice discourages female children to continue their schooling and higher education as they enter into family life at the early age which is not advisable from the physical and mental health point of view and also of social development. (7) Inferiority, subservience and domesticity : The female child in Indian culture especially in rural, tribal and poor families is expected to develop the qualities of inferiority; subservience and domesticity which place sever limitations on her education and development. They are considered to be lesser important for getting knowledge of outside world and exposure to education and liberty. (6) Poverty as a Barrier: In many poverty stricken families, children especially girls are considered as economic  Ã‚   assets as they bring income for livelihood as well to save from economic crises due to death or incapacity of parents (sick/ handicapped/aged). Ineffective Law Enforcing Machinery: Indian constitution and various legislations pertaining to education to children assure free and compulsory education all children of this nation but unfortunately the enforcement machinery fail to discharge its duties and responsibilities to the satisfaction of the public interest and welfare of women. Due to this wrong implementation of right policies also women of our country is getting severely affected. (5) Demographic Factors: The high population growth rate, rapid urbanisation, migration etc also attribute immensely for the poor literacy level of women and girls in India. In these frequent transition girl Childs and women are getting neglected, uncared and unheard. (5) Poor Political Will and Conviction: Government officials, policy makers, politicians etc of our country have neither political will nor conviction for the empowerment of women in general. The only think about their personal benefits and money making ignoring the welfare of the community for whom and by whom they have reached to that position. It is a very sad and disappointing aspect of Indias democracy. (5) Gender discrimination: It still persists in India .Male are still dominating and commanding the social structure of the nation and lot more needs to be done to improve womens participation in this regard e.g. womens education. The gap in the male-female literacy rate is just a simple indicator. While the male literary rate is more than 75% according to the 2001 census, the female literacy rate is just 54.16%.Prevailing prejudices, low enrollment of girl child in the schools, engagements of girl children in domestic works and high drop out rate are major obstacles in the path of making all Indian women educated. (6) Poor Academia: Another reason for poor quality of women education here is the poor quality of teachers in government schools .Government schools are unable to attract good quality teachers due to inadequate teaching facilities and low salaries. The government currently spends only 3% of its GDP on education which is inadequate and insufficient. To improve the quality of education, the government needs to spend more money from its coffers on education. (4) Steps to improve their Participation : A A significant development in recent years has been the mushrooming of community-based organizations and initiatives at the local level for women. Reports indicates that self-help programs, often in the form of savings and credit or micro credit schemes, have succeeded in changing the lives of poor women, enhancing incomes and generating positive externalities such as increased self-esteem. Micro credit is about much more than access to money. It is about women gaining control over the means to make a living. It is about women lifting themselves out of poverty and vulnerability. I is about women achieving economic and political empowerment within their homes, their villages, their countries. (5) In this whole paper we have discussed about women condition in India in terms of access to education, opportunity to learn and grow and problems in achieving the same and at last some of the measures to rectify the errors and making things happen. B-One more initiative taken by the government is the voucher system. Under the voucher system, parents are allowed to choose a school for their children and they get full or partial reimbursement for the expenses from the government. But however, the voucher system has also a draw back because it will further aggravate the problem of poor quality of education in government schools. Such a system will shift resources from government schools to private schools. This will worsen the situation of government schools which are already under-funded. Moreover, if the same amount given as vouchers can be used to build infrastructure in schools then the government can realize economies of scale. (6) C -The government of India has also felt the need to put in place an appropriate institutional mechanism to look after the Education Rights of Women and thus instituted the formulation of All India Womens Conference, National Womens Commission and State Womens Commission. At the same time government has approved special grants and allowances to NGOs working for the cause of women upliftment and social mobility. Self Help Groups have also been constituted at Panchayat level to provide a platform for the rural women to discuss issues such as family planning, child marriage, widow remarriage, Sati, domestic violence. Mother Teresas Women University has greatly helped in the cause of women empowerment who received Noble Peace Prize for her genuine social work. (6) D India is getting a great help from World Bank for the betterment of women education and their empowerment in the country .It has approved funding for Andhra Pradesh Rural Poverty Reduction Programme (APRPRP) thus garnering international support for the upliftment of women. Womens reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha has gained momentum with Govt. of India promising the reservation of one-third seats in Parliament for the women. (8) E One of the recommendations of National Policy on Education (1986) by the Government of India is to promote empowerment of women through the agency of education and it is considered to be a land mark in the approach to womens education of illiterate. The National Literacy Mission is another positive step towards eradication of illiteracy in the age group of 15-35 years. Women education has assumed special significance in the context of Indias planned development, as it is incorporated in every Five-year plans as the major programme for the development of women. Universalization of elementary education, enrolment and retention of girls in the schools, promotion of balwadies and crutches, raising number of schools and colleges of arts , science, and professional for girls , Politechniques, girls hostels, multipurpose institutions and adult education programmes are some of the steps being   taken by both central and state governments in India to boost-up womens education. (5) F    Since the prevailing situation of poor or less enrolment of girls in schools closes the doors for development and prosperity of future generation of women, concerted efforts must be initiated jointly by the government, parents and civil society to achieve universal enrolment for girls without any compromise. The enrolment can be made even mandatory for every girls by the government in the realm of compulsory education. (5) G -The Ministry of Education both at Centre and State level should work out strategic steps to stop firmly the ongoing high drop -outs among girls especially in rural, tribal and slums areas with the serious involvement of voluntary organisations in every locality to realize zero drop-out among girls. (7) H -The poverty stricken families can   be identified through proper research and necessary poverty alleviation   services be provided to strengthen the income   thereby to enable the families to send their children to schools and colleges without much financial difficulties I -Bonded Child labour and Child labour   practice must be abolished with strict administrative measures and the relieved children form bondage   should be integratedinto schools with suitable defence social mechanism. J Appropriate steps should be taken by the educational authorities with the participation of communities in order to bring the girl children to the main stream of education and development at every level including family and community. K -The female child in every Indian family irrespective of socio-economic status should be moulded to overcome the challenges of inferiority; subservience and domesticity which place sever limitations on her education and development. Every family irrespective its socio-cultural and economic background can take it a challenge to bring up their girl children as dignified human being with empowerment in physical , mental, economic and social dimensions of life. (7) L The Midday meal scheme and other educational supportive services like free text books,   Note books , Fee uniforms , Free Bicycles, Free bus , scholarships Free bus pass and so on   as done in the state of Tamil Nadu can be provided in all states and union territories to lift up the literacy level among girls. (6) M As social evils like dowry, child marriage , caste system and other practices deprive rights of education for children belonging to poor and underprivileged families and communities, they should eliminated through well-designed packages of mass awareness programmes and social welfare measures with full support of   public, political parties, NGOs and government agencies. (7) N The electronic and print media can play significant role in building a good and positive image about girls and women in general in the society by giving no focus for such advertisements and news fetching commercial gain at the cost of depicting women as an object. This would help in changing the society s attitudes towards girls and their roles to treat every girl or woman as human being with self respect and dignity. (7) O Government, voluntary sector and philanthropic organisations and individuals should come forward to provide free education for poor girls and provide free   hostel facilities   for girls studying in schools and colleges in every state of India. This will certainly encourage children of poor families to pursue good and higher education without much impediments. (6) P The schools of social work, departments of women studies, Women Universities and other educational institutions in hand with   NGOs   and social service organisations such as Rotary Clubs , Lions Clubs , women lib organisations associations can work together to improve the educational status of the womenfolk in this country on mutual respect and understanding. (7) Q The parents of children belonging to poor, underprivileged families   must be specially educated with proper social formula to help them   to understand the significance of education   for their girl children as foundation for empowerment. (1) R Government, NGOs and public should work hand in hand to implement the minimum age at marriage (21and above) Awareness should be created to institutionalise it as a traditional practice cut acrossing castes, religions, community etc. (5) S Government officials, policy makers, political parties and others should have adequate political will and conviction to empower women in India without double standard mind T The law enforcing machinery should be made really effective with efficient monitoring vigilant system to implement the constitutional and legislative provisions and administrative measures to assure free and compulsory education for all children of this nation without any gender discrimination. (7) Its true that there is great deal of requirement to uplift women education in India at the grass root level because majority of the female population live in the rural areas .They do not avail the basic things in their life and to get education is still a distant dream for them. However Indian government is coming up with various scheme in their five year plan to make the situation healthy and encouraging for these women. In 1990s, grants from foreign donor agencies enabled the formation of new women-oriented NGOs(3). Self-help groups and NGOs such as Self Employed Womens Association (SEWA) have played a major role in womens rights in India. Many women have emerged as leaders of local movements. For example, Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan. Companies like NIIT Ltd. (2) has come up with the project called Affirmative Action where they are taking girls from the down trodden areas and training them about English language, basic computer knowledge and after that helping them to get jobs in Retail, BPO ,Hospitality sectors. In this way the are educating them and by providing jobs women are getting empowered in taking decision, participating in family income and by helping their kids to make the future bright and opportunity oriented. (2 , 3) There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence. Empowerment is a major step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational context. A clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of womens emancipation both from the government and women themselves. Efforts should be directed towards all round development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share. The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the bad phases of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been on better track. In modern India, women have acquired high offices in India including that of the President, Prime minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition, etc. The current President of India is a woman. (5) A review of governments various programmes for women empowerment such as Swashakti, Swayamsidha, Streeshakti, Balika samrudhi yojana and another two thousand projects reveal that little has been done or achieved through these programmes. The discrepancy in the ideology and practice of the empowerment policy of women in India constitutes its continued social, economic and social backwardness. Women make up 52% of our countrys population. Hence there can be no progress unless their needs and interests are fully met. Empowerment would not hold any meaning unless they are made strong, alert and aware of their equal status in the society. Policies should be framed to bring them into the mainstream of society. It is important to educate the women. The need of the hour is to improve female literacy as education holds the key to development. (2 , 3) There is no doubt about the fact that development of women has always been the central focus of planning since Independence. Empowerment is a major step in this direction but it has to be seen in a relational context. A clear vision is needed to remove the obstacles to the path of womens emancipation both from the government and women themselves. Efforts should be directed towards all round development of each and every section of Indian women by giving them their due share. I believe with the likes of Pratibha Patil, Sonia Gandhi, Indra Nooyi, Chanda Kochar etc. bagging the top jobs, it would not be long when India would be boosting of its Gender Equality Index (GEI) and Gender Development Index (GDI).Lesser will be the social stigma of women exploitation which have haunted it for many years gone by. Summary: Empowerment can be defined as the totality of the following or similar capabilities: Having decision-making power of their own Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no, either/or.) Ability to exercise assertiveness collective decision making Having positive thinking on the ability to make change Ability to learn skills for improving ones personal or group power. Ability to change others perceptions by democratic means. Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-initiated Increasing ones positive self-image and overcoming stigma Conclusion: From these discussions we can say that the most common explanation of womens empowerment is the ability to exercise full control over ones actions. The last decades have witnessed some basic changes in the status and role of women in our society. There has been shift in policy approaches from the concept of welfare in the seventies to development in the eighties and now to growth in the nineties and now trumpet of empowerment. This process has been further accelerated with some sections of women becoming increasingly self-conscious of their discrimination in several areas of family and public life. They are also in a position to mobilize themselves on issues that can affect their overall position.

Cuban Missile Crisis :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 6, 1945, the world changed forever. The United States had sent a B-29 bomber plane named â€Å"Enola Gay† to fly over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and drop the first atomic bomb ever – â€Å"Little Boy† . The world had never experienced anything like it. One hundred thousand died almost instantly -- most of them were civilians. Three days later, in Nagasaki, another bomb -- â€Å"Fat Man† – was dropped. This time roughly forty thousand died. The people of the world were glad to see that the bombs ended most destructive war ever, but over the course of the forty years the world feared a nuclear battle that could wipe out all humankind off of the face of the Earth. The images that were coming from the aftermath of the bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki affected almost every person in the world in all aspects. The image of the mushroom-shaped cloud and the desolate city would remain in every person’s mind as an image of destruction and as a warning of the danger of a nuclear war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Manhattan Project was the code name for an effort to create an atomic bomb during World War II. It was named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because most of the early research was done in New York City . Refugee physicists sparked the project soon after German scientists had discovered nuclear fission in 1938. Many American scientists feared that Hitler and the Germans would produce a nuclear bomb; consequently, they contacted Albert Einstein to write a letter to United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to help the production of the first nuclear bomb. Roosevelt agreed to assist the scientists and they began the Manhattan Project. The development took place at laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico, located on an isolated mesa. The project was to be kept classified under all circumstances. The scientists working at the plant could not even tell their wives about their work, unless they worked there themselves. All the mail in the town was censored; everybody was restricted to a two hundred mile radius and residents were forbidden to tell their friends where they lived. No one in the community had a name; rather everyone was either a â€Å"sir† or â€Å"mister†. The most serious threat to the security of the project was the hiring of Klaus Fuchs who was found guilty of obtaining top-secret documents and sending them to the Soviet Union.

The Environmental Lobby and Voting Trends in the United States Essay

The Environmental Lobby and Voting Trends in the United States The environmental movement in the United States has typically focused its resources on public education, legislative lobbying and litigation. However, the movement’s success in the latter two is highly dependent on the quality and character of elected officials. Successful public education on behalf of the environment translates into greater environmentalist electoral success. This paper discusses national trends that impact and influence the environmental lobby’s ability to achieve favorable electoral results, and the manner in which the lobby has responded to those trends. Overall, the American public is receptive to environmentalism, but the political realm is crowded with many competing interests, and the environmental lobby has not yet found a reliable means of influencing electoral politics for the benefit of its policy preferences. Republican Voters The majority of all Republicans support some kind of federal environmental spending, either status quo or increased spending. The majority of all self-identified conservatives also support some kind of environmental spending. A visible gap in preferences regarding the amount of federal environmental spending exists between strongly and less strongly self-identified Republicans and this gap appears to have increased in the more polarized political world after 1994. Support for decreased environmental spending spikes significantly between strong Republicans and all other groups. The difference between weak Republicans and strong Republicans is about 10 percentage points. These differences between strong Republicans and all other groups including weak Republicans indicate that support for decreased en... ... Valtin, Tom. â€Å"After the Election: A More Visible Battlefield† Nov 6, 2002. Sieraclub.org/scoop/midterm_election.asp. Accessed 12/3/03 â€Å"A Big Fight for a Small Pocket of Voters in Colorado.† Nov 4, 2002. Online NewsHour. Pbs.org/newshour/vote2002/races/co. Accessed 12/3/03 Allard/Strickland Senate Debate. Oct. 4, 2002. rmpbs.org/campaign2002/debate_as.html#ads. Accessed 12/3/03 â€Å"Battle for the Senate.† Pbs.org/newshour/bb/congress/july-dec02/Colorado. Accessed 12/3/03 â€Å"Colorado Up For Grabs.† PBS Online NewsHour. Oct 15,1996. Accessed 12/3/03. pbs.or/newshour/bb/election/October/96/Colorado_race_10-15.html Election 2002 and the Environment: Colorado Senate Race. Greennature.com/article780.html. Accessed 12/3/03 Lcveducation.org/Programs/ProgramsList.cfm?c=23. Accessed 12/2/03. http://www.multied.com/elections/1992state.html. Accessed 12/7/03.

Police Authority vs Individual Rights Essay -- Law Enforcement

It is easy for police to get caught up in the idea that it is them against the rest of society (Barkan, 2012). Many citizens in today’s democratic society have a negative or fearful view of our law enforcement. Think back to grade school, who was that one kid in class that everyone was annoyed by or despised? Most people would answer the teacher’s pet or the tattletale. We have grown up from a young age to have a negative view towards those that get us into trouble when we think we can get away with something we know is wrong. In the adult world, the police force can equate to those tattletales. The overall basis for a democratic society is freedom. We stress that freedom allows us to be individualistic. Herbert L. Packer, a law professor, charted out two ideas in our criminal justice system. The idea or crime control and due process are ideally two separate entities, but have been found in our criminal justice system to overlap (Barkan, 2012). Due to the fact that these two ideas overlap, causes tension within our democratic society. These ideas cause there to be a double edge sword. As stated in our textbook, â€Å"the more crime control we want, the less due process we have; the more due process we have, the less crime control we can expect.† (Barkan, 2012). Ideally, we would like to live in a society where everyone is treated equally regardless of race, gender, social class, etc. However, police have the difficult task of making sure arrests are made unbiased. While on the job, police must put all their personal opinions aside. They must provide everyone with an equal and fair chance. It is important in a democratic society for police to not know too much about the community they are policing. It allows them to ... ... a distinction between the two in a society where individual freedoms are so highly valued. Is that not what the framers of the Constitution based the future of our nation on? The real question is, how far are police allowed to go when the blurry line of individual freedoms and public safety is in question? Everyday our law enforcement is faced with the same task, to follow the law and enforce it, while allowing society to maintain their individual freedoms and liberties that this country is founded upon. Works Cited Barkan, Steven E. Criminology: A Sociological Understanding. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, 2012. Print. Crew, B. Keith. â€Å"Sex differences in criminal sentencing: Chivalry or patriarchy?† Justice Quarterly (Mar. 1991): n. pag. Print. Marx, Gary T. â€Å"Police & Democracy.† The Encyclopedia of Democracy. N.p., 1995. Web. 7 Dec. 2011.

Evaluate the role of the supreme court Essay

Evaluate the role of the supreme court in protecting the rights and liberties of US citizens. The power of judicial review has allowed the Supreme Court to protect civil liberties within America. Its involvement in civil rights issues have ranged from racial issues, to the rights of those accused and the reapportionment of electoral districts. in 1954, the Supreme Court stated that racially segregated schools were a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. in 1966, the Supreme Court stated that a person must be informed of his/her right to remain silent when arrested and that they have access to a lawyer if required. in 1966, the Supreme Court stated that one person should have one vote when dealing with the apportionment of electoral districts. These are clear examples where it can easily be argued that the supreme courts role in protecting the rights and liberties of US citizens was major. The Supreme Court has played a very important part in preserving the r ights (and building them) of minority groups also. Politicians invariably sway their work towards the majority as it is the majority that will vote them back into power. Read more: Mini qs in American history essay This has been called the â€Å"tyranny of the majority† which has meant that the minorities have been left behind in the rush for votes. Chief Justice Marshall argued that there was no other institution in existence that could defend the rights of the minorities other than the Supreme Court. The 1954 decision of the Supreme Court is indicative of its power. Eisenhower had no great interest in reform in general and Congress was dominated by right wing southern Democrats who did not champion the civil rights movement. Therefore, only the Supreme Court could do this and the south’s educational policy based on segregation was overturned at a stroke. Enforcing it was another issue. The most recent and controversial involvement of the Supreme Court concerned the right to abortion. In 1973, the Supreme Court voted 7-2 to enforce the right of all women to have an abortion even though some states had banned it. They argued that this was allowed under the 14th Amendment. Though t his issue was clearly the right of a woman (‘Jane Doe’) to have an abortion in Texas (where abortions were banned), others saw it as an attempt by the Supreme Court to further extend its powers over a state’s right to govern itself within the realms of the Constitution. In 1989, with a more conservative Supreme Court, the above finding was nearly overturned. However, it was not, but the states took this move to the right by the Supreme Court, as an  opportunity to regulate abortions far more closely. The states also gambled on the fact that the Court would not intervene on issues involving the availability of abortions in states. In 1992, the 1973 decision was once again upheld but the Court ruled that a state would be acting unconstitutionally if it placed â€Å"undue burden† on a woman’s right to an abortion. The rights and Civil liberties of US citizens are not absolute but must be balanced against other considerations (such as national security or public safety) and against one another when rights come into conflict. The judicial branch of government, particularly the Supreme Court, has taken on much of the responsibility for protecting and interpreting individual rights. The Court’s positions have changed with time and conditions, but the Court has generally been more protective of and sensitive to civil liber ties than have elected officials or popular majorities.

Artificial River Essay

APUS, Section 4 Mr. Gordinier January 8th, 2013 All situations and topics have multiple views and perspectives to them. A paradox exhibits contradictory aspects in which there is not either a single good or a bad, positive or negative. In The Artificial River The Erie Canal and the Paradox of Progress, 1817-1862, written by Carol Sheriff, there are many different examples of paradoxes. Towns initially saw the Canal having a negative impact on them, but realized it could help. The Canal provided for faster transportation, but in the case of a crash would take a long time to recover from. Also businessmen benefitted from the Canal, but other lost a lot of money because of it. The Canal provided dramatic change to the upstate New York area. In some cases this change resulted in prosperity and in others it resulted in failure and loss. At the time prior to building the Canal many negative impacts were the only things being considered. In 1826, a Canal Board was set up to deal with many of these complaints and problems. Most of the agreements and compromises were expressed through contracts made between the Canal Board and the people of the towns. Individuals questioned the right to take land to build the canal, water resources being used, and also commercial structures being built along the Canal. The thought of how much these commercial structures could drastically benefit these towns were not contemplated. When the Canal was built towns all along the route from Buffalo to Albany prospered from the revenue and the attraction the Canal brought with it. Whether the Canal was being used for business people, immigrants, settlers of the region, or tourists, the border-towns all had some appeal to these persons. After some time the state was continually asked to expand the Canal from the original route to include connecting canal routes. However, the same towns along the route from Buffalo to Albany had already been established along the lines of the original canal. These towns would need to be relocated in order to obey these new requests. This presented a major problem because the people in these towns had formed a life around the Canal and many of them made their income based of the Canal. The inhabitants of the towns changed their mentality from not wanting the Canal to invade on their lives, to it being an essential part of their lives they depended upon. The Erie Canal provided an extremely fast source of transportation compared to other ones of that time. A lot of the land that the Canal went through was uninhabited and therefore people weren’t able to move through these areas. Once the Canal was built it served as that pathway through these areas. The Canal also was a much cheaper source of transportation that was used by residents, tourists, emigrants, and workers during this time. Evangelical preachers used the artificial river to seek salvation among these people. Also the Canal helped to serve as an underground railroad, transporting slaves from Syracuse to Buffalo, near the Canadian border (Sheriff 53). The Canal not only sped up transportation, but also cost much less for goods to be delivered. Before the Canal goods from Albany to Buffalo would increase to five or six times their actual value just because of transportation. This helped business prosper and served as a positive aspect for the Canal. Although transportation was faster if a boat along the Canal crashed it would hold things up for a long time. A boat crashing had a chain effect on other boats because they then would be slowed down as well. People would not get where they needed to be on time was well as goods. A lot of the times if a boat did crash the goods were not able to be salvaged and hurt the business that owned them. There was also the issue of passing under bridges and how low they were. In a play of William Dunlap the brother of Amelia describes the inconvenience this was saying â€Å"In constant dread of lifting your head above your knees for fear of having it knock’d off your shoulders by a bridge† (Sheriff 55). Inconveniences such as these eventually encouraged travelers to find a different source of transportation; the railroad. The railroad had advantage over the Canal in the fact that it could run all year round. Individuals took advantage of the Canal and used it to help themselves gain profit. Businessmen and entrepreneurs saw the Canal as an opportunity to make money. Some bought their own boats and turned them into their business place. Boats were transformed to stores and markets in which people would buy off of them. Business was not only done on the Canal, but other men would use all the people, especially tourists, and try to sell consumer goods to them. A lot of times these vendors would scam people buying from them. They would sell fake remedies with false claims. Many times they would also trade counterfeit bills for items of actual value. The Canal helped solo merchants in a way that had never been done before. On the other hand the Canal was also very detrimental to many people as well. The people it affected were those whose land and water supply it had taken. When the Canal was built it ruined early settlers property such as the Archbalds. Frequently properties were cut in half. Once water was let into the Canal it caused a number of problems. Majorly because of poor workmanship and laziness water would stream out of the Canal and into farmers’ land. Fields and basements would be flooded, livestock would be injured, and gardens would be damaged. Also the workers feet would trample over fields, showing no regard or carefulness of their surroundings. One farmer claimed that workers torn down his fence simply for their own amusement. Without a healthy stock of crops the farmers would not make as much money and financially were negatively affected by the Canal. The Erie Canal had widely varying results on the people it impacted. Businessmen and entrepreneurs received financial success through the Canal while farmers and people already established along the lines of the Canal seemed to be negatively affected by it. There is no question transportation was faster and cheaper than any other source around that time. Communities and towns both benefitted from the Canal being around them. Initially there was a great amount of hype surrounding the Canal and all this hype brought people. Businesses thrived off these tourists and newcomers. Positives and negatives came from the opening of the artificial river that would change history forever.