Mind the scourge

More and more Indians are falling prey to depression — and the country’s mental health services are sadly ill-equipped to tackle the problem, says T.V. Jayan

Savitri Gupta, a 40-year-old housewife from a well-to-do family at Preet Vihar in East Delhi, should thank one of her neighbours for being alive today. It was on his advice that Gupta, who had withdrawn into a shell, was finally taken to a psychiatrist six months ago. She was found to be suffering from severe depression and was on the verge of committing suicide. The treatment brought her back to normalcy, much to the relief of her husband and in-laws who had misjudged her listlessness as a ploy to avoid the everyday grind of household chores. Sangeeta Pokhriyal, 36, who lived just a kilometre away in the neighbouring locality of Surajmal Vihar, wasn’t so lucky. Last week she committed suicide after strangling her six year-old daughter. She was said to be suffering from severe depression. Pokhriyal is among the thousands of victims of depression who die, or at the very least, lead disturbed, diminished lives. Indeed, it’s estimated that severe depression accounts for nearly 8,50,000 deaths globally every year. A recent study in the BMC Medicine Journal, covering 18 nations, showed that nearly 121 million people are suffering from depression at present. The study, which included data gathered from Pondicherry, extrapolated that nearly 9 per cent of Indians suffer from moderate to severe forms of depression. Though most psychiatrists in India question this extrapolation, they admit the data are quite close to that thrown up by earlier studies, which indicated that nearly 6 to 8 per cent of Indians suffer from moderate to severe forms of depression at any given time. DOWN AND OUT According to the International Classification of Diseases, depression is defined by the following symptoms ● Persistent sadness or low mood ● Loss of interests or pleasure ● Fatigue or low energy ● Disturbed sleep ● Poor concentration or indecisiveness ● Low self-confidence ● Poor or increased appetite ● Suicidal thoughts or acts ● Agitation or slowing of movements ● Guilt or self-blame You know you are ● Not depressed — if you have fewer than four symptoms ● Mildly depressed — if you have four symptoms ● Moderately depressed — if you have five to six symptoms ● Severely depressed — if you have seven or more symptoms Dr B.M. Suresh, a clinical psychiatrist at the Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans), who has co-authored research papers on the prevalence of mental disorders in the country, says 20 to 30 per cent of Indians run the risk of a bout of depression in their lifetime. “As the life expectancy increases the incidence of depression is bound to go up,” says Dr Suresh, who, however, holds that Pondicherry cannot serve as a representative sample as the Union territory has unusually high levels of alcoholism and very high suicide rates. Depression manifests itself in different ways. Some feel sad, others become aggressive. While some lose their appetite, others binge eat. Some may have disturbed sleep and others may find it hard to stay awake. Social withdrawal, diminished sex drive, suicidal tendencies and lack of concentration are some other telltale symptoms (see box). The good news is that depression can be treated. “Whatever be the symptoms, it’s possible to treat depression by simply bringing the levels of a brain chemical — serotonin — back to normal,” says Dr Om Prakash, associate professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi, who treated Gupta. The treatment is not expensive either. The most commonly used antidepressant — fluoxetine — costs just a few rupees, says Dr Prakash. What worries experts is not so much the number of people suffering but the fact that very few of them receive treatment. “It doesn’t matter whether 6 per cent or 9 per cent of Indians suffer from depression. The fact is, 80 per cent or more people suffering from moderate to severe depression in this country receive no treatment or counselling,” says Dr K.S. Shaji, head of psychiatry at the Thrissur Medical College in Kerala. If treated, depression can be cured in six months. Even in the case of people who haven’t been treated, it may vanish in one year to 18 months, says Dr Sanjay Pattanayak of Vidyasagar Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, in New Delhi. But if left untreated, the chance of recurrence is very high. One reason many patients don’t receive the treatment they need is that there simply aren’t enough psychiatrists. At present India has only 4,000 psychiatrists for a population of 120 crore, that is, there is one psychiatrist for every 3,00,000 people. As compared to this, the US has 30,000 practising psychiatrists for a population of 30 crore. “Besides, nearly 90 per cent of Indian psychiatrists practise in the metros and big cities. Most districts don’t have a single psychiatrist,” points out Dr Shaji. In the smaller states there may be just one or two psychiatrists, adds Dr Prakash. For example, while Uttarakhand has one psychiatrist, Sikkim, which has the highest suicide rate in the country, has two. Even a relatively big state like Orissa has just six psychiatrists — four in Bhubaneswar and two in Cuttack. Experts say that paucity of psychiatrists apart, mental health services in the country are plagued by a multitude of problems. First of all, it has never been a priority area for successive governments at the Centre and the states. “A mere Rs 89 crore was allocated for mental healthcare in the 10th Five Year Plan. Though it was increased to Rs 1,000 crore in the ongoing 11th Plan, this too is woefully inadequate,” says Dr Suresh. The Medical Council of India (MCI), which sets the curriculum for medicine courses in the country, too has not made psychiatry a part of the undergraduate syllabus. After much prodding from the psychiatric community, the MCI recently made it a two-week elective to be undertaken during internship before they get the degree. This is not enough, say experts. “In the UK, all medical undergraduate students have to spend three months each in medicine, surgery and psychiatry as interns before they pass out,” points out Dr Suresh. Psychiatrists also feel that general practitioners should be sensitised about psychiatric disorders. “I fail to understand why a GP — who is comfortable with prescribing drugs for hypertension or diabetes or even cardiovascular diseases — does not prescribe medicines for depression,” says Dr Prakash. Indeed, more often than not, when a person suffering from depression goes to a GP, he or she is given multi-vitamin pills or iron tonics to “take care of the lethargy or low energy”. What they fail to understand is these are physical manifestations of a mental problem, says Dr Prakash, and unless the root cause is addressed they will never go away. There is some glimmer of hope, however. In certain states, non-government initiatives to treat mental disorders are coming up. These organisations screen the rural population for psychological problems and offer medical help and counselling. For example, Sangath, an NGO in Goa, is training a large number of health volunteers who work with medical staff in state-run primary healthcare centres in identifying those who need psychiatric help. In Kerala, two organisations — Mehac Foundation and Mental Health Action Trust (MHAT) — have set up a number of free clinics in rural areas. MHAT, which operates in three northern Kerala districts, has 26 rural clinics and treats more than 1,000 patients a month. “Reaching out to the patients and their families is important as they refuse to come for treatment because of the social stigma attached to psychiatric illnesses,” says Dr Manoj Kumar, a psychiatrist who founded MHAT. “Of course, our work is only a drop in the ocean,” Dr Kumar says. That maybe so. But it is certainly worth emulating to contain the burgeoning problem of depression in the country.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110814/jsp/7days/story_14377288.jsp

Well, the new big-thing in the Indian internet scenario is the ‘tracing’ business. You need to know the location of that unknown mobile number from which you are getting numerous missed calls? Or do you need to know the location of a car? Or STD codes of the remotest town in the country? Nothing to worry. A bunch of new websites are offering these facilities for free. So, now, free yourself from tension.

http://indiatrace.com/index.php
http://trace.bharatiyamobile.com/

Aries
Aries is the youngest sign in the zodiac. There is a reason the sign is represented by a ram—Aries are strong (and strong-willed), vibrant, enthusiastic, and competitive. They thrive in commission-based jobs, especially if there is a bonus involved. Due to their bravery (and their impulsivity), they are the heroes of our lives—the police officers and firefighters. They are excellent promoters and may find the world of advertising and public relations appeals to their outgoing nature. Best jobs: entrepreneur, soldier, rescue worker; work well in the fields of government and politics, television, and recreation.


Taurus
One of the things a Taurus enjoys most is stability. They will work very hard for certain guarantees—good benefits, vacation time, salary, job security. Determined, patient, honest, and methodical, they are excellent team members and extremely dependable. Taurians have a fondness for beautiful things and love working with flowers, food, jewelry, and luxury items. They are also known for their clear, strong voices and do well as an announcer, public speaker, or receptionist. Best jobs: accountant, educator, engineer, lawyer, designer, landscaper, chef.

Gemini
Want to make a Gemini happy? Give her plenty to do and make it intellectually stimulating. Remember that Geminis are twins, which means you have to engage two people, so they need to have a lot going on and like fast-paced, pressured environments. They won’t survive long doing tedious or repetitive work. Jobs that require travel are perfect, as are jobs that require social networking. Geminis are optimistic and full of energy—they should be encouraged to let go and express themselves rather than be confined to traditional rules. Best jobs: stockbroker, switchboard operator, technical support, teacher, architect, machine operator, rescue worker.

Cancer
Cancer is the mother of the zodiac (Capricorn is the father), so these sensitive types do well in jobs that require nurturing or taking care of things. However, this isn’t just about working with children or puppies; Cancerians make excellent executives, much like a multi-tasking mom who’s in charge. Cancerians give great advice and are very protective. They handle responsibility with ease and are imaginative problem solvers. Best jobs: gardener, social worker, childcare, human resources, lawyer, teacher, CEO, soldier.

Step 1 : You need to Send a SMS to 1900 as,PORT   for example PORT 90964XXXXX.

Step 2: Soon after your message you will get the Unique Porting Code (UPC) as a reply. You need to store it as it would be the bridge for further communication.

Step 3: Now, you have to go to the old service outlet to clear the pending bills or any due so far, if any.

Step 4: Go to NEW service providers outlet fill out the formalities and your process for shifting mobile operator will begin here. As such it will take around 4-7 days to complete the change with effect. In between your SIM may not work for 2 hrs.

Step 5: Current Service provider will tell you the date of shifting the services.


Some Important Fact and details of MNP:
You can not shift the network circle from where you buy the service means if you are customer from Maharashtra-Airtel then you can not port from Mah to Delhi Idea.
There will be Mandatory fee for the MNP process which is just Rs. 19.
You can shift from CDMA to GSM and vice versa.
You will get new SIM card from the new service provider.
You need to be there with particular operator in MNP for 90 days means you can only shift after 90 days.

TLD – Top Level Domains

There are three types of top-level domains that are classified by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) which I’ve described below. TLD – These are the most common extensions that you’re probably familiar with. They are made up of .COM, .NET & .ORG domains.
ccTLD - These are country code domain name extensions and they are generally made up of 2 characters. Some of the ccTLD extensions that you’re probably familiar with are .US for United States, .CA for Canada, .JP for Japan and .CN for China.
gTLD - These are generic TLDs and are generally made up of 3 or more letters. Some of the gTLD domain extensions that you may be familiar with are .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME & .MOBI.

Domain Extension Meanings

Below you’ll find some of the more popular domain extensions and the domain extension meaning. .COM (Commercial) – Generally intended for commercial use. By far the most recognized domain name extension.
.NET (Network) – This was originally intended for network oriented sites such as internet service providers. This definitely isn’t the case any longer. People will register .NET domains for commercial use, generally if the .COM extension isn’t available or if they’d like to protect their main .COM domain by registering all available extensions.
.ORG (Organization) – This domain extension was originally intended for non-profit or trade organizations. Again, this is no longer the case and is generally registered by anyone looking to protect their main domain by registering all available domain extensions or simply because a better extension isn’t available for registration.
.BIZ (Business) – This is a gTLD that is generally registered  to classify their website as a business. Although it’s not a commonly recognized extension, I feel that it’s a great alternative if the .COM extension isn’t available.
.US (United States) – This ccTLD generally refers to US based companies. Although the domain has been out for quite some time now it’s possible to find some very good domain names with this extension.
.INFO (Informational) – This gTLD is generally used as an extension for informational websites. I believe that other than .COM, .NET & .ORG, it’s the most popular domain extension used. If you are developing an informational website it’s definitely a domain extension that I’d register.
.MOBI (Mobile) – This domain extension, as of this writing, is fairly new. Although majority of the domain name owners registered their domain name with the .MOBI domain name to protect their brand, it is primarily reserved for website built for displaying on mobile devices.
.TV (Television) – In my opinion it’s used primarily for media, primarily video, related websites.
.WS (Website) – This is actually a ccTLD for Western Samoa but was converted to a domain extension commonly used as an acronym for ‘website’. Although it seems that it would be a great extension I don’t feel that it really ever took off and you can find very good domains available with the .WS extension.
.ME (ME) – This is the newest domain, as of this writing. It was originally the ccTLD of Montenegro but would generally be used for personal related websites such as family websites or blogs another option would be to pose your resume or even artwork that you may have done. The other use would be to create a very memorable personal email address.
.NAME (NAME) – This is a gTLD that’s intended for personal use. You’ll find that this extension is used for personal / family websites or simply used for name related email addresses.
.CA (Canada) – This is a ccTLD that is generally reserved for Canadian based businesses.
.CO.UK (United Kingdom) – This country code domain is generally reserved for commercial related websites based in the United Kingdom. Although it’s not restricted to just UK based business, I see very little value in registering the domain extension unless you plan on doing some sort of business in the UK.
.CN (China) – This is the ccTLD for China. This domain is not restricted to companies based in China and can basically be registered by anyone that would like a .CN extension.
.IN (India) – This is the ccTLD for India.

 

ABOUT LARA CROFT

LARA’S HISTORY

GAME CHRONOLOGY

Note that most of the major games in the series had staggered release dates for various platforms and regions. The dates listed are the main launch dates.

November 1996 – Tomb Raider December 1998 – “Unfinished Business” and “Shadow of the Cat” free bonus levels for TR1 November 1997 – Tomb Raider II: Starring Lara Croft June 1999 – “The Golden Mask” free bonus levels for TR2 November 1998 – Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft March 2000 – Tomb Raider: The Lost Artifact stand-alone expansion for TR3 November 1999 – Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation December 1999 – The Times exclusive free bonus level for TR4 June 2000 – Tomb Raider (Game Boy Color) November 2000 – Tomb Raider Chronicles and the Tomb Raider Level Editor July 2001 – Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (Game Boy Color) November 2002 – Tomb Raider: The Prophecy (Game Boy Advance) June 2003 – Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness November 2003 – Tomb Raider: The Osiris Codex (Java mobile)[9] September 2004 – Tomb Raider: The Quest for Cinnabar (Java mobile)[9] September 2004 – Tomb Raider: Elixir of Life (Java mobile)[9] April 2006 – Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend June 2006 – Lara Croft’s Poker Party (Java mobile) July 2006 – Tomb Raider: Puzzle Paradox (Java mobile) November 2006 – Tomb Raider: Legend (Game Boy Advance) November 2006 – Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Action Adventure (DVD) December 2006 – Tomb Raider: Legend (Java mobile) June 2007 – Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary December 2007 – Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Java mobile) November 2008 – Tomb Raider: Underworld December 2008 – Tomb Raider: Underworld (2D and 3D Java mobile) February 2009 – “Beneath the Ashes” expansion for TRU (Xbox 360) March 2009 – “Lara’s Shadow” expansion for TRU (Xbox 360) Summer 2010 – Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light TBA – TOMB RAIDER (currently in development)