The controversy about anti-depressants.

Recently, a lot of controversy has emerged in the scientific circles as well as the popular media over the efficacy of anti-depressants compared to placebos. One article discusses evidence that suggests anti-depressants are no better than placebos http://www.newsweek.com/id/232781?from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsweek%2FTopNews+%28UPDATED+-+Newsweek+Top+Stories%29 .
A person benefitted immensely by these drugs would be tempted to dismiss these reports as false speculation ( the phenomenon of selective avoidance; we tend to ignore or discredit information with does not agree with our prevalent attitudes ) . Indeed, that was my initial reaction to the report.
After all, the anti-depressants have been approved by the FDA because they meet the stringent requirements for the effectiveness of a drug. Indeed, data available at www.rxlist.com indicates that in the placebo-controlled drug trials, the anti-depressant ( in this case, escitalopram ) have been found to be more effective than placebos in relieving the symptoms of depression , and the difference in the effectiveness of drug and placebo was statistically significant. Two clinical trials showing statistically significant effectiveness compared to placebo , are mandatory.
The clinical trial data seem to justify the FDA approval of the drug. Moreover, it is not just FDA, but drug regulatory authorities of n number of countries that have approved the drugs for use in major depression. It seems highly unlikely that drug regulatory authorities of so many countries were partial in judging the drugs' effectiveness. The Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK states on its leaflet meant for public reading that antidepressants benefit between 50 to 65 % patients compared to 25 to 30 % in case of placebo. The NIMH website also incudes antidepressants among the treatment options in depression. The American Association for Family Physicians also considers anti-depressants as one of the effective treatments for depression. The Australian National University's BluePages, national initiative on depression, too gives a high "effectiveness rating " for antidepressants.http://bluepages.anu.edu.au/treatments/what_works/medical_treatments/antidepressants A web search on Google Scholar for the term "fluoxetine " produces a research article that establishes the effectiveness of fluoxetine versus placebo. http://psycnet.apa.org/?fa=main.doiLanding&uid=1997-43690-007

In the face of so many independent organizations endorsing the effectiveness of antidepressants, it is difficult not to view the Newsweek article with a healthy dose of skepticism . However , we must not adopt a rigid approach and keep our minds open for accepting new studies which might contradict our beliefs and present knowledge.

Do caste-based reservations provide incentives to remain backward ?

A newspaper editorial discusses the issues concerning caste and religion based quotas for education and jobs. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Beyond-Quotas/articleshow/5553034.cms . Although I am aware of the fact that certain ethnic groups have lower socioeconomic status and are victims of varying levels of prejudice and discrimination, my own observation has been that reservations do little to raise the socioeconomic status of these people , and instead give them incentives for them to remain backward.
I have observed , that among beneficiaries of the caste-based quotas , most of the families have 5 or 6 children. ( even in large cities like Delhi ) Surely having so many children in this age can be a recipe for lifelong headache . The prevalence of large families among the reservation beneficiaries can be explained by the fact that reservations make it quite easy for children of such families to get government jobs , so the parents need not worry about the future of their large family. Isn't the reservation system providing incentive for beneficiaries to have large families, denting the government efforts in family planning drive ? A little thought would also make it clear that these people dont really benefit much from the reservations, since the benefits of better jobs are neutralised ( or perhaps surpassed ? ) by the harmful effects of a large number of dependents. I wonder if such people would attain the same level of prosperity with not-so-good jobs but with lesser number of chidren .
This raises the possibility that in a rapidly developing India, such people would remain socially and economically backward , instead of realising their full potential . Of course, critics have alleged for decades that the reservation system has been established for achieving political ends, and not for empowering suppressed people

A lot is being written and discussed about the issue of the USA and Western countries losing prominence in world affairs (in the foreseeable future ) and China taking their place. A recent article discussed this possibility http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/dani-rodrik-will-china-ruleworld/383042/.. In my humble opinion, too much is being read into China's current pace of economic growth (contrasted with economic stagnation in the West ). Though it might turn out to be true that China would eventually compete with , possibily even surpass USA in economic and political influence, that would not neccesarily mean that China would end up being as prosperous or affluent country as US or other developed nations.

First of all, we should keep in mind that China has an enormously disproportionate share of the world population -1.3 billion people, around 20 % of humanity. A country of such jumbo size is bound to have a disproportionate economic and political influence, even with mediocre levels of development. To drive home this point, consider the fact that even after 2 decades of being a rapidly growing economy , China's HDI rank is still 92nd, and its per capita income is still around 1/7th of that of the US. China is miles behind the developed world in prosperity and development levels, and despite a rapid growth rate, the average Chinese would still remain poorer than the average American for many decades to come.

Hence, China's (future ) superpower status will stem not so much from its prosperity or development, but more from its disproportionate share of the world population. Ditto for India, which will still remain a poor country for many decades, but a poor country with enormous economic and political influence. It would be an interesting situation to see developing nations assuming the status of superpowers , while much more prosperous and developed ( but smaller in population ) nations being relegated to the second position.

All this while , developed nations will still remain the hubs for research and innovation , and much new technologies will still originate from the developed countries, which will have a larger capital to invest in such pursuits.

An interesting , fascinating world.

A depressed person has little interest in life; he/she finds life and the world un-interesting, boring and has a pessimistic orientation towards the world and him/herself. The person loses interest in the world, cannot see beyond his miseries to realise there's lot more to the world than sadness, suffering and injustice and poverty. The depressed person fails to realise that the world is a giant , huge place full of diverse experiences . Depressed people lose the ability to derive enjoyment from the simple pleasures of everyday life. For example , a person who always had the thrist of knowledge will now find reading a worthless activity giving no pleasure. Instead of finding the new knowledge fascinating , they will wonder " whats the use of knowing all this, in any case my career is ruined and i am a failure "

It maybe because of these reasons that proper recovery from depression can instill renewed interest and curiosity in knowing more about the diverse, colorful world we inhabit. The person , who has recovered from depression/dysthimia after a long period , perhaps years, will now find the world a vast, interesting place full of fascinating knowledge and issues. In my case, I acquired a great deal of interest in psychology, a science I found so fascinating that I eventually decided to make it my career. Since mental illness over a number of years had spoiled my career and left me "unemployed " , after and during recovery , I used to pass my time , by reading newspapers extensively. This made me realise slowly, that there are many issues which I have a little understanding of-namely the economic issues. Initially this realisation only further dented my already deflated self-esteem, but gradually i started acquiring greater and greater interest. Eventually this became one of my major interests, but in this case the incentive was not monetary benefit but purely mental self-satisfaction. A non-depressed, psychologically well-adjusted individual finds enjoyment and mental satisfaction in knowing more about the world, in understanding how it works, and experiences a positive feeling , a sense of pleasure and satisfaction on being able to understand better the daily news items affecting the economy.

This is yet another example of how depressed people are deprived of the simple pleasures and enjoyment of life, and how alleviating depression can lead to a better lives for such people.

Will India ever become a modern, progressive country ?

The topic of this article seems to be a little old-fashioned, perhaps even outdated. After all, recent years have seeen a proliferation of hi-tech industries like software and ITeS, and the country now seems to be embarking on a massive industrialization spree, even as the world reels under economic crisis. Finally , India is seen as the land of something other than the snake charmer.

But , make no mistake- India still remains a overwhelmingly superstitious and orthodox country. Even the mall-hopping Indian middle class , is more comfortable with traditional ways of life ( no matter how self-destructive, even unethical they might be ) than with a truly modern lifestyle. First of all, there is the ubiquotous Indian obsession -astrology. And the biggest irony is that superstition in 21st century India has sought to increase its popularity by using the Internet- a product of technology and science ,something that is so diametrically opposed to blind beliefs of astrology.

Astrology might seem harmless, until you realise than even today , wedding dates are decided by astrologers . There is a " career astrology " section on the job site naukri.com , and nearly all prospective brides and grooms ask for a horoscope from their potential matches. And http://www.moneycontrol.com/ has a stock market astrology section !!! The creators of this finance portal perhaps do not understand how having a astrology section destroys their credibility as providers of reliable , well-researched financial information and projections. Perhaps people who have invested their hard-earned money trust fortune-tellers more than well educated economists and finance experts. ( I still recall how four years back, when I was reeling under severe mental illness , my otherwise intelligent sister justified my misery by attributing it to certain planetary motions )

I am not a pessimist , but I have to concede that such social trends do not appear to be waning , but infact rising in popularity, if media reports are anything to go by.
I have spoken a lot(in previous articles ) about the fact that , even today, India's economy is almost totally based upon earnings from only one-half of the adult population.** Indians , it appears, just pretend to be modern, otherwise they are a little different from their ancestors who used to flock to snake charmers. What other explanation can be there for such a economically harmful and wasteful practise still being widespread , in fact predominant in this country ?

And the tragedy , I feel, is that India's leaders-most of whom are nearing the sunset of their lives-have done little , and perhaps intend to do little about this severe problem. No wonder , India ranks 114 among 120 nations on the Gender Gap index, just above Islamic nations of the Middle East. And little wonder, according to projections ,India's per capita income will still remain much lower than the world average-even by 2030, at a time I will be 45. What "economic superpower status " do we keep talking about ?

Bullock carts might have been replaced by hatchbacks, neighbourhood kirana stores (largely) replaced by glitzy malls and supermarkets in Urban India. But India still remains a superstitious country , where people abjure meat but justify and promote social evils like dowry.

** - here i refer to the fact that the participation of women in workforce is among the lowest in india. Therefore, India's mammoth economy is almost entirely based upon the earnings of only the male adult population, with most women being housewives.

In Spite of the Gods.

An eminent economist shares his ideas, on what he thinks, has made india such a poor and backward country. http://www.financialexpress.com/news/is-india-trapped-in-lilliput-state-i/565636/0 As usual, the author holds outdated government policies and misgovernance responsible for india's poor show. I am no economist , but i know enough about India, to disagree , on who should be held responsible for india's plight.

Just a few decades back, the typical indian middle class family used to have 6-7 children and just one breadwinner. do you expect such people to be millionaires, or do you expect banks to be overflowing with money in such a social scenario ? Mind you , there was absolutely no compulsion whatsoever , on people to have so many kids with just one earning member.This was not forced, but chosen misery. As far as i am aware , contraceptives or other methods of family planning have been available almost since the time of India's independence. And i guess one doesnt need to have a PhD in economics to understand how this can lead to economic stagnation. There is little any government can do if the people themselves are hell bent on ruining theirs - and their children's lives.

Make no mistake , it is not poor governance in the first place , it is Indian Social Customs which are responsible for making of this mess we call 21st century India. One cannot analyse the economy in isolation ; you have to keep the prevailing social norms in mind. With such self-destructive customs, I often wonder why India's poverty should not be called self-inflicted.
And dont forget , there are still many among the urban lower middle classes and lower classes ,even those below poverty line, that continue to have as many children as biologically possible. The maid who works in our house is in the mid of her reproductive age , but already has 4 children. I wonder what role her children will play in 21st century India ? Perhaps what economists like to call " cheap unskilled labour " !!

One wonders what would compel human beings to adopt such a self-destructive lifestyle, almost sure of ruining theirs and their country's future. But someone even mildly familiar with this country would know what is responsible for this : Outdated social customs , drawing their inspiration from nowhere else but the delusion called G-O-D. For God has ordained his followers to adopt certain customs and lifestyles, and those who dare to defy his wishes will have to bear the wrath of the creator. Apparently god wants his followers to remain hungry and malnourished and malaria and hepatitis-infested. Karl Marx might have been declared irrelevant long ago, but one of his maxims still hold true for the indian people " Religion is the opium of the masses "

But wait !! Havent the mall-hopping , English speaking middle class , liberated themselves from the shackles of religious and social evil ? Far from it , they have instead given it a new flavour - a very convinient but hypocrite flavour. Its no secret that most Indian females simply sit at home and watch saas-bahu serials after marriage, irrespective of whether they hold a BTech , an MBA or a PhD. As if the only purpose of their lives was to find a rich man with a LCD TV and split air conditioner, and only purpose their degrees served was to aid in finding such a man. Many of them were indeed beneficiaries of state-subsidized education or even state-sponsored scholarships . What a colossal amount of money goes down the drain, with absolutely no benefit whatsover ( to the country ) . I intend to meet an economics student sometime in the future and ask him/her a rough estimate of amount of potential GDP India loses due to the fact that half of its potential workforce sits at home ( without any valid reason , other than that this practice is ordained by social customs ) (And oh , i almost forgot , these modern-day parasites do something other than watching TV, they also spend hours worshipping the gods in the temple )

India is a country where people can spend a fortune to appease the gods-- from the idols in Ganesh festival in Mumbai to those in Durga Puja in Kolkata, but rarely ever spare a penny- or a thought for the countless indians who cannot read or write . No wonder , the Tirupati temple is the richest religious institution in the world. Wealthy God reigning over hungry , malnourished illiterate mortals !!!
Today , thanks to these gods, India has more population than entire three continents put together - North America, South America and Australia. Our ancestors did precious little other than giving birth like dogs and cats. Truly , if anything had the potential to destroy humanity, it would be god and religion.

( The title of this article is taken from a best-seller book , which wonders how India has become such a large economy , with such outdated customs and social evils. --- the simple truth is that , if a single country has more population than 3 continents put together, it is bound to have a disproportionate share of the world economy )

NOTICE FOR THE READERS

Friends, you might find some of the views expressed in my post as being a little offending. I would like to inform you that I have a history of mental illnesses and am currently taking medication for bipolar disorder . These posts were written mostly in a depressed and paranoid mood, and hence do not neccessarily reflect my true opinion.