Delhi, is a city and union territory that contains New Delhi, the capital of India. Located in the North of India it has the Yamuna river on the East and the Aravali range in the west and south. It is the seat of the three pillars of the Indian Government, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, the Parliament House, and the Supreme court of India. The National Capital Region is a larger entity comprising of districts in neighboring states like Ghaziabad, Noida, and Faridabad.
History:
Delhi has been continuously occupied since the 6th century BC. It has served as the capital for several kingdoms including the Pandavas, the Delhi Sultanate, and the Mughal Empire. During the colonial rule, the British changed the capital of its Indian territories from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. After the independence of India Delhi was officially declared as the capital of the Union of India.
People:
Delhi is home to people of various ethnic groups. The neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have a strong influence on the lifestyle and culture of the people of Delhi. The majority of people in Delhi are Hindus and the city has a sizeable Muslim population as well.
Culture:
The culture of Delhi is influenced by its historic past, its current political and economic importance, and by the neighboring states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Delhi has managed to preserve its historical culture and still embrace modernization. Though a strongly political center the city manages to find space for art, music, and literature. Delhi’s historical sites ranging from the Qutub Minar to the Red Fort are major tourist attractions.
Economy:
Delhi is the largest commercial centre in North India. The service sector is the most important contributor to the city’s economy. Manufacturing has remained significant since the 80s. Although not as big an IT centre as some of the southern metros Delhi hosts important IT companies like Google, HCL, and TCS.
Mental Health:
- A study conducted in 2018 highlights that 50% of this population is under constant stress and more than 30 % of young adults between the ages of 21 to 30 suffer from anxiety and depression.
- Most of the significant stressors were crowded roads, long distances, long hours away from family, and hence inability to relax and cope with problems.
- The State Mental Health Authority oversees the mental health care of the state as per section 55 of the Mental Healthcare Act,2017.
- The health-seeking behavior of Delhites has been conventional and limited with hardly any awareness of the mental health services available.
- But during the pandemic, there was a 10% increase in Delhites seeking online help for their mental health concerns.
- According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017 – One in seven Indians were affected by mental disorders of varying severity in 2017 and the proportional contribution of mental disorders to the total disease burden in India has almost doubled since 1990.
TalkItOver provides professional counseling services in Delhi and in other major Indian cities.
