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INDIA
The Republic of India is a country rich in ethnic and cultural diversity and is the world's largest liberal democracy. India is also the second most populated country in the world with over one billion people speaking about four hundred languages. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity, and is the world's second-fastest growing economy. India has grown significantly, in terms of both population and strategic importance, in the last twenty years, attributed to economic reforms.
Strategically located in Asia, constituting most of the Indian subcontinent, India straddles many busy trade routes. It shares its borders with Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan.1 Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia are the nearby island nations in the Indian Ocean. Home to some of the most ancient civilisations in the world, India was formally ruled by the British for almost ninety years before gaining independence in 1947.
Origin of names
The official name India is derived from Sindhu, the historic local
appellation for the river Indus and is the most internationally recognisable
of the country. The Constitution of India and general usage also recognises
Bharat as the other official name of equal status. Bharat comes from the
name of an ancient Hindu king and means seeker of knowledge. The third name
is Hindustan, meaning land of the Hindus (where Hindu refers to those who
dwell to the right of the Indus/Sindhu river) used from the Mughal times
onwards.
History
Like a palimpsest, witness to many distinct layers of cultural history,
India has a rich and colourful past. Many disruptive events have shaped its
civilisation even as threads of continuity were maintained.
Stone age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh
constitute the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known
permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago. This indigenous culture
developed into the Indus Valley civilisation, which peaked between 2600 BC
and 1900 BC. Around 1500 BC Aryans tribes from Central Asia migrated to
India and melded with the indigenous culture. This modified version of Max
Mueller's initial Aryan Invasion Theory is accepted in most academic
institutions around the world. However, recent theories, held by a minority,
deny the claim of ingress and posit continuity.
Classical Hinduism arose from the interaction of Vedic and indigenous
culture. Later, Buddhism and Jainism flourished in a flurry of religious
reformation, adding to the richness of Indian culture. The first millennium
saw many highly developed independent kingdoms, some of which acquired
imperial stature, come to the fore. The great Hindu Gupta dynasty oversaw
the period which historians refer to as India's "Golden Age" and the Mauryas
(including the Buddhist king Ashoka) made great contributions to the
cultural landscape. Arts, mathematics, engineering, astrology, religion and
philosophy all flourished under the patronage of kings. Most parts of India
were ruled by the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal dynasty following the Islamic
ingress during the second millennia, though some Hindu kingdoms remained in
or subsequently arose to power.
With the arrival of the Portuguese, French and English traders, advantage
was taken of the fractured, debilitate kingdoms to colonise India. In 1857,
an insurrection amongst the army sepoys ensued in the popular Revolt of 1857
against the powerful British East India Company; this mobilised resistance,
though short-lasting, was caused by the widespread resentment against
discriminatory policies of the British. After the revolt, the Indian
independence movements started demanding complete independence. On August
15th, 1947, India was finally granted independence from British rule and
became a secular republic.
After independence, India has fought four wars with its neighbours. From
1975 to 1977, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a "State of Emergency in
India", thereby freezing civil rights and detaining civilians without trial.
The destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992 resulted in religious strife in
much of India. In the desert town of Pokhran, in 1998, the Indian government
exploded five nuclear warheads, confirming India's nuclear status. In 1999,
India mobilised its military in Kargil, Kashmir to repel Islamist terrorists
who, under the auspices of the Pakistani government, were encroaching upon
Indian territory.
Government and politics
The Republic of India is a democratic republic. It is a Union of states
within a federal structure. The head of state is the President and has a
largely ceremonial role. The President and Vice-President are elected
indirectly through an electoral college for 5 year terms.
The Prime Minister wields the executive power. He or she is assisted by the
Council of Ministers (The cabinet) whom the Prime Minister appoints. All
ministers are sworn in by the President. The Prime Minister is designated by
legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary
majority. The President then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of
the Prime Minister.
India's bicameral parliament consists of the upper house called 'The Council
of States' (Rajya Sabha) and the lower house called 'The House of the People'
(Lok Sabha). The Rajya Sabha consists of incumbents elected through an
electoral college whereas the Lok Sabha consists of directly elected
representatives.
For most of its independent history, India's union government has been ruled
by the Indian National Congress Party. Having been the biggest political
organisation in pre-Independence India, the Congress enjoyed nearly-unchallenged
dominance in national politics for over forty years. The first party to
actually bring the Congress party down from its pedestal was the Jan Sangh
which formed a coalition with other regional parties in the 1970s. They did
not, however, last their full term. In the early and mid-1990s, left-leaning
parties intermittently formed non-Congress governments at the center. It was
only in 1999 that the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) finally became
the first non-Congress party to hold on to power with the help of regional
allies. In the 2004 elections, in a surprise result, the Congress returned
to power, leading a centre-left coalition.
Geography and climate
A land of varied landscape that occupies most of the Indian subcontinent,
India has snow-capped peaks, tropical islands, fertile plains and a sandy
desert to offer. India's entire north and northeast states are made up of
the Himalayan Range. The rest of northern, central and eastern India
consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. Towards western India,
bordering southeast Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert. The southern Indian
peninsula is almost entirely composed of the Deccan plateau. The plateau is
flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
India is home to several major rivers such as the Ganga (Ganges), the
Brahmaputra, the Yamuna, the Godavari and the Krishna.
The Indian climate varies from a tropical climate in the south to a more
temperate climate in the north. India gets its rains through the monsoons.
States and Union territories
India is divided into 28 states (which are further subdivided into districts),
6 Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi. States have
their own elected government, whereas Union Territories are governed by an
administrator appointed by the union government.
States:
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
Gujarat
Haryana
Himachal Pradesh
Jammu and Kashmir
Jharkhand
Karnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa
Punjab
Rajasthan
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu
Tripura
Uttaranchal
Uttar Pradesh
West Bengal
Union Territories:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Chandigarh
Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Daman and Diu
Lakshadweep
Pondicherry
National Capital Territory:
Delhi
India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had two scientific
bases there—Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri.
Economy
A nation in rapid development, India has an economy ranked as the fourth
largest in the world and recorded the second-fastest annual growth rate at
around 8% in 2003. However, owing to its huge population, India's per-capita
income works out to be US$2,540. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to
over US$120 billion. Mumbai serves as the nation's financial capital and
nerve centre; it is home to both the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of
India (which controls the economy) and the Bombay Stock Exchange.
The Indian economy has shed much of its initial dependence on husbandry,
with agriculture now contributing to less than 25% of the GDP. Other
important industries are mining, petroleum, diamond polishing, films,
textiles, information technology services and handicrafts. Most of India's
industrial regions are centred around the major cities. There are also a lot
of small-scale industries that provide steady employment to many of its
citizens in small towns and villages. While India receives only around 2
million foreign visitors a year, its tourism base is still an important
aspect of its national income. India's major trading partners are the United
States, Japan and the European Union.
Demographics
India is the second most populous country in the world, with only China
having a larger population. Language, religion, and caste are major
determinants of social and political organisation within the highly diverse
Indian population today. Its biggest metropolitan agglomerations are Mumbai
(formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), Chennai (formerly
Madras).
India's literacy rate is 64.8%, with 53.7% of females being literate. The
sex ratio is 933 females for every 1000 males.
Although 80.5% of the people are Hindus, India is home to a large population
of Muslims (13.4%). Other smaller religious minorities include Christians
(2.33%), Sikhs (1.84%), Buddhists (0.76%), Jains (0.40%), Jews, Parsis,
Ahmadi and Baha'i. Religion in India is very public, with many rich and
colourful practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their
underlying spiritual qualities. A melting pot of many religions, India has
rich festivals celebrated by one and all. The most widely known and popular
celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi and Dussera.
India is home to two major linguistic families, those of the Indo-Aryan and
Dravidian-derived languages. India's national language is Hindi. English,
which is classified as the Language of the Union for official purposes, is
seen as the language of social mobility and standing, owing to its
centrality in international business. Two classical languages native to the
land are Sanskrit and Tamil.
Twenty-one other official languages are recognised by the Constitution for
official administrative use by various state governments. The number of
mother tongues in India is as high as 1652.
Culture
India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, having striven to preserve
its established traditions throughout history; its dynamic nature is
manifest in its willingness to respect and tolerate foreign ways and
practices.
Living in a pluralist, multilingual and multicultural society, Indians are
largely tolerant and peaceful. Religious practices of various faiths are an
integral part of everyday life in society. Education is highly regarded by
members of every socio-economic stratum. The traditional Indian family
values are highly respected and considered sacred. Some urban families have
grown into a nuclear family system, owing to the socio-economic constraints
imposed by the traditional joint family system.
Indian music is represented by a wide variety of forms. The two main ones in
terms of classical music are the Carnatic and Hindustani. Popular forms of
music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music; interestingly, Hindu
religious bhajans and Urdu ghazals often cross over between the classical
and popular realms. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk
music. Many dance forms exist in India—Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi,
Kathak, Kathakali and others. They often have a narrative form (based on the
Indian epics) and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual
elements.
The earliest literary traditions were mostly oral and were later
transcribed. Most of these spring from Hindu tradition and are represented
by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharatha and
Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's
oldest secular traditions. Indian writers in modern times have been the
cynosure of wide acclaim, both in Indian languages and English. India's only
Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.
India produces the world's highest number of films annually. The most
recognisable face is that of Bollywood, based in Mumbai, which produces
mainly commercial Hindi films. Cinema in other language bases is
particularly strong, with movies regularly produced in well-established
Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu industries. India's gift to world
cinema was the internationally renowned Bengali language director Satyajit
Ray.
Rice and wheat (in bread forms) are the staple foods in the country. The
gastronomy of India is extremely rich and varied, as spices and other
ingredients vary from region to region. Notable is the country's diverse and
extensive vegetarian cuisine. Indians love their famous spicy food as much
as their wide variety of sweets. Traditional dress in India greatly varies
across the regions in its colours and styles. The Sari and Salwar Kameez are
popular styles of dress for women. Traditional accoutrement for men
comprises the Kurta and Dhoti.
Sports and games
India's national sport is field hockey, although many would assert that
cricket is now the de facto national game due to its success in recent
times. Football (soccer) too finds large viewership in almost the entire
country. Some traditional indigenous games are kabaddi and gilli-danda.
Chess, carrom, polo and badminton are some other games and sports that are
said to have originated in India.
Indian athletes, however, do not shine in the international arena in many
sports. Many blame the Indian government for not having an active sports
policy and allowing for the breakdown of the sporting infrastructure. Others
choose to criticise the perpetual media fixation on cricket as a distraction
from other sports.
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