| The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of over one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical size. India has grown significantly, both in
population and in strategic importance, in the last twenty years. The Indian economy is the fourth largest in the world in GDP, measured in terms of purchasing power parity. It is the world's second fastest growing economy as of 2004. India, the world's largest liberal democracy, has also emerged as an important regional power, possessing one of the world's largest military forces and a declared nuclear weapons capability.
Located in South Asia with a coastline of over 7000 km, and constituting most of the Indian subcontinent, India straddles many important and historic trade routes. It shares its borders
with Pakistan, the People's Republic of China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan1. Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Indonesia are nearby island nations in the Indian Ocean. India is home
to some of the most ancient civilisations and has
given birth to four major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. The country was a part of the British Empire before gaining independence in 1947.
Origin of names
The official name India is the Old Persian version of
Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the river Indus. The
Constitution of India and general usage also recognises
Bharat as an official name of equal status. Bharat was the name of an ancient
Indian king. A third name, Hindustan, or land of the Hindus in Persian, was used from Mughal times onwards.
History
Main articles: History of India, Timeline of Indian history
Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known
traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared 9,000 years ago and developed into the Indus Valley Civilization, which peaked between 2600 BC and 1900
BC. From c. 500 BC onwards, many independent kingdoms came into
being. In the north, the Maurya dynasty, which included the Buddhist
king Ashoka, made great contributions to India's cultural landscape, and the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as India's Golden Age. In the south, several
dynasties including the Chalukyas, Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas,
and Pandyas prevailed during different periods. Art, literature, mathematics, astronomy, engineering, religion, and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings. Following the Islamic invasions in the second
millennium, much of India was ruled by the Delhi Sultanate, and
later, the Mughal dynasty. Nevertheless, some indigenous kingdoms
remained in or rose to power, especially in the relatively sheltered south.
During the middle of the second millennium, several European countries, including the Portuguese, French, and English, who were initially interested in trade with India, took advantage of the fractured kingdoms to colonise
the country. After a failed insurrection in 1857 against the British East India Company, (popularly known as the
First War of Indian Independence), most of India came under the crown of
the British Empire. A prolonged and mostly non-violent struggle for
independence, however the Indian independence
movement came about, led by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern
India. On August 15, 1947 India gained
independence from British rule, becoming a secular democratic republic in 1950.
As a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country, India has had its share of sectarian
violence and insurgencies in different parts of the country. Nonetheless, it
has held itself together as a secular democracy barring a brief period from 1975 to 1977 during which the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency
with the suspension of civil rights. India has unresolved border disputes
with China, which escalated into a brief war in 1962, and Pakistan which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, and 1971. India was a founding
member of the Non-Aligned Movement, and has had cordial
relations with its other neighbours and the world at large. In 1974, India conducted an
underground nuclear test, making it an unofficial member of the
Nuclear club, which was followed up with a series of five more tests in
1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991,
have transformed India into one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Government and politics
India is a democratic republic. It is a federation of states within a federal structure. The head of state is the President, who has a largely ceremonial role. The President and Vice-President are elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year terms.
The Prime Minister wields the executive power. The
Prime Minister is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition
commanding a parliamentary majority. He or she is assisted by the Council of Ministers, or the cabinet, appointed by the
Prime Minister. All ministers are sworn in by the President. The President then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of
the Prime Minister.
India's bicameral parliament
consists of the upper house known as the Council of States, or Rajya
Sabha and the lower house known as the House of the People, or Lok
Sabha. The Rajya Sabha is chosen by an electoral college whereas the Lok Sabha is elected directly.
For most of its independent history, India's union government has been ruled by the Indian National Congress Party. Having been the
biggest political group in pre-independence India, the Congress enjoyed nearly unchallenged dominance in national politics for
over forty years. It was not until 1977 that a united opposition, under the banner of
Janata Party, was able to win elections and form a non-Congress
government.
See also:
Geography and climate
Main article: Geography of India
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. Parts of India which lie in the Himalayan mountains have a tundra climate. India gets its rains through the monsoons.
See also:
States and Union territories
India is divided into twenty-eight states (which are further subdivided into districts), six 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:
Union Territories:
National Capital Territory:
India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had two scientific
bases there – Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri.
See also: List of
states of India by population
Economy
A nation in rapid development, India has an economy ranked as the twelfth largest in the world in terms of currency conversion
and fourth largest in terms of purchasing power
parity. It recorded the second-fastest annual growth rate at around eight percent in 2003. Owing to its large population, however, India's per-capita income by purchasing power parity works out to be
just US$ 2,540, ranked 143rd by the World
Bank. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over US$120
billion. Mumbai serves as the nation's financial capital and nerve centre; it is also
home to both the headquarters of the Reserve Bank of
India and the Bombay Stock Exchange. While 25% of
Indians still live below the poverty line, a large middle class has now emerged along with the growth of a promising IT industry.
The Indian economy has shed much of its historical dependence on agriculture, which now contributes to less than 25% of the GDP. Other important industries are mining, petroleum, diamond polishing, films, textiles, information technology
services, and handicrafts. Most of India's industrial regions are centred
around the major cities. In recent years, India has emerged as one of the largest players in software and business process
outsourcing services, with revenues of US$ 12.5 billion in 2003-2004. 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 three million foreign
visitors a year, tourism is still an important source of its national income. India's major trading partners are the United States, China, the United Arab
Emirates and the European Union.
See also: List of Indian companies
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), and 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 also home to the second
largest population of Muslims in the world (13.4%). Other smaller religious minorities
include Christians (2.33%), Sikhs (1.84%), Buddhists (0.76%), Jains (0.40%), Jews, Parsis, Ahmadi, and Bahá'ís. Religion in India is very public, with many 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. The Indian constitution recognises 22 languages. Hindi along with English are the languages used by the
Central Government for official purposes. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil. The number of mother tongues in India is as high as 1652.
See also:
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. Many dynamic cultural practices
and monuments, such as the Taj Mahal, have been inherited from the rule of Mughal
emperors.
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
forms in terms of classical music are the Carnatic from South India
and Hindustani from the north. Popular forms of
music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music; interestingly, Hindu
religious bhajans and Urdu ghazals often transcend 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 raiments for men are the
kurta and dhoti.
See also:
Media
India has a fairly free and independent media. The Indian press has flourished since
independence and has a vast number of English language and local language newspapers and journals. The total number of registered newspapers in India, as of 2003 was 55,780, of which 22,000 are Hindi language publications and periodicals. The total newspaper circulation is
142,005,543.
There are four major publishing groups in India, each of which control a
number of national and regional English-language and vernacular publications.
They are the Times of India Group, the Indian Express Group, the Hindustan Times Group, and the Anandabazar Patrika Group. The Times of India is India's largest English-language
daily, which is published in six cities and has a circulation of 656,000. The Indian Express, with a daily circulation of
519,000, is published in seventeen cities. There also are seven other English language newspapers with circulation between
134,000 and 477,000. Indian-language newspapers also enjoy a large readership with a few having circulations larger than the
English dailies.
The national television (Doordarshan) and radio (All India Radio) networks are state-owned and managed by the Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting. Doordarshan offers national, regional, and local service for Indian television viewers, with two
terrestrial channels (one of which is available in almost all parts of the country) and various satellite based cable channels. Since the late 1980s, India has
experienced a rapid increase in television broadcasting that has helped shape popular culture. Since 1991 there has been a proliferation of large number of private networks offering numerous channels to cater to its
polyglot populace. The major private networks who offer national channels are
Star TV, Zee TV, and Sony TV. A large number of households are now served
by cable operators, who offer more than a hundred channels. Direct To
Home is another option availabe to some parts of India.
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, kho-Kho 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.
Trivia
External links
- Official
Other uses
India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet.
Footnotes
1 The Government of India recognises the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of India. This state borders a part of Afghanistan. A ceasefire sponsored by the United
Nations in 1948 freezes the positions of Indian and Pakistani held territory. As a
consequence, the region bordering Afghanistan is in Pakistani-administered territory.
|
