India
Republic of India भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaṇarājya | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Satyameva Jayate" Sanskrit: सत्यमेव जयते /sətjəmeːvə ɟəjəteː/ ("Truth Alone Triumphs") | |
| Anthem: "Jana Gana Mana " /ɟənə gəɳə mənə/ | |
| Location of India | |
| Capital | New Delhi |
| Largest city | Mumbai (Bombay) |
| Official languages | Hindi, English, and 21 other languages |
| Government | Federal republic |
| Independence | |
• Water (%) | 9.56 |
| Population | |
• 2005 estimate | 1,103,371,000 (2nd) |
• 2001 census | 1,027,015,247 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
• Total | $3.633 trillion (4th) |
• Per capita | $3344 (122th) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.602 medium (127th) |
| Currency | Rupee (Rs.)1 (INR) |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+5:30 (not observed) |
| Calling code | 91 |
| ISO 3166 code | IN |
| Internet TLD | .in |
1 Re. is singular | |
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country located in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, and the second most populous country in the world. India has a coastline of over seven thousand kilometres,Template:Inote and borders Pakistan and Afghanistan[1] to the west, Nepal, the People's Republic of China and Bhutan to the north-east, and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, it is adjacent to the island nations of Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Home to one of the four major ancient civilisations, a center of important trade routes and vast empires, India has long played a major role in human history. Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism–all have their origins in India, and Islam and Christianity enjoy a strong cultural heritage. Colonised as part of the British Empire in the nineteenth century, India gained independence in 1947 as a unified nation after an intensive struggle for independence. The country has one of the most diverse populations of wildlife, geographical terrain and climate systems found anywhere in the world.
The name India /'ɪndiə/ is derived from the Old Persian version of Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River (see Origin of India's name). The Constitution of India and common usage also recognise Bharat (Hindi: भारत /bʰɑːrət̪/ ), as an official name of equal status. A third name, Hindustan (Hindi: हिन्दुस्तान /hin̪d̪ust̪ɑːn/) (Persian: Land of the Hindus < Old Persian Hindu, India / land of the Indus < Sanskrit Sindhu, any river/the Indus) has been used since the twelfth century, though its contemporary use is unevenly applied.
History
Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at Bhimbetka in the state of Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared over 9,000 years ago, and gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation, began in around 3300 BCE in western India. It was followed by the Vedic Civilisation which laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics known as the Mahajanapadas were established across the country.
The empire built by the Maurya dynasty under Emperor Ashoka united most of modern South Asia. From 180 BCE, a series of invasions from Central Asia followed including the Indo-Greeks, Indo-Scythians, Indo-Parthians and Kushans in the northwestern Indian Subcontinent. From the third century BCE, the Gupta dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient India's "Golden Age." In the south, several dynasties, including the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas and Pandyas prevailed during different periods. Science, engineering, art, literature, mathematics, astronomy, religion and philosophy flourished under the patronage of these kings.
Following the invasions from Central Asia, between the tenth to the twelfth centuries, much of north India came under the rule of the Delhi Sultanate, and later the Mughal dynasty, who gradually expanded their reign throughout the Indian subcontinent. Nevertheless, several indigenous kingdoms flourished, especially in the south, like the Vijayanagara Empire. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, several European countries, including Portugal, Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom, initially arrived as traders, later took advantage of the fractious nature of relations between the kingdoms, to establish colonies in the country. By 1856, most of India came under control of the British East India Company. A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military units and kingdoms, known locally as the First War of Indian Independence (known as the Sepoy Mutiny elsewhere) broke out, which failed even as it seriously challenged British rule. India thus came under the direct control of the British Crown as a colony of the British Empire.
In the early twentieth century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress, largely led by Mahatma Gandhi. Millions of protestors would engage in mass campaigns of civil disobedience with a commitment to ahimsa or non-violence. Finally, on 15 August, 1947, India gained independence from British rule. Three years later, on 26 January, 1950, India choose to be a republic, and a new Constitution came into effect.
Since independence, India has seen sectarian violence and insurgencies in various parts of the country, but has maintained its unity and democracy. It has unresolved territorial disputes with China, which escalated into the brief Sino-Indian War in 1962; and with Pakistan, which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and in 1999 in Kargil. India is a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations (as part of British India). In 1974, India conducted an underground nuclear test. This was followed by five more tests in 1998. Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991 have transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, and added to its global and regional clout.
Government
| Flag | Tiranga | |
| Emblem | Sarnath Lion | |
| Anthem | "Jana Gana Mana" | |
| Song | "Vandē Mātaram" | |
| Animal | Royal Bengal Tiger | |
| Bird | Indian Peacock | |
| Flower | Lotus | |
| Tree | Banyan | |
| Fruit | Mango | |
| Sport | Field Hockey | |
| Calendar | Saka |
The Consitution of India states that India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic. India has a federal form of government and a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. It has three branches of governance: the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
The President is the head of state, though he has a largely ceremonial role to play. He is also the Commander-in-Chief of India's armed forces. The President is elected indirectly by an electoral college for five-year terms. The Prime Minister is the de facto head of government, and has most executive powers. He or she is appointed by the President, with the requirement that he/she enjoys the support of the majority of the party or coalition securing the most number of seats in lower house of the Parliament (the Lok Sabha).
The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), and the lower house called the Lok Sabha (House of People). The 245-member Rajya Sabha is chosen indirectly through the state Legislative Assemblies, and has a staggered six-year term. Each state sends members to the Rajya Sabha in a proportion of its population. The 545-member Lok Sabha is directly elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and is the determinative constituent of political power and government formation. All Indian citizens above age 18 are eligible to vote.
The executive arm consists of the President, Vice-President, and the Council of Ministers (the Cabinet being its executive committee) headed by the Prime Minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of either house of parliament. In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature.
India's independent judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court has both original jurisdiction over disputes between states and the Centre, and appellate jurisdiction over the eighteen High Courts of India, and additionally, the power to declare Union and state laws null and void if in conflict with the Constitution. Template:Inote
The federating states have a governor as the ceremonial head, with a Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers weilding the actual power. The state council of ministers is responsible to the legislative assembly of the state.
Politics
For most of its independent history, India has been ruled by the Indian National Congress. The party enjoyed a parliamentary majority barring two brief periods during the 1970s and late 1980s. This rule was interrupted between 1977 to 1980, when the Janata Party coalition won the election owing to public discontent with the "Emergency" declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The Janata Dal won elections in 1989, but its government managed to hold on to power for only two years. Between 1996 and 1998, there was a period of political flux with the government being formed first by the right-wing nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party followed by a left-leaning United Front coalition. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with smaller regional parties, and became the first non-Congress and coalition government to complete a full five-year term. The 2004 Indian elections saw the Congress party winning the largest number of seats to form a government leading the United Progressive Alliance, and supported by left-parties and those opposed to the BJP.
Since independence, India has maintained cordial relationships with most nations. It took a lead in the 1950s in advocating the independence of European colonies in Africa and Asia. During the Cold War, India tried to maintain its neutrality and was one of the founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement. After the Sino-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, India's relationship with the Soviet Union warmed at the expense of ties with the United States and continued to remain so till the end of the Cold War. India has consistently refused to sign the CTBT and the NPT to maintain sovereignty over its nuclear program despite criticism and military sanctions. Recent overtures by the Indian government have strengthened India's relations with United States, China and Pakistan. In the economic sphere, India has close relationships with other developing nations of South America, Asia and Africa. In recent years, India has played an influential role in the ASEAN, SAARC and the WTO. India has been a long time supporter of the United Nations, with over 55,000 Indian military and police personnel having served in 35 UN peace keeping operations over four continents [3].
States and union territories
India is divided into twenty-eight states (which are further subdivided into districts), and seven union territories (or territories owned by the Central Government). All states, and the union territories of Delhi and Pondicherry have elected governments. The remaining five union territories have centrally-appointed administrators.
Geography
The territory of India constitutes a major portion of the Indian subcontinent, situated on the Indian Plate, the northerly portion of the Indo-Australian Plate, in southern Asia. India's northern and northeastern states are partially situated in the Himalayan Mountain Range. The rest of northern, central and eastern India consists of the fertile Indo-Gangetic plain. In the west, bordering southeast Pakistan, lies the Thar Desert. The southern Indian Peninsula is almost entirely composed of the Deccan plateau, which is flanked by two hilly coastal ranges, the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
India is home to several major rivers, including the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Godavari, Kaveri, Narmada, and Krishna. India has three archipelagos – Lakshadweep off the southwest coast, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands volcanic island chain to the southeast, and the Sunderbans in the Gangetic delta in West Bengal.
Climate in India varies from tropical in the south to more temperate in the Himalayan north, with elevated regions in the north receiving sustained snowfall in winters. India's climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert. The Himalayas, along with the Hindu Kush mountains in Pakistan, provide a barrier to the cold winds from Central Asia. This keeps most of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations in similar latitudes. The Thar Desert is responsible for attracting the moisture laden southwest monsoon winds in that provide most of India's rainfall between June to September.
Economy
The economy of India is the fourth largest in the world as measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), with a GDP of US $3.63 trillion. However when it comes to PPP—GDP per capita figures—India's economy is ranked 152nd in the world. When measured in USD exchange-rate terms, it is the twelfth largest in the world, with a GDP of US $775 billion (2005). India is the second fastest growing major economy in the world, with a GDP growth rate of 8.1% at the end of the first quarter of 2006. However, India's huge population results in a relatively low per capita income of $3,400 at PPP and is classified as a developing nation.Template:Inote
For most of its independent history India has adhered to a socialist-inspired approach, with strict government control over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. Since the early 1990s, India has gradually opened up its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment. Privatisation of public-owned industries and opening up of certain sectors to private and foreign players has proceeded slowly amid political debate.
India has a labour force of 496.4 million of which agriculture constitutes 60%, industry 17%, and services 23%. India's agricultural produce include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats, poultry and fish. Major industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum and machinery [4].
In recent times, India has also capitalised on its large number of educated population who are fluent in the English language to become an important location for global companies outsourcing customer service and technical support call centers. It is also a major exporter of software, financial, research and technology services. India's most important trading partners are the United States, the European Union, Japan, China, and the United Arab Emirates.Template:Inote
Demographics
India is the second-most populous country in the world with an estimated 1.1 billion people in 2006. Almost 70% of its population reside in rural areas.Template:Inote India's largest urban agglomerations are Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore. Efforts to eradicate illiteracy have met with substantial but not great success. In 1947 India's literacy rate was 11% [5]. Today, 65.1% of its population (53.4% for females and 75.3% of males) are able to read and write. The national sex ratio is 933 females per 1,000 males. India's median age is 24.66, and the population growth rate is 22.32 births per 1,000 [6].
Although 80.5% of the people are Hindus, India is also home to the third-largest Muslim population in the world (13.4%). Other religious groups include Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.84%), Buddhists (0.76%), Jains (0.40%), Jews, Zoroastrians and Bahá'ís [6].
Race is not a major social factor in India. Anthropologists vary in their classifications of Indians due to the diversity of the population and the difficulty in categorizing groups that show a high degree of overlap. Increasingly, there is strong evidence to support the view that most Indians are descendents of ancient immigrants who came to region over 12,000 years ago during the Pleistocene epoch and that the impact of later invasions may have been more minimal than previously believed. [7] [8] Thus, although the caste system persists in India and seeks to classify and segregate groups (despite being illegal under the Indian Constitution), there is little evidence to support any substantial differences between caste groups other than those socially constructed.[9]
India is home to two major linguistic families: Indo-European (whose branch Indo-Aryan is spoken by about 74% of the population) and Dravidian (spoken by about 24%). Other languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil. The number of mother tongues in India is as high as 1,652.
Article 343 of the Indian Constitution recognises Hindi in Dēvanāgari script as the official language of the union [10]; the Constitution also allows for the continuation of use of the English language for official purposes. Article 345 provides constitutional recognition to "regional languages" of the union to include any language adopted by a State Legislature as the official language of that state. Until the Twenty-First Amendment of the Constitution in 1967, the country recognised 14 official regional languages. The Eighth Schedule and the Seventy-First Amendment provided for the inclusion of Sindhi, Konkani, Manipuri and Nepali, thereby increasing the number of official regional languages of India to 18 [11].
The HIV/AIDS epidemic is now a major health issue in India. Data released by UNAIDS shows that India now has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS, with an estimated 5.7 million infections as of 2005.
Culture
India has a rich and unique cultural heritage, and has managed to preserve its established traditions throughout history whilst absorbing customs, traditions and ideas from both invaders and immigrants. Many cultural practices, languages, customs and monuments are examples of this co-mingling over centuries. Famous monuments, such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Islamic-inspired architecture have been inherited from the Mughal dynasty. These are the result of a syncretic tradition that combined elements from all parts of the country.
Indian music is represented in a wide variety of forms. The two main forms of classical music are Carnatic from South India, and Hindustani from North India. Popular forms of music also prevail, the most notable being Filmi music. In addition to this are the diverse traditions of folk music from different parts of the country. Many classical dance forms exist, including the Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kathak and Manipuri. They often have a narrative form and are usually infused with devotional and spiritual elements. The earliest literary traditions in India were mostly oral, and were later transcribed. Most of these are represented by sacred works like the Vedas and the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Sangam literature from Tamil Nadu represents some of India's oldest traditions. There have been many notable modern Indian writers, both in Indian languages and in English. India's only Nobel laureate in literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore. India produces the world's largest number of films every year. The most recognisable face is that of cinema production based in Mumbai, which produces mainly commercial Hindi films, often referred to as "Bollywood". There are also strong cinema industries based on the Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Bengali languages.
Religious practices of various faiths are an integral part of everyday life in society. Religion in India is a very public affair, with many practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities.
The cuisine of India is extremely diverse, as ingredients, spices and cooking methods vary from region to region. Rice and wheat are the staple foods in the country. The country is notable for its wide variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. Spicy food and sweets are popular in India. Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles, and depend on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include the traditional sari for women and the traditional dhoti for men.
India's national sport is field hockey, although cricket is now the de facto national game. In some states, particularly in the northeast, football (soccer) is the most popular sport and is widely watched. In recent times, tennis has gained popularity in India. Chess is also gaining popularity with the rise of number of grandmasters. The most commonly held view is that chess originated in India. Traditional indigenous sports include kabaddiTemplate:Inote and gilli-danda, which are played in most parts of the country.
Holidays
India is also known as a land of festivals. A melting pot of many religions, India has a rich diversity of festivals, many of which are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. The most widely known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi, Pongal and Dussehra and the Muslim celebration of Eid.
A number of festivals are common to most parts of India; however, they may be called by different names in the various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion. Every festival is celebrated in a unique style.
India has three National Holidays. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine to twelve, pertain to festivals, religious holidays and births of leaders which are legislated by the individual states.
| Date | Holiday | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 26 January | Republic Day | The Constitution of India came into effect on this day in 1950. |
| 15 August | Independence Day | India gained its independence from the British Empire on this day in 1947. |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti | The Birth Date of Mahatma Gandhi. |
See also
Template:Topics related to India Template:India ties
External links
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from Wikisource
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Resources from Wikiversity
- Official
- Encyclopaedia Britannica free article - India and its people
- Official portal of the Government of India
- Government of India Directory — Directory of Central and State government websites
- Official website of Parliament of India
- India in Business- Official website for Investment and Trade in India
- India Brand Equity Foundation- For information on doing business in India
- Incredible India- Official tourism website of Government of India
- Other
- Template:Wikitravel
- India, an external wiki
- CIA World Factbook article on India
- BBC Country Profile on India
- Confederation of Indian Industry
- Current news on India from Google and Yahoo
Notes
- ^ The Government of India considers the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir to be a part of India including the portion bordering 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.
- ^ The black line is the boundary as recognised by the government of India. The northern region of Kashmir is currently administered by India, Pakistan, and China (and coloured in as such). The delimiting of the three administered regions is not the international boundary but a ceasefire line demarcated in red. The boundary separating India and Pakistan is known as the Line of Control, that separating India and China as the 'Line of Actual Control'. Most of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is still claimed by China.
- ^ "India and the United Nations". Retrieved April 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "CIA Factbook : India". CIA Factbook. Retrieved April 15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Colonial Legacy: Myths and Popular Beliefs". Image-India. Retrieved May 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Census of India 2001, Data on Religion". Census of India. Retrieved April 15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Genetic Heritage of the Earliest Settlers Persists Both in Indian Tribal and Caste Populations" (PDF). Department of Genetic Studies, Stanford University. Retrieved May 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Most of the extant mtDNA boundaries in South and Southwest Asia were likely shaped during the initial settlement of Eurasia by anatomically modern humans". University of Oxford. Retrieved May 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "US Library of Congress Country Studies: India, Caste and Class". US Library of Congress Country Studies. Retrieved May 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Part XVII, Chapter 1. Article 343". Constitution of India. Government of India.
- ^ "Legislation: Legislation dealing with the use of lanaguages". Constitution of India. Articles 29, 30, 120, 210, 343-351 as amended in the 21st and 71st Amendments.
References
- "CIA Factbook : India". CIA Factbook. Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Provisional Population Totals 2001 Census". Census of India. Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - India "India – Country profiles". indexmundi.com. Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help); Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Census of India 2001, Data on Religion". Census of India. Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Languages of India". India image. Retrieved August 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "Foreign Policy of India". Indian Embassy. Retrieved March 24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "India pitches for Olympic kabbadi". Rediff.com. Retrieved April 15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - "The Colonial Legacy: Myths and Popular Beliefs". Image-India. Retrieved May 14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - Matthew, K.M. (2006). Manorama Yearbook 2003. Malaya Manorama. pp. pg 524. ISBN 8189004077.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help)
- India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet.