India
The Republic of India, is the second most populous country in the world and is the world's largest democracy, with over one billion people speaking about 800 distinct languages. The Indian economy is the fourth-largest in the world, in terms of purchasing power parity.
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| National motto: Satyameva Jayaté | |||||
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| Official language | Hindi, English (+ 13 other official languages) | ||||
| Capital | New Delhi | ||||
| Largest City | Mumbai | ||||
| President | Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam | ||||
| Prime Minister | Dr. Manmohan Singh | ||||
| Area - Total |
Ranked 7th 3,287,590 km² | ||||
| Population - Total |
Ranked 2nd 1,049,700,118 | ||||
| GDP by PPP - Total |
Ranked 4th (among countries) Ranked 5th (among economies) 2.66 trillion $ | ||||
| Independence | August 15, 1947 | ||||
| Republic | January 26, 1950 | ||||
| Currency Currency Code (ISO 4217) |
Indian Rupee (₨) INR | ||||
| Time zone | UTC +5.30 (IST) | ||||
| National anthem | Jana Gana Mana | ||||
| National song | Vandé Mataram | ||||
| Internet TLD | .IN | ||||
| Calling Code | 91 | ||||
| National game | Hockey | ||||
| National animal | Tiger | ||||
| National bird | Peacock | ||||
| National flower | Lotus | ||||
Origin of names
Main article: Origin of India's name
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. Hindustan, meaning land of the Hindus is the third major name used from the Mughal times onwards. It is unevenly used across the country today due to differing views of its appropriateness as a national signifier.
History
Main articles: History of India, Timeline of Indian 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 was at its height from around 2600 BC to 1900 BC and was one of the earliest known civilisations. Around 1500 BC, Aryan tribes from Central Asia are said to have migrated to India. Theories positing continuity which deny these claims are held by a minority.
From the interaction of Vedic and indigenous culture, classical Hinduism arose. Later on, Buddhism and Jainism saw their conception with a flurry of religious reformation. The first millennium saw many highly developed independent kingdoms, some of which acquired imperial stature, come to the fore. The great Hindu dynasties of the Guptas and Mauryas, and a line of Buddhist rulers starting with Ashoka, contributed greatly to the Indian historical 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 a few Hindu kingdoms remained in or subsequently arose to power.
After the arrival of the European traders, the Portugese, French and English took advantage of the fractured, debilitate kingdoms spread across the subcontinent and colonised India. In 1857, an insurrection amongst the army sepoys ensued in the popular Revolt of 1857 against the powerful East India Company; this mobilised resistance, though short-lasting, was caused due to the widespread resentment against British discriminatory policies. After the revolt, the Indian independence movements was started to demand complete independence. On August 15th, 1947, India was finally granted independence from British rule.
After independence, India fought four wars over Kashmir. 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 west India. In 1999, India mobilised its military in Kargil, Kashmir to repel Islamist terrorists, encroaching on Indian territory.
Politics
Main article: Politics of India
The Republic of India is a democratic republic. It is a Union of states with a federal structure. The head of state is the President having a largely ceremonial role. The President and Vice-President are elected indirectly through an electoral college and have 5 year staggered 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.
See also:
- Indian Administrative Service
- List of political parties in India
- Indian election process
- Election Commission of India
- List of government ministers
Geography and climate
Main article: Geography of India
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India shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Afghanistan1. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia are the neighbouring island nations in the Indian Ocean.
Occupying most of the Indian subcontinent, 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.
See also: Climate of India, Ecoregions of India
States and Union territories
Main article: States and Territories of India
India is divided into 28 states (which are further sub-divided into districts), 6 Union Territories and the National Capital Territory of Delhi:
India has made no territorial claim in Antarctica but had twoscientific bases there — Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri.
See also: List of states of India by population
Economy
Main article: Economy of India
The Indian economy today is the 4th largest in the world and has the second fastest annual growth rate at around 8%. India's foreign exchange reserves amount to over 120 billion US dollars. Mumbai (formerly Bombay), headquarters of the Reserve Bank of India, and housing the Bombay Stock Exchange, remains the financial capital and nerve centre of the country's economy.
The Indian economy is largely agrarian (25% of the economy) but manufacturing and services have recently gathered pace as India becomes a more attractive destination for outsourcing and grows as a consumer market.
Other important industries are Iron and steel, petroleum, jewellery, entertainment, textile, Information Technology services and handicrafts.
See also:
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of India
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).
See also: List of cities in India
Languages
India is home to two main language families, the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian derived languages. India's national language is Hindi. English, which is classified as an associate official language is widely in use in higher echelons, and is seen as the language of social mobility and standing. Two classical languages native to the land are Sanskrit and Tamil.
Eighteen other official languages are recognised by the Constitution for official administrative use by various state governments. The number of living languages in India has been estimated to be as high as 400.
Religion
Main article: Religion in India
Although 83% of the people are Hindus, India is home to a large population of Muslims (13%) giving it the world's third largest Muslim population after Indonesia and Pakistan. Other smaller religious minorities include Christians (3%), Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, Parsis, Ahmadi and Bahá'í.
Religion in India is very public with many rich and colourful practices imbued with pomp and vitality accompanying their underlying spiritual qualities.
Culture
Main article: Culture of India
Being one of the earliest of civilisations, India has a rich and unique cultural heritage. It has striven to preserve its established traditions throughout history, though its dynamic nature is manifest in its willingness to respect and tolerate foreign ways and practices.
See also:
Society
Main article: Indian society
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 strata. The traditional Indian family values are highly respected and considered sacred. Some urban families prefer a nuclear family owing to the socio-economic constraints imposed by the traditional joint family system.
See also: Indian family name
Music
Main article: Indian music
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; interestingy, 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.
See also:
Literature
Main article: Indian literature
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, 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 (with Booker Prize winners, Arundhati Roy and Salman Rushdie). India's only Nobel laureate in Literature was the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore.
- See also: Indian Writing in English
Dance
Many dance forms exist in India - Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Kathakali and others. While they often have a narrative form, they are also infused with devotional and spiritual elements. Other forms such as street theatre and puppetry are also widespread.
- See also: Indian classical dance
Festivals
Main article: Indian festivals
A melting pot of many religions, festivals are celebrated by one and all. The most widely-known and popular celebrations include the Hindu festivals of Diwali, Holi and Dussera.
- See also List of holidays in India
Dress
Main article: Indian Dress
Traditional dress in India greatly varies across the regions in its colours and styles. The Sari and Salwar Kameez are popular among women. Ethnic Indian wear for men is composed of the Dhoti and Kurta.
Cuisine
Main article: Indian cuisine
Rice in the south and wheat in the north 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. Indians love their famous spicy food as much as their wide variety of sweets.
Film
Main article: Cinema of India
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 director Satyajit Ray.
Sports
Main article: Sports in India
India's national sport is Field Hockey, although many would assert that Cricket is now the de-facto national game. Football 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 sports that are said to have originated from India.
Trivia
- Traffic moves on the left side (and cars have Right Hand Drive).
- The Indian English spoken in India is rooted in British English.
- Date format: dd/mm/yyyy
- Number format: 107= 1 crore. 105= 1 lakh. 1,00,00,000 = 1 crore. (See Indian numbering system)
- Postal Code (PIN): 6 digits.
- Official Measurements: Metric (SI)
- Voltage 220V; 50 Hz
- TV signals use PAL
- Financial Year starts on April 1.
- Power plugs — Type C, D & M (CEE 7/16; CEE 7/17; BS 546)
Related topics
External links
Official
- GOI Directory — Directory of governmental websites
- Prime Minister's Office
- President of India
- Indian Parliament
- Ministry of Defence — Official MOD site
- Indiaimage — National Informatics Center - Basic Portal to Govt. of India Websites
- Census of India — Office of the Census Commissioner
- Indian Postal Service
- Supreme Court of India
- Ministry of External Affairs — Discover India. Definitive site for information and links.
- Central Board of Excise and Customs, India - A direct, no-nonsense site.
- Election Commission of India — India's political watchdog.
- Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) — Indian Export Organisation
- Department of Electronics
- Tourism of India — Ministry of Tourism
- Department of Education, Govt. of India
Other
- CIA — The World Factbook -- India — CIA's Factbook on India
- Country Profile: India — BBC's's Country Profile on India
- Indian States — Table of Indian states and codes from Statoids
- STD Codes — Citywise STD codes
- Images of India
- India visa requirements
- Travel information at countryguide.com
- Historical Maps of India
- Indian Literature
- Indian Literature
News Sources
- Main article: News sources India
Template:South Asia 1The 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 Pakistan administered territory.
India is also the letter I in the NATO phonetic alphabet
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