India With Thanks to Wikipedia

8/6/2019 India With Thanks to Wikipedia

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India 1

India

Republic of India

*Bhrat Gaarjya

Motto: "Satyameva Jayate"(Sanskrit) (Devangar)

"Truth Alone Triumphs"[3]

Anthem:

Jana Gana ManaThou art the ruler of the minds of all people[4]

National Song[5]

Vande Mataram

I bow to thee, Mother[6]

Area controlled by India in dark green;Claimed but uncontrolled territories in light green

Capital New Delhi2836.8N 7712.5E

Largest city Mumbai

Official language(s)

Recognised regional languages

National languages

None defined by the Constitution

[7]

Demonym Indian
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India 2

Government Federalparliamentaryconstitutional republic[2]

- President Pratibha Patil

- Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (INC)

- Speaker of the House Meira Kumar (INC)

- Chief Justice S. H. Kapadia

Legislature Sansad

- Upper House Rajya Sabha

- Lower House Lok Sabha

Independence from the United Kingdom

- Declared 15 August 1947

- Republic 26 January 1950

Area

- 3,287,263 km2(7th)1,269,219 sq mi

- Water (%) 9.56

Population

- 2011 estimate 1,210,193,422[8] (2nd)

- 2001 census 1,028,610,328

- Density 363.8/km2 (31st)942.3/sq mi

GDP (PPP) 2010 estimate

- Total $4.060 trillion[9]

- Per capita $3,339[9]

GDP (nominal) 2010 estimate

- Total $1.538 trillion[9]

- Per capita $1,265[9]

Gini (2004) 36.8[10]

(79th)

HDI (2010) 0.519[11] (medium) (119th)

Currency Indian rupee ( ) (INR)

Time zone IST(UTC+5:30)

- Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+5:30)

Date formats dd/mm/yyyy (AD)

Drives on the left

ISO 3166 code IN

Internet TLD .in

Calling code 91
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India 3

India ( /En-us-India.oggndi/), conventional long name Republic of India (Hindi: Bhrat Gaarjya;

see also official names of India), is a country in SouthAsia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical

area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the

world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal

on the southeast, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west; Bhutan, the People's Republic of China and

Nepal to the northeast; and Bangladesh and Burma to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of

Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with

Thailand and Indonesia.

Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian

subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. [12] Four of the

world's major religionsHinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhismoriginated here, while Zoroastrianism,

Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's diverse culture. [13] Gradually

annexed by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and colonised by the United Kingdom from

the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence which was

marked by non-violent resistance and led by Mahatma Gandhi.

The Indian economy is the world's tenth largest economy by nominal GDP and fourth largest economy bypurchasing power parity. Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India has become one of the fastest

growing major economies, and is considered a newly industrialized country; however, it continues to face the

challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption and inadequate public health. A nuclear weapons state and a regional

power, it has the third-largest standing army in the world, and ranks tenth in military expenditure among nations.

India is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy consisting of 28 states and seven union

territories. It is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the World Trade Organization, the

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the East Asia Summit, the G20, the G8+5, and the

Commonwealth of Nations; and is one of the four BRIC nations. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic

society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

Etymology

The name India is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hindu, from Sanskrit

Sindhu, the historic local appellation for the Indus River.[14] The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi

(), the people of the Indus.[15] The Constitution of India and common usage in various Indian languages also

recogniseBharat(pronounced Hindustani pronunciation: [bart] ( listen)) as an official name of equal status.[16] The

name Bharat is derived from the name of the legendary king Bharata in Hindu scriptures. Hindustan (Hindustani

pronunciation: [ndstan] ( listen)), originally a Persian word for Land of the Hindus referring to northern India

and Pakistan before 1947, is also occasionally used as a synonym for all of India.[17]

History

Stone Age rock shelters with paintings at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh are the earliest known

traces of human life in India. The first known permanent settlements appeared about 8,500 years ago and gradually

developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation,[18] dating back to 3400 BCE in western India. It was followed by the

Vedic period, which laid the foundations of Hinduism and other cultural aspects of early Indian society, and ended in

the 500s BCE. From around 550 BCE, many independent kingdoms and republics known as the Mahajanapadas

were established across the country.[19]
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India 4

Paintings at the Ajanta Caves in Aurangabad,

Maharashtra, sixth century

In the third century BCE, Maurya Empire gradually united the Indian

sub-continent under Chandragupta Maurya, his son Bindusara and

grandson Ashoka the Great.[20] From the third century CE, the Gupta

dynasty oversaw the period referred to as ancient "India's Golden

Age".[21] [22] Empires in southern India included those of the

Chalukyas, the Cholas and the Vijayanagara Empire. Science,technology, engineering, art, logic, language, literature, mathematics,

astronomy, religion and philosophy flourished under the patronage of

these kings.

Following invasions from Central Asia between the 10th and 12th

centuries, much of northern India came under the rule of the Delhi

Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire. Under the rule of Akbar the

Great, India enjoyed much cultural and economic progress as well as

religious harmony.[23] [24] Mughal emperors gradually expanded their

empires to cover large parts of the subcontinent. However, in northeastern India, the dominant power was the Ahom

kingdom of Assam, among the few kingdoms to have resisted Mughal subjugation. Due to Mughal persecution, theSikhs developed a martial tradition and established the Sikh Empire which stood until the Anglo-Sikh wars in the

mid-19th century.[25] The first major threat to Mughal imperial power came from a Hindu Rajput king Maha Rana

Pratap of Mewar in the 16th century and later from a Hindu state known as the Maratha confederacy, that ruled much

of India in the mid-18th century.[26]

From the 16th century, European powers such as Portugal, the Netherlands, France, and Great Britain established

trading posts and later took advantage of internal conflicts to establish colonies. By 1856, most of India had come

under the control of the British East India Company.[27] A year later, a nationwide insurrection of rebelling military

units and kingdoms, known as India's First War of Independence or the Sepoy Mutiny, seriously challenged the

Company's control but eventually failed. As a result of the instability, India was brought under the direct rule of theBritish Crown.

Mahatma Gandhi (right) with Jawaharlal Nehru,1937. Nehru would go on to become India's first

prime minister in 1947.

In the 20th century, a nationwide struggle for independence was

launched by the Indian National Congress and other political

organisations.[28] A large part of the movement for independence was

led by Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, which led

millions of people in several national campaigns of non-violent civil

disobedience.[29]

On 15 August 1947, India gained independence from British rule, but

at the same time the Muslim-majority areas were partitioned to form a

separate state of Pakistan.[30] On 26 January 1950, India became a

republic and a new constitution came into effect.[31]

Since independence, India has faced challenges from religious

violence, casteism, naxalism, terrorism and regional separatist insurgencies, especially in Jammu and Kashmir and

Northeast India. Since the 1990s terrorist attacks have affected many Indian cities. India has unresolved territorial

disputes with the People's Republic of China, which, in 1962, escalated into the Sino-Indian War, and with Pakistan,

which resulted in wars in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999. India is a founding member of the United Nations (as British

India) and the Non-Aligned Movement.

India is a state armed with nuclear weapons; having conducted its first nuclear test in 1974,[32] followed by another

five tests in 1998.[32] Beginning 1991, significant economic reforms[33] have transformed India into one of thefastest-growing economies in the world, increasing its global clout.[34]
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28real%29_growth_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28real%29_growth_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_by_GDP_%28real%29_growth_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Economic_liberalisation_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pokhran-IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pokhran-IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smiling_Buddhahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_states_with_nuclear_weaponshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Non-Aligned_Movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kargil_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1971http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1965http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indo-Pakistani_War_of_1947http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sino-Indian_Warhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Terrorism_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Insurgency_in_Jammu_and_Kashmirhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Terrorism_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Naxalitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caste-related_violence_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religious_violence_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religious_violence_in_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constitution_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Partition_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Civil_disobediencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Civil_disobediencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ahimsahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_National_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_independence_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nehru_Gandhi_1937.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jawaharlal_Nehruhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mohandas_Karamchand_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_Rebellion_of_1857http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=East_India_Companyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maratha_confederacyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mewarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maha_Rana_Prataphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maha_Rana_Prataphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rajputhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hinduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anglo-Sikh_warshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sikh_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sikh_Mislshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sikhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Assamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ahom_kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ahom_kingdomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=North-East_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akbar_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akbar_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mughal_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delhi_Sultanatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Delhi_Sultanatehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muslim_conquest_in_the_Indian_subcontinenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_philosophyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_religionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_astronomyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_mathematicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_literaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_logichttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Indian_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Indian_inventions_and_discoverieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Science_and_technology_in_ancient_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Science_and_technology_in_ancient_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vijayanagara_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chola_Dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chalukya_dynastyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_Age_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_Age_of_Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gupta_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gupta_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ashoka_the_Greathttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bindusarahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chandragupta_Mauryahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maurya_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Indischer_Maler_des_6._Jahrhunderts_001.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aurangabad%2C_Maharashtrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ajanta_Caves


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India 5

Geography

Topographic map of India.

India, the major portion of the Indian subcontinent, lies atop the Indian

tectonic plate, a minor plate within the Indo-Australian Plate.[35] India's

defining geological processes commenced seventy-five million years

ago, when the Indian subcontinent, then part of the southern

supercontinent Gondwana, began a northeastwards driftlasting fiftymillion yearsacross the then unformed Indian Ocean.[35] The

subcontinent's subsequent collision with the Eurasian Plate and

subduction under it, gave rise to the Himalayas, the planet's highest

mountains, which now abut India in the north and the north-east.[35] In

the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate

movement created a vast trough, which, having gradually been filled

with river-borne sediment,[36] now forms the Indo-Gangetic Plain.[37]

To the west of this plain, and cut off from it by the Aravalli Range, lies

the Thar Desert.[38]

The original Indian plate now survives as peninsular India, the oldest and geologically most stable part of India, and

extends as far north as the Satpura and Vindhya ranges in central India. These parallel ranges run from the Arabian

Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand in the east.[39] To their south, the

remaining peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is flanked on the left and right by the coastal ranges, Western

Ghats and Eastern Ghats respectively;[40] the plateau contains the oldest rock formations in India, some over one

billion years old. Constituted in such fashion, India lies to the north of the equator between 644' and 3530' north

latitude[41] and 687' and 9725' east longitude.[42]

The Himalayas form the mountainous landscape

of northern India. Seen here is Ladakh in Jammu

and Kashmir.

India's coast is 7517 kilometres (4700 mi) long; of this distance,

5423 kilometres (3400 mi) belong to peninsular India, and

2094 kilometres (1300 mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, andLakshadweep Islands.[43] According to the Indian naval hydrographic

charts, the mainland coast consists of the following: 43% sandy

beaches, 11% rocky coast including cliffs, and 46% mudflats or

marshy coast.[43]

Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India

include the Ganges (Ganga) and the Brahmaputra, both of which drain

into the Bay of Bengal.[44] Important tributaries of the Ganges include

the Yamuna and the Kosi; the latter's extremely low gradient causes

disastrous floods every year. Major peninsular rivers, whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding,include the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Kaveri, and the Krishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal;[45] and

the Narmada and the Tapti, which drain into the Arabian Sea.[46] Among notable coastal features of India are the

marshy Rann of Kutch in western India, and the alluvial Sundarbans delta, which India shares with Bangladesh. [47]

India has two archipelagos: the Lakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and

Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in the Andaman Sea.[48]
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India 6

Climate

India's climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the monsoons.[49]

The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian

subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes.[50][51] The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting

the moisture-laden southwest summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of

India's rainfall.[49]

Four major climatic groupings predominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid,and montane.[52]

Biodiversity

Lying within the Indomalaya ecozone, with three hotspots located within its area, India displays significant

biodiversity.[53] As one of the seventeen megadiverse countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all

avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species. [54]

Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant

species are endemic.[55][56]

India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and northeastern

India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest

of eastern India; the teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated

thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.[57] Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem,

widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded

Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. According to latest report, less than 12% of India's landmass is

covered by dense forests.[58]

Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, from which the Indian plate separated a long

time ago. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass

exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many

endemic Indian forms.

[59]

Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes oneither side of the emerging Himalaya.[57] Consequently, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of

birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians.[54] Notable endemics are the Nilgiri

leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of

IUCN-designated threatened species.[60] These include the Asiatic Lion, the Bengal Tiger, and the Indian

white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national

parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife

Protection Act[61] and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; in addition, the Forest Conservation Act was

enacted in 1980.[62] Along with more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries, India hosts thirteen biosphere

reserves,[63] four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; twenty-five wetlands are registeredunder the Ramsar Convention.[64]
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India 7

Politics

The Secretariat Building, in New Delhi, houses

key government offices.

India is the most populous democracy in the world.[65] [66] A

parliamentary republic with a multi-party system,[67] it has six

recognised national parties, including the Indian National Congress and

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), and more than 40 regional parties.[68] The

Congress is considered centre-left or "liberal" in the Indian politicalculture, and the BJP centre-right or "conservative". For most of the

period between 1950when India first became a republicand the

late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the parliament. Since then,

however, it has increasingly shared the political stage with the BJP, [69]

as well as with ever more powerful regional parties which have often

forced multi-party coalitions at the centre.[70]

In the first three general elections in the Republic of India, in 1951, 1957 and 1962, the Congress, led by Jawaharlal

Nehru, won easy victories. In 1964, after Nehru's death, Lal Bahadur Shastri briefly became prime minister, and was

succeeded after his own unexpected death, in 1966, by Indira Gandhi, who went on to lead the Congress to electionvictories in 1967 and 1971. Following public discontent with the state of emergency declared by Indira Gandhi in

1975, the Congress was voted out of power in 1977, and a new party, the Janata Party, which had opposed the

emergency, voted in. Its government, however, proved short lived, lasting just over three years. Back in power in

1980, the Congress saw a change in leadership in 1984, when prime minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated and

succeeded by her son Rajiv Gandhi, who won an easy victory in the general elections later that year. The Congress

was voted out again in 1989, when a National Front coalition, led by the newly formed Janata Dal, in alliance with

the Left Front, won the elections; that government too proved short lived, lasting just under two years. [71] Elections

were held again in 1991 in which no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress, as the largest single party,

was able to form a minority government, led by P.V. Narasimha Rao, and to complete a five-year term.[72]

The two years after the general election of 1996 were years of political turmoil, with several short-lived alliances

sharing power at the centre. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996, followed by one of the United Front

coalition, but without the support of either the BJP or the Congress. In 1998, the BJP was able to form a successful

coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which, under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, became the

first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.[73] In the 2004 Indian general elections, again no

party won an absolute majority, but the Congress emerged as the largest single party, forming a successful coalition,

the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), with the support of left-leaning parties and MPs opposed to the BJP. The

UPA coalition was returned to power in the 2009 general election, the proportion of left-leaning parties within the

coalition now significantly reduced.[74] That year, Manmohan Singh became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal

Nehru in 1957 and 1962 to be re-elected to a second five-year term.[75]

Government
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India 8

National Symbols of India[76]

[77]

Flag Tricolour

Emblem Sarnath Lion Capital

Anthem Jana Gana Mana

Song Vande Mataram

Animal Royal Bengal Tiger

Bird Indian Peacock

Aquatic animal Dolphin

Flower Lotus

Tree Banyan

Fruit Mango

Game Field hockey

Calendar Saka

River Ganges

India is a federation with a parliamentary system governed under the Constitution of India. [78] It is a constitutional

republic and representative democracy, in which "majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law."

Federalism in India defines the power distribution between the federal government and the states. The government is

regulated by a checks and balances defined by Indian Constitution, which serves as the country's supreme legal

document. The Constitution of India, which came into effect on 26 January 1950, [79] states in its preamble that India

is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.[80] India's form of government, traditionally described as

'quasi-federal' with a strong centre and weak states,[81] has grown increasingly federal since the late 1990s as a result

of political, economic and social changes.[82]

The President of India is the head of state[83] elected indirectly by an electoral college[84] for a five-year term.[85][86]

The Prime Minister is the head of government and exercises most executive power. [83] Appointed by the

President,[87] the prime minister is by convention supported by the party or political alliance holding the majority of

seats in the lower house of parliament.[83] The executive branch of the Indian government consists of the president,

the 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 one of the houses of parliament. In the Indian

parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature, with the prime minister and his council directly

responsible to the lower house of the parliament.[88]

The legislature of India is the bicameral parliament, operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system, and

comprising the upper house called the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the lower called the Lok Sabha (House of

People).[89] The Rajya Sabha, a permanent body, has 245 members serving staggered six year terms.[90] Most are

elected indirectly by the state and territorial legislatures, their numbers in proportion to their state's population.[90]

All but two of the Lok Sabha's 545 members are directly elected by popular vote to represent individual

constituencies for five-year terms.[90] The remaining two members are nominated by the president from among the

Anglo-Indian community, in case the president decides that the community is not adequately represented.[90]
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10/28

India 10

Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Chandigarh

Dadra and Nagar Haveli

Daman and Diu

Lakshadweep

National Capital Territory of Delhi Puducherry

Foreign relations

India and Russia share an extensive economic,

defence and technological relationship.[98]

Shown here is PM Manmohan Singh with

President Dmitry Medvedev at the 34th G8

Summit.

Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relations

with most nations. In the 1950s, it strongly supported the independence

of European colonies in Africa and Asia and played a pioneering role

in the Non-Aligned Movement.[99] [100] In the late 1980s, India made

two brief military interventions at the invitation of neighbouring

countries, one by the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and the

other, Operation Cactus, in the Maldives. However, India has had a

tense relationship with neighbouring Pakistan and the two countries

have gone to war four times, in 1947, 1965, 1971 and 1999. The

Kashmir dispute was the predominant cause of these wars, excepting

that of 1971, which followed the civil unrest in erstwhile East

Pakistan.[101] After the India-China War of 1962 and the 1965 war

with Pakistan, India proceeded to develop close military and economic

ties with the Soviet Union; by late 1960s, the Soviet Union had emerged as India's largest arms supplier.[102]

Today, in addition to the continuing strategic relations with Russia, India has wide ranging defence relations with

Israel and France. In recent years, India has played an influential role in the South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation and the World Trade Organization.[103] The nation has provided 55,000 military and police personnel to

serve in thirty-five UN peacekeeping operations across four continents.[104] India is also an active participant in

various multilateral forums, most notably the East Asia Summit and the G8+5.[105] [106] In the economic sphere,

India has close relationships with the developing nations of South America, Asia and Africa. For about a decade

now, India has also pursued a "Look East" policy which has helped it strengthen its partnerships with the ASEAN

nations, Japan and South Korea on a wide range of issues, but especially economic investment and regional

security.[107][108]

Recently, India has also increased its economic, strategic and military cooperation with the United States and the

European Union.[109]

In 2008, a civilian nuclear agreement was signed between India and the United States.Although India possessed nuclear weapons at the time and was not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

(NPT), it received waivers from the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),

ending earlier restrictions on India's nuclear technology and commerce. As a consequence, India has become the

world's sixth de facto nuclear weapons state.[110] Following the NSG waiver, India was also able to sign civilian

nuclear energy cooperation agreements with other nations, including Russia,[111] France,[112] the United

Kingdom,[113] and Canada.[114]
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India 11

Military

Jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan

Aeronautics, the Su-30 MKI "Flanker-H" is the

Indian Air Force's prime air superiority

fighter.[115]

India's military, comprising the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and

auxiliary forces such as the Paramilitary Forces, the Coast Guard, and

the Strategic Forces Command, is the third largest in the world.[31] The

President of India is the supreme commander of the Indian Armed

Forces. The official Indian defence budget for 2011 stands atUS$36.03 billion (or 1.83% of GDP).[116] According to a 2008 SIPRI

report, India's annual military expenditure in terms of purchasing

power stood at US$72.7 billion,[117] India has also become the world's

largest arms importer, receiving 9% of all international arms transfers

during the period from 20062010.[118] Defence contractors, such as

the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), oversee indigenous

development of sophisticated arms and military equipment, including ballistic missiles, fighter aircraft and main

battle tanks, in order to reduce India's dependence on foreign imports.

China's nuclear test of 1964 as well as its repeated threats to intervene in support of Pakistan in the 1965 war

convinced India to develop nuclear weapons of its own.[119] India conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1974

and further underground testing in 1998. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has signed neither the

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) nor the NPT, considering both to be flawed and

discriminatory.[120] India maintains a "no first use" nuclear policy and is developing a nuclear triad capability as a

part of its "minimum credible deterrence" doctrine.[121][122] It is also developing a ballistic missile defence shield

and, in collaboration with Russia, a fifth generation fighter jet.[123] [124] Other major indigenous military

development projects include Vikrantclass aircraft carriers andArihantclass nuclear submarines.[125][126]

Economy

The Bombay Stock Exchange, in

Mumbai, is Asia's oldest and India's

largest stock exchange by market

capitalisation.

According to the International Monetary Fund, India's nominal GDP stands at

US$1.53 trillion, making it the tenth-largest economy in the world.[127] With

purchasing power parity (PPP), India's economy is the fourth largest in the world

at US$4.06 trillion.[128] With its average annual GDP growing at 5.8% for the

past two decades, India is also one of the fastest growing economies in the

world.[129] However, India's per capita income is US$1,000,[130] and the country

ranks 138th in nominal GDP per capita and 129th in GDP per capita at PPP

among all countries of the world.[127]

Until 1991, all Indian governments followed protectionist policies that wereinfluenced by socialist economics. Widespread state intervention and

regulation[131] caused the Indian economy to be largely closed to the outside

world. After an acute balance of payments crisis in 1991, the nation liberalised

its economy and has since continued to move towards a free-market system,[132]

[133] emphasizing both foreign trade and investment.[134] Consequently, India's

economic model is now being described overall as capitalist.[133]

With 467 million workers, India has the world's second largest labour force.[135] The service sector makes up 54% of

the GDP, the agricultural sector 28%, and the industrial sector 18%. Major agricultural products include rice, wheat,

oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes.[95]

Major industries include textiles, telecommunications,chemicals, food processing, steel, transport equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery and software.[95] By
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India 12

2006, India's external trade had reached a relatively moderate proportion of GDP at 24%, up from 6% in 1985. [132]

In 2008, India's share of world trade was 1.68%;[136] India was the world's fifteenth largest importer in 2009, and the

eighteenth largest exporter.[137] Major exports include petroleum products, textile goods, gems and jewelry,

software, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures.[95] Major imports include crude oil, machinery,

gems, fertiliser, chemicals.[95]

Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car.[138]

India is

the world's number one producer of basic

cars.[139]

Averaging an economic growth rate of 7.5% during the last fewyears,[132] India has more than doubled its hourly wage rates during the

last decade.[140] Moreover, since 1985, India has moved 431 million of

its citizens out of poverty, and by 2030 India's middle class numbers

will grow to more than 580 million.[141] Although ranking 51st in

global competitiveness, India ranks 16th in financial market

sophistication, 24th in the banking sector, 27th in business

sophistication and 30th in innovation, ahead of several advanced

economies.[142] With seven of the world's top 15 technology

outsourcing companies based in India, the country is viewed as the

second most favourable outsourcing destination after the UnitedStates.[143] India's consumer market, currently the world's thirteenth

largest, is expected to become fifth largest by 2030.[141] Its

telecommunication industry, the world's fastest growing, added 227 million subscribers during 201011 [144] its

automobile industry, the world's second-fastest growing, increased domestic sales by 26% during 200910,[145] and

exports by 36% during 200809.[146]

Despite impressive economic growth during recent decades, India continues to face a number of socio-economic

challenges. India contains the largest concentration of people living below the World Bank's international poverty

line of $1.25/day,[147] the proportion having decreased from 60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005.[148] Half of the children in

India are underweight[149] and 46% of children under the age of three suffer from malnutrition.[147] Since 1991,

economic inequality between India's states has consistently grown: the per capita net state domestic product of the

richest states in 2007 was 3.2 times that of the poorest.[150] Corruption in India is perceived to have increased

significantly,[151] with one report estimating the illegal capital flows since independence to be US$462 billion. [152]

Driven by consistent growth, India's nominal GDP per capita has steadily increased from U$463 in 2001 to U$1,176

by 2010, yet it remains lower than those of other Asian developing countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia,

and Iran.[153]

According to a 2011 PwC report, India's GDP at purchasing power parity will overtake that of Japan during 2011

itself and that of the United States by 2045.[154] Moreover, during the next four decades, India's economy is expected

to grow at an average of 8%, making the nation potentially the world's fastest growing major economy until

2050.[154] The report also highlights some of the key factors behind high economic growth a young and rapidlygrowing working age population; the growth of the manufacturing sector due to rising levels of education and

engineering skills; and sustained growth of the consumer market due to a rapidly growing middle class. [154]

However, the World Bank cautions that for India to achieve its economic potential, it must continue to focus on

public sector reform, transport infrastructure, agricultural and rural development, removal of labor regulations,

education, energy security, and public health and nutrition.[155]
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India 13

Demographics

Population density map of India.

With 1,210,193,422 citizens reported in the 2011 provisional

Census,[8] India is the world's second most populous country. India's

population grew at 1.76% per annum during the last decade,[8] down

from 2.201% per annum in the previous decade.[31] The human sex

ratio in India, according to the 2011 census, is 940 females per 1,000males,[8] the lowest since independence. India's median age was 24.9

in the 2001 census.[31] Medical advances of the last 50 years, as well

increased agricultural productivity brought about by the "green

revolution" have caused India's population to grow rapidly.[156] [157]

The percentage of Indian population living in urban areas has grown as

well, increasing by 31.2% from 1991 to 2001.[158] Despite this, in

2001, over 70% of India's population continued to live in rural

areas.[159] [160] According to the 2001 census, there are twenty seven

million-plus cities in the country,[158] with Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata

being the largest.

India's overall literacy rate in 2011 is 74.04%, its female literacy rate standing at 65.46% and its male at 82.14%.[161]

The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate, whereas Bihar has the lowest. [162] [163] India continues to face

several public health-related challenges.[164][165] According to the World Health Organization, 900,000 Indians die

each year from drinking contaminated water or breathing polluted air.[166] There are about 60 physicians per 100,000

people in India.[167]

The Indian Constitution recognises 212 scheduled tribal groups which together constitute about 7.5% of the country's

population.[168] The 2001 census reported the religion in India with the largest number of followers was Hinduism,

with over 800 million (80.5%) of the population recording it as their religion. Other religious groups include

Muslims (13.4%), Christians (2.3%), Sikhs (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%), Jains (0.4%), Jews, Zoroastrians and

Bah's.[169] India has the world's third-largest Muslim population and the largest Muslim population for a

non-Muslim majority country.

India is home to two major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan (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. Neither the Constitution of India, nor any Indian law defines any national language.[170] Hindi,

with the largest number of speakers,[171] is the official language of the union.[172] English is used extensively in

business and administration and has the status of a 'subsidiary official language;'[173] it is also important in education,

especially as a medium of higher education. In addition, every state and union territory has its own official

languages, and the constitution also recognises in particular 21 "scheduled languages".
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Culture

The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by Mughal

emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his

deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is a UNESCO

World Heritage Site considered to be of

"outstanding universal value".[174]

India's culture is marked by a high degree of syncretism[175] and

cultural pluralism.[176] India's cultural tradition dates back to 8000

BCE[177] and has a continuously recorded history for over 2,500

years.[178] With its roots based in the Indus Valley Tradition, the

Indian culture took a distinctive shape during the 11th century BCEVedic age which laid the foundation of Hindu philosophy, mythology,

literary tradition and beliefs and practices, such as dhrma, krma,

yga and moka.[179] It has managed to preserve established traditions

while absorbing new customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and

immigrants and spreading its cultural influence to other parts of Asia,

mainly South East and East Asia.

Indian religions form one of the most defining aspects of Indian

culture.[180] Major dhrmic religions which were founded in India

include Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Considered to be asuccessor to the ancient Vedic religion,[181] Hinduism has been shaped by the various schools of thoughts based on

the Upanishads,[182] the Yoga Sutras and the Bhakti movement.[180] Buddhism originated in India in 5th century

BCE and prominent early Buddhist schools, such as Theravda and Mahyna, gained dominance during the

Maurya Empire.[180] Though Buddhism entered a period of gradual decline in India 5th century CE onwards,[183] it

played an influential role in shaping Indian philosophy and thought.[180]

Indian architecture is one area that represents the diversity of Indian culture. Much of it, including notable

monuments such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Mughal architecture and South Indian architecture,

comprises a blend of ancient and varied local traditions from several parts of the country and abroad. Vernacular

architecture also displays notable regional variation.

Considered to be the earliest and foremost "monument" of Indian literature, the Vedic or Sanskrit literature was

developed from 1,400 BCE to 1,200 AD.[184][185] Prominent Indian literary works of the classical era include epics

such as Mahbhrata and Ramayana, dramas such as theAbhijnakuntalam (The Recognition of akuntal), and

poetry such as theMahkvya.[186] Developed between 600 BCE and 300 AD, the Sangam literature consists 2,381

poems and is regarded as a predecessor of Tamil literature. [187][188][189] From 7th century AD to 18th century AD,

India's literary traditions went through a period of drastic change because of the emergence of devotional poets such

as Kabr, Tulsds and Guru Nnak. This period was characterised by varied and wide spectrum of thought and

expression and as a consequence, medieval Indian literary works differed significantly from classical traditions.[190]

In the 19th century, Indian writers took new interest in social questions and psychological descriptions. During the

20th century, Indian literature was heavily influenced by the works of universally acclaimed Bengali poet andnovelist Rabindranath Tagore.[191]

Society and traditions

Traditional Indian society is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. The Indian caste system describes the social

stratification and social restrictions in the Indian subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of

endogamous hereditary groups, often termed asjtis or castes.[192] Several influential social reform movements, such

as the Bramho Shmaj, the Arya Samja and the Ramakrishna Mission, have played a pivotal role in the

emancipation of Dalits (or "untouchables") and other lower-caste communities in India.[193] However, the majority

of Dalits continue to live in segregation and are often persecuted and discriminated against.[194]

Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been thenorm, although nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas.[195] An overwhelming majority of Indians
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India 15

have their marriages arranged by their parents and other respected family members, with the consent of the bride and

groom.[196] Marriage is thought to be for life,[196] and the divorce rate is extremely low.[197] Child marriage is still a

common practice, more so in rural India, with about half of women in India marrying before the legal age of 18.[198]

[199]

Many Indian festivals are religious in origin, although several are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. Some

popular festivals are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Thai Pongal, Holi, Onam, Vijayadashami, Durga Puja, Eidul-Fitr, Bakr-Id, Christmas, Buddha Jayanti, Moharram and Vaisakhi.[200] [201] India has three national holidays

which are observed in all states and union territories Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti. Other

sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in individual states. Religious practices are

an integral part of everyday life and are a very public affair.

Traditional Indian dress varies across the regions in its colours and styles and depends on various factors, including

climate. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men; in

addition, stitched clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama and European-style trousers and shirts

for men, are also popular.

Music, dance, theatre and cinema

Indian music covers a wide range of traditions and regional styles. Classical music largely encompasses the two

genres North Indian Hindustani, South Indian Carnatic traditions and their various offshoots in the form of

regional folk music. Regionalised forms of popular music include filmi and folk music; the syncretic tradition of the

bauls is a well-known form of the latter.

Indian dance too has diverse folkand classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances are the bhangra of the

Punjab, the bihu of Assam, the chhau of West Bengal, Jharkhand , sambalpuri of Orissa , the ghoomarof Rajasthan

and theLavani of Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been

accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are:

bharatanatyamof the state of Tamil Nadu,

kathakof Uttar Pradesh,

kathakaliand

mohiniyattamof Kerala,

kuchipudiof

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