Difference between revisions of "India"

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भारत गणराज्य Bhārat Gaharājya
Flag	Coat of Arms
Capital	New Delhi
Government	Federal Republic
Language	Hindi (official)
President	Pratibha Patil
Prime minister	Manmohan Singh
Area	3,287,590 sq mi
Population	1,129,866,154 (2007)
GDP per capita	$3,800 (2006)
Currency	rupee

The Republic of India is a nation located in South Asia. It spans from the Himalayas in the north to the Indian Ocean. It borders China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. India is the 7th largest country in the world in terms of area and second most populous country (standing at around 1.1 billion according to 2006 estimate), only behind China. Home to the Indus Valley Civilization, the history, culture and tradition of India is more than 3000 years old. Though India is world's fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, it has high levels of poverty, illiteracy, corruption and crime.

Etymology

The name "India" came from the word 'Indus', which derives from the Persian word "Hindu" which was used to describe the Sindhu river (now known as the Indus).

Geography

People

Although India occupies only 2.4% of the world's land area, it supports over 15% of the world's population. India's median age is 25. About 70% live in more than 550,000 villages, and the remainder in more than 200 towns and cities.

Language

The government has recognized 18 official languages; Hindi, the national language, is the most widely spoken, although English is a national lingua franca.

Hindu caste system

The Hindu caste system reflects Indian occupational and socially defined hierarchies. Ancient Sanskrit sources divide society into four major categories, priests (Brahmin), warriors (Kshatriya), traders (Vaishya) and farmers/laborers (Shudra). Although these categories are understood throughout India, they describe reality only in the most general terms. They omit, for example, the tribes and those once known as "untouchables". In reality, Indian society is divided into thousands of jatis--local, endogamous groups based on occupation--and organized hierarchically according to complex ideas of purity and pollution. Discrimination based on caste is officially illegal, but remains prevalent, especially in rural areas. Caste has been diluted if not subsumed in the economically prosperous and heterogeneous cities. In the countryside, expanding education, land reform and economic opportunity through access to information, communication, transport, and credit have lessened the harshest elements of the caste system. However caste-based politics in India is prevalent. Many political parties openly engage in caste-based politics. Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Janata Dal claim that they are representing the backward castes, and depend on votes from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for winning elections.^[1]

Religion

For a more detailed treatment, see Relegion in India.

Taj Mahal

Demographics

Hinduism is India's largest religion; 80.4% of the population are Hindu. Islam is the largest minority religion in India; 13.4% of the population are Muslim. Christianity is the third largest religion of India; 2.3% of the population are Christians. India is home to 12 million Buddhists; 0.773% of the population are Buddhists. 4.2 million Jains live in India; 0.4% of the population are Jains. According to census of 2001, there are 19.2 million Sikhs in India. 0.006% of the population are Parsis (Zoroastrians). 2.2 million people in India follow the Bahá'í Faith, which is the largest national contingent of Bahá'ís in the world. Jews are a religious minority of India, and are concentrated in the states of Kerala and Maharashtra. 2% of the population are atheists.

Violence towards Christians

For a more detailed treatment, see Violence towards Christians in India.

Hindu nationalist groups like Bajrang Dal, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have anti-Christian sentiment. VHP has engaged in several programs to convert Christians to Hinduism. In a well-publicized case, Bajrang Dal member Dara Singh and 12 others killed Graham Staines, a Christian missionary and his two sons Philip and Timothy (aged 10 and 8 respectively). Graham Staines was working with leprosy sufferers for 34 years. Shiv Sena, a political party in India, remain opposed to Valentine's Day celebrations and members of Shiv Sena carried out violent attacks on shops and restaurants organizing Valentine's Day.

Facts

• Population (2007): 1.12 billion; Urban 27.8%.
• Annual growth rate: 1.3%
• Density: 324/sq. km.
• Ethnic groups: Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, others 3%. While the national census does not recognize racial or ethnic groups, it is estimated that there are more than 2,000 ethnic groups in India.
• Religions: Hindu 80.4%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist, Jain, Parsi.
• Languages: Hindi, English, and 16 other official languages.
• Education: Years compulsory--none. Literacy--61%.
• Health: Infant mortality rate--34.61/1,000. Life expectancy--68.59 years (2007 est.).
• Work force (est.): 450 million. Agriculture--60%; industry and commerce--18%; services and government--22%

Government

According to its Constitution, India is a "sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic." Like the United States, India has a federal form of government. However, the central government in India has greater power in relation to its states, and has adopted a British-style parliamentary system.

The government exercises its broad administrative powers in the name of the president, whose duties are largely ceremonial. A special electoral college elects the president and vice president indirectly for 5-year terms. Their terms are staggered, and the vice president does not automatically become president following the death or removal from office of the president.

Real national executive power is centered in the Council of Ministers (Cabinet), led by the prime minister. The president appoints the prime minister, who is designated by legislators of the political party or coalition commanding a parliamentary majority in the Lok Sabha (lower house). The president then appoints subordinate ministers on the advice of the prime minister.

India's bicameral Parliament consists of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok Sabha (House of the People). The Council of Ministers is responsible to the Lok Sabha.

The legislatures of the states and union territories elect 233 members to the Rajya Sabha, and the president appoints another 12. The members of the Rajya Sabha serve 6-year terms, with one-third up for election every 2 years. The Lok Sabha consists of 545 members, who serve 5-year terms; 543 are directly elected, and two are appointed.

India's independent judicial system began under the British, and its concepts and procedures resemble those of Anglo-Saxon countries. The Supreme Court consists of a chief justice and 25 other justices, all appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister.

India has 28 states* and 7 union territories. At the state level, some legislatures are bicameral, patterned after the two houses of the national parliament. The states' chief ministers are responsible to the legislatures in the same way the prime minister is responsible to Parliament.

Each state also has a presidentially appointed governor, who may assume certain broad powers when directed by the central government. The central government exerts greater control over the union territories than over the states, although some territories have gained more power to administer their own affairs. Local governments in India have less autonomy than their counterparts in the United States. Some states are trying to revitalize the traditional village councils, or panchayats, to promote popular democratic participation at the village level, where much of the population still lives. Over half a million panchayats exist throughout India.

Principal Government Officials

• President--Pratibha Patil
• Vice President--Mohammed Hamid Ansari
• Prime Minister--Dr. Manmohan Singh
• Home Minister--Shivraj Patil
• Minister of External Affairs--Pranab Mukherjee
• Ambassador to the U.S.--Ronen Sen
• Ambassador to the UN--Nirupam Sen

Politics

For a more detailed treatment, see Politics of India.

Emerging as India's single largest party in the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Indian National Congress leads a coalition government. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Rajnath Singh, holds the second-largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha. The party holds power in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Four Communist and Marxist parties are united in a bloc called the Left Front, which controls 57 parliamentary seats. The Left Front rules the states of West Bengal and Kerala.

Foreign relations

For a more detailed treatment, see Foreign relations of India.

India's size, population, and strategic location give it a prominent voice in international affairs, and its growing economic strength, military prowess, and scientific and technical capacity give it added weight. The end of the Cold War dramatically affected Indian foreign policy. India remains a leader of the developing world and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). India is now strengthening its political and commercial ties with the United States, Japan, the European Union, Iran, China, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. India is an active member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Always an active member of the United Nations, India now seeks a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Military

For a more detailed treatment, see Military of India.

The supreme command of the Indian armed forces is vested in the President of India. Policies concerning India's defense, and the armed forces as a whole, are formulated and confirmed by the Cabinet.

Indian Army numbers over 1.1 million strong and fields 34 divisions. Indian Navy currently operates one aircraft carrier with two on order, 14 submarines, and 15 major surface combatants. It is capable of projecting power within the Indian Ocean basin and occasionally operates in the South China Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Indian Air Force is becoming a 21st century force through modernization, new tactics and the acquisition of modern aircraft, such as the SU-30MKI, a new advanced jet trainer (BAE Hawk) and the indigenously produced advanced light helicopter (Dhruv).

Economy

India has the world's 12th largest economy--and the third largest in Asia behind Japan and China--with total GDP of around $1 trillion. Services, industry, and agriculture account for 55%, 27%, and 18% of GDP respectively. Nearly 2/3 of the population depends on agriculture for livelihood.

India is continuing to move forward with market-oriented economic reforms that began in 1991. Recent reforms include liberalized foreign investment and exchange regimes, industrial decontrol, significant reductions in tariffs and other trade barriers, reform and modernization of the financial sector, significant adjustments in government monetary and fiscal policies, and safeguarding intellectual property rights.

Real GDP growth for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2007 was 9.4%. Foreign portfolio and direct investment inflows have risen significantly in recent years. They have contributed to $255 billion in foreign exchange reserves by June 2007. Government receipts from privatization were about $3 billion in fiscal year 2003-2004, but the privatization program has stalled since then.

Economic growth is constrained by inadequate infrastructure, a cumbersome bureaucracy, corruption, labor market rigidities, regulatory and foreign investment controls, the "reservation" of key products for small-scale industries, and high (although declining) fiscal deficits. The outlook for further trade liberalization is mixed. India eliminated quotas on 1,420 consumer imports in 2002 and has incrementally lowered non-agricultural customs duties in recent successive budgets. However, the tax structure is complex, with compounding effects of various taxes.

• GDP (FY 2007): $1 trillion ($1,000 billion).
• Real growth rate (2006-2007 est.): 9.4%.
• Per capita GDP (FY 2006-2007): $909.
• Natural resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, chromite, thorium, limestone, barite, titanium ore, diamonds, crude oil.
• Agriculture: 18% of GDP. Products--wheat, rice, coarse grains, oilseeds, sugar, cotton, jute, tea
• Industry: 27% of GDP. Products--textiles, jute, processed food, steel, machinery, transport equipment, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, mining, petroleum, chemicals, and computer software.
• Services and transportation: 55% of GDP.
• Trade: Exports (FY 2006-2007)--$127 billion; engineering goods, petroleum products, precious stones, cotton apparel and fabrics, gems and jewelry, handicrafts, tea. Software exports--$22 billion. Imports (FY 2006-2007)--$192 billion; petroleum, machinery and transport equipment, electronic goods, edible oils, fertilizers, chemicals, gold, textiles, iron and steel. Major trade partners--U.S., China, EU, Russia, Japan.

United States is India's largest trading partner. Bilateral trade in 2006 was $32 billion. Principal U.S. exports are diagnostic or lab reagents, aircraft and parts, advanced machinery, cotton, fertilizers, ferrous waste/scrap metal, and computer hardware. Major U.S. imports from India include textiles and ready-made garments, Internet-enabled services, agricultural and related products, gems and jewelry, leather products, and chemicals.

The rapidly growing software sector is boosting service exports and modernizing India's economy. Software exports crossed $28 billion in FY 2006-2007, while business process outsourcing (BPO) revenues hit $8.3 billion in 2006-2007. Personal computer penetration is 14 per 1,000 persons. The cellular/mobile market surged to 140 million subscribers by November 2006. The country has 54 million cable TV customers.

United States is India's largest investment partner, with a 13% share. India's total inflow of U.S. direct investment is estimated at more than $9 billion through 2006. Proposals for direct foreign investment are considered by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board and generally receive government approval. Automatic approvals are available for investments involving up to 100% foreign equity, depending on the kind of industry. Foreign investment is particularly sought after in power generation, telecommunications, ports, roads, petroleum exploration/processing, and mining.

India's external debt was $155 billion in 2006-2007. Foreign assistance was approximately $3 billion in 2006-2007, with the United States providing about $126 million in development assistance. The World Bank plans to double aid to India to almost $3 billion a year, with focus on infrastructure, education, health, and rural livelihoods.

Standard of living and wealth distribution in India shows large disparity. While rural areas have little or almost non-existent medical facilities, urban areas have world class medical establishments. The top 10% of income groups earn 33% of the income,^[2] while 77% of the country's population earn less than $0.40/day. 27.5% of the population was living below poverty line in 2004–2005^[3]. Corruption is a major problem affecting India. Bribery, tax evasion, fraud, embezzlement etc. are some of the dominant problems.

History

For a more detailed treatment, see History of India.

The political map of ancient and medieval India was made up of myriad kingdoms with fluctuating boundaries. In the 4th and 5th centuries A.D., northern India was unified under the Gupta Dynasty. During this period, known as India's Golden Age, Hindu culture and political administration reached new heights.

Human rights

India have a long history of several human rights violations. In the Indian emergency of 1975-77, organised by Indira Gandhi, extensive human rights violations took place. Though officialy a secular state, Christians in India face widespread violence by Hindu nationalist groups. The constitution of India have various anti-men laws.

References

See Also

World History Lecture Three for more information on Ancient India.