REPUBLIC OF INDIA LOCATION: India is officially called Republic of India (Hindi Bharat), is located in southern Asia and is a member

of the Commonwealth of Nations. India consists geographically of the entire Indian Peninsula and portions of the Asian mainland. To its north lies Afghanistan, China, Nepal, and Bhutan; to its east is Bangladesh, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and the Bay of Bengal; Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar (which separate it from Sri Lanka) and the Indian Ocean are to the south; and on the west is the Arabian Sea and Pakistan. 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.[9] The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi (), the people of the Indus.[10] The Constitution of India and usage in many Indian languages also recognises Bharat (pronounced [bart] ( listen)) as an official name of equal status.[11] The name Bharat is derived from the name of the legendary king Bharata in Hindu scriptures. Hindustan ([ndstan] ( listen)), originally a Persian word for "Land of the Hindus" and referring to North India and Pakistan before 1947, is also occasionally used as a synonym for all of India. India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: , Bhrat Gaarjya),[c] is a country in South Asia. 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 south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;[d] China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the northeast; and Burma and Bangladesh 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. [8] Four of the world's major religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhismoriginated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance and led by Mahatma Gandhi. The Indian economy is the world's ninth-largest economy by nominal GDP and third-largest economy by purchasing power parity (PPP). Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public healthcare. A nuclear weapons state and a regional power, it has the thirdlargest standing army in the world and ranks tenth in military expenditure among nations. India is a federal constitutional republic governed under a parliamentary system consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories. It is one of the five BRICS nations. India is a pluralistic, multilingual, and multiethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats. People and Culture Indian people or Indians constitute the Asian nation and pan-ethnic group native to India, which forms the south of Asia, containing 17.31% of the world's population. The Indian nationality is in essence made up of regional nationalities, reflecting the rich and complex history of India. India, in its current boundaries, was formed out of a number of predecessors. Substantial populations with Indian ancestry, as a result of emigration, exist in many different parts of the world, most notably in Southeast Asia, South Africa, Australia, England, Middle East and North America. Population estimates vary from a conservative 12 million to 20 million diaspora. India is the world's second most populous nation (after China). Its ethnic composition is complex, but two major strains predominate: the Aryan, in the north, and the Dravidian, in the south. India is a land of great cultural diversity, as is evidenced by the enormous number of different languages spoken throughout the country. Although Hindi (spoken in the north) and English (the language of politics and commerce) are used officially, more than 1,500 languages and dialects are spoken. The Indian constitution recognizes 15 regional languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Ten of the major states of India are generally organized along linguistic lines. Although the constitution forbids the practice of untouchability, and legislation has been used to reserve quotas for former untouchables (and also for tribal peoples) in the legislatures, in education, and in the public services, the caste system continues to be influential. About 80% of the population is Hindu, and 14% is Muslim. Other significant religions include Christians, Sikhs, and Buddhists. There is no state religion. The holy cities of India attract pilgrims from throughout the

East: Varanasi (formerly Benares), Allahabad, Puri, and Nashik are religious centers for the Hindus; Amritsar is the holy city of the Sikhs; and Satrunjaya Hill near Palitana is sacred to the Jains. With its long and rich history, India retains many outstanding archaeological landmarks; preeminent of these are the Buddhist remains at Sarnath, Sanchi, and Bodh Gaya; the cave temples at Ajanta, Ellora, and Elephanta; and the temple sites at Madurai, Thanjavur, Abu, Bhubaneswar, Konarak, and Mahabalipuram. For other aspects of Indian culture, see Hindu music; Indian art and architecture; Indian literature; Mughal art and architecture; Pali canon; Prakrit literature; Sanskrit literature. India Appearance 1.Men are generally expected to wear a suit and tie for business, although the jacket may be removed in the summer. Women should wear conservative dresses or pantsuits. 2. When dressing casual, short-sleeved shirts and long pants are preferred for men; shorts are acceptable only when exercising. Women must keep their upper arms, chest, back, and legs covered at all times. 3.Women should wear long pants when exercising. 4. The use of leather products including belts or handbags may be considered offensive, especially in temples. Hindus revere cows and do not use leather products. India Behavior 1.The head is considered the seat of the soul. Never touch someone elses head, not even to pat the hair of a child. 2. Beckoning someone with the palm up and wagging one finger can be construed as in insult. Standing with your hands on your hips will be interpreted as an angry, aggressive posture. 3. Whistling is impolite and winking may be interpreted as either an insult or a sexual proposition. 4. Never point your feet at a person. Feet are considered unclean. If your shoes or feet touch another person, apologize. 5. Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. If you receive a wrapped gift, set it aside until the giver leaves. 6.Business lunches are preferred to dinners. Hindus do not eat beef and Muslims do not eat pork. India Communications 1.There are more than fourteen major and three hundred minor languages spoken in India. The official languages are English and Hindi. English is widely used in business, politics and education. 2. The word "no" has harsh implications in India. Evasive refusals are more common, and are considered more polite. Never directly refuse an invitation, a vague "Ill try" is an acceptable refusal. 3.Do not thank your hosts at the end of a meal. "Thank you" is considered a form of payment and therefore insulting. 4.Titles are very important. Always use professional titles. RELIGION IN INDIA India known as the land of spirituality and philosophy, was the birthplace of some religions, which even exist today in the world. The most dominant religion in India today is Hinduism. About 80% of Indians are Hindus. Hinduism is a colorful religion with a vast gallery of Gods and Goddesses. Hinduism is one of the ancient religions in the world. It is supposed to have developed about 5000 years ago. Later on in ancient period other religions developed in India. Around 500 BC two other religions developed in India, namely, Buddhism and Jainism. Today only about 0.5% of Indians are Jains and about 0.7% are Buddhist. In ancient times Jainism and specially Buddhism were very popular in India. Indians who accepted Buddhist philosophy spread it not only within the Indian sub-continent but also to kingdoms east and south of India. These three ancient religions, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, are seen as the molders of the India philosophy. In 'modern' period new religions were also established in India. One comparatively new religion in India is Sikhism and it was established in the 15th century. About 2% of Indians are Sikhs. There were other attempts to create new religions in India but they did not always succeed. For example, a Moghul emperor, Akbar, who reigned between 1556 - 1605, tried to establish a new religion, Din- E- Elahi, but it did

not survive. There are other religious philosophies whose believers see themselves as a separate religion, but they do not always get this recognition. For example Lingayat of south India see themselves as a different religion, while others see them as a sect of Hinduism. There are also some tribal communities who demand to be recognized as separate religion from Hinduism. In the 19th century some Hindu reformers tried to remodel Hinduism to adjust it to modern period. Along with the religions that developed in India, there are followers of non- Indian religions. The largest non-Indian religion is Islam. They are about 12% of India's population. Christians are more then 2% of India's population. There are also Zoroastrians who even though make less then 0.01% of India's population, are known around India. There are also a few thousand Jews in India. Judaism and Christianity might have arrived in India before they arrived in Europe. HINDUISM - about 82% ISLAM - about 12% CHRISTIANITY - about 2.5% SIKHISM - about 2% BUDDHISM - about 0.7% JAINISM - about 0.5% ZOROASTRIANISM - about 0.01% JUDAISM - about 0.0005% POPULATION The demographics of India are inclusive of the second most populous country in the world, with over 1.21 billion people (2011 census), more than a sixth of the world's population. Already containing 17.5% of the world's population, India is projected to be the world's most populous country by 2025, surpassing China, its population reaching 1.6 billion by 2050.[3] [4] Its population growth rate is 1.41%, ranking 93rd in the world. India has more than 50% of its population below the age of 25 and more than 65% hovers below the age of 35. It is expected that, in 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 29 years, compared to 37 for China and 48 for Japan; and, by 2030, India's dependency ratio should be just over 0.4.[5] India has more than two thousand[citation needed] ethnic groups, and every major religion is represented, as are four major families of languages (Indo-European, Dravidian, Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman languages) as well as two language isolates (the Nihali language[6] spoken in parts of Maharashtra and the Burushaski language spoken in parts of Jammu and Kashmir). Further complexity is lent by the great variation that occurs across this population on social parameters such as income and education. Only the continent of Africa exceeds the linguistic, genetic and cultural diversity of the nation of India. Healthcare Issues Malnutrition 47% of Indias children below the age of three are malnourished, almost twice the statistics of subSaharan African region of 28%.[1] World Bank estimates this figure to be 60 million children out of a global estimated total of 146 million.[2] Although Indias economy grew 50% from 20012006, its child-malnutrition rate only dropped 1%, lagging behind countries of similar growth rate.[3] Malnutrition impedes the social and cognitive development of a child, reducing his educational attainment and income as an adult.[3] These irreversible damages result in lower productivity.[3] High infant mortality rate Approximately 1.72 million children die each year before turning one.[4] The under five mortality rate and infant mortality rate indicators have been declining comparing years 1970 and 2002 (202 to 90 & 192 to 68 per thousand live births respectively).[4] However, this rate of decline is slowing. Reduced funding for immunization leaves only 43.5% of the young fully immunized.[3] Infrastructures like hospitals, roads, water and sanitation are lacking in rural areas.[5] Shortages of healthcare providers, poor intra-partum and newborn care, diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections, also contribute to the high infant mortality rate.[4] Diseases Diseases such as dengue fever, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria and pneumonia continue to plague India due to increased resistance to drugs.[6] And in 2011, India finally developed a Totally drugresistant form of tuberculosis.[7] India is ranked 3rd among the countries with the most number of HIV-infected.[8] Diarrheal diseases are the primary causes of early childhood mortality.[9] These diseases can be attributed to poor sanitation and inadequate safe drinking water in India.[10]

However in 2012, India was polio free for the first time in its history.[11] Poor sanitation As more than 122 million households have no toilets and 33% lack access to latrines, over 50% of the population (638 million) defecates in the open.[12] This is relatively higher than Bangladesh and Brazil (7%) and China (4%).[12] Although 211 million people gained access to improved sanitation from 19902008, only 31% uses them.[12] 11% of the Indian rural families dispose of child stools safely whereas 80% of the population leave their stools in the open or throw them into the garbage.[12] Open air defecation leads to the spreading of diseases and malnutrition through parasitic and bacterial infections.[13] Inadequate safe drinking water Access to protected sources of drinking water has improved from 68% of the population in 1990 to 88% in 2008.[12] However, only 26% of the slum population has access to safe drinking water[13] and 25% of the total population has drinking water on their premises.[12] This problem is exacerbated by falling levels of groundwater, caused mainly by increasing extraction for irrigation. [12] Insufficient maintenance of the environment around water sources, groundwater pollution, excessive arsenic and fluoride in drinking water pose a major threat to India's health.[12] Healthcare infrastructure The Indian healthcare industry is seen to be growing at a rapid pace and is expected to become a US$280 billion industry by 2020.Rising income levels and a growing elderly population are all factors that are driving this growth. In addition, changing demographics, disease profiles and the shift from chronic to lifestyle diseases in the country has led to increased spending on healthcare delivery. In order to meet manpower shortages and reach world standards India would require investments of up to $20 billion over the next 5 years. The geography of India describes the physical features of India, a country in South Asia, that lies entirely on the Indian Plate in the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate. The country lies to the north of the equator between 84' and 376' north latitude and 687' and 9725' east longitude.[2] It is the seventh-largest country in the world, with a total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometres (1,269,219 sq mi).[3] India measures 3,214 km (1,997 mi) from north to south and 2,993 km (1,860 mi) from east to west. It has a land frontier of 15,200 km (9,445 mi) and a coastline of 7,517 km (4,671 mi).[4] India is bounded to the southwest by the Arabian Sea, to the southeast by the Bay of Bengal, and to the south by the Indian Ocean. Kanyakumari is the southern tip of the Indian peninsula. The southernmost point in India is Indira Point, in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.[4] The Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia are island nations to the south of India. Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Gulf of Mannar and the narrow channel of Palk Strait. The territorial waters of India extend into the sea to a distance of 12 nautical miles (13.8 mi; 22.2 km) measured from the appropriate baseline.[clarification needed][5] The northern frontiers of India are defined largely by the Himalayan mountain range, where the country's political boundaries with China, Bhutan, and Nepal lie. Its western border with Pakistan lies in the Punjab Plain and the Thar Desert. In the far northeast, the Chin Hills and Kachin Hills, deeply forested mountainous regions, separate India from Burma. The BangladeshIndia border is defined by the Khasi hills and Mizo Hills, and the watershed region of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
[clarification needed]

The Ganges is the longest river originating in India. The Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra Rivers form the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The Ganges-Brahmaputra system occupies most of northern, central, and eastern India, while the Deccan Plateau occupies most of southern India. On India's western frontier is the Thar Desert. Kangchenjunga, on the border between Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim, is the highest point in India at 8,598 m (28,209 ft). Climate across India ranges from equatorial in the far south, to alpine in the upper reaches of the Himalayas.
Birth and death rate

Period 1941-51 1951-61 1961-71 1971-81 1991 2000

Birth rate* 39.9 41.7 41.1 37.2 29.5 25.8

Death rate* 27.4 22.8 19 15 9.8 8.5

* The No. corresponds to a period of 1 Year for a: i) Census Actuarial Report. ii) Sample Registration System iii) Family Welfare Programme Year Book 1993-94 Source: Calculated from the Census of India data upto 1971-81,and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India for the remaining data