THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA - COUNTRY OVERVIEW - Project C.U.R.E. Clinics - Project CURE
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THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA
COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Project C.U.R.E. Clinics
India FACTS
CAPITAL: New Delhi
CURRENCY: Rupee
PRESIDENT: Pranab Mukherjee
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Hindi
GOVERNMENT: Federal Republic
POPULATION: 1,251,695,584 (2015)
India, officially the Republic of India, is a federal republic in South Asia along Arabian
Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. It is bordered by Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, China and Myanmar to the east, Pakistan to the west, and China to the
north.
LAND AND CLIMATE
SIZE: 3,287,263 square kilometers, slightly more than one-third of the United States.
GEOGRAPHY: India is the seventh largest country in the world.
Located at 21°N and 78°E, it is bordered to the north by China,
to the east by Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, and
Myanmar, to the south by the Indian Ocean, the Bay of
Bengal, and the Arabian Sea, and to the west by Pakistan.
The country’s terrain varies greatly. Based on the terrain, it
can be split into six regions: the Northern Mountains, the
Peninsular Plateaus, Indo Gangetic Plains, Thar Desert, the
Costal Plains, and the Islands. There are 103 national parks in
India, with around 1.23% of the land marked for preservation
and protection.
CLIMATE: India’s climate, like it’s geography, has six major climates: montane, humid
subtropical, tropical wet, tropical dry, semi-arid, and arid, with great variation of
temperature throughout the year. The year as four seasons, winter from January-
February, summer from March-May, monsoon from June-September, and post-
monsoon from October-December. The capital, New Delhi, is located on the floodplains
of Yamuna River and is landlocked. It has a humid subtropical climate with an average
rainfall of 30.9in, which occurs mostly in July and August, and a big variation in
temperature.
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HISTORY
The history of India dates 75,000 years ago with the first recorded evidence of modern
humans. The first major civilization was the Indus Valley Civilization, which existed from
3300-1300 B.C. Starting from the 4th century BC, India was ruled by several different
dynasties, but the Gupta Empire was one of the most important ones. This time was
known as the Golden Age of India due to the resurgence of Hinduism and
intellectualism. In the medieval times, mathematics and astronomy were advanced.
In 1498, the Portuguese discovered a new travel route to
India. This new route opened the door for Europeans to
begin using it for commerce. The natives of the land had
many disputes, and slowly the Europeans began to gain
political power. India had a system of indentured
servitude. Due to this system, 3.5 million Indians were
sent to various European colonies to work on
plantations. Indentured servitude began in 1833 when
slavery was ended, and it continued all the way until
1920.
Europeans began taking over parts of India, but eventually the British East India
Company ruled the majority of the province. The natives living in India, however, were
not satisfied with the Company, so they led the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After the
rebellion, the British took control of the Company and the crown controlled the area,
and India did not receive independence until 1947.
In 1857, the British expanded its power through the courts and legal procedures.
Attending school, which was instructed in English became a requirement. From 1880-
1920, the economy grew about 1% each year. During this time, the private industry
began growing and a railway system was created, and by the late 19th century, it was the
fourth largest in the world. Although the railways, telegraphs, canals, irrigation systems,
and roads were created during the British rule, some historians claim that India was
poorer after the British left than before.
During British colonial rule, India experienced severe famines on a regular basis. During
the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, more than 60 million Indians
died in these famines. Droughts combined with bad administrative policies are major
factors contributing to the Indian famines. No severe famine has occurred in India since
it gained its independence in 1947.
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In the late 19th centuries, the Indians began working toward self-rule and independence.
British India declared war on Nazi Germany during World War II and sent volunteers
were sent to help fight Nazi Germany. The Indians fought well and all over, and helped
other British colonies gain independence. However, the Indian National Conference
refused to help fight until they were given independence. Many people, including
Gandhi, were arrested for this.
In 1957, however, Britain agreed to transfer power to the Indians who won in local
elections. This caused increase tension between the Muslims and the Hindus. Gandhi
worked toward uniting the two groups during this time. Despite the tension, the
territories gained independence in 1957 under the title of the Union of India and the
Dominion of Pakistan. In the following years, controversies rose, leaving thousands
dead, and causing one of the biggest migrations recorded in modern history within
Pakistan and India.
GOVERNMENT
The Republic of India is a federal republic called the Union Government created by the
Constitution of India. The Union Government controls 29 states and 7 territories.
The President of India holds most of the executive power and receives advice and aid
from the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister leads the Council of Ministers, is the chief
of government, the chief advisor to the president, the leader of
the majority party in Parliament, and leader of the executive
branch. The Prime Minister does not have set terms, but he or
she must have the support of Parliament, which has terms of 5
years. The President must be advised by the Prime Minister for
most decisions he or she makes. He or she may, pardon or
reduce sentences of someone convicted of a crime without
discussing it with the Prime Minister. If the president is absent
or can no longer complete the duties required, the vice
president will step in. The president has a term of 5-years, but can have an unlimited
number of terms.
The current president is Pranab Murkherjee. He is the
13th president and has been president since 2012. The
Judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme Court,
located in New Delhi. The
Supreme Court has power over original jurisdiction,
disputes that may include the states or the
government, appellate jurisdiction, and advisory
jurisdiction.
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The Parliament holds the legislative power. Parliament is a bicameral legislature made
up of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Rajya Sabha is the upper house, and the members are
chosen by the president and elected by the state and territorial legislatures. The Lok
Sabha is the House of the people, and these members control who is in the Council of
Ministries.
ECONOMY
India’s economy is the seventh largest in the world. It has
an average growth rate of about 7% in the last twenty
years. It is projected that India will become the third
largest economy in the next 10 years. The largest
employed sector in India is agriculture. Its main exports
are software, petrochemicals, agriculture, leather, and
jewelry. The main export partners for India are the European Union, the United States,
the United Arab Emirates, China, and Hong Cong. The main imports are crude oil, gold,
precious stones, electronics, and engineering goods. Its main import partners are China,
the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland. Tourism
to India has been steadily growing, with the tourism market being a larger part of the
GDP than the textile industry.
CURRENCY
The Rupee has been in existance for a long period of time. In the 19th century it was a
silver coin, which had big consequences since most of the world was on the gold
stadard. The Rupee used to be an offical currency for other countries, but these
countries have since used their own currency. Some countries, however, still accept the
Rupee as a form of payment. Coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 rupees,
although for special bank uses, they can also come in 20, 60, 100, 150, and 1000 rupees.
Banknotes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 rupees.
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CULTURE
India does not have one specific culture, but
rather location-based culture. Dharmic
religion has influenced the Indian culture
greatly. These religions have helped form
Indian architecture, literature, philosophy,
music, and art. Islam also had a big role in
shaping the culture of India. Parts of the
Indian culture such as Hinduism, Buddhism,
architecture, and writing spilled over the
borders into the surrounding countries.
73% of people in India live in rural villages, while only 27% live in urban towns and cities.
Part of this is due to the largest employed sector
being agriculture. The Ganges Plain is one of the
most populated areas in world.
CUISINE: Like its culture, Indian cuisine is extremely
diverse. The preparation, techniques, and
presentation used all vary from state to state, but
one thing that they have in common is that many
ingredients are used. Food is a special part of Indian
culture, and being able to vary the type of food
made is important. Part of the love for food includes the love of spices. Whether it is
northern, southern, eastern, western, or northeastern, spices and herbs will be used in
abundance, even if which ones are used differs. Many Indian dishes are vegetarian,
although the use of chicken, lamb, goat, and fish is not uncommon. Buffalo and beef are
also used, but these are not as common as pig is seen as an unclean animal. Indian food
is very popular all over the world, however, the limited menus at these restaurants does
not mirror the variety within the country.
RELIGION: India has been the birthplace of several religions,
including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism. These
religions are known as the Indian religions. India is very
religious, but one of the most religiously diverse countries.
A study found that 81% of people in India were religious.
80% of the population follows Hinduism. The second
largest religion present is Islam with 14.2% of people following it, and third is
Christianity with only 2.3% of people following it. In addition to these religions, there
are a few tribal religions that exist in India as well as agnostics and atheists.
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ETIQUETTE: As a mix of Western and Asian, the Indian atmosphere is formal. Britain
contributed to the formal and conservative aspect of India. Overall, Indians view eating
with their hands as proper. Etiquette varies in the different regions; for example in the
north it is only acceptable to use the first two parts of your fingers when eating, but in
the south, people use their whole hand. Sharing food is a big part of Indian etiquette,
even at a casual dinner, however, sharing the actual space where one’s mouth would go
is unacceptable. When entering a home, the people must take off their shoes before
entering; in addition, it is considered good manners to arrive 15-30 minutes late. Saying
thank you to a (dinner) host is not an appropriate form of gratefulness, but instead
inviting the hosts to dinner in the future. It is expected to use one’s title (ex: Mrs. Dr.,
ect…) when addressing them. Public physical contact between males and females are
unacceptable with Indians, but is acceptable between two Westerners. It is perceived as
aggressive to stand with hands on hips, and rude to point or whistle. Left hands and feet
are considered unclean, so do not use your left hand to greet people or hold objects or
point your feet toward someone. Exchanging business cards in India is common, even in
non-business situations.
Clothing in India varies depending on the local culture and religion. The most
widely recognized traditional Indian clothing for women include saris which are long
skirts, a choli top and a scarf draped over the shoulder.
COMMON WORDS AND PHRASES
The official language of India is Hindi. English and Hindi are used in official proceedings,
although there are 22 officially recognized languages in India. Hindi has a different
alphabet, so the translations below are written with the English alphabet.
ENGLISH PHRASE HINDI TRANSLATION
How are you? kya haal hai?
I’m fine mai theek hoon
Thank you dhanyavaad
Please krpaya
Can you help me? kya aap meree madad kar sakate hain?
Do you speak English? kya aap angrezee bolate hain?
I don’t speak Hindi main hindee mein baat nahin karate
Hello/Good bye namaste/alavida
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PRINCIPAL CITIES
MUMBAI
Mumbai is the capital of the state of Maharashtra as well as the financial,
entertainment, and commercial capital of India. It is the most populous state in India as
well as 9th in the world. It has the most billionaires and millionaires living in it than any
other city in India as well as some of the largest slums in Asia. Mumbai started as seven
islands that served as fishing colonies.
AREA: 1,681.5 sq mi
WEATHER: Tropical climate. The heaviest rainfall occurs in July, with seven months being
dry months. The temperature is fairly similar throughout the year.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Bollywood, Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway,
Haji Ali Dargah, Elephanta Caves, Girgaum Chowpatty, Siddhivinayak Temple, Kanheri
Caves, and Mahalakshmi Temple
DELHI
Delhi is the capital of India and is the third largest urban area in the world. As one of the
oldest capitals in the world, Delhi has been inhabited for thousands of years and has
many relics as it has been conquered by different empires. It is the home to the
Parliament of India and various government buildings
AREA: 573 sq mi
WEATHER: Humid subtropical climate. The monsoon seasons begins at the end of June,
and with it, an increase of humidity. The average rainfall is 28.1in and mostly occurs
from July-August. The temperature can vary from 50’s to 90’s throughout the year.
POINTS OF INTEREST: The Red Fort, Qutb Minar, India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb,
Akshardham, Lotus Temple, Old Delhi, Lodi Gardens, Jama Masjid, Parliament House,
Cathedral Church of the Redemption, Sacred Heart Cathedral,
BANGALORE
Bangalore is the third most populous city in India, and has the highest elevation of the
major cities in the country. A mud fort in 1537 was created and is considered to be the
foundation of the modern city. It is sometimes referred to as the IT capital of India.
AREA: 274 sq mi
WEATHER: Tropical savannah climate. It has very distinct wet and dry seasons, although
the temperature usually does not vary too much. In order, the rainiest months are
September, October, and August.
POINTS OF INTEREST: Lal Bagh, Cubbon Park, Bannerghatta National Park, ISKCON Temple,
St. Mary’s Basilica, Bangalore Palace, Sankey tank, Halasuru Someshwara Temple,
Thippagondanahlli Reservoir, Thottikallu, Devanahalli Fort, and Kodandarama Temple.
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MANIPUR
Manipur is a state in Northeast
India with Imphal as its capital.
Burma is to the east, and is the
only country that borders it. The
state is 8,621 sq mi, and speaks
Sino-Tibetan languages. The main
language is Manipuri, although
there are several tribal languages
spoken throughout the state. It
helps connect India to Southeast
Asia as well as aiding in migration.
Hinduism is the most popular
religion in Manipur, although the number of its followers has been dropping due to the
rising numbers of Christian. Currently 41.4% of people in Manipur are Hindu and 41.3%
are Christian. For 50 years, there has been a push for independence from India, which
has also allowed fighting between ethnic groups to break out. Its economy is mostly
agrarian, and it obtains great potential for the use of hydroelectric power.
Manipur’s climate is influenced by the hills that surround the state. It is 790 meters
above sea level. The temperature can vary from below freezing with snow present to
above 90 with a lot of heat. From May-October, rain is common with an average of
57.78in of rainfall per year. This rain helps the irrigation and agriculture flourish in the
state.
Schools in Manipur are taught mostly in English. Schools can be run either privately or
by the government, both state and central. The state contains two major universities.
Theater is present in Manipur, but the themes are mostly non-religious. Manipur has a
dance called Manipuri Dance, which is one of the most acclaimed dances of India. It is
both elegant and exciting. Manipur is home to many sports, including, Mukna, Mukna
Kangjei, Coconut Rugby, Polo, Boat Rowing Race, Arambai, Hunba. In addition, Manipur
is credited with bringing Polo to Europe. Manipur has several festivals throughout the
year, both religious and non-religious. Many of the festivals are based on the lunar
calendar.
The food eaten in Manipur mostly contains rice, fish, and leafy vegetables. The food
differs from other Indian states because the people of Manipur use various herbs and
roots not used in the mainland.
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HEATH STATISTICS
The life expectancy for males in India is 67, and for females it is 70. The median age of
the population is 26 years. The biggest cause of death for children under the age of 5 is
prematurity. For all people in India, the main cause of death is Inschaemic heart disease,
followed by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, and diarrhoeal diseases.
India’s healthcare was ranked 112 out of 190 countries, spending only 4.2% of its GDP
on healthcare. Those that live in rural India (about 73% of the population) have little or
no access to hospitals and clinics (only 2% of doctors work in rural areas), whereas the
urban areas of have quality hospitals and clinics that are run privately. In addition, only
about 17% of the population (the middle or upper class in urban areas) is covered by
healthcare, which means the rest pay for everything out of pocket immediately. This
healthcare only covers hospitalization and associated costs, which means medications
and consultations are still out of pocket. However, in major urban areas, the healthcare
is either up to par with or exceeding first world healthcare standards. The government
only spends 30% of its healthcare budget. Access to good sanitation is also an issue that
India faces.
The government only spends 30% of its healthcare budget, and access to good
sanitation is also an issue that India faces, which both aid in leading families to the
Catastrophic Health Expenditure. The Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE), or inability
to maintain the basic standard of living, is over 35% of families in India.
India has the highest rural death rate from maternity, and according to a report in 2005,
60% of children in India under the age of three were malnourished. It is estimated that
about one-third of all malnourished children in the world live in India.
India has been forming drug-resistant diseases. Some of these diseases include dengue
fever, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, and pneumonia. India is ranked as number 3 for
number of people living with HIV/AIDS, and number 1 for rabies. Most of the diseases in
India are due to poor sanitation and unclean drinking water. Over 50% of the population
goes to the bathroom in public. One of the biggest reasons for this is lack of toilets and
leaving feces in the streets instead of disposing of them. Having the air exposed to this
also increases the spread of diseases. Many diseases are also transmitted through the
water. Only 26% of the slum population has access to safe drinking water.
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9Distribution of causes of deaths in children
under 5 in 2013
Percentage of
total
Prematurity 27
Other causes 15
Acute respiratory infections 13
Birth asphyxia 11
Neonatal sepsis 8
Congenital anomalies 7
Injuries 4
Measles 3
Malaria 1
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