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Die Verwendung von Marken oder Dienstleistungsmarken eines anderen ist keine Repräsentation, die der andere mit, Sponsoren, Sponsoren, unterstützt wird, oder wird von Wikinvest unterstützt. Discovering das Wunder, das Indien ist Was ist Indien und was ist ihre Identität Ist sie Wie schwer zu finden, wie die Innenseiten eines Samen Ein bloßes Land kann nicht annehmen, die bezaubernden Reize, die an ihren schlanken Handgelenken hängen. So, wie man das echte Indien Setzen Sie sich durch die Ruinen, und sehen Sie die Inschriften an den Wänden der Höhlen geschnitzt, und hören Sie. Hören Sie die Seher und die Folkloristen, das Wasser der ewigen Flüsse und die Echos von den unsterblichen gigantischen Bergen. Schauen Sie sich die Personifikationen des Gebets aus Marmor oder Stein geschnitzt, und liegen unter einem Banyan-Baum, und hören - hören Sie Indien. Indien ist der Name für die weite Halbinsel, die der Kontinent Asien im Süden der herrlichen Gebirgszüge, die in einem Schwert wie Kurve über die südliche Grenze von Tibet zu dehnen. Geformt wie ein unregelmäßiges Viereck, diese große Fläche des Landes nennen wir Indien, verdient den Namen eines Subkontinents. Alte Geographen bezeichnen Indien als konstituiert mit einer vierfachen Konformation (chatuh samasthana samsthitam), im Süden und Westen und Osten ist der Große Ozean, die Himavat-Reihe erstreckt sich entlang ihres Nordens wie die Schnur eines Bogens. Der Name Himavat in der oben genannten Passage bezieht sich nicht nur auf die schneebedeckten Gebirgsketten des Himalaja, sondern auch auf ihre weniger hohen Ableger - die Patkai, Lushai und Chittagong Hügel im Osten und die Sulaiman und Kirthar reicht im Westen. Diese gehen zum Meer und trennen Indien von dem bewaldeten Tal von Irrawady einerseits und dem hügeligen Tafelgebiet des Iran andererseits. Die Himalaja, die in atemberaubender Pracht stehen, strahlen in Mythos und Geheimnis. Diese, die jüngsten und höchsten Bergketten, füttern die Ganga mit nie endenden Strömen von Schnee. Die Himalaya sind die Heimat der Bewohner von Kaschmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim und Arunachal Pradesh. Inder lieben diese Spitzen, weil sie ein Teil jedes Inderlebens sind. Indianer verehren die Berge, wie sie würden, der Vater. Noch heute, wenn städtisches Indien gegen die Zeit rast, in den Höhlen der schneebedeckten Gipfel, leben Einsiedler - sucht das Göttliche. Keine Überraschung, wenn man bedenkt, dass auch dieses Jahrhundert einige große Philosophen wie Ramana Maharishi, Swami Vivekananda gesehen hat. Ramakrishna Paramhansa und J. Krishnamurti. Geschichte Indiens - Feiern von Indias Unbesiegbarer Geist Als der Jongleur der Weltgeschichte aufrollte, stiegen und fielen viele Zivilisationen und gingen in Vergessenheit, aber der Geist Indiens bleibt ewig und unbesiegbar, unversehrt von dem Angriff der Zeit. Die indische Geschichte folgt einem kontinuierlichen Prozess der Neuerfindung, die sich schließlich für diejenigen, die ihren wesentlichen Charakter zu erfassen, Die Geschichte dieses erstaunlichen Subkontinents geht auf die fünftausend Jahre zurück, als die Einwohner der Indus-Zivilisation eine städtische Kultur auf der Grundlage des Handels und des Agrarhandels entwickelt hatten. Unter den ältesten, reichsten und vielfältigsten Kulturen der Welt verwurzelt Indias einzigartiges Ethos in seiner ethnischen, kulturellen und religiösen Vielfalt. Die politische Karte des alten und mittelalterlichen Indiens bestand aus unzähligen Königreichen mit schwankenden Grenzen, die das Land anfällig für ausländische Invasionen machten. Die Arier waren die ersten, die in das Land eindrangen. Sie kamen aus dem Norden in etwa 1500 v. Chr. Und brachte mit ihnen starke kulturelle Traditionen. Perser, Griechen, chinesische Nomaden, Araber, Portugiesen, Briten und viele andere - die Liste der Eindringlinge, die Indien regierten, ist lang. Dennoch konnte niemand die unbezähmbare Seele von Bharatvarsha zerschmettern. Hier ist ein kurzer Bericht über die Geschichte Indiens, der versucht, die unsterbliche Magie der erstaunlichen Nation zu artikulieren, die in den Worten des amerikanischen Schriftstellers Mark Twain alle Menschen sehnt, zu sehen und zu haben Sah es einmal, würde nicht aufgeben, dass ein Blick für alle Wunder der Welt. Indias erste große Zivilisation blühte um 2500 v. Chr. Im Indus-Flusstal. Diese Zivilisation, die 1000 Jahre dauerte und als die Harappan-Kultur bekannt ist, scheint der Höhepunkt tausenderjähriger Siedlungen gewesen zu sein. Ab etwa 1500 v. Chr. Begannen arische Stämme aus Afghanistan und Zentralasien in Nordwestindien zu filtern. Schließlich waren diese Stämme in der Lage, das ganze nördliche Indien zu kontrollieren, und viele der ursprünglichen Bewohner, die Dravidianer, wurden in Südindien geschoben. 7. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Als die arischen Stämme sich im 7. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Über die Ganges-Ebene ausbreiteten, wurden viele von ihnen zu 16 großen Königreichen zusammengefasst. 5. Jahrhundert v. Chr. Allmählich diese verschmolzen in vier große Staaten, mit Kosala und Magadha auftaucht, um die mächtigsten während des fünften Jahrhunderts v. Chr. Nordindien, kam jedoch von der Nanda-Dynastie in etwa 364 v. Chr. Beherrscht werden. Mehr. Die Mauryas waren die erste herrschende Dynastie, um große Teile von Nordindien und einigen Teilen Südindiens als eine territoriale Einheit zu kontrollieren. Gegründet von Chandragupta Maurya mit der fähigen Führung von Kautilya, der Autor der berühmten Traktate - Arthshastra - das Reich erreichte seinen Höhepunkt unter Ashoka. Er ließ Säulen und felsige Edikte, die die enorme Spanne seines Territoriums, die große Bereiche des indischen Subkontinents bedeckte abgrenzen. Nach dem Niedergang des Mauryanischen Reiches. Entstand eine Reihe von mächtigen Königreichen in Zentral - und Südindien, darunter Satavahanas, Kalingas und Vakatakas. Später entdeckten diese Regionen einige der größten Dynastien Südindiens in Form der Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Chalukyas und Pallavas. Die nächste Dynastie eine Erwähnung wert ist, dass der Guptas. Obgleich das Gupta Reich nicht so groß war wie das Maurya Reich, hielt es Nordindien politisch für mehr als ein Jahrhundert von AD 335 bis 455 vereinigt. Mittelalterlicher Indien Der Niedergang der Guptas in Nordindien und der damit verbundene Aufstieg einer großen, aber ineffektiven Zahl von regionalen Mächten machten die politische Situation sehr flüssig und instabil bis zum neunten Jahrhundert n. Chr. Dies ebnete den Weg für die muslimische Invasion in Indien während der frühen Hälfte des elften Jahrhunderts. Diese wurden in Form von 17 aufeinanderfolgenden Überfällen nach Nordindien gefühlt, die von Mahmud von Ghazni zwischen 1001 und 1025 gemacht wurden. Diese Überfälle zerstörten effektiv das Gleichgewicht der Macht in Nordindien. Der nächste muslimische Herrscher in Indien einzufallen Mohammad Ghauri angegriffen Indien und nach einigen vergeblichen Widerstand von der örtlichen Führung gründete er ein ausländisches Imperium in Indien. Unter ihm kamen große Teile von Indien unter die muslimische Herrschaft und sehr bald wurde sein Nachfolger Qutub-ud-din Aibak der erste der Sultane von Delhi. Ihm folgte die Herrschaft der Khaljis und Tughlaq. Auch bekannt als das Delhi Sultanat, das über einen großen Teil von Nordindien und Teile von Südindien bis zum Eintreffen der Lodis und Sayyids herrschte. Mehr. Mughal Periode Besiegt Lodis und Sayyids, die Moguls gegründet, was kam, um als die lebendigste Zeit der indischen Geschichte bekannt sein. Die prominentesten Herrscher der Mogul-Dynastie Babur Humayun Akbar Shah Jahan Aurangzeb Das Mogulreich war massiv und bedeckte auf seiner Höhe fast den gesamten indischen Subkontinent. Die Mogul-Kaiser präsidierten über ein goldenes Zeitalter der Künste und Literatur und hatten eine Leidenschaft für Gebäude, die in einigen der größten Architektur in Indien, wie das Taj Mahal in Agra führte. Diese große Zahl von Forts, Palästen, Toren, Gebäuden, Moscheen, Baolis (Wassertank oder Brunnen) Gärten, etc., bildet das kulturelle Erbe der Moguls in Indien. Die Mughals waren auch maßgeblich daran beteiligt, eine der effizientesten Verwaltungseinrichtungen in Indien zu gründen. Der Niedergang der Mughals sah den entsprechenden Aufstieg der Marathas in Westindien. In anderen Teilen Indiens jedoch begann eine neue Tendenz der ausländischen Invasion unter dem Gewand der Handelsverbindungen ab dem 15. Jahrhundert an, zuerst mit der Ankunft und schrittweisen Übernahme von Goa durch die Portugiesen geführt von Vasco da Gama - zwischen 1498 Und 1510 AD und dann mit der Ankunft und der Errichtung des ersten Handelsplatzes in Surat, in Gujarat, durch die East India Company. Die Dänen und Holländer hatten auch Handelsposten, und im Jahre 1672 n. Chr. Gründeten sich die Franzosen in Pondicherry, einer Enklave, die sie auch nach Abreise der Briten hielten. Mehr. Die Briten, vertreten durch die East India Company, haben ihre kommerzielle Kontrolle über weite Gebiete in Indien, die sehr bald eine administrative Dimension hatte, eingerichtet. Die britische Herrschaft in Indien wurde jedoch durch die direkte Übernahme Indiens durch die britische Krone nach dem Ersten Unabhängigkeitskrieg im Jahre 1857 formalisiert. Die Geschichte des Raj ist eines der ständigen Kämpfe zwischen den Nationalisten, die andere Namen, Hintergründe und Methoden - und die Briten und ihre repressive Politik. Menschen aus der Länge und Breite von Indien folgten dem Weg von Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi gesetzt. Wo Wahrheit und Ahimsa oder Gewaltfreiheit gehalten wurden. Diese Vision zu stärken, war die neu entstehende Intelligenz. Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Bankim Chandra. Rabindranath Tagore. Subramanya Bharathi und Abul Kalam Azad waren einige von denen, die die Menschen durch ihre Seelen-rührenden Schriften und Lieder begeisterten, um zum Nationalismus zu gelangen. Indias Moment der Herrlichkeit endlich angekommen auf der Mitternacht des 15. August 1947. Menschen, freudig Delirien, überschwemmt die Straßen zu begrüßen die Morgendämmerung einer neuen Ära. Und innerhalb der Versammlungshalle erhob sich Jawaharlal Nehru, um seinen berühmten Rekruten mit Schicksalsrede zu machen. In den frühen Morgenstunden, als die Wolken einen leichten Nieselregen zur Anerkennung des Erwachens schickten, wurde das unabhängige Indien von einer kolonialen Gesellschaft in ein liberales Gemeinwesen verwandelt. Jawaharlal Nehru wurde unabhängiger Indias erster Premierminister und Rajendra Prasad der countrys erste Präsident. Die indische Verfassung wurde in vier Jahren erarbeitet. Sie versuchte, verschiedene Sprachregionen und Religionsgemeinschaften Indiens in einen zusammenhängenden Nationalstaat zu integrieren und gleichzeitig eine weitgehende Autonomie der verschiedenen Staaten der indischen Union zu ermöglichen. Die Gründerväter unter der Führung von B R Ambedkar gründeten die Regierungsgewalt des Landes nach der freien Wahl seiner Bürger. Die Legislative, die Exekutive und die Justiz begannen zu arbeiten, lange bevor solche Systeme von internationalen Denkern erkannt wurden. Indien begann mit der Planung und begann, die Themen wie Bodenreformen, Verbesserung der landwirtschaftlichen Marketing-Techniken und Bewässerungsanlagen anzusprechen. Die Verringerung der Abhängigkeit von den unbeständigen Monstern war ein wichtiger Schwerpunkt, da die meisten der indischen Landwirtschaft regengefüttert sind. All dies erfordert, neben der Planung, ein hohes Maß an Forschung. Umzug in die wissenschaftliche Forschung und Entwicklung, Indien erhöht ihre landwirtschaftliche Produktion auf eine konstante Wachstumsrate von drei Prozent pro Jahr. Indien nach der Unabhängigkeit Indien begann den Aufbau einer wissenschaftlichen Grundlage für alle ihre Programme, sei es Agrarforschung, reine wissenschaftliche Forschung oder Produkt-Designs für die Handwerker. Wenn C. V. Raman. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar und Hargobind Khorana waren Empfänger des Nobelpreises, es gab andere mit gleichen Fähigkeiten wie Homi Bhabha, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Jagd Chandra Bose, Meghnad Saha Kothari, Krishnan, Vikram Sarabhai und Pal, die ihre Energien auf die Schaffung von Umwelt und Infrastruktur konzentrierten Für weitere akademische und entwicklungspolitische Aktivitäten. Die Grüne Revolution der Sechziger und die Weiße Revolution der siebziger Jahre führten zu erstaunlichen Ergebnissen in der Landwirtschaft und der kooperativen Milchviehhaltung. Indien ist nach China die zweitgrößte Volkswirtschaft der Welt nach BIP und die drittgrößte Kaufkraftparität (PPP). Von Weltklasse-Infrastruktur, Megastädten, Wirtschaftszentren, modernen Flughäfen, geschwungenen Multiplexen, florierenden Einzelhandelszentren, Plüschhotels bis hin zu Wissens - und Informationstechnologieparks hat das Land alles, um seine schnellen Fortschritte auf dem schnellen Weg der Modernisierung und ganzheitlichen Entwicklung zu illustrieren. Heute ist das Land stolz wie das zweitgrößte Land in Asien und dem siebten größten und zweitgrößten Land auf der Erde. Indien umfasst so viel wie ein Drittel von Asien und unterstützt ein Siebtel der Menschheit. Es wurde als die größte Demokratie der Welt und eine aufstrebende globale Macht erkannt. Mehr. Erdkunde. Lage amp Topographie Das Hotel liegt im südlichen Teil von Asien, Indien liegt zwischen 84 und 376 N Latitude und 687 und 9725 E Längengrad. Das siebtgrößte Land der Welt erstreckt sich über eine Fläche von 3.166.414 km2. Einschließlich Lakshadweep Island im Arabischen Meer und den Andamanen und Nikobaren in der Bucht von Bengalen. Indien wird durch das Arabische Meer an seinem Westen und Südwesten und die Bucht von Bengalen an seinem Ost - und Südosten begrenzt und die Himalaja-Gebirgszüge grenzt das Land auf seinem Norden. Indien teilt seine territoriale Grenze mit Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan und Bangladesch. Indien ist mit verschiedenen Topographie von Bergen zu Ebenen, zu Hochebenen, Wüsten, Küsten und Inseln gesegnet. Der Wendekreis des Krebses teilt das Land in zwei gleiche Teile im nördlichen und südlichen Teil, und die Vindhya Gebirge schneiden quer durch das Land, von West nach Ost. Der Himalaya, der die nördliche Grenze des Landes bildet, besteht aus drei parallelen Gebirgsreihen: Himadri, Himachal und Shivaliks. Indien ist auch glücklich im Besitz einer breiten Strecke der fruchtbaren Länder, gebildet von dem alluvial Boden, der in Form von feinem Schlamm durch die mächtigen Flüsse heruntergebracht wird. Südlich des Himalayas liegen diese Great North Indian Plains aus dem Indus-Becken, dem Ganga-Brahmaputra-Becken und den Nebenflüssen dieser mächtigen Flusssysteme. Im Süden der Great Plains von Nordindien liegt das Great Plateau of Peninsular India, das in drei Teile unterteilt ist, nämlich das Malwa Plateau, das Chota Nagpur Plateau und das Deccan Plateau. Das Malwa-Plateau, das von den Aravalli-Hügeln und den Vindhyas begrenzt wird, bildet die nördliche Hälfte dieser Halbinsel. Das Tal des Narmada-Flusses bildet die südliche Grenze dieses Plateaus. Chota Nagpur Plateau liegt im östlichen Teil der Halbinsel und ist die reichste Mineralien produzierenden Region von Indien. Das Deccan Plateau erstreckt sich von den Satpura Hügeln im Norden bis Kanyakumari im Süden. Im Westen des Deccan Plateau liegen die westlichen Ghats, die aus den Sahyadri, den Nilgiri, den Annamalai und den Cardamom Hills bestehen. Auf der östlichen Seite verschmilzt dieses Plateau in eine Schicht von diskontinuierlichen niedrigen Hügeln, die als die Mahendra Giri Hügel bekannt sind, die aus den östlichen Ghats bestehen. Schmale Küstenebenen entlang des Arabischen Meeres und der Bucht von Bengalen flankieren das Deccan-Plateau an seinen östlichen und westlichen Seiten. Die westlichen Küstenebenen zwischen den westlichen Ghats und dem Arabischen Meer, weiter aufgeteilt in die nördliche Konkan Küste und die südliche Malabar Küste. Die östlichen Küstenebenen liegen hingegen zwischen den östlichen Ghats und der Bucht von Bengalen und wie die westlichen Ebenen sind in zwei Teile gegliedert: die Coromandel-Küste als südlicher Teil und die nördlichen Kreise als nördlicher Teil. In Richtung der westlichen Hälfte Indiens liegt ein großer Landstrich, der durch die Aravalli-Berge in zwei getrennte Einheiten unterteilt wird. Das Gebiet westlich des Aravalli besteht aus der Thar-Wüste - bestehend aus Sand und unterbrochen von felsigen Hügeln und wasserlosen Tälern. Dieses trockene Land erstreckt sich tief in Pakistan. Der Staat Gujarat liegt im Osten dieser Region und ist eine der wohlhabendsten Regionen in Indien. Indien ist ein riesiges Land im südlichen Teil Asiens, das durch den Indischen Ozean an seinem Süden, dem Arabischen Meer an seinem Westen und der Bucht von Bengalen am Osten gebunden ist und an Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, China und Bangladesch im Norden, Nordosten und Osten. Physische Indien-Karten können als wirksame Instrumente für das Verständnis der geophysikalischen und topologischen Merkmale des indischen Subkontinents dienen. Eine Indien-Übersichtskarte definiert klar die geopolitischen Umrisse des Landes und die politische Karte Indiens kann dazu beitragen, die politischen Grenzen und Unterabteilungen des Landes für alle praktischen Zwecke besser zu verstehen. In der physischen Karte von Indien können Erdbeben-anfällige Regionen (hohes Risiko) als Himalaya-Region, Teile der nordindischen Ebenen und Teile von Gujarat gefunden werden. Indien hat auch einige der verheerenden Erdbeben in diesen Regionen erlebt. Indien ist ein riesiges Land mit mehr als einer Milliarde Einwohner. Indien Straßenkarte ist ein ausgezeichnetes Werkzeug für das Verständnis der indischen Verkehrsnetz, die ein immense Straßennetz umfasst, die fast ganzes der Sub-Kontinent umfasst. Jedoch sind das indische Schienennetz und das Luftverkehrsnetz als virtuelle Motoren des Wirtschaftswachstums in der modernen Zeit aufgetreten, selbst wenn sie in Bezug auf die geographische Reichweite hinter dem Straßennetz stehen. Kultur von Indien Indien, bekannt für die Einheit in der Vielfalt, bietet eine fantastische, kreative Burst der Kultur - ein Potpourri von Religionen, Rassen und Sprachen. Die Wurzeln der indischen Kultur und Zivilisation lassen sich vor mehr als 5.000 Jahren mit einer ununterbrochenen Kontinuität von Traditionen, Sitten und weltberühmten Schulen der Philosophie verfolgen. Unter den ältesten, reichsten und vielfältigsten Kulturen Indiens repräsentiert Indien einen erstaunlichen Zusammenfluss verschiedener Glaubensbekenntnisse, Religionen, Glaubensrichtungen und Glaubenssysteme, die weiter unter Kasten, Sekten und Subsekten verteilt sind. Indien ist seit jeher ein Treffpunkt zwischen Ost und West, ein Schatzhaus des Wissens und der Weisheit. Die vedische Kultur und die vedische Lebensweise haben in Indien tief verwurzelt und werden heute von Menschen gefolgt. Neben den Veden sind weitere wichtige Schriftstellen aus vedischen Zeiten die Upanishadas (erleuchtende Kommentare über die Veden), die Shrutis und die Smritis (Vorratshäuser von gehörten und erinnerten Gelehrsamkeiten und Lernens). Indien glaubt an Sarva dharma samabhava, das bedeutet Respekt für alle Glaubenssysteme. Dies ermöglichte nicht nur die Toleranz gegenüber Religionen und Überzeugungen, sondern die Freiheit, Ideen und Philosophien zu propagieren. Nach der Assimilierung und Pflege einer unglaublichen Vielfalt von Menschen und Kulturen für Jahrtausende, ist die indische Kultur ein Objekt der Faszination für Menschen auf der ganzen Welt. Die Objekte der ethnischen Interessen wie einzigartige indische Kleider, köstliche indische Essen Rezepte, klangvolle indische Musik und exotische indische Namen evozieren globales Interesse auf einer kontinuierlichen Basis. Mehr. Religion In Indien ist Religion nicht einfach ein Glaubenssystem, sondern eine Reise der Selbsterforschung. Alle großen Religionen der Welt wie Hinduismus, Sikhismus, Buddhismus, Jainismus, Islam und Christentum einschließlich ihrer Sekten werden in Indien mit völliger Freiheit gefunden und praktiziert. Die Religionen haben sich seit vielen Jahrhunderten zusammengeschlossen und zusammen entwickelt und sind sehr wichtig für das Leben der Menschen, die eine bemerkenswerte Offenheit auch für fremde Religionen haben. Das Judentum war eine der ersten Fremdreligionen, die vor etwa 2500 Jahren in Indien eintrafen. Der Islam verbreitete sich über 700 Jahre. Der Zoroastrianismus kam aus dem Iran im 8. oder 10. Jahrhundert, während die Kolonialherrschaft das Land dem Christentum vorstellte. Lord Buddha wurde in Indien geboren und von den Ufern dieses Landes aus wurde der Buddhismus nach Sri Lanka und nach Tibet verbreitet. Da die Götter und Göttinnen in ihren unzähligen Formen mit aufwendigen Ritualen im Lande verehrt wurden, erschien im 15. Jahrhundert ein Reformator, der eine einfachere Form der Anbetung, geschoren von Ritualen, beanspruchte. Er war Guru Nanak Dev, dessen Lehren und die der neun Gurus, die später folgten, im heiligen Buch der Sikhs, dem Guru Granth Sahib, gesammelt wurden. Christen sind in Indien gleichermaßen zu Hause. Christliche Heilige kamen vor vielen Jahrhunderten nach Indien und predigten die Lehre vom Christentum. Es wird angenommen, dass St Thomas, einer der zwölf Apostel Christi, nach Indien kam im ersten Jahrhundert n. Chr., Und verbrachte den Rest seines Lebens in Indien zu predigen. Sein Grab, St. Thomas Mount in Chennai, Tamil Nadu ist ein Ort der Pilgerfahrt für Christen in Indien geworden. Der spanische katholische Missionar St Francis Xavier verbrachte auch den größten Teil seines Lebens in Goa. Sein Körper, in einer Glasschatulle, wurde in der Basilika von Bom Jesus in Panjim, Goa gehalten. Alle zehn Jahre sind seine Reliquien der Öffentlichkeit ausgesetzt, und Menschen aus der ganzen Welt drängen Goa, um den Segen zu empfangen. Mehr. Festivals Die Tradition der Feierlichkeiten geht auf die vedische Zeit zurück. Die heiligen Schriften und Werke der Literatur dieser Zeit sind voll von Verweisen auf Festivals. Dies waren die Feierlichkeiten zu Ehren der Götter, Flüsse, Bäume, Berge und Jahreszeiten wie Frühling und Monsun. Dies waren die Zeiten für Gebete und Meditation, aber auch für Spektakel und Prozession - die Gelegenheit, reine Freude mit Musik, Tanz und Drama auszudrücken und Messen zu veranstalten. Die Verfassung von Indien hat die Freiheit der Verehrung und Lebensweise für alle Bürger garantiert. Dies sorgt für das reiche Kaleidoskop der Festivals, die im ganzen Land gefeiert werden. Mehr. Diwali Die meisten bunten des ganzen Festivals ist Deepawali oder Diwali, das Festival der Lichter. Rama, die zentrale Figur in der epischen Ramayana, ging ins Exil für 14 Jahre, begleitet von seiner Frau Sita und Bruder Lakshman. Während ihrer Wanderungen in den Wäldern, führte Ravana, der König von Lanka, Sita weg. Erst nach einer epischen Schlacht besiegte Rama Ravana, rettete Sita und kehrte nach Hause zurück. Die Reise von Lanka im Süden nach Ayodhya im Norden dauerte 20 Tage. Seine triumphale Rückkehr brachte große Freude für seine Leute, die die ganze Stadt beleuchteten, um die Gelegenheit zu feiern. Diese Tradition setzt sich bis zum heutigen Tag fort, als Häuser und Städte in ganz Indien jährlich beleuchtet werden (traditionell mit kleinen Töpferwaren oder Diyas, die mit Öl gefüllt sind), um das Jubiläum zu gedenken. Deepawali bedeutet den Triumph des Guten über das Böse und Licht über die Finsternis. Mehr. Dussehra Die Schlacht zwischen Ravana und Rama und der letzte Sieg werden als Dussehra in vielen Teilen Indiens, 20 Tage vor Deepawali gefeiert. Dussehra ist der Tag, an dem die Bilder von Ravana, seinen Brüdern Meghnath und Kumbhakaran verbrannt werden. Es wird durch die Erlass der Geschichte des Ramayana von Amateur-Gruppen von Menschen in dem, was als Ram Lila bekannt, wo die ganze Nacht Aufführungen des Ramayana von Anfang bis Ende sind die Schauspieler sind vor allem junge Jungen, die die Rolle zu spielen Sowohl männliche als auch weibliche Charaktere. Mehr. Durga Pooja und Ganesh Chaturthi In Bengalen geht die Anbetung der Göttin Durga Deepawali voraus. Während Göttin Durga mit großer Hingabe in Westbengalen verehrt wird, ist Lord Ganesha - als der Entferner von Hindernissen anerkannt - die zentrale Figur in der Feier von Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra. Figuren. Janmashtami Lord Krishna, die achte Inkarnation von Vishnu, ist der göttliche Kern im epischen Mahabharata. Er war es, der Arjuna, einen der fünf Pandava-Brüder, während der Schlacht mit den Kauravas in Kurukshetra die Predigt der Bhagwat Gita (das Lied Celestial) gab. Dieser Kampf verkörpert erneut den Kampf zwischen den Kräften des Bösen und Guten. Lord Krishna wird in ganz Indien verehrt und es gibt Tempel, die ihm besonders geweiht sind, vor allem aber sein Heimatland von Vrindavan und Mathura, wo er als Knabe lebte und seine Göttlichkeit durch die Wunder enthüllte. Guru Nanak Jayanti und Baisakhi Die Geburtsjahre von Guru Nanak und Guru Gobind Singh, dem zehnten und letzten Gurus, sind sehr wichtige Tage und werden mit religiöser Inbrunst und Hingabe gefeiert. Prozessionen werden herausgenommen, die Schriften werden gesungen, ohne Pause, und die Gurudwaras (Sikh-Tempel) werden erleuchtet. Der indische Kalender, im Gegensatz zu den gregorianischen beginnt im April. New Years Day ist am 13. April, gefeiert als Baisakhi, die zusammenfällt mit der Ernte der Weizenernte in Nordindien, vor allem in Punjab. Die Leute tragen neue Kleider, singen und tanzen in Freude. In Ostindien beginnt das neue Jahr am 14. April und wieder ist es ein fröhlicher Anlass mit Gesang und Tanz von jungen Männern und Frauen, die ihre besten seidenen Mekhalas (Sarongs) und Chaddars (eine Überwicklung) und Tanz zum Schlag der Trommel tanzen . Dieses Festival ist bekannt als Rangali Bihu in Assam. Holi Dann gibt es Holi, die Festivals der Farben, wenn Männer, Frauen und Kinder einander mit farbigem Wasser dienen, um die Schönheit der Frühlingszeit zu feiern, wenn Blumen blühen und die Erde decken. Mehr. Das Fest von Eid wird am Ende eines einmonatigen Fastens gefeiert. Weihnachten, Gedenken an die Geburt Jesu Christi, überschreitet die Barrieren des Glaubens, um eine Gelegenheit für Feier der Freude über dem Land zu werden. Es gibt auch zahlreiche glitzernde Messen auf dem Lande statt. Das Juwel in der Krone ist natürlich die Kumbha Mela in Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), Nashik und Ujjain gehalten. Pushkar Fair und Urs bei Ajmer sind einige weitere bekannte Beispiele. So sind die Nauchandi Mela am zweiten Sonntag nach Holi in Meerut und Sonepur Viehmesse - Asias größte Viehmesse, die auf Kartik Poornima in Bihars Sonepur, am Zusammenfluss von Ganges und Gandak statt. Sprachen Im Laufe der Geschichte haben indische Sprachen und Literatur einen großen Einfluß auf andere große Zivilisationen und intellektuelle Entwicklung der ganzen Welt ausgeübt. Um das wirkliche Indien kennen zu lernen, müssen Sprachen der verschiedenen Regionen bekannt sein, die eine Menge Informationen über Indien Kultur, Traditionen, Geschichte und Folklore leisten können. Obgleich Hindi und Englisch die Hauptsprachen in Indien sind, gibt es 22 Amtssprachen und unzählige andere Dialekte. Abgesehen von der Herstellung von zahlreichen Meisterwerken der Literatur hat Indien rasche Fortschritte für die Förderung aller Zweige der Bildung. Seit der Antike hat Indien die unangefochtene Reputation als Zentrum der Exzellenz in der Bildung genossen. In der Vergangenheit blühte die Takshila Universität im Nordwesten und Nalanda Universität im Osten von Indien. Die Tradition der hochwertigen Bildung wird von modernen indischen Universitäten wie der Delhi University (DU), der Jawaharlal Nehru Universität (JNU), der Banaras Hindu University (BHU), der Aligarh Muslime University (AMU), der Allahabad University, Visva-Bharati, übertragen Universität und Vanasthali Vidya Peeth, um nur einige zu nennen. Mehr. Spiritual India Der Geist von Indien hat die Welt mit seinem sehr Mystique fasziniert. Spiritual Indien, reich an heiligen Stätten, Traditionen und Überzeugungen, bietet viel für diejenigen, die Wissen und Bewusstsein für die innere Welt. Indianer engagieren sich in spirituellen Bemühungen um ein Gleichgewicht zwischen den Bedürfnissen des Körpers und der Seele zu schlagen. Indien ist seit jeher ein Votum von Frieden und Gewaltlosigkeit, wie es die Lehre von Buddha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak von Mahatma Gandhi in der jüngsten Vergangenheit veranschaulicht. In Indien gehört Spiritualität zum Alltag. Während Religion mehr über Rituale ist, ist Spiritualität mehr mit Selbst oder dem Geist zu tun. Um die indische Spiritualität zu verstehen, ist es wichtig, die grundlegenden Lehren des Hinduismus zu verstehen. Eine reiche, komplexe und tief symbolische Religion, der Hinduismus heißt Sanatana Dharma oder die ewige Wahrheit, Tradition oder Religion. Es ist die älteste Religion der Welt oder eher eine Lebensart. Das Geburtshaus der großen Epen Mahabharata und Ramayana Indien hat eine reiche Fülle von Literatur einschließlich der faszinierenden Geschichten der Panchtantra Raghuvamsha, Shakuntala, Meghaduuta, geschrieben von Klidsa Pinis Ashtadhyayi, die die standardisiert Grammatik und Phonetik des klassischen Sanskrit Chanakyas Arthashastra (eine Abhandlung über Staatskunst, Wirtschaftspolitik und Militärstrategie) und Vatsyayanas magnum opus über die Kunst der Liebe - Kamasutra. Geeta Govinda von Jayadeva und die berühmten Akbar-Birbal Geschichten. Lord Krishna Liebe für Radha war die Inspiration für Miniaturmaler der Kangra oder Pahari Schule von Malerei, wie auch für die aufwendige Art der Malerei, die mit Gold verziert wird, bekannt als die Tanjore Arten von Südindien. Im alten Indien wurde Küche als ein Ort der Anbetung, wo das Feuer Gott wohnte und nährte die ganze Familie. Die exotische indische Küche hat es nie geschafft, Eingeborene sowie Ausländer anzuziehen, vielleicht aus dem Grund, dass Indien eine unendliche Vielfalt an indischen Rezepten für ihre einzigartigen Geschmack bekannt ist. Im Gegensatz zur populären Wahrnehmung, im traditionellen Indien, wurden Mädchen unter die Anleitung des gelehrten Gurus gestellt, wo zusammen mit verschiedenen s auch sie dazu gebracht wurden, verschiedene Formen der indischen Musik und Tanz zu erlernen und zu üben, um ihre künstlerischen Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln. Besonders nach der Heirat sollten indische Frauen verschachtelte indische Schmucksachen tragen, die als ein glückliches Symbol für ihr eheliches Glück betrachtet werden. Vor der Unabhängigkeit schmachten viele Dorfhandwerke, als die Engländer die Politik der lop-seitigen Industrialisierung umsetzten. Post-Independence, gibt es eine definitive Wiederbelebung im Allgemeinen von Traditionen und Handwerkstraditionen, insbesondere. Handwerk ist ein intrinsischer Teil der religiösen und rituellen Traditionen, wie Handwerker oft für die Tempel und für die Bereitstellung der für die Anbetung notwendigen Einrichtungen. Im modernen Kontext nimmt Indien einen besonderen Platz ein als die Heimat von Bollywood, einer der größten Filmbranchen weltweit, die eine einzigartige kulturelle Identität der Nation repräsentiert. Indische Filme haben Wellen auf der ganzen Welt gemacht, neben gut innerhalb des Landes. Eine Erweiterung des kommerziellen Kinos und eine Reihe von Cross-over-indischen Filmen haben eine globale Begeisterung für indische Schauspieler und Superstars geschaffen. Die Entstehung einer ganzen neuen Generation indischer Modelle in der indischen Modeindustrie hat auch einen großen Einfluss auf die globalen Medien. Indische Talente haben gezeigt, ihr Potenzial durch den Gewinn einer Reihe von internationalen Schönheitswettbewerbe. Governance India, die weltweit größte Demokratie, hat in den letzten zwei Jahrzehnten enorme Fortschritte in der wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Entwicklung gemacht. Das Land will bis zum Jahr 2025 ein höheres Land mit mittlerem Einkommen schaffen, das in den kommenden Jahren noch schneller wächst. With new government in place this year, India currently stands at the threshold of a unique opportunity regarding governance reforms. Governance is central to equitable socio-economic progress and political legitimacy. Good governance runs on four wheels: a representative and accountable government a political system that derives legitimacy from participatory democracy durable and solid institutions and equitable socio-economic growth . Governance in India has always been a critical issue for the governments since independence. Neither the soviet style socialist path nor the free-market western capitalist economy appeared the best answer for the country. It strives to craft a unique blend of its own socio-economic policies that would leverage its unique strengths and catapult it to centre-stage of the global economy. In order to achieve this goal, Prime Minister Narenda Modi has given the slogan, minimum government, maximum governance. Government service delivery system in India remains chaotic and a lot needs to be done in this regard. Government machineries at all level need to be strengthened. But mindset is changing as the government at the Centre has made it clear not only to its own wings but even to States that this chaos has to go with better use of information and communication technology. Some of the organisations have successfully transformed their way of functioning and service delivery system with the help of modern technology. The quality and effectiveness of service delivery today is directly linked to good governance practices and use of modern technology, especially ICT. It is widely accepted that governance should be citizen-centric and we need alertness and responsiveness in every aspect of governance. Modern technology is increasingly in demand at the government departments and organisations across the country, either due to the increasing pressure from the public or on the initiatives of bureaucrats and elected representatives. Corruption and sustainable economic development are key problems in India. But, as a vibrant democracy, India has a distinct advantage as it has an accountable government that is subject to transparent surveillance on multiple fronts, democratically elected legislatures, an independent judiciary and evolving regulatory watchdogs. That is Indias inherent strength. The Right to Information Bill was passed in 2005 in an effort to improve governance and public administration and eliminate corruption. This Act widely known as RTI accords all citizens greater access to public documents than was earlier possible. Further, corruption investigations have increased significantly in many states and generally, there is fear among corrupt and powerful with regard to law. Devolution of power aimed at better governance With amendments in Constitutions through the 73rd and 74th Amendments, powers were transferred to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Local Bodies. By transferring functions, fund and functionaries (3Fs), efforts are being made to transform the lives of people. Increased financial autonomy was supposed to be the game changer but we are still far behind from our cherished goals. Administration at various levels is still weak and the poor still suffer the most. Accountability, access to information, political will for real devolution of powers at all levels would only make the desired change and would lead to good governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, one of the biggest benefits of good governance is that it does not look at welfare of any particular section of the people it results in welfare of all. For example, if you improve water supply, everyone benefits. Modi government has thus adopted the mantra of inclusive development Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas E-governance has a major role to play in the efforts to establish good governance. Technology and innovation are the backbone of governance. Technology also plays a large role in creating and maintaining transparency. Reducing public expenditure is yet another critical area. The government spends huge amount wages, pensions, interest payments, and agricultural subsidies and social sector schemes . Good governance calls for drastic reduction in wasteful public expenditure. Rational and inclusive growth oriented expenditure would lead us to a higher stage of advancement. A long-established legal system has given India the underpinnings necessary for free enterprise to flourish. Although Indias courts are notoriously inefficient, they at least comprise a functioning independent judiciary. Property rights are not fully secure, but the rule of law generally prevails. High and inclusive growth is entwined with good governance and the Modi government is making efforts to take to it to the next level. the Union human resource development ministry wants to celebrate December 25 as good governance day . as on this day fall the birthdays of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya . Good leadership is the basic ingredient of governance. Quality leadership must be available at every level. Modi says, The government cannot run merely on dreams. The government must be policy-driven. If governance is policy driven, those who have to execute those policies will be clear in their mind as to their functions, and responsibility and accountability will follow. When decisions are taken, the nation moves forward. India amp the West Indias diplomatic and strategic engagement with the Western countries has gone through radical changes in recent times. India maintains solid bilateral relations with the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Russia. Indias claim for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council . as well as more responsibility in institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank is much dependent on good relation with the developed West. The country is maintaining a balance with regard to bilateral relations with the United States and Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modis historical visit to the US resulted in strengthening of trade and strategic tie-up between the two countries. US President Barack Obama was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the chief guest at Indias Republic Day parade on 26 January 2015 . He became the first US President to get that honour and also the first one to visit India twice while in office. While moving closure to the US, India never undermined its old and trusted friend Russia and recently it warmly welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin . India and Russia signed agreements in oil exploration, infrastructure, defence and nuclear energy including construction of 12 Russian-built nuclear units in India over the next two decades. India is the worlds largest democracy. It is a nuclear weapons power and has joined the elite space club. India would be the third largest economy in the world by 2050 and a middle income country by 2025. It has already become the second largest market in the world. The appurtenances of democracy - adult suffrage, a free media, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, the sanctity of property rights - are essential for inclusive growth which in turn strengthens democratic institutions. Borrowed from British model of Parliamentary democracy, India has adopted best practices from every one. It is a republic where Constitution is supreme. Elected legislature, executive, independent Judiciary and free media are four pillars of our democracy . Democracy has given Indians an institutional framework for the exercise of political choice and freedom to express dissent. This has acted as an indispensable safety valve in an inequitable milieu with great discrepancies in the distribution of power and wealth. Democracy has given the weakest and the poorest a stake in the system. The Indian electorate now numbers more than 800 million, making Indian elections the largest organised single political activity even in human history. Democracy has proved to be the most effective instrument for the cherished pursuit of power The Indian Judicial System is one of the oldest legal systems in the world today. It is part of the inheritance India received from the British after more than 200 years of their Colonial rule, and the same is obvious from the many similarities the Indian legal system shares with the English Legal System. The frame work of the current legal system has been laid down by the Indian Constitution and the judicial system derives its powers from it. Now a debate on the need to repeal obsolete laws has been set in motion in India with the government appointing a committee to look into the matter. The Law Commission of India under the aegis of the Ministry of Law amp Justice in India is responsible for introducing India law reforms and implementation. The first Law Commission of Independent India was constituted in 1955 by the Government of India for democratic Indian law reforms in accordance with the directives laid down by the Constitution of India. The primary objective behind setting up of the Law Commission was to introduce suitable changes in pre-Constitution laws recognized by the Constitution of India under article 372, as and when required. More. India of my dreams For many, India of their dreams is a place for equal opportunities, where all the talented people are given equal opportunities for growth irrespective of their caste, gender and economic and social status. India is witnessing a jobless growth even while it is very young country with regard to workforce. One hopes that one day every youth of the country will get a job and employability would be achieved through large-scale skill development programmes. Women safety and empowerment is yet another dream. Lessening of economic disparity across various social strata in the country is another cherished goal. While friendly ties with India and Pakistan as well as with India and other countries in the world become the priority for a majority, an improvement in living standards is the concern of all those who are Below Poverty Line at present. In India, democracy can be actualised in the true sense of the term if Indian politics can do away with casteism, vote bank politics, nepotism and criminalisation. For many, this is the India of their dreams. Honest, politically free and committed bureaucracy is a dream of many, especially who are into social activism, whereas quick justice and judicial activism are seen as an end and not as means by many towards the India of my dreams. Defence Indian Defence capability is ranked 4th in the world with the 2nd largest army at its command. The President of India himself serves as the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces composed of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force . In India, defence forces have grown from strength to strength after every major armed conflict and military operation in the past 60 years. In the current geopolitical context, India is faced with a complex array of internal as well as external security threats and the Indian Armed Forces are well-equipped to deal with them. India spends huge amount to enhance its military capabilities. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar recently told Parliament that the total expenditure on direct payments to foreign vendors for capital acquisitions for the Army, Navy and IAF during the last five years stood at Rs 1,03,535 crore (16.72 billion). India is the worlds largest arms importer due to a stagnant defence-industrial base (DIB), which forces the armed forces to acquire 65 per cent of their requirements from abroad. The Modi government has enhanced Foreign Direct Investment in defence sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent and the move aims at increasing domestic production and less dependence on imports. However, defence sector needs structural reforms to increase domestic production. Elections Fair and free elections are the backbone of our democracy. From Lok Sabha to local bodies, elections have become a part of our life and a strong tool for empowerment. But Lok Sabha elections 2014 was different from the previous ones in more that one ways. After a very long period (over 30 years) a single party got majority on its own. The elections were personality centric. Seasoned journalist Rajdeep Sardesais book 2014: The Election that Changed India provides a perspective into how elections in India are now much more complex than the conventional tussle of ballots. The elections 2014, including some Assembly elections in states like Maharashtra and Haryana marked the unprecedented shift in poll campaign strategy and the role played by the Media amp PR Network. Indeed this time, the Congress Party lost the election before it entered the electoral fray and the Modi as factor emerged there to establish a new identity. The elections clearly manifested that youth was no longer ready to digest the blunders done by the previous UPA regimes. More. Politics If politics decides your future, decide what your future politics should be, goes the proverbial importance of politics. In India, Bharatiya Janata Party finally swept the entire India in its wave. The wave of hope had consumed everyone, and rightly so. States that were conventionally not the seat of power for BJP came under the umbrella with the hope of acche din. Modi assumed the mantle of power and right now, as things seem, we are seeing a rather unconventional mode of politics and governance. The year 2014 was something that triggered a series of changes in India and the trickle effect will possibly cover the entire 2015 to settle down and give a final picture. A changed political landscape would result in two important aspects in times to come. Indian politics was, since independence, dominated by vote banks politics based on religion, caste and other class factors and forces. Now development has become the catch word and youth want change, jobs not debate over Babri Mosque or any divisive issues. Smart politicians have realised the change mind set of the youth and the graffiti is on the wall Indian Economy With the new government taking over this year, India seems to be back on course to getting back to the growth rates seen earlier in the best years. The international sentiment is very bullish on India and that confidence is reflected with India receiving in excess of US 15 billion in FII till the mid of November 2014. The Sensex has crossed record levels of 28,000 offering the best YTD Returns of 33.2, after touching lows of 17,000 in September 2013 and is expected to rise even further by the end of the current fiscal. By any standard, this is indeed a smart recovery. In fact, India has been the star amongst BRICS nations in the recovery period, post the global slowdown. With the new government demonstrating serious intent in reforming the economy by initiating steps towards reforms in land acquisition laws, labour laws, introducing GST, increasing FDI in Insurance, Railways, Construction, Infrastructure and Defence. Sensitive issues like deregulation of diesel have been initiated, while the coal and mining sector is being given an impetus through fresh auctions. Policies pertaining to clearances from the Environment and Forests are being revised to ensure faster clearances of projects. The fall in global commodity prices, especially crude oil has helped India improve its Balance of Payments situation. The domestic financial investors have also shown marked improvement in sentiment with mutual funds that were net sellers in the last couple of years having turned net buyers this year. Mutual funds alone have pumped in 25,000 crore in equities this year. The Indian economy showed itself to be more robust than most of the other BRICS nations through the difficult years from 2010-2013. From 2000-2014, the economy saw its lowest GDP growth rate of 4.15 (2000-2001), 3.88 (2002-2003), 4.47 (2012-2013) and 4.74 (2013-2014). The best years saw growth rates touch 9.48 (2005-2006) and 9.57 (2006-2007). The economy has begun to recover and is expected to post growth rate above 5 for the current period of 2014-2015) and the economy is expected to continue to increase the pace of growth through 2017. However, the industrial growth rates have shown a different trend. The highest growth rate of 12.17 was witnessed in 2006-2007, followed by 9.81 in 2004-2005 and 9.72 in 2005-2006. During the recession years, the industrial growth rate plummeted to 0.96 in 2012-2013 and 0.35 in 2013-2014. The industrial growth rate has been slow to post a recovery but current signs confirm that 2014-2015 will be better than the previous two years. The agriculture and allied sectors have been erratic in growth rates and the period in question has not shown consistent growth or decline, in fact there have been sharp growth and decline in respective years. The year 2000-2001 saw a negative growth rate of -0.01, while 2001-2002 showed robust recovery at 6.01, however 2002-2003 again saw a sharp decline at -6.60. The very next year 2003-2004 saw the best year posting 9.05 growth rate. Similarly, 2012-2013 saw growth rate dip to 1.42, while 2013-2014 saw a recovery at 4.71. Agriculture and allied sectors have seen increasing interest from corporates who now see a growth opportunity in the sector, with the government adopting a more open policy to private sector investment in modernizing the sector. With modernization and increased credit flow to the sector, growth rates are likely to continue to improve in the next few years. One sector which has been consistently growing at a rapid pace is the services sector. India has rapidly grown in the services sector that has seen substantial investment in financial services, insurance, IT amp business process outsourcing and backend support. India is also witnessing rising investment in health services, clinical and pharmaceutical research, education and skill development. The share of the services sector in the overall economy continues to remain high. The best years witnessed 10.91 (2005-2006), 10.06 (2006-2007) and 10.27 (2007-2008) growth rates. On the fiscal side, the Gross Domestic Savings touched its highest level in 2007-2008 at 36.82 of GDP and the same has been steadily declining till 2012-2013 when it touched 30.09. 2013-2014 showed a marginal improvement at 30.50. The combined fiscal deficit (centre and state) had its best year in 2007-2008 when it reached -0.40 but has been rising ever since. However, with the RBI adopting measures to curb the deficit, 2013-2014, the deficit stood at -6.7. The inflation WPI (average) touched its highest point in 2009-2010 at 9.6 but has since been kept in check with the same being brought down to 5.9 in 2013-2014. The CPI (average) touched its highest at 12.3 in 2009-2010 with the same coming down to 9.5 in 2013-2014. The Rupee has been steadily weakening against the dollar and after hovering in the mid Rs 40 for over a decade the Rupee has been holding steady around the Rs 60. While the weakening of the rupee was mostly welcomed by the exporters, especially the IT sector, the same hit the industry hard that was directly or indirectly impacted by it. With the global slowdown, the economy was strained with almost all infrastructure related activities coming to a standstill in the years 2010-2014. On international trade, the exports have been rising steadily year on year and stood at US 318.6 billion, while the imports had reached its highest level at US 502.2 billion in 2012-2013. The same had come down to US 466.2 billion. The forex assets, excluding gold, have been rising and stood at US 303.6 billion in 2013-2014. What has been worrying is that the external debt too has been steadily rising and was at its peak at US 426 billion with the short term debt standing at US 92.7 billion. The RBI has been facing a challenge in trying to keep the Current Account Deficit (CAD) down to manageable levels. The CAD as a percentage of GDP has been at its highest at 8.6 in 2007-2008 but with tight control on imports, the same has come down to 2.6 in 2013-2014. Governor Rajan took over as Governor at RBI in 2013 under the UPA II has had to take measures to bring the economy back to a growth path. His initial steps have been to control inflation and bring down the trade deficit. The curbs on gold import helped to bring down the CAD but by later 2014-2015, the Governor is under pressure to bring down interest rates to boost investment. According to the Census Data 2011, the population stood at 1210.2 million. The population has risen by 17.64 over the previous Census taken in 2001, when the population stood at 1028.7 million. In absolute terms, the population has risen by 181.96 million. Interestingly, the female population has registered a higher growth rate at 18.3 over the male growth rate which was at 17.1. The children population count stood at 164.5 million which represents a rise of 660,000 over the previous Census in 2001. The male child (0-6 years) has increased between 2001 and 2011, while the female child in the same age group has decreased marginally. The density of population per square km in India is 382 persons. Delhi recorded the highest people density amongst all cities at 97.5 with Chandigarh recording the second highest. Arunachal Pradesh had the lowest density per square km. In a path breaking initiative, The Prime Minister has taken steps to introduce a power sharing grid amongst the SAARC countries that will ensure that the surplus power generated in one country is distributed to another country based on need. The region already imports 30 of its requirement and having a grid will help all countries in the region. India already has power buying agreements with Bhutan and Bangladesh. India is set to grow at a rapid pace from here and the power sector alone requires an investment upwards of US250 billion over the next five years, with US 100 billion needed by the renewable sector alone. India is expected to have a demand of 2 trillion units by 2019. Solar, wind and Hydro are major areas that are expected to witness major investments in a bid to shore up clean energy generation. The government is targeting 100,000 mw of clean power generation by 2022. Gas based power projects have suffered in the last few years. In a relief to major gas based power plants the government plans to provide major relief to help revive 16,000 mw of power. Relief measures include lowering of interest rates and longer loan tenures. Wind energy, a part of the clean energy plan of the government, has received a boost with the government planning to invite bids worth Rs 20,000 crore in the coming fiscal that will see private players add another 3,000 mw of clean energy generated from wind. Investment in power transmission has lagged behind with several south based states suffering from power transmission congestion. The government plans to auction eight major power transmission projects with a cumulative investment of Rs 53,000 crore. One project will connect Chhattisgarh with Tamil Nadu through a 2,500 km long high capacity power evacuation link, costing Rs 26,820 crore. Railways Reforming the Indian Railways is high on the new governments agenda. The railways has suffered from political interference and lack of adequate investment for years that has resulted in the entire infrastructure becoming strained to maintain, besides safety and efficiency standards falling to dangerous levels. The railways, on account of passenger operations, has been losing Rs 25,000 crore annually and almost all arms of the railways require a massive inflow of investment if it has to keep a pace with the growth and achieve optimum operational efficiency. The Railway Budget for 2014-2015 has the largest budget outlay at Rs 65,445 crore. The plan outlay under budgetary sources is placed at Rs 47,650 crore which is Rs 9,383 crore higher than the previous year. Railway Safety Fund has an allocation of Rs 2,200 crore. The new government has rightly identified critical areas of focus as project delivery, safety, passenger services including sanitation, cleanliness and catering, financial discipline, resource mobilization, IT initiatives, transparency amp system improvements. The central government is keen to push forward introduction of high speed railways with international funding, fare and tariff rationalization and consolidation amp expansion of dedicated freight projects. Green initiatives by the railways include utilizing station roof tops of stations, buildings and land under the railways for solar power generation to meet internal needs-to be executed under the PPP mode. Airport modernization The new government is keen to modernize Civil Aviation and is keen to push development of short interstate air connectivity besides making India a major aviation hub. However, the new government has not been able to take bold steps to open up the sector and is still grappling with policy issues related to privatization and operations. Airport modernization started under the UPA II is being further consolidated, after the new government took over this year. Six airports have been identified for modernization, of which Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Guwahati will be developed under PPP mode and Kolkata and Chennai will be under fee-based management contracts from private operators. The private aviation space continues to grow at a rapid pace with aircraft acquisition continuing by all operators and new ones like Air Asia and Vistara in the process of taking advantage of the opening up of civil aviation in India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has come under much criticism on account of safety downgrade by the US based FAA and this continues to remain a matter of concern, as India races ahead with expansion of its skies. National Highways Infrastructure The Indian road network covers over 33 lakh kms and is the second largest in the world. The roads handle 65 of the total freight and 80 of the passenger traffic. While the National Highways are just 1.7 of the total road network, they carry over 40 of the total road traffic. This reflects the growth potential for the same in India and by extension the massive investment required for the planned expansion of national and state highways. The National Highways Authority is responsible for managing a network of roads and highways that cover 92,851 kms. The UPA II faltered after initiating a massive expansion of the highways and the last few years saw various projects being stalled on account of land acquisition issues and funding. The new government is now taking steps to speed up the Land Acquisition Law reform to ensure that the highway expansion can get back on to the fast track mode. Amongst the policy measures undertaken to attract private sector investment has been the decision to provide capital grant of 40 of total project cost to enhance viability, on a case-to-case basis. 100 tax exemption for 5 years and 30 relief for next 5 years is offered, which may be availed of in 20 years. Concession period has been extended to 30 years. In BOT projects, entrepreneurs will be permitted to collect and retain toll. Furthermore, the concessionaire will be permitted to import modern high capacity equipment for highway construction. The government has now decided to undertake land acquisition and utility removal prior to handing over Right of Way to the concessionaire. This has also been one of the major reasons for delay in project execution. Coal and Mining sector Under the UPA II, Coal mine allocation to the private sector came under legal scrutiny and the new government has scrapped the earlier allocation of 204 coal blocks out of a total allotted 218 coal blocks and has announced that the cancelled blocks will be auctioned off in a fair and transparent manner. After suffering a slowdown in coal mining operations, the mining operations are now being given a boost. In the period April-September 2014, Coal India Limited mined 210.75 million tons against a target of 220.10 million tons. Of this, the total coal dispatched to the power sector has been 167.59 million tons reflecting a growth of only 3.5 over the same period last year. The power sector has reached critical levels of coal stock on account of slowdown in domestic mining. Similarly, iron ore mining had also come under criticism and mining operations suffered a setback. In addition, with international coal and iron ore demands suffering a decline, especially on account of slackening of demand from China, the international commodity prices have been steadily declining. Defence The Defence forces continue the process of modernization in keeping with the perceived threats in the sub-continent and the Indian Ocean Region. India has had a long and hostile neighborhood that has kept the defence forces in a high state of alert. With changing geo-political equations in the post-cold war era, new political-economic-military equations have emerged. The Defence allocation continues to remain high and the budgetary allocation for 2014-2015 is Rs 2,29,000 crore. Of this the largest share is allocated to the Army at 51.69, Air Force 23.68, Navy 16.51, DG Ordinance Factories 1.08, DG Quality Assurance 0.36, and RampD 0.07. With increased Chinese activity in the North and North Eastern borders, the government has decided to raise a Strike Corp, with limited offensive capability to handle any possible threat emerging from China. The raising of the new Corps is expected to cost Rs 60,000 crore. To increase mobility in the region, the government is accelerating its border road development program across Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and JampK. On air modernization, the government is in the process of finalizing the commercial and technical terms for the final agreement for the purchase of 126 MMRCA Raphael fighter aircraft from France. The long pending Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) has faced delays on account of terms of work allocation and cost negotiation with Russia. The same is expected to be resolved by 2015. India continues to consider and dominate the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and is expected to continue to play the role of safeguarding the maritime sea lanes from the Malacca Straits in the east to the Strait of Hormuz amp Gulf of Aden in the west. Towards enforcing sea control, the Indian Navy strategy revolves around maintaining at least 2 Carrier Battle Groups (CBG). Presently, the Navy maintains a fleet of 140 vessels which includes 3 stealth warships, recently inducted. An additional 41 ships are under construction in various shipyards. To augment its sea denial capability, 6 state-of-the-art stealth submarines are in the process of being built. India has had to deal with poor planning and project execution in the submarine acquisition and building space and with the new government pushing for Make in India, naval arena is likely to see a lot of activity, in coming times. The domestic defence manufacturing sector is all set to get a boost with the government raising FDI to 49 from the earlier 26. In certain cases of high technology transfer, up to 100 FDI will be allowed. Indian companies are being encouraged to form joint ventures to ensure that the weapons and equipment with latest technology are manufactured in India along with developing Research amp Development capability. Science amp Technology As Indian civilization is one of the ancient civilizations in the world, its history dates back to the prehistoric era and so is its science and technology. It has been found that many of the scientific inventions and discoveries which are still in practice had originated in India only. It started in a place called Mehrgarh, which is presently in Pakistan. These prehistoric human activities had been in continuation since the Indus Valley Civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization which was developed around 4500 BCE was a planned settlement that knew the usage of drainage and sewerage system. Not only this, the said civilization was so developed that advanced and modern canal irrigation and water storage systems which included artificial reservoirs could also be found there. Cotton and sugarcane were also cultivated during that time. The system of standardization, evolved by the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilization who used the weights and measures, allowed gauging devices to be used in measurement of construction and angular measurement very efficiently and the use of calibration was also found for measuring devices. Lothal, the most important city of the Indus Valley Civilization, is well known for having its earliest docks. The keen observations of todays oceanographers have proved that the Harappans were extremely knowledgeable about tides and also possessed excellent and extraordinary knowledge on hydrograph and maritime engineering. The finding of an animal-drawn plough is an archaeological proof that dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. While tracing the origins of Indian cartography, Joseph E. Schwartzberg (2008) a University of Minnesota professor emeritus of geography, on the facts of the surviving maps, disclosed that, Though not numerous, a number of map like graffiti appear among the thousands of Stone Age Indian cave paintings, and at least one complex Mesolithic diagram is believed to be a representation of the cosmos. Use of large numbers can be found from the religious texts found in the Vedic period. From the Baudhayan Sutra written by Baudhayana (8th century BCE), we can find some notable and prominent mathematical results which include value of pi to some degrees of precision. It consists of Pythagorean theorems general statements and also cites the formula for the square root of two. Science and technology was so advanced at that time that we can find the primary astronomical text with different astronomical features like calendrical studies, astronomical calculations between 6th and 4th century BCE. This text is named as Vedanga Jyotisha which was generally implemented for timing social and religious events. This precious text deals with Indian astrology also as it is a religious text, with detailed descriptions of time and season which includes lunar and solar months. It has been studied that at that time people had knowledge on twelve zodiac signs, eclipses, seven planets and twenty seven constellations. Cataract operation was also introduced during that time with a special tool called Jabamukhi Salaka and this operation was known as Sushruta (6th century BCE) to the physicians. Traces of active mines of zinc can be found at Zawar near Udaipur, Rajasthan. The information about the construction of dams and bridges made of iron chain and bamboo, which was interweaved, could be traced to around 4th century. An Indian philosopher, Kanada, who lived around 200 BCE was the most prominent supporter of Vaisheshika School of atomism. This school suggested that atoms are eternal and invisible which cannot be created and destroyed and each one of them possess their own specific individuality. During Chandragupta II Vikramadityas period (375413) the iron pillar of Delhi was constructed and we can make out the magnitude of science and technology advancements of that time from the fact that it is still rust-free. Use of the law of signs of multiplication was also evolved in India as well as Pascal Triangle, binomial coefficient and binary numbers. Zero, as any other number, was first introduced in India by 9th century BCE. Aryabhattas elliptical model was reevaluated by Nilkantha Somayaji of Kerala School of astronomy and mathematics in 1500. Some notable scholars of pre independent era were Satyendra Nath Bose, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prafulla Chandra Roy, Sir CV Raman, Meghnad Saha and many more. After India got independent on 15th August 1947, science and technology was encouraged and development began with a slow but steady pace. Indian Institute of Technology was established which was actually formulated by 22 members committee of scholars and entrepreneurs for upgrading technical education in India. Since then the positive and substantial growth of science and technology in our country is really noticeable and that is why today India has been considered as the third largest powerhouse of qualified technical manpower who are competent enough to face any challenge. Green revolution which started in the 1960s as high yield variety of crops was introduced with the help of advanced agricultural techniques which increased the production of food in India. The Father of the Green Revolution in India, Dr. MS Swaminathans dream to make the world free of poverty and hunger led the Green Revolution of India. White revolution in milk production, golden revolution in horticulture, blue revolution in production of fish and the yellow revolution in oil seeds also took place other than the green revolution. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has developed a number of PARAM supercomputers which work for multiple functions like drug design, remote sensing, molecular modeling, weather forecasting and Indias space program. The information technology and the telecommunication sector in India have a very prominent role in India and have completely reversed its identity and picture in front of the whole world. These two sectors have established a very strategic position in the international market where India is looked upon as the hub for Information amp Communication s Technology (ICT). These two sectors have gone through total liberalization and immense growth since 1990s. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established to develop Indian space program very fast to promote rocket, space infrastructure and satellite development. For the national development, science and technology has emerged as a key instrument since India has become independent and our country has secured a very important and strategic position across the whole world. As India is a land of biodiversity, it has political boundaries which cover vast and extensive range of ecozones like high mountains, swamplands, deserts, grasslands, tropical and temperate forests, islands and rivers. The Western Ghats, The IndoBurma region and the Himalayas are the three biodiversity hotspots of India. It is a habitat of various types of animals, both large and small, like Bengal Tiger, Indian Wolf, Asian Elephant, Water Buffalo, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Indian Rhinoceros, Nilgai and many more. The geological and geographical conditions of India play a very crucial and significant role in determining the climatic pattern of the sub continent. Being the earths highest mountain range with a gigantic stature, Himalaya acts as a barrier which protects India from the katabatic winds of icy Tibetan Plateau. Most of the parts of the country have a tropical climate as the Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India. The whole weather pattern and the monsoon are very much unpredictable in India. The Himalayas in the north and the Thar Desert in the northwest play a very vital role for the Indian climate which work together and break all monsoonal patterns. The gaming industry in India is an emerging industry and has been predicted that by the end of 2017 it is likely to reach Rs. 4000 crore mark. Indian gaming market has a great potential as the country has younger generation which account for more than 50 percent of its total population. The growth of this industry is very rapid as it has become very common on different platforms such as online gaming, console, mobile, social media and others. There will be a high scope for the game developers who really possess creativity and skill, as developing a game is not only a coding job. Ecommerce and the gaming industry are concepts which are of recent origin. The games have been distributed to more than 200 cities through e commerce. But to make the gaming business a huge success, there are various challenges too. The gaming industry in India can have a strategic growth if the use of internet and the digital content of different types of devices increase. Research And Development There are innumerable numbers of research and development institutes in India where every type of research and development takes place. Indian Institute of Science was founded by Jamshedji Tata in 1899 in Bangalore with swami Vivekanandas patronage for research and higher education. The institute had some notable directors like Sir JC Ghosh, Sir CV Raman and others. Indias biggest research and development organisation Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established in 1942. CSIR performs various types of research and development like aerospace engineering, structural engineering, metallurgy, ocean sciences, mining, leather, life sciences, etc. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru established the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962 which later evolved as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969. Aryabhata was Indias first satellite developed by ISRO. The most significant achievement of ISRO is Indian Remote Sensing System which presents data for water harnessing, agriculture, land use and land cover mapping, forestry, ocean resources survey and fold mapping. The most recent achievement was the successful insertion of Mangalyaan in Mars orbit on 24 September 2014. The Defense Research and Development Organisation were established in 1958 for the technological advancement of defense sector. For instance, the Kaveri engine was designed especially for the Indian environment as it extends from the worlds highest range of mountains to the hot deserts. India, a geographical space to which many travellers, traders and researchers have been to, is also one among the first few countries that have marked their virtual presence on internet. India online shopping and India online music have become a way of life for net savvy people within and outside India. Whats more, talented youth in India need not remain waiting for opportunities to come to them anymore. A study done by a US based company predicted that by 2016 there will be 283.8 million Indian online users. As the confidence of the online shoppers have boosted remarkably it has been predicted that the ecommerce industry in India will be a 15 billion market by 2016. With the advent of mobile banking, ATM channel and internet banking, the banking sector has got a complete transformation in their operational process. The healthcare industry has started realizing that to make their presence felt in the Indian healthcare industry, they have to compete in the online environment. Not only this industry, but every segment of Indian industry has understood the significance of having an online presence, right from the tourism and hospitality industry to the education segment. Online presence has become so vital that now people do not have to rush to ticket counters and stand in a long queue for purchasing a movie ticket or for the railway reservation bookings. They can sit at home and can book their tickets online. Travel amp Tourism The origins of the Indian civil aviation sector date back to the year 1932 and the credit largely goes to JRD Tata, the legendary chairman of the Tata Group. What began as a humble joint venture by the aviator Nevill Vintcent and the industrialist JRD, assumed large-scale operations by 1937 and in 1938 it was christened as Tata Airlines. Commercial success of Tata Airlines led to the birth of Air India on 29 July 1946. Ever since, Air India has carried out yeomans service both in the national and international arena establishing connectivity with 95 destinations around the world. Air India has a fleet of 121 aircraft. Its state - of-the-art first class completely validates the famous Indian hospitality. Combine this with the up-to-date services like mobile booking, online booking, low cost air tickets, web check-in and 24-hour help desk and Air India unfolds into an immensely attractive airline. The introduction of Air Corporations Act 1953 led to the nationalisation of the entire Indian civil aviation sector. Thus was born Indian Airlines Corporation, the coveted domestic airline of India. With a fleet of 70 high quality aircraft, Indian Airlines coverage area includes major destinations within and outside India. With a user-friendly online booking system, Indian Airlines has always been a perfect service provider maintaining quality, efficiency and reliability all along. The ever growing Indian tourism industry reached its pinnacle of glory in 2012 when it contributed 6.6 per cent to the countrys GDP. With employment getting a major boost (supported 39.5 million jobs in 2012), today the tourism sector in India is at an all time high. Keeping its Incredible India campaign intact, the Ministry of Tourism plans to reach the growth figure of 7.9 per cent (average annual rate) during 2013-2023. One wonders what could be the reason behind such optimistic prediction. The answer is very simple cultural diversity, mesmerising beauty, clubbed together with a visitor-friendly attitude make India a perfect global destination for travel. There is a natural flair in Indian geography that intrinsically draws travellers to explore its infinite charm. Also, heritage sites and cultural fairs and festivals eco tourism that offers sylvan landscapes, wildlife sanctuaries, snow-covered mountain peaks like the alluring Kanchenjunga, sun-kissed beaches like in Goa and Andamans easy accessibility to world class hotels and resorts and many more factors make India look incredibly alluring. Another aspect that has captured the imagination of international tourists is medical tourism which is growing fast, riding on the advantage of world-class treatment facilities at low-cost available in India. The concrete measures being taken by the Government to boost Indian tourism have manifested themselves in the manifold increase in employment and foreign exchange earnings. Therefore, its not for nothing that India is ranked as the best country brand for value for money in the Country Brand Index survey conducted by a leading global brand consultancy. The beginnings of Indian railways take us to the colonial era in 1853 when the first railway was introduced that plied between Bombay and Thane. Subsequently from 1857 began the expansion of Indian Railways initiated by the then British engineer Robert Maitland Brereton. Thus, commenced the journey of railways in India, a large and robust enterprise, now owned and operated by the Indian Government. Today, Indian Railways is a crisscross representation of several zones the numbers of which has increased from six to 17 over the years. With a total track length of 115000 km, trains in India operate on the broad gauge, standard gauge, meter gauge and the narrow gauge. Trains are aplenty in India and their classification is subject to their average speed. For instance, superfast trains like the Duronto, Rajdhani and the Shatabdi express run at an average speed of 130 to 160 kmh and have much fewer halts than others. The operational area of suburban trains and metros are within the periphery of important cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. To promote tourism, the Indian Government has designed special trains like the Palace on Wheels, whose interiors are decked with the glorious Indian artistry, meant to provide feelings of pleasure and luxury to the travellers. With its reach extending even to the remotest areas, Indian Railways has the distinction of being the lifeline of this country. Keeping in view the highly competitive nature of travel and transport sphere, the Government has embarked upon innovative measures to enhance and upgrade the operations and services of Indian Railways. More. Indian embassy is the vital connect between India and rest of the world and its job is to diplomatically engage with other countries, while duly following the international law. The person responsible for mediating such a specific task is called the ambassador of the country. While dispersing his duties, the ambassadors topmost priority is to safeguard the rights and interests of the country. He works in the spirit of harmony and cordial relations, while forging closer social. cultural, economic and defence ties with other countries. The Indian embassy functions following the above mentioned principles in the course of its interaction with other countries. The Commonwealth countries of the world have high commissions instead of embassies and the Indian embassy makes every effort to fully cooperate with the high commissioners of these countries. Modern Indian history abounds with instances wherein India has extended diplomatic assistance to its neighbouring countries in the Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Diplomatic missions carried out by India in far flung areas like in the Caribbean and Pacific regions are also well known. Overseas visitors desirous of visiting India must obtain a visa from the Indian embassy located abroad. However, this rule is not applicable to citizens belonging to visa-exempt countries like Nepal and Bhutan. India also offers visa on arrival facility that can be availed by ordinary passport-holders of 43 countries. The validity of this visa is 30 days for a single stay. To boost Indian tourism, the Government of India recently introduced the ETA enabled visa on arrival facility. ETA or Electronic Travel Authorisation promises to make citizens of more than 40 countries eligible for visa on arrival. This enables the ETA cardholders to immediately proceed towards the immigration counters once they reach India. To avail this benefit, tourists must apply four days in advance of their date of arrival. This visa is functional for 30 days and can be acquired twice a year. Those interested in obtaining an Indian visa must first complete an online application form. This process also requires one to submit a valid passport, a recent passport sized photo and details of their intended travel. The application fees for visa differ from country to country. The processing part of Indian visa applications are handled by outsourced agencies in most countries. However, very soon Indian agencies are set to replace them including those run by Travisa and VFS Global. Visiting certain remote areas in India is strictly prohibited even for valid visa holders. Foreigners, therefore, have to obtain special permission in the form of Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit these places. Historically, various board and dice games that find reference in ancient Hindu texts and mythologies were popular in India. While there may not have been a mega sporting event like the Greek Olympics, competitions in wrestling and archery as entertainment for royal families were not uncommon in ancient and medieval India. Also, thanks to the great body of work in yoga and ayurveda as well as various dance forms, physical well-being was seen as an integral part of overall well-being. With the coming of the British, sports like other parts of life became an organized activity, and modern sports such as cricket, badminton, lawn tennis and hockey were introduced in the subcontinent. Its a quirk of history that a white mans game cricket became not only Indias most popular sport, but also its great obsession. As social scientist Ashis Nandy has cheekily remarked, Cricket is an Indian game invented by the British. Sports got a major fillip right after independence when Delhi hosted the first ever Asian Games in 1951. Six sports were featured in the games athletics, basketball, weightlifting, football, cycling and aquatics . India stood second in the medal tally with 15 gold medals. By the time India hosted the Asian Games again in 1982, sports in India had taken off, and the event featured more than 190 events in 21 sports along with 23 disciplines. However, compared to Asian sporting giants such as China, Japan and South Korea, India has lagged behind in sports in recent years the medal tally of recent Asiads brings this out sharply. India has been most successful in Olympics in field hockey, with the mens team winning eight gold medals in its glorious years. More recently, Indian archers, shooters, wrestlers, boxers and shuttlers have found success in the international arena. Though cricket continues to remain the most popular sport, sporting heroes such as Leander Paes and Sania Mirza in tennis, Saina Nehwal in badminton and Abhinav Bindra in shooting have made budding sportsmen and women more confident about pursing varied disciplines. Also, cricket no longer commands the absolute devotion that it once did in the 1980s and 1990s. Indias world cup cricket triumph of 1984 remains one of the finest sporting moments in the collective imagination of millions of Indians. Cricketers of every generation have been household names. But one man, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, rose to such supreme heights of fame and popularity that it is hard to imagine anyone in the future replacing his place. Its not as if there wont be great champions in Indian sports, but the Tendulkar era coincided with the opening up of the Indian economy, a reassertion of Indian nationalism, and the proliferation of television and other mass media, creating a unique, near-divine aura around the batting legend for his millions of fans. India has hosted several key cricket tournaments including the cricket world cup in 1987, 1996 and 2011. With the private sector getting more closely involved with sports and state government such as Haryana investing in sports in a significant way, the future looks promising. India has done particularly well in billiards and chess. Michael Ferreira, Geet Sethi and Pankaj Advani have brought several laurels for the country in the international arena. Viswanathan Anand has been the face of Indias success in chess for more than two decades. A new generation of sportspersons from states like Haryana and Manipur are leading Indias charge in the Olympics and elsewhere. Meanwhile, sports and events such as marathons, half-marathons, motor sports and adventure sports are gaining a committed band of followers in a globalizing India. Marathons are popular events in many cities now, with celebrities joining in to promote a social cause. Mehr. Cricket has rightly been described as a religion in India. Before the 1990s, Indian cricketers, though admired and lauded, were paid very meager amounts as salary. That changed with the opening up of the economy. Today Indian national team cricketers are multimillionaires, rubbing shoulders with Bollywood stars and endorsing multiple brands. In the first four decades after independence, cricket was still similar to the old colonial sport, and synonymous with Test cricket. It was a game spread over five days, with a one-day break in the middle, and followed on radio and in newspapers. It was played in whites and the great urban centers such as Bombay produced most of the cricketers. The average Indian cricketer of today is likely to come as much from a small town as from a big city. One day cricket and T20 have made the sport easy to follow and a made-for-television event. Purists argue that the twenty over version of the game has eroded its soul, but as long as the money keeps coming in, nobody will take their complaints seriously. Mehr. Indias national sport has seen the best of times and the worst of times. In the decades before and after independence, India was a powerhouse in hockey. The names of hockey legends such as Dhyan Chand are still taken in awed reverence. The Indian Hockey Federation was founded in 1927. The following year, India participated in Olympic hockey for the very first time in the Amsterdam Games. Captain Jaipal Singhs leadership and Dhyan Chands wizardry helped India to a landmark gold medal. India continued their golden ways in hockey in the next two Olympics. In the post-independence era, India clinched the gold medal in the 1948 London Olympics. Indias winning streak ended in the 1960 Rome Olympics when rivals Pakistan beat them in the finals. India made a comeback in one final burst of glory in the Moscow Olympics of 1980. The world of hockey had already started changing in the 1970s, and the subcontinent players found themselves out of touch with a faster, more aggressive style of playing. Indians also failed to adjust to the new artificial turf. Since then its been a saga of decline, with just a few flashes of brilliance for Indian hockey. Mehr. Football is a strange phenomenon in India. India ranks nowhere in the soccer playing nations of the world, but the sport is arguably only second in popularity to cricket. Football clubs such as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the eastern city of Kolkata have had a fanatical fan following traditionally. Football is also quite popular in Goa, Kerala and Sikkim among other states. Many young, urban middle-class Indians enthusiastically follow the English Premier League and Champions League. People are known to reschedule their holidays and office hours during the World Cup, one of the most widely followed sporting events in the country, though nobody seriously expects India to come even close to qualifying in the near future. Given Indias near-absence from the football map of the world today, its surprising to learn that India won the gold medal in the 1951 Asian Games reached the semi-final in the Melbourne Olympic and bagged another gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games. The formation of the Indian Super League in 2014, with the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Robert Pires part of the action, promises to turn around the fortunes of Indian football. But it is too early to tell what the long-term effects of the league would be. Mehr. Sardar Nihal Singh was the first Indian to play at Wimbledon in 1908. Two years later he managed to reach round 3 of the championship. The other Indian and British-India players to make a mark on the world stage during the British raj include the British brothers AA Fyzee and AH Fyzee SM Jacob Sydney Jacob (who represented India and reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 1925) and the Lahore lawyer Mohammad Sleem, who reached the pre-quarters in 1921. Ghaus Mohammad Khan was the first Indian to reach the quarters in 1939. Post independence, Dilip Bose reached the 4th round of Wimbledon in 1948. But the first truly great Indian tennis player was Ramanathan Krishnan, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist in the 1960s, the farthest any Indian player has ever reached. Premjit Lall and Jaideep Mukherjea were among the other notable players of the 1960s and 1970s. Vijay Amritraj reached the quarter-finals twice in Wimbledon, in 1973 and 1981. In 1986, Ramanathans son Ramesh Krishnan reached the quarters of the championships. In more recent times, India has done quite well in the mixed, mens and womens doubles in various Grand Slams, with Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati and Sania Mirza the three most successful Indian tennis players of the last two decades leading the charge. Mehr. Last Updated on. December 4, 2015 Advertise with us Let Your Voice be Heard by 1O Million Users in India
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