Indian River

 

Rivers that flow into the sea are sorted geographically..., along the coast starting from the Bay of Bengal in the east, moving along the Indian coast southward till Kanyakumari, and moving northward along the Arabian Sea. Rivers that flow into other rivers are sorted by the proximity of their points of union to the sea: the lower in the list, the more upstream.

The biggest major rivers of India are:

• flowing into the Bay of Bengal: Brahmaputra, Ganges (with its tributaries Yamuna, Kameika, Gomti, Chambal), Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri (and their main tributaries)
• flowing into the Arabian Sea: Indus, Narmada, Tapti (and their main tributaries)

The remaining rivers are:

• flowing into the inner part of India.
• coastal rivers.

 

Rivers flowing into Bay of Bengal

• Subarnarekha
  • Kharkai
• Damodar
• Karnaphuli River from Mizoram and Bangladesh
• Meghna River from India and Bangladesh
  • Titas River in Tripura
    • Haora River in Agartala

Brahmaputra River Basin

• Brahmaputra River
  • Lohit River
  • Burhidihing River, also called Noa Dihing in its earlier course through Namdapha National Park
  • Kameng River
  • Disang
  • Dikhou
  • Bhogdoi
  • Kakodonga
  • Dhansiri River
  • Subanshiri
  • Kapili
  • Pagladiya
  • Manas River
  • Sankosh
  • Yamuna
  • Teesta River
    • Rangeet River
    • Lachen River
    • Lachung River
  • Dharla River in Bangladesh
    • Jaldhaka in [[Sikkim]

Ganges River Basin

• Ganges River
  • Hooghly River (distributary)
    • Jalangi River
    • River Churni
    • Ichamati River
    • Damodar River
      • Barakar River
    • Rupnarayan River
    • Ajay River
    • siang
    • tirap
    • Mayurakshi River
    • Dwarakeswar River
    • Mundeswari River
  • Meghna River (distributary)
  • Padma River (distributary)
  • Budhi Gandak
  • Kosi River
  • Falgu River
  • Gandak at Patna
  • Son River
    • Koel River
    • Rihand River
    • Gopad River
      • Goini River
      • Neur River
    • Banas River
  • Ghaghara River (Gogra) or Karnali River in Nepal
  • Yamuna River
    • Ban Ganga River
    • Betwa River
      • Dhasan River
      • Halali River
      • Kaliasote River
    • Sindh River
      • Kwari River
      • Pahuj River in Bhind District Madhya Pradesh
    • Chambal River
      • Banas River
        • Berach River
          • Ahar River
      • Kali Sindh River
      • Parbati River (Madhya Pradesh)
      • Shipra River in Ujjain
    • Gambhir River
      • Parbati River (Rajasthan)
  • Gomti River
  • Ramganga River
    • Kho River
      • Malini River
      • Surkho River
  • Mahananda River
  • Mahakali River
  • Bhagirathi River
  • Alaknanda River
  • Gangi River
  • Beson River
  • Mangai River
  • Bhainsai River
  • Tamsa River
  • Karmanasha

West Bengal Coastal Rivers

• Subarnarekha River
  • Kharkai River
• Kangsabati River
  • Bhagirathi
  • Hughli

Mahanadi River Basin

• Mahanadi River
• Brahmani River
• Baitarani River
• South Koel River near Rourkela
• Sankh River
• Devi River
• Kusabhadra River
• Daya River
• Bhargavi River
• Kadua River

Godavari River Basin

• Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra states
  • Kolab River in Orissa State
  • Indravati River in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra State and also in Chhattisgarh state
    • Bandiya River in Gadchiroli

Krishna River Basin

• Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra states
  • Munneru River in Andhra Pradesh
    • Akeru River in Andhra Pradesh
  • Paleru River in Andhra Pradesh
  • Musi River in Andhra Pradesh
  • Tungabhadra River
    • Vedavathi River
      • Suvarnamukhi River
      • Veda River
      • Avathi River
    • Varada River
    • Tunga River
    • Bhadra River
  • Bhima River in Karnataka and Maharashtra
    • Sina River
    • Nira River
    • Mula-Mutha River
      • Mula River
      • Mutha River
    • Chandani River
    • Kamini River
    • Moshi Riverf65r
    • Ambi River
    • Bori River
    • Man River
    • Bhogwati River
    • Indrayani River
      • Kundali River
    • Kumandala River
    • Ghod River
    • Bhama River
    • Pavna River
  • Malaprabha River
  • Ghataprabha River
  • Varma River
  • Koyna River in Satara district of Maharashtra state

Andhra Pradesh Coastal Rivers

Rivers like vamsadhara and nagavalli are the two coastal rivers in srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh

Sharada river starts at Devarapally in visakhapatnam district and drains in to the Bay of Bengal

Penner River Basin

• Penner River

Kaveri River Basin

• Kaveri River (Kaveri)
  • Kollidam (distributary)
  • Amaravati River
  • Arkavathy River
  • Mettur Dam
  • Bhavani River
  • Hemavati River
  • Kabini River

Tamil Nadu Coastal Rivers

• Thamirabarani River
• Palar River
• Vaigai River
• Vellar
  • Vasishta Nadi
  • Sweta Nadi
• Cooum River
• Adyar River

Rivers flowing into Arabian Sea

Karnataka Coastal Rivers

The rivers flowing through three coastal districts of Karnataka join Arabian sea.

• Kali River
• Netravati River
• Sharavathi River
• Aghanashini River
• List of rivers of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts

Kerala Coastal Rivers

The rivers flowing through three coastal districts of Kerala to join Arabian sea.

• Periyar River
• Bharathapuzha River
• Pamba River
• List of rivers of Kerala

Coastal rivers of Goa

• Tiracol
• Chapora
• Baga
• Mandovi River

Mandovi River,known as Mhadai in Western Ghats of Goa and Karnataka, has three sources viz., the Degao, the Nanevadichi Nhõi (nhõi means river in Konkani) and Gavali the last two sources go dry in summer season. The main origin of the river, in the form of a spring, even during Summer season, is at Bavtyacho Dongor hills near Degao village in Khanapur Taluka of Belgaum Dist in Karnataka State. The three streams confluence at the Kabnali village whereafter it is known as Mhadai, which has an easterly flow initially, then flows north and finally turns to the west on entering Goa. Mhadai River enters Goa between Krisnapur (Karnataka) and Kadval (Goa) villages. The tributaries of the Mhadai are the Nersa Nala, the Chapoli and Kapoli nala, the Bail Nala, the Volo Panshiro ( Karnataka), the Suko Panshiro, the Harparo, the Nanodyachi Nhõi, the Vellsachi Nhõi, the Valpoichi Nhõi, the Ghadghadyachi Nhõi, the Valvanti/ Volvot, the Divcholchi Nhõi, the Asnoddchi Nhõi, the Khandeaparchi Nhõi, the Mhapxechi Nhõi, Xinkerchi Nhõi etc. It is the longest River of Goa with a reported length of 105 km.

• Zuari River
• Sal
• Talpona
• Galgibag

Maharashtra Coastal Rivers

• Shastri River
• Gad River
• Vashishti River
• Savitri River
• Patalganga River
• Ulhas River
  • Thane Creek (distributary)
  • Vasai Creek (distributary)
• Mithi River or Mahim River
• Oshiwara River
• Dahisar River
• Tansa River in Thane
• Vaitarna River
• Surya River

Tapti River Basin

Tapti River and its tributaries

• Tapti River in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
  • Gomai River in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra
  • Arunavati River in Dhule district of Maharashtra
  • Panzara River in Jalgaon, Dhule districts of Maharashtra
    • Kaan River in Dhule district
  • Aner River in Jalgaon, Dhule districts
  • Girna River in Nashik, Malegaon, Jalgaon districts
    • Titur River in Jalgaon district
  • Waghur River in Jalgaon, Aurangabad districts
  • Purna River in Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Jalgaon, Navsari districts of Gujarat, Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh
    • Nalganga River in Buldhana district
    • Vaan River in Buldhana, Akola, Amravati districts of Maharashtra
    • Morna River in Akola, Washim districts
    • Katepurna River in Akola, Washim districts
    • Umaa River in Akola, Washim districts
  • Sangiya River in Amravati district of Maharashtra

Narmada River Basin

• Narmada River
  • Kolar River in Sehore
  • Barna River in Raisen
  • Hiren River
  • Tawa River
  • Burhner River

Mahi River Basin

• Mahi River
  • Som River
    • Gomati River

Sabarmati River Basin

• Sabarmati River
  • Wakal River
  • Sei River

Indus River Basin

• Indus River (largely in Pakistan)
  • Panjnad River (Pakistan)
    • Sutlej River (Northern India and Pakistan)
      • Beas River
        • Parbati River (Himachal Pradesh)
    • Chenab River (largely in Pakistan)
      • Ravi River (largely in Pakistan)
      • Jhelum River (in Pakistan and Indian Kashmir)
        • Neelum River or Kishanganga
      • Tawi River
  • Shyok River
    • Nubra River, rising from the meltwater of the Siachen Glacier
    • Chang Chenmo River
    • Galwan River
  • Suru River
    • Dras River
    • Shingo River
  • Yapola River
  • Zanskar River
    • Markha River
    • Khurna River
    • Tsarap River
    • Doda River
  • Hanley River

Rivers flowing into inner part of India

• Ghaggar River in Haryana, Rajasthan
• Musi River at Hyderabad, India
• Samir River, India/ Gujarat

Alphabetical list:-

A-B-C-D

Bhadra (Karnataka), Bharathapuzha(Kerala), brahmaputra river, Chenab River

E-F-G-H

Falgu River

Gadhi River, Ganges River, Gambhir River, Gandak, Gayathripuzha, Ghaggar River, Ghaghara River, Ghataprabha, Girija River, Girna River,Godavari River, Gomti River, Gunjavni River

Halali River, Hoogli River

I-J-K-L

Indus River, Indravati River,

Jaldhaka, Jhelum River, Jayamangali River at tumkur district, River Jambhira

Kabini River, Kadalundi River, Kaagini River, Kali River- Karnataka, Kali River- Uttarakhand, Kali Sindh River, Kaliasote River, Karmanasha,Kallayi River Kalpathipuzha, Kameng River, Kanhan River, Kamla Balan bihar, Kannadipuzha, Karnaphuli River, Kaveri River, Kelna River,Kelo River Khadakpurna River, Kodoor River, Koel River, Kolab River, Kollidam River, Kosi River, Koyna River, Krishna River, Kundali River,kaushiga River, Kuwanav River, Ken River

Lachen River, Lachung River, Lakshmana Tirtha River, Luni River,

M-N-O-P

Mahanadi River, Mahananda River, Mahakali River, Mahi River, Mandovi River, Meenachil River, Meghna River, Mithi River, Mula River, Musi River, Mutha River, Malaprabha, Manorama River,

Narmada River, Nethravathi River, Nag River (Maharashtra)

Palar River, Pamba River, Pahuj River, Pamba(Kerala), Panjnad River, Panzara River, Parambikulam River, Parbati River (Himachal Pradesh),Parbati River (Madhya Pradesh), Parbati River (Rajasthan), Payaswini, Pench River, Penganga River, Penner River, Periyar River, Ponnaiyar River, Pranhita River, Purna River,Pluest river [Poonch J&K], Panchaganga River

Q-R-S-T

Ramganga, Rangeet River, Ravi River, Rihand River, Rukmavati River, Rupnarayan River, Rapti River, Ram Rekha River,

Saryu River, Sarswati River, Sabarmati River, Sankh River, Shalmala River, Sharavathi River, Shimsha River, Shipra River, Sindh River, Sita River, Son River, Souparnika River, South Koel River, Subarnarekha River, Sutlej River, Surya River, Swarna River,

Tansa River, Tapti River, Tawa River, Teesta River, Thuthapuzha, Tons River Tunga River, Tungabhadra River, Thamirabarani River Tedi River,

U-V-W

Vaan River, Vaigai River, Varuna Vashishti River, Vedavathi River,Vrishabhavathi, Vishwamitri River

Ulhas River, (ural river)

Wainganga River, Wagh River, Wardha River, wehashli river

X-Y-Z

Yamuna River,

Zuari River,

India- 1983 Cricket World Cup

 

1983 Cricket World Cup Photos----

http://www.google.co.in/images?q=1983+world+cup&hl=en&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=wvoFTbHBEMumrAfMw9yRDw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&sqi=2&ved=0CBMQ_AU&biw=1024&bih=677

 

 

In the 1983 Cricket World Cup, India was given a boost in that it would be able to play two matches against each of the three teams in its pool. The only minnows in the World Cup were the Zimbabwe cricket team, a team that India was grouped with. India were also grouped with the West Indies and Australia, creating formidable matchups for a team that had become known for its inability to perform in the World Cup.

India opened up their campaign against the favourites, the West Indies. But it shocked all observers with a 34 run victory thanks to a strong performance from Yashpal Sharma (89 from 120 balls, 9 fours). India totalled up 262 in 60 overs and tumbled the West Indies out for 228, thanks to a quick 3 wickets from Ravi Shastri. A confident team went on to deal out a thrashing against Zimbabwe, chasing down the total of 156 with 23 overs and 5 wickets to spare, helped by a half-century from Sandeep Patil (50 from 54 balls, 7 fours, 1 six). Madan Lal was the destroyer in chief with his three wickets. However, the confidence and morale were short-lived as India was dealt out a 162 run thrashing from Australia 2 days later. India collapsed to 158 attempting to chase Australia's mammoth 320.

As India entered the second half of the group stage, they opened up with a loss against the West Indies by 66 runs. Vivian Richards (119 from 146 balls) took the West Indies to 282 in 60 overs, a score that India was unable to chase despite Mohinder Amarnath's (80 from 139 balls) good innings. India's next match against Zimbabwe was to become famous for the remainder of history. The favourites, India, were 5-17 by an emerging Zimbabwe bowling lineup. A defeat would have made qualifying for the semifinal impossible, but Kapil Dev's (175 from 138 balls, 16 fours, 6 sixes)* famous innings took India to 266 (he combined with Syed Kirmani (24 from 56 balls, 2 fours) in a 126 run 9th wicket partnership). The Zimbabwe batsmen got starts but were once again hampered by Kapil Dev and Madan Lal who got 4 wickets between them. India ended up winning by 31 runs. However, the last match against Australia was still a must win. But India made light work, winning by 118 runs thanks to 4-wicket hauls by Madan Lal and Roger Binny.

India's semi-final match against England contained no drama. India coasting to a 6 wicket victory. The major contributors were Yashpal Sharma (61 from 115 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes), Mohinder Amarnath (46 from 92 balls, 4 fours, 1 six), and Sandeep Patil (51 from 32 balls, 8 fours) with the bat. Kapil Dev picked up 3-35 to seal a victory that took India to the World Cup final. The final was considered somewhat of an anticlimax, most expecting a clear West Indies win although India had beaten them in the preliminary rounds. The West Indies tumbled India out for 183, with Kris Srikkanth (38 from 57 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) top scoring, and were cruising on their way to a memorable victory at 2-57, with Vivian Richards (33 from 28 balls) at the head before suffering a major collapse. They were annihilated by the Indian bowlers and reached 6-76 before providing some sort of resistance. They were all out for 140, India won by 43 runs. The heroes of the day were Mohinder Amarnath (3/12 and 26) and Kris Srikkanth (top scorer with 38).

The Indian Squad that won the 1983 World Cup comprised:

• Mohinder Amarnath
• Kirti Azad
• Roger Binny
• Kapil Dev (captain)
• Sunil Gavaskar
• Syed Kirmani (wicketkeeper)
• Madan Lal
• Sandeep Patil
• Balwinder Sandhu
• Yashpal Sharma
• Ravi Shastri
• Kris Srikkanth
• Sunil Valson
• Dilip Vengsarkar

India's record: 6−2 (champions)

Indian Sports

 

A 2008 Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket match being played between the Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders

India's official national sport is field hockey, administered by Hockey India. India's hockey team won the 1975 Hockey World Cup and 8 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals at the Olympic games, making it one of the world's most successful national hockey teams ever. Cricket, however, is by far the most popular sport; the India cricket team won the 1983 Cricket World Cup and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka. Cricket in India is administered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI); and domestic competitions include the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Trophy and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy. In addition, BCCI conducts the Indian Premier League, a Twenty20 competition.

India is home to several traditional sports which originated in the country and continue to remain fairly popular. These include kabaddi, kho kho, pehlwani and gilli-danda. One of the earliest forms of Asian martial arts, such as Kalarippayattu, Yuddha, Silambam and Varma Kalai, originated in India. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award are India's highest awards for achievements in sports, while the Dronacharya Award is awarded for excellence in coaching.

Chess, commonly held to have originated in India, is regaining widespread popularity with the rise in the number of Indian Grandmasters.Tennis has also become increasingly popular, owing to the victories of the India Davis Cup team and the success of Indian tennis players. India has a strong presence in shooting sports, winning several medals at the Olympics, the World Shooting Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Other sports in which Indian sports-persons have won numerous awards or medals at international sporting events include badminton, boxing and wrestling. Football is a popular sport in northeastern India, West Bengal,Goa, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.I-League is the premier Football competition in the country,it contested by 14 clubs and lasts for about 7 months.

India has hosted or co-hosted several international sporting events, such as the 1951 and the 1982 Asian Games, the 1987 and 1996 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Major international sporting events annually held in India include the Chennai Open, Mumbai Marathon and the Indian Masters. The country is scheduled to host the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the first Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

Indian Culture

 

 

The Taj Mahal in Agra was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site considered to be of "outstanding universal value".

India's culture is marked by a high degree of syncretism and cultural pluralism. India's cultural tradition dates back to 8000 BCE and has a continuously recorded history for over 2,500 years. With its roots based in the Indus Valley Tradition, the Indian culture took a distinctive shape during the 11th century BCE Vedic age which laid the foundation of Hindu philosophy, mythology, literary tradition and beliefs and practices, such as dhárma, kárma, yóga and moksha. It has managed to preserve established traditions while absorbing new customs, traditions, and ideas from invaders and immigrants and spreading its cultural influence to other parts of Asia, mainly South East and East Asia.

Indian religions form one of the most defining aspects of Indian culture. Major dhármic religions which were founded in India include Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Considered to be a successor to the ancient Vedic religion, Hinduism has been shaped by the various schools of thoughts based on the Upanishads, the Yoga Sutras and the Bhakti movement.Buddhism originated in India in 5th century BCE and prominent early Buddhist schools, such as Theravāda and Mahāyāna, gained dominance during the Maurya Empire. Though Buddhism entered a period of gradual decline in India 5th century CE onwards, it played an influential role in shaping Indian philosophy and thought.

Traditional Indian society is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. The Indian caste system describes the social stratification and social restrictions in the Indian subcontinent, in which social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups, often termed asjātis or castes. Several influential social reform movements, such as the Bramho Shômaj, the Arya Samāja and the Ramakrishna Mission, have played a pivotal role in the emancipation of Dalits (or "untouchables") and other lower-caste communities in India. However, the majority of Dalits continue to live in segregation and are often persecuted and discriminated against.

Traditional Indian family values are highly respected, and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been the norm, although nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas. An overwhelming majority of Indians have their marriages arranged by their parents and other respected family members, with the consent of the bride and groom. Marriage is thought to be for life, and the divorce rate is extremely low. Child marriage is still a common practice, more so in rural India, with half of women in India marrying before the legal age of 18.

Indian cuisine is characterised by a wide variety of regional styles and sophisticated use of herbs and spices. The staple foods in the region are rice (especially in the south and the east) and wheat (predominantly in the north). Spices, such as black pepper which are now consumed world wide, are originally native to the Indian subcontinent. Chili pepper, which was introduced by the Portuguese, is also widely used in Indian cuisine.

One of the fourteen gopurams of the Meenakshi Temple complex in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Hindu God Shiva and his consort Meenakshi, the temple is considered to be the foremost religious and cultural center of Tamil people and is one of the holiest Hindu sites in India.

Traditional Indian dress varies across the regions in its colours and styles and depends on various factors, including climate. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men; in addition, stitched clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama and European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular.

Many Indian festivals are religious in origin, although several are celebrated irrespective of caste and creed. Some popular festivals are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Thai Pongal, Holi, Onam,Vijayadashami, Durga Puja, Eid ul-Fitr, Bakr-Id, Christmas, Buddha Jayanti, Moharram andVaisakhi. India has three national holidays which are observed in all states and union territories — Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanthi. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in individual states. Religious practices are an integral part of everyday life and are a very public affair.

Indian architecture is one area that represents the diversity of Indian culture. Much of it, including notable monuments such as the Taj Mahal and other examples of Mughal architecture and South Indian architecture, comprises a blend of ancient and varied local traditions from several parts of the country and abroad. Vernacular architecture also displays notable regional variation.

Indian music covers a wide range of traditions and regional styles. Classical music largely encompasses the two genres – North Indian Hindustani, South Indian Carnatic traditions and their various offshoots in the form of regional folk music. Regionalised forms of popular music include filmi and folk music; the syncretic tradition of the bauls is a well-known form of the latter.

Indian dance too has diverse folk and classical forms. Among the well-known folk dances are the bhangra of the Punjab, the bihu of Assam, the chhau of West Bengal, Jharkhand , sambalpuri of Orissa , the ghoomar of Rajasthan and the Lavani of Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India's National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu, kathak of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniyattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, manipuri of Manipur, odissi of Orissa and the sattriya of Assam.

Theatre in India often incorporates music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue. Often based on Hindu mythology, but also borrowing from medieval romances, and news of social and political events, Indian theatre includes the bhavai of state of Gujarat, the jatra of West Bengal, the nautanki and ramlila of North India, the tamasha of Maharashtra, the burrakatha of Andhra Pradesh, the terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and the yakshagana of Karnataka.

The Indian film industry is the largest in the world. Bollywood, based in Mumbai, makes commercial Hindi films and is the most prolific film industry in the world. Established traditions also exist in Assamese, Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu language cinemas.

The earliest works of Indian literature were transmitted orally and only later written down. These included works of Sanskrit literature – such as the early Vedas, the epics Mahābhārata and Ramayana, the drama Abhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Śakuntalā), and poetry such as the Mahākāvya – and the Tamil language Sangam literature. Among Indian writers of the modern era active in Indian languages or English, Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel Prize in 1913.

Indian Demographics

 

Population density map of India.

With an estimated population of 1.2 billion, India is the world's second most populous country. The last 50 years have seen a rapid increase in population due to medical advances and massive increase in agricultural productivity due to the "green revolution". The percentage of Indian population living in urban areas has consistently grown; from 1991 to 2001, India's urban population increased by 31.2%. In 2001, about 285 million Indians lived in urban areas while more than 70% of India's population resided in rural areas. As per the 2001 census, there are twenty seven million-plus cities, with the largest cities being Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata.

India is home to two major linguistic families: Indo-Aryan (spoken by about 74% of the population) and Dravidian (spoken by about 24%). Other languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman linguistic families. Neither the Constitution of India, nor any Indian law defines any national language. Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official language of the union. English is used extensively in business and administration and has the status of a 'subsidiary official language;' it is also important in education, especially as a medium of higher education. In addition, every state and union territory has its own official languages, and the constitution also recognises in particular 21 "scheduled languages".

As per the 2001 census, over 800 million Indians (80.5%) were Hindu. Other religious groups include Muslims (13.4%), Christians (2.3%),Sikhs (1.9%), Buddhists (0.8%), Jains (0.4%), Jews, Zoroastrians and Bahá'ís. Tribals constitute 8.1% of the population. India has the third-highest Muslim population in the world and has the highest population of Muslims for a non-Muslim majority country.

India's literacy rate is 64.8% (53.7% for females and 75.3% for males). The state of Kerala has the highest literacy rate at 91% while Bihar has the lowest at 47%. The national human sex ratio is 944 females per 1,000 males. India's median age is 24.9, and the population growth rate of 1.38% per annum; there are 22.01 births per 1,000 people per year. Though India has one of the world's most diverse and modern healthcare systems, the country continues to face several public health-related challenges. According to the World Health Organization, 900,000 Indians die each year from drinking contaminated water and breathing in polluted air. There are about 60 physicians per 100,000 people in India.

India- Economy

 

The Bombay Stock Exchange, in Mumbai, is Asia's oldest and India's largest stock exchange by market capitalisation.

In 2009, India's nominal GDP stood at US$1.243 trillion, which makes it the eleventh-largest economy in the world. If PPP is taken into account, India's economy is the fourth largest in the world at US$3.561 trillion, corresponding to a per capita income of US$3,100. The country ranks 139th in nominal GDP per capita and 128th in GDP per capita at PPP. With an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% for the past two decades, India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Before 1991, the Indian government followed protectionist and socialist-inspired policies because of which the Indian economy was largely closed to the outside world and suffered from extensive state intervention and regulation. After an acute balance of payments crisis, the nation liberalised its economy and has since moved towards a free-market economy. Since then, the emphasis has been to use foreign trade and investment as integral parts of India's economy. Currently, India's economic system is portrayed as a capitalist model with the influx of private enterprise.

India has the world's second largest labour force, with 467 million people. In terms of output, the agricultural sector accounts for 28% of GDP; the service and industrial sectors make up 54% and 18% respectively. Major agricultural products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, potatoes. Major industries include textiles, telecommunications, chemicals, food processing, steel, transport equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery and software. India's external trade has reached a relatively moderate share of 24% of GDP in 2006, up from 6% in 1985. In 2008, India's share of world trade was about 1.68%; in 2009, it was the world's fifteenth largest importer and eighteenth largest exporter. Major exports include petroleum products, textile goods, gems and jewelry, software, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures. Major imports include crude oil, machinery, gems, fertiliser, chemicals.

Tata Nano, the world's cheapest car.India's annual car exports have surged fivefold in the past five years.

During the late 2000s, India's economic growth averaged 7.5% a year. Over the past decade, hourly wage rates in India have more than doubled. According to a 2007 McKinsey Global Institute report, since 1985, India's robust economic growth has shifted 431 million Indians out of poverty and by 2030, India's middle class population will rise to more than 580 million people.In 2009, the Global Competitiveness Report ranked India 16th in financial market sophistication, 24th in banking sector, 27th in business sophistication and 30th in innovation; ahead of several advanced economies. Seven of the world's top 15 technology outsourcing companies are based in India and the country is viewed as the second most favourable outsourcing destination after the United States. India's consumer market is currently the world's thirteenth largest and is expected to become the fifth largest by 2030. India has the world's fastest growing telecommunication industry, adding about 10 million subscribers during 2008–09 period. The country has the world's second fastest growing automobile industry, with domestic sales increasing by 26% during the 2009–10 period and exports increasing by 36% during the 2008–09 period.

Despite India's impressive economic growth over recent decades, it still contains the largest concentration of poor people in the world.The percentage of people living below the World Bank's international poverty line of $1.25 a day (PPP, in nominal terms Rs 21.6 a day in urban areas and Rs 14.3 in rural areas in 2005) decreased from 60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005. Since 1991, inter-state economic inequality in India has consistently grown; the per capita net state domestic product of India's richest states is about 3.2 times that of the poorest states.Even though India has avoided famines in recent decades, half of children are underweight and about 46% of Indian children under the age of three suffer from malnutrition.

A 2007 Goldman Sachs report projected that "from 2007 to 2020, India’s GDP per capita will quadruple," and that the Indian GDP will surpass that of the United States before 2050, but India "will remain a low-income country for several decades, with per capita incomes well below its other BRIC peers." Although the Indian economy has grown steadily over the last two decades; its growth has been uneven when comparing different social groups, economic groups, geographic regions, and rural and urban areas. The World Bank suggests that India must continue to focus on public sector reform, infrastructure, agricultural and rural development, removal of labour regulations, improvement in transport, energy security, and health and nutrition.

India- Flora and fauna

 

Regarded as the "queen of Indian flowers", the Lotus is the national flower of India and is considered sacred by Hindus and Buddhists.

India, which lies within the Indomalaya ecozone, displays significant biodiversity. One of eighteen megadiverse countries, it is home to 7.6% of all mammalian, 12.6% of all avian, 6.2% of all reptilian, 4.4% of all amphibian, 11.7% of all fish, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species.Many ecoregions, such as the shola forests, exhibit extremely high rates of endemism; overall, 33% of Indian plant species are endemic.

India's forest cover ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands, Western Ghats, and northeastern India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the sal-dominated moist deciduous forest of eastern India; the teak-dominated dry deciduous forest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain. Important Indian trees include the medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies. The pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment. According to latest report, less than 12% of India's landmass is covered by dense forests.

Many Indian species are descendants of taxa originating in Gondwana, from which the Indian plate separated. Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards, and collision with, the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. However, volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago caused the extinction of many endemic Indian forms. Soon thereafter, mammals entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes on either side of the emerging Himalaya. Consequently, among Indian species, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are endemic, contrasting with 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians. Notable endemics are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and the brown and carmine Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172, or 2.9%, of IUCN-designated threatened species. These include the Asiatic Lion, the Bengal Tiger, and the Indian white-rumped vulture, which suffered a near-extinction from ingesting the carrion of diclofenac-treated cattle.

In recent decades, human encroachment has posed a threat to India's wildlife; in response, the system of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial habitat; in addition, the Forest Conservation Act was enacted in 1980. Along with more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries, India hosts thirteen biosphere reserves, four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; twenty-five wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.