Nonviolent resistance to British
colonialism led by Mohandas GANDHI and Jawaharlal
NEHRU brought independence in 1947. The subcontinent
was divided into the secular state of India and
the smaller Muslim state of Pakistan. A third war
between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East
Pakistan becoming the separate nation of Bangladesh.
Despite impressive gains in economic investment
and output, India faces pressing problems such as
the ongoing dispute with Pakistan over Kashmir,
massive overpopulation, environmental degradation,
extensive poverty, and ethnic and religious strife.
The capital of India is New Delhi and the climate
varies depending on the region. For most areas June
is the beginning of monsoon season and rain is heavy.
Unemployment is at 9.2% and 25% of the population
falls below the poverty line.
POPULATION
Population of the country is 1,080,264,388 (July
2005 est.) with a population growth rate of 1.4
% (2005 est.).
ETHNIC GROUPS
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other
3% (2000)
LANGUAGE
English enjoys associate status but is the most
important language for national, political, and
commercial communication; Hindi is the national
language and primary tongue of 30% of the people;
there are 14 other official languages: Bengali,
Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam,
Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi,
and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of
Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India
but is not an official language
With so many citizens and such a large sized country,
you can expect big differences between languages.
India has 18 major languages and 844 kinds of dialects.
RELIGION
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh
1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
CURRENCY
The local currency used is Indian rupee (INR). Indian
rupee (INR) = 100 paise.
Currency can be changed at banks,
airports or authorised money changers. It is illegal
to exchange money through unauthorised money changers.
US Dollars and Pounds Sterling are the easiest currencies
to exchange.
All major credit cards are accepted.
Check with your credit or debit Card Company for
details of merchant acceptability and other services
which may be available.
Travelers’ cheques are widely
accepted and may be changed at banks. To avoid additional
exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to
take travellers cheques in US Dollars or Pounds
Sterling.
VISA AND TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
All foreigners who are visiting India are required
to obtain a visa as a valid travel document. However,
there are some relaxations for Bhutanese and Nepalese
nationals. The visa can be obtained at the local
Indian embassy in your country of residence.
With a tourist visa you are allowed to stay 180
days in India without registration at an Indian
authority. This visa, purposed for tourism is valid
from the date of issue.
A 10 year visa is available for US citizens under
a bilateral arrangement.
To apply for a tourist visa, submit your Passport
(valid for up to six months with at least two blank
pages), completed application form. Nationals of
Bangladesh and Pakistan must complete special application
forms. Personal interviews in some cases may also
be necessary, two passport-size photos. Nationals
of Pakistan will require five and visa fee.
For more information
on visa applications and procedures, inquire directly
with the Indian Embassy or Consulate office located
in/ near your country http://passport.nic.in/.
AIRPORT TAX
A departure tax of Rs. 500 is required for departure
to all international destinations. Rs. 150 is applied
on trips to Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar,
Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
ELECTRICITY
The voltage in India is usually 220 volts AC, 50Hz.
Some areas have a DC supply. Plugs used are of the
round two- and three-pin type.
TAP WATER
It is not advisable to drink tap water in India,
but bottled mineral water is safe and available
everywhere. Ice in drinks is generally OK in good
standard hotels and restaurants but it is best to
avoid it on street stalls or in country areas.
VACCINATIONS/ HEALTH CARE
No inoculations or vaccinations are required unless
coming from or passing through an infected area
(e.g. Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate required
from Yellow Fever endemic countries). It is advisable
to check for updated health recommendations regarding
cholera, dengue fever, malaria, Hepatitis B etc
before your departure to India.
Health care facilities are limited
and travellers are strongly advised to take out
full medical insurance before departing for India.
CLIMATE
Hot tropical weather with variations from region
to region. Coolest weather lasts from December to
February, with cool, fresh mornings and evenings
and dry, sunny days. Really hot weather, when it
is dry, dusty and unpleasant, is between March and
May. Monsoon rains occur in most regions in summer
between June and September.
TIME
GMT +5.5
Sources:
CIA
world fact book, August 2005
Ministry
of Tourism
Visit India
information
India
Country Guide
