National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries

National Parks		Places
Gir Forests		Home of Asiatic lion. In Gujarat
kaziranga Sanctuary		One horned rhino. In Assam
Manas Sanctuary		One horned rhino. In Assam
Chandraprabha sanctuary		Second home of Asiatic lion. In UP
Ghana or Keoladeo Bird sanctuary		In Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Dachigam Sanctuary		For Hangul. In Kashmir
Kanha National Park		In Uttaranchal Home of tiger
Shiv Puri National Park		In MP
Hararibagh National Park		In MP
Periyar Game sanctuary		In Kerala
Dudhwa National sanctuary		In TN
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary		In TN
Nokrek national Park		In Meghalaya
Sariska Sanctuary		In Rajasthan
Ranthambhor National Park		In Rajasthan
Namdapha national Park		In Arunachal Pradesh
Keibul Lamjo Floating National Park		In Manipur
Palamau Tiger Project		In Bihar
Simlipal national Park		In Orissa
Ranganthitto Bird Sanctuary		In Mysore, karnataka
Nagarhole National park		In Karnataka
Mudumalai Sanctuary		In TN
Balpakram Sanctuary		In Meghalaya
Bandipur Sanctuary		Along the Karnataka- Tamil Nadu border
Jaldapara Sanctuary		In West Bengal, For rhinos
Wild Ass Sanctuary		In Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, For wild ass.

Mineral Resources of India

Mineral Resources   Places Coal   West Bengal (Raniganj, Burdwan, Bankura, Purulia, Birbhum, Jalpaigudi, Darjeeling), Jharkhand (Jharia, Giridih, Kharhawadi, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Karnapura, Rampur, Palamau), Orisa ( Rampur, Hindgir, Talcher, Sambhal), Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh (Rewa, Pench valley, Umaria, Korba, Sohagpur, Mand river area, Kanha valley, Betul), etc. Power sector is the largest consumer of coal in India followed by steel industry, cement industry, etc Manganese   Orissa, Maharashtra ( Nagpur, Bhandara, Ratnagiri), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat, Chhindawara), karnataka (Keonjhar, Bonal Kalahandi), Andhra Pradesh (kadur Garibadi) Copper   Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat), Rajasthan (khetri), Jharkhand (Singhbhum, Masobani, Surda), karnataka (Chitradurg, Hassan) Mica   Jharkhand (Hazaribagh, Giridih, Kodarma), Bihar ( Gaya, Bhagalpur), Andhra Pradesh ( Guntur, Vizag, Kumool), Rajasthan (Bhilwara, Udaipur, Jaipur) Petroleum   Assam (Digboi, Naharkatiya, Badarpur, Masinpur and Pallharia), Gujarat (Ankleshwar, Khambat, Kalol), Mumbai High, Bassein (south of Mumbai High), etc. Recently oil has been discovered in Cauvery basin, Krishna and Godawari basin, Khambat basin, etc. Oil Refineries   There are 18 refineries in India, 16 in public sector, one in joint sector and one in private sector. Public sector refineries are located at Digboi, Guwahati, Mumbai (2), Panipat, Narimanam, Mumanigarh and Tatipaka, Joint sector refinery is at Mangalore. The private sector refinery of Reliance Limited is at Jamnagar. Iron   India possesses Haematite, a very high-grade iron ore. In Madhya Pradesh (Bailadila, Jabalpur), Goa ( North Goa), karnataka (Bababudan hills, Chikmagalur, hospet), Jharkhand (Singhbhum, Naomundi), Andhra Pradesh, Orisa. India is the fifth largest exporter of iron ore I the world. Japan id the biggest buyer accounting for about 3/4 of India’s total Exports. Major ports handling iron ore export are Vishakhapatnam, Paradip, Marmagao and Mangalore. Bauxite   Chief ore for producing aluminium. In Orissa (Kalahandi, Koraput, Sandargarh Bolangir, Sambalpur), Jharkhand (Lohardaga. Gumla), Madhya Pradesh ( Jabalpur, Mandla, Shahol, Katni, Balaghat), Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu. Gold   Karnataka (Kolar, Hutti, Raichur), Andhra Pradesh (Ramgiri and Yeppamanna goldfields in Chittor and Anantapur distrists) Silver, Zinc and Lead   Rajasthan (Zawar mines near Udaipur), Andhra Pradesh ( Mysore, Chitradurg), Karnataka (Kolar mines) Uranium   Jharkhand (Jaduguda), Rajasthan ( Ajmer), Andhra Pradesh ( Nellore, Nalgonda), Karnataka ( Gulbarga) Thorium   Kerala coast (from Monazite sand), rocks of Aravallis in Rajasthan.

Important River Valley Projects

Project		Location
Bhakra Nangal Project		Highest dam in India of height 226 m. located on Sutlaj in Punjab
Chambal Valley Project		On Chambal in MP & Rajasthan.
Damodar Valley Project		On Damodar in Bihar
Mandi Project		On Beas in HP.
Hirakud Project		On Mahanadi in Orissa. World’s longest dam: 4801 m
Rihand Project		On Son in Mirzapur. Reservoir is called Govind Vallabh Pant reservoir
Kosi Project		On Kosi in N. Bihar
Mayurkashi Project		On Mayurkashi in WB
Kakrapara Project		On Tapi in Gujarat
Nizamsagar Project		On Manjra in AP.
Nagarjuna Sagar Project		On Krishna in AP
Tungabhadra Project		On Tungahadra in Ap & karnataka
Shivasamudram Project		On Cauvery in karnataka. It is the oldest river valley project of India
Tata Hydel Scheme		On Bhima in Maharashtra
Sharavathi Hydel Project		On Jog Falls in karnataka
Kundha & Periyar Project		In TN.
Farakka Project		On Ganga in WB. Apart from power and irrigation it help to remove silt for easy navigation
Ukai Project		On Tapti in Gujarat
Mahi Project		On Mahi in Gujarat
Salal Project		On Chenab in J&K
Mata Tila Multipurpose Project		On Betwa in UP & MP
Thein Project		On Ravi, Punjab
Pong Dam		On Beas, Punjab
Tehri Project		On Bhgirathi, Uttaranchal
Sardar Sarovar Project		On Narmada, Gujarat/MP

RURAL - URBAN POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

Revolution In India

This is a list of major agricultural revolutions in India.

Revolution	Production
Black Revolution	Petroleum production
Blue Revolution	Fish production
Brown Revolution	Leather/non-conventional(India)/Cocoa production
Golden Revolution	Overall Horticulture development/Honey Production
Golden Fiber Revolution	Jute Production
Green Revolution	Food grain (Cereals, Wheat &Leguminous plant) production
Grey Revolution	Fertilizer production
Pink Revolution	Onion production/Pharmaceutical (India)/Prawn production
Red Revolution	Meat & Tomato production
Round Revolution	Potato production
Silver Fiber Revolution	Cotton production
Silver Revolution	Egg/Poultry production
White Revolution	Milk/Dairy production (In India - Operation Flood)
Yellow Revolution	Oil Seeds production

Buffalo Breeds

Bhadavari
Uttar Pradesh

    Govt of Uttar Pradesh, Etawah

Jaffarabadi
Andhra Pradesh

    Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu

Gujarat

    Akshar Purushottam Mandir Gaushala, Gondal
    Gujarat Agril University, Junagadh
    Sabarmati Ashram Goushala, Bidaj

Maharashtra

    BAIF Development Research Foundation, Uruli-Kanchan

Mehsana
Andhra Pradesh

    Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu

Gujarat

    Gujarat Agril Univ, Sardar Krishinagar

Murrah
Andhra Pradesh

    Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu
    Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Vishakhapatnam
    Govt. Livestock Farms: Banavasi, Horesikullu, Kakinada, Karimnagar, Mamnoor, Reddipalli

Assam

    Govt of Assam: Barpeta, Berhampur, Guwahati, Jagdaur, Khanikar, Pochmile, Silchar

Bihar

    Govt. of Bihar: Sarakela, Sepaya

Goa

    Govt. of Goa, Dhat

Gujarat

    Amul Research & Dev Association, Ode
    Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala, Bidaj

Haryana

    Central Inst for Res on Buffaloes, Hisar
    National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal

Jammu & Kashmir

    Central Cattle Breeding & Research Farm, Beli Charana

Karnataka

    Govt of Karnataka: Bankapur, Hessarghatta, Koila, Kurikuppi, Torongal
    National Dairy Research Inst, Bangalore

Kerala

    Govt of Kerala, Kodapanakunnu
    Kerala Livestock Development Board Ltd: Dhoni, Kulathupuzha, Mattupetty, Peermade

Madhya Pradesh

    Govt of Madhya Pradesh: Anjora, Kiratpur, Ratona

Maharashtra

    BAIF Dev Res Foundation,Uruli Kanchan

   
Punjab

    Govt. of Punjab, Mattewara
    Punjab Agril University, Ludhiana
    Punjab State Coop Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd, Bhattian

Tamil Nadu

    Agril College & Res Inst, Coimbatore
    Central Cattle Breeding Farm, Madras
    Govt. of Tamil Nadu: Hosur, Ooty, Orthand, Pudukottai, Tirunelveli

Uttar Pradesh

    Govt. of Uttar Pradesh: Hastinapur, Lakhimpur, Manjhara, Neelgaon
    Pradeshik Coop Dairy Fed, Moradabad

West Bengal

    Govt. of West Bengal: Haringhatta

Nili-Ravi
Andhra Pradesh

    Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu

Haryana

    Central Inst for Res on Buffaloes, Hisar

Punjab

    Govt of Punjab, Mattewara
    Military Dairy Farm, Ferozepur
    Punjab Agril University, Ludhiana
    Punjab State Coop Milk Producers’ Federation, Bhattian


Surti
Andhra Pradesh

    Buffalo Breeding Centre, NDDB, Nekarikallu

Goa

    Govt of Goa, Dhat

Gujarat

    Amul Research & Dev Association, Ode
    Central Cattle Breeding Farm, Dhamrod
    Gujarat Agricultural University, Anand
    Kaira Dist Coop Milk Producers' Union, Anand
    Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala, Bidaj

Karnataka

    Buffalo Breeding Station, Tegur
    National Dairy Research Inst, Bangalore
    Univ of Agricultural Scs, Dharwad

Kerala

    Buffalo Breeding Farm, Thiruvazhun
    Govt of Kerala, Kodapanakunnu

Maharashtra

    BAIF Development Research Foundation, Uruli-Kanchan
    Cattle Breeding Farm, Hingoli

Milking more profits with Mehsana buffalo breed

Buffalo husbandry is an important source of income and employment for a large number of the farmers. It is the main plank for the development of dairy industry in India, contributing a major share of total milk production.

Buffaloes occupy a prime place in the dairy economy of our country because they can adapt themselves to harsh climatic conditions, require minimal care, are generally tolerant to infections and can survive on low or poor feeding practices.
The dairy sector in the country is largely dependant on buffalo milk because of its rich fat content. Dairy farmers have always shown a preference for rearing buffaloes than cows.
Even in a herd of 10-15 cows three or four buffaloes will be usually reared as female buffaloes yield milk with a higher fat content than cows. Milk with a good fat content fetches a better price for the farmer.
Fat content

Though there are several buffalo breeds, which are reared for milk and meat, Mehsana buffaloes are mainly reared for their milk.
Their milk has a fat content of about 6.5 to 7 per cent and they can yield 7-9 litres of milk in a day.
Milk yield

With good management practices the milk yield can go up to even 10-15 litres according to researchers at the Livestock Research Station (LRS), S. D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat.
The breed is mainly distributed in Mehsana, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Patan districts of North Gujarat.
The animals are usually black or fawn grey in colour, some times with white markings on the face, legs and tip of the tail.

Animals weight

The horns are short and curved. The breed is reputed for regularity in breeding and persistent milk production. Adult male buffaloes weigh 530-600 kg and females 425-475 kg.
Unlike other breeds, Mehsana buffaloes require minimal care and attention. They can be reared in well-ventilated sheds as well as under tree shade in the open.
The animals can be fed green grass when available, and also with dry fodder such as wheat straw bajra, jowar and cotton seed cake.
Female buffaloes come to heat in 20-21 days. The gestation period lasts for about 310 days.
Though the breed is resistant to major infections that afflict cattle, farmers are advised to regularly deworm and vaccinate the animals against foot and mouth disease and Haemorrhagic septicemia, which is a common infection among dairy animals according to reseachers.
Heat detection in buffaloes is done by parading vasectomised bulls twice daily among the herd.
Buffaloes in oestrus (sexual impulse) are artificially inseminated.
Heat detection

Heat detection should be done on the 60th day from the date of last calving, and after 20 months of age.
The age at first calving is 41 to 45 months, which can be reduced to 34-35 months under intensive care.
Depending upon milk yield, the price of the animal ranges from Rs.30,000 - Rs. 40,000.

Important Lines and Boundaries

Durand Line is the line demarcating the boundaries of India and Afghanistan. It was drawn up in 1896 by Sir Mortimer Durand.

Hindenburg Line is the boundary dividing Germany and Poland. The Germans retreated to this line in 1917 during World War I.

Mason-Dixon Line is a line of demarcation between four states in the United States.

Marginal Line was the 320 km line of fortification built by France along its border with Germany before World War II, to protect its boundary from German attack.

Mannerheim Line is the line of fortification on the Russia-Finland border. Drawn up by General Mannerheim.

MacMahon Line was drawn up by Sir. Henry MacMahon, demarcating the frontier of India and China. China did not recognize the MacMahon line and crossed it in 1962.

Medicine Line is the border between Canada and the United States.

Order-Neisse Line is the border between Poland and Germany, running along the Order and Neisse rivers, adopted at the Poland Conference (Aug 1945) after World War II.

Radcliffe Line was drawn up by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, demarcating the boundary between India and Pakistan. Siegfried Line is the line of fortification drawn up by Germany on its border with France.

17th Parallel defined the boundary between North Vietnam and South Vietnam before the two were united.

24th Parallel is the line which Pakistan claims for demarcation between India and Pakistan. This, however, is not recognized by India.

26th parallel south is a circle of latitude which crosses through Africa, Australia and South America.

30th parallel north is a line of latitude that stands one-third of the way between the equator and the North Pole.

33rd parallel north is a circle of latitude which cuts through the southern United States, parts of North Africa, parts of the Middle East, and China.

35th parallel north forms the boundary between the State of North Carolina and the State of Georgia and the boundary between the State of Tennessee arid the State of Georgia, the State of Alabama, and the State of Mississippi.

36th parallel forms the southernmost boundary of the State of Missouri With the State of Arkansas.

36°30' parallel north forms the boundary between the Tennessee and Commonwealth of Kentucky between the Tennessee River and the Mississippi River, the boundary between Missouri and Arkansas west of the White River, and the northernmost boundary between the Texas and the Oklahoma.

37th parallel north formed the southern boundary of the historic and extralegal Territory of Jefferson.

38th Parallel is the parallel of latitude which separates North Korea and South Korea.

39th parallel north is an imaginary circle of latitude that is 39 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane.

40th parallel north formed the original northern boundary of the British Colony of Maryland.

41st parallel north forms the northern boundary of the State of Colorado with Nebraska and Wyoming and the southern boundary of the State of Wyoming with Colorado and Utah.

42nd parallel north forms most of the New York - Pennsylvania Border.

43rd parallel north forms most of the boundary between the State of Nebraska and the State of South Dakota and also formed the northern border of the historic and extralegal Territory of Jefferson.

The parallel 44° north is an imaginary circle of latitude that is 44 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane.

45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole. The 45th parallel makes up most of the boundary between Montana and Wyoming.

45th parallel of south latitude is the east-west line that marks the theoretical halfway point between the equator and the South Pole.

49th Parallel is the boundary between USA and Canada.

Towns Associated with Industries

• Agra : Stoneware, leather, carpets and marbles.
• Ahmedabad : Cotton-textiles.
• Aligarh : Cutlery, locks and dairy-industries.
• Ambala : Scientific goods.
• Amritsar : Cloth-printing, carpets, woollen goods, shawls.
• Bangalore : Watches, telephone, aircraft industry.
• Bareilly : Rubber factory, match factory, wood work.
• Bhagalpur : Silk.
• Chennai : Integral coach factory, leather, cigarette, cotton.
• Mumbai : Chemicals, oil refineries, fertilizers, film, industry, woollen goods, cotton manufacturing.
• Chittaranjan : Electrical locomotives.
• Churk : Cement.
• Cochin : Coffee, coconut oil, ship-building.
• Dalmianagar : Cement.
• Darjeeling : Tea, orange.
• Delhi : Textiles, chemicals, electronics, sewing machines.
• Dhariwal : Woollen goods.
• Ferozabad : Glass-bangles.
• Hardwar : Heavy electricals.
• Jamshedpur : Iron and steel works, train coaches locomotives.
• Jallandhur : Sports articles and surgical goods.
• Jaipur : Ivory work, brass work, jewellery, pottery, cloth painting.
• Kolkata : Iron and steel, jute, paper, pottery.
• Kanpur : Leather, cotton, aircraft factories, woollen mills, soap, iron, flour mills.
• Kolar : Gold-fields.
• Lucknow : Embroidery, gold, silver, lac work.
• Ludhiana : Hosiery, cycle.
• Mirzapur : Carpet, pottery, stoneware and brass.
• Moradabad : Brassware, cutlery, enamel industry.
• Karnataka : Sandalwood oil, ivory work, silk goods.
• Renukoot : Hindustan Aluminium Works.
• Saharanpur : Paper mill.
• Srinagar : H.M.T. factory, woodwork, embroidery, paper machine, woollen shawls.
• Surat : Cotton textiles.
• Tarapur : Atomic power plant.
• Titagarh : Paper and jute.
• Trombay : Oil refineries, atomic-reactors.
• Varanasi : Diesel-locomotives, brass-wares, lac bangles.
• Vishakhapatnam : Ship-building.

Major Industries and its Centres

Cotton Textiles
Mumbai, Sholapur, Nagpur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Indore; Chennai, Madurai and Coimbatore, Kanpur and Kolkata.

Jute Textiles
West Bengal, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, U.P. and M.P.

Silk Textiles
Asom, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Orissa, U.P., M.P., W. Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra and Punjab.

Woollen Textile
The chief centres of woollen textiles are Punjab, U.P., Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal.

Sugar Industry
U.P., Bihar and some centres are there in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Punjab.

Cement Industry
Jharkhand, M.P., Chattisgarh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Haryana, U.P. and Orissa have some factories also.

Paper Industry
West Bengal, Maharashtra, U.P., Bihar, Orissa, Punjab, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

Iron and Steel Industry
Jamshedpur, Bokaro (Jharkhand), Bhilai (Chattisgarh), Durgapur, Hirapur, Kulti, Burnpur (West Bengal), Rourkela (Orissa), Bhadrawati (Karnataka), Rourkela (Orissa) and Neyveli (Tamil Nadu).

Leather Industry
Chennai, Agra, Kolkata, Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Deonaar, Deevaghat.

Aluminium
Alwaye (Kerala), Muri (Jharkhand), Hirakud (Orissa), Renukoot (U.P.), Bailur (W. Bengal), Koyna Mettur (Tamilnadu) and Hirakud (Orissa).
Matches
Bareilly, Kolkata, Chennai, Gwalior and Hyderabad.

Photo Film Industry
Ootacamund (Tamil Nadu).

Glass
Ferozabad, Shikohabad, Bahjoi, Naini, Haorah, Bangalore and Belgaon.

Chemical Industry
Delhi, Pimpri, Pune, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Rishikesh, Bangalore and Amritsar.

Rubber-Goods Industry
Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ballabhgarh, Shahaganj, Chamanacheri and Ambatoor.

Locomotive Industry
Chittaranjan (West Bengal), Varanasi in U.P., Perambur (Tamil Nadu).

Automobile Industry
Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Jamshed<%0>pur, Pune and Gurgaon.

Antibiotic Industry
Rishikesh, Pimpri and Delhi.

Aircraft Manufacturing Industry
Bangalore, Kanpur, Nasik, Koraput and Hyderabad.

Fertilizers Industry
Durgapur, Kanpur, Foolpur (Uttar Pradesh), Haldia, Namrup, Rourkela, Vadodara, Barauni, Vishakhapatnam, Gorakhpur, etc.

Plastic Industry
Mumbai, Kolkata, Amritsar, Kanpur, Hyderabad and Coimbatore.

Petro-Chemical Industry
Vadodara and Mumbai, Bongaigoan, Asom

CENTRAL GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURAL SCHEMES

• National Bio-Science awards for career development
• Agricultural Census
• Jute Technology Mission
• Technology Mission on Cotton (Mini Mission  III & IV)
• Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
• National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB)
• Schemes of Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries
• Livestock Insurance Scheme
• Assistance to States for Feed and Fodder Development
• Scheme on Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Scheme on Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post harvest Operations
• National Scheme on Welfare of Fishermen
• Scheme on Fisheries Training and Extension
• Scheme on Strengthening of Database and Information Networking for the Fisheries Sector
• Horticulture Promotion Service
• Market Information Services for Horticulture Crops
• Technology Development and Transfer for Promotion of Horticulture
• Development of Commercial Horticulture through Production and Post-Harvest Management
• Schemes by National Horticulture Board (NHB)
• Dairy/Poultry Venture Capital Fund
• Scheme on Livestock Health
• Small Farmer's Agri-Business Consortium
• National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB)
• Centrally Sponsored Fodder Development Scheme
• Integrated Sample Survey Scheme for Estimation of Major Livestock Products
• National Programme for Prevention of Animal Diseases
• Central Cattle Breeding Farms
• Central Minikit Testing Programme on Fodder Crops
• Central Poultry Development Organisation
• Central Herd Registration Scheme
• Strengthening infrastructure for quality & clean milk production
• Assistance to Cooperatives
• Centrally Sponsored Scheme on Fisheries Training And Extension
• Financing Purchase of Land for Agricultural Purposes
• National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS)
• Minikit Programme for Rice, Wheat & Coarse Cereals
• Gramin Bhandaran Yojna
• Development/Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization
• Strengthening Infrastructure for Quality & Clean Milk Production
• Livestock Health and Disease Control
• National Horticulture Mission
• National Bamboo Mission
• Central Sector Scheme of Soil Conservation Training Centre, Damodar Valley
• Central Assistance to State Plan Scheme on Watershed Development
• Poppy Insurance
• Seb Bima Yojana (Apple Insurance)
• Draksha Bima (Grape Insurance)
• Pulp wood Tree Insurance
• Rubber Plantation Insurance
• Capacity Building to enhance Competitiveness of Indian Agriculture and Registration of Organic Produ
• Promotion of Integrated Pest Management
• Promotion and Strengthening of Agricultural Mechanization through Training, Testing & Demonstration
• Livestock Insurance Scheme

PHYSIOGRAPHIC DIVISION OF INDIA

Mountains
The Peninsular Mountains : classified as follows
the western Ghats	run along the west coast from south of the Tapti river valley to Kanyakumari; Deccan trap constitutes the northern portion of the Ghats; Southern part : composed of Archean gneisses, Schists and Charnockites Anai Muddi in the Anaimalai Hills 2,695 m (8,842 ft) in Kerala is the highest peak in the Western Ghats.
the Eastern Ghats	irregular hill ranges stretches from northern Orissa to the Kerala and Tamil Nadu across coastal Andhra; Highest Peak at 1680m in Vishakhapatnam dist( Andhra)
The meeting point of the western and Eastern Ghats in the Nilgiri Hills has the highest point at Doda Betta Peak.
The Vindhya Range	Running from Sasaram(Bihar) in the east to Jobat(Gujarat) in the west separates northern India from the southern mainland They are believed to have been formed by the wastes created by the weathering of the ancient Aravali mountains.[
The Satpura range	extends from Narmada valley(N) to the Tapti valley (S) ; It is triangular in shape, with its apex at Ratnapur highest point : Dhupgarh near Pachmarhi(M.P.)
The Aravalis	the oldest mountain range in India; most ancient fold mountain ranges ; separates the semi desert and fertile regions of Rajasthan highest point: Gurushikhar peak of Abu hills
The Northern Mountains : stretches across northern India from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh( abt 2400km); the world’s youngest fold mountain ,achieve greatest heights in eastern Nepal
the outer Himalayas ( the siwaliks )	composed of tertiary sediments; emerged as most recent phase in Himalaya OROGENY
the outer Himalayas ARE SEPERATED FROM THE LESSER Himalayas by Duns ( valleys resulting from draining away of the temporary lakes formed by ridges when these obstructed the course of rivers
the lesser/outer Himalayas ( the himachal)	the ranges include the 400km Pir Panjal range, the longest range of the Himalayas
the greater Himalayas ( the himadri)	the innermost Himalayan Range is the world’s highest and most continuous of Himalayan ranges ; Himadri’s highest peak include world’s highest peak- Mt Everest
the trans Himalayan zone	include imp ranges such as Zaskar Range and the Great Karakoram Range :extends 2wards south-east to form the Kailash Range; highest peak K2 longest glacier : Siachen ( Nubra Valley – 72 km )
the Peninsular Plateau : largest and oldest of all the physiographic division ; north- east limit: Aravali Range ‘ northern extreme – Bundelkhand and western and eastern ends : Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats resp.
the central plateaus	the upland of Central India with river Ganga (N) , Vindhya and Satpura ranges (S)Kaimur-Maikal Range (E) and Aravalis and Kutch to (W) comprise Mewar,Malwa(in M.P. formed of lava ) and Vindhya Plateaus
the eastern Plateaus	diversified to topography ; low lying Mahanandi basin to undulating plateatus of the Bhaghelkhand , Chhota Nagpur and Dandakaranya Meghalaya Plateau : beyond lava ridden Rajhmahal Hills
The Kathiawar and Kutch Plateaus	joined to the Peninsular Plateaus by Gujrat’s plain; Deccan lava make up this region while Kutch – tertiary rocks
The Deccan plateaus	occupy land between the Western and Eastern Ghats and south of Mahadeo ,Maikal and Satpura ranges ; comprise the Maharashtra Plateau(basalt) ‘Karnataka and Telangana plateaus ( Archaean gneisses) India’s largest plateaus
the great plains : lies between the Himalayas and the peninsular Plateau , alluvial in nature
the Punjab Haryana plains	Comprise the Bist Doab (betn Sutlej &Beas Rivers); Upper Bari Doab ( betn Beas and Ravi Rivers) and south- east Malwa Plain.
the Rajasthan plains	comprise the marusthali of Thar and nearly Bagar areas Luni river : flowing 2wards south-east ,only river in region Rajasthan desert : sloping 2wards 2 direction – Indus valley in Pak ( W-wards ) and Ran of Kutch (S-wards)
the Ganga Plains	spreading across the states of Uttar Pradesh ,West Bengal &Bihar divided into : Ganga –Yamuna Doab , Rohilkhand Plain ,Avadh plain ( U.P.),Bihar Plain and Bengal Plain Ganga Delta : constitutes the Ben gal basin , covered with tidal forests ( the Sunderbans)
the Brahmaputra Plains	formed by deposit carried by Brahmaputra River , moist soil conditions
the Coastal plains : 4500 –km long coastline , Arabian Sea (W) , the Bay of Bengal (E)&Indian ocean (S) runs from Rann of Kutch (W) to the delta of the Ganga- Brahmaputra (E)
the east coastal plains	extend betn the source of Subarnarekha and Kanyakumari ; contain deltas of almost all rivers ( except Tapti and Narmada ) ; include Tamil Nadu plains, Andhra Plain and Utkal Plain
the West coastal plains	run from Rann of Kutch to Kanyakumari; sandy plains
Islands : has a no. of islands (247) ; Bay of Bengal ( 204) & Arabian Sea (43) The Andaman and Nicobar Islands: in the Bay of Bengal, represent elevated potions of submarine mountains. Mount Harriet (460m): in South Andaman Islands is the highest point. The Nicobar group contains 19 Islands. The Great Nicobar – largest island in group Islands in Arabian Sea : coral origin & surrounded by fringing reefs e.g. Lakshadweep islands

Irrigation In India

1. At the time of commencement of the First Five Year Plan in 1951, population of India was about 361 million and annual food grain production was 51 million tones (m.t.), which was not adequate.
2. Import of food grains was then inevitable to cover up the shortage. Attaining self sufficiently in food was therefore given paramount importance in the plan period and in order to achieve the objective, various major, medium and minor irrigation and multi-purpose projects were formulated and implemented through successive Five Year Plans to create additional irrigation potential throughout the country.
3. This drive compounded with green revolution in the agricultural sector, has enabled India to become marginally surplus country from a deficit one in food grains.
4. Thus the net irrigated area is 39 percent of net sown area and 30 percent of total cultivable area. As stated earlier, the ultimate potential due to major and medium projects has been assessed as 58 m.ha. of which 64 per cent estimated to be developed.
5. The Planning Commission after examining the earlier studies on the regionalization of the agricultural economy has recommended that agricultural planning be done on the basis of agro climatic regions.

6. The planning commission of India has introduced a new classification of irrigation schemes:
A. Major irrigation Schemes: Those with Cultural Command Area of more than 10000 hectares.
B. Medium Irrigation Schemes: Those with cultural Command Area between 2000 and 10000 hectares.
C. Minor irrigation Schemes: Those with cultural command area between 2000 -10000 hectares.
7. The government of India launched Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program (AIBP) in 1996-97.
8. Micro Irrigation: A new Centrally Sponsored scheme on Micro Irrigation was launched by Department of of Agriculture and Cooperation with the approval of Cabinet on December 29, 2005, during the tenth plan with a target to bring 6.2 lakh hectares under the scheme with an objective of judicious use of water and available resources.
9. Drip Irrigation: Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation or micro irrigation is an irrigation method which minimizes the use of water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. It saves 30-40% of water as compared to irrigation with traditional method. It also gives 20-25% more productivity.
11. Irrigation under Bharat Nirman: Irrigation is one of the six components of for development of Infrastructure under Bharat Nirman. Under the Irrigation Component of Bharat Nirman, the target of creation of additional irrigation potential of 1 crore hectare in 4 years (2005-06 to 2008-09) is planned to be met largely through expeditious completion of identified ongoing major and medium irrigation projects.
Irrigation potential of 42 lakh hectare is planned to be created by expeditiously completing such ongoing major and medium projects. There is a definite gap between irrigation potential created and the potential utilized.
Under Bharat Nirman it is planned to restore and utilize irrigation potential of 10 lakh hectare through implementation of extension, renovation and modernization of schemes along with command area development and water management practices.
There are considerable areas in the country with unutilized ground water resources. Irrigation potential of 28 lakh hectare is planned to be created through ground water development. The remaining target for creation of irrigation potential of 10 lakh hectare is planned to be created by way of minor irrigation schemes using surface flow. lakh hectare of irrigation potential is also planned by way of repair, renovation and restoration of water bodies and extension, renovation and modernization of minor irrigation schemes.

Disputed Areas of the World

Abu Musa : Iran & UAE
Aksai Chin : India & China
Vozrozhdeniya Island : Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Senkakku : Japan & China
Spratly Islands : China , Malaysia , Philippines and Vietnam
Bassas da India : France & Madagaskar
Bakassi : Nigeria & Cameroon
Chagos Archipelago
Hala'ib Triangle : Sudan & Egypt
Kuril Islands : Russia & Japan
Paracel Islands: China, Taiwan & Vietnam
Preah Vihear Temple : Thailand & Cambodia
Sabah : Malaysia, Indonesia & Phillipines
Shatt al-Arab : Iran & Irak

Abu Musa : Iran & UAE
Abu Musa is a 12-km² island in the eastern Persian Gulf, part of a six-island archipelago near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The island is administered by Iran as part of the Iranian province of Hormozgan, but is also claimed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Aksai Chin : India & China
Aksai Chin, is a disputed region located in the northwestern region of the Tibetan Plateau just below the western Kunlun Mountains. It is administered by China , however, claimed by India as a part of its state of Jammu and Kashmir. The region contains the lake Aksayqin Hu and the river Aksayqin He. Aksai Chin is one of the two main border disputes between China and India, the other being the dispute over Arunachal Pradesh, which is administered by India and claimed by China as South Tibet. India claims Aksai Chin as the eastern-most part of the Jammu and Kashmir state. The line that separates Indian-administered areas of Kashmir from the Aksayqin is known as the Line of Actual Control . Aksai Chin is a vast high-altitude desert of salt that reaches heights up to 5,000 metres. It covers an area of 42,685 square kilometres of the disputed territory. Geographically part of the Tibetan Plateau, Aksai Chin is referred to as the Soda Plain. The region is almost uninhabited, has no permanent settlements, and receives little precipitation as the Himalayan and other mountains block the rains from the Indian monsoon.

Vozrozhdeniya Island : Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Vozrozhdeniya Island, is a former island, now a peninsula, in the Aral Sea. It became a peninsula in 2002, due to ongoing shrinkage of the Aral Sea.It is now shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Located in the central Aral Sea, Vozrozhdeniya Island was one of the main laboratories and testing sites for the Soviet Union government’s Microbiological Warfare Group. In 1948, a top-secret Soviet bioweapons laboratory was established here. Word of the island's danger was further spread by Soviet defectors, including Ken Alibek, the former head of the Soviet Union's bioweapons program. It was here, according to just released documents, that anthrax spores and bubonic plague bacilli were made into weapons and stored. The main town on the island was Kantubek, which lies in ruins today, but once had approximately 1,500 inhabitants.

Senkakku : Japan & China
The Senkaku Islands also known as Diaoyutai Islands or the Pinnacle Islands, are a group of disputed, uninhabited islands currently controlled by Japan, but also claimed by the Republic of China (as part of Toucheng Township in Yilan County, Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China. The islands are located northeast of Taiwan, due west of Okinawa, and due north of the end of the Ryukyu Islands in the East China Sea. Their status has emerged as a major issue in foreign relations between the People's Republic of China and Japan and between Japan and the Republic of China. Japanese government regards these islands as a part of Okinawa prefecture. While the complexity of the PRC-ROC relation has affected efforts to demonstrate Chinese sovereignty over the islands, both governments agree that the islands are part of Taiwan province.

Spratly Islands : China , Malaysia , Philippines and Vietnam
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 650 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea between the Philippines and Vietnam. They comprise less than five square kilometers of land area, spread over more than 400,000 square kilometers of sea. The Spratlys, as they are called, are part of the three archipelagos of the South China Sea, comprising more than 30,000 islands and reefs and which so complicates geography, governance and economics in that region of Southeast Asia. Such small and remote islands have little economic value in themselves, but are important in establishing international boundaries. There are no native islanders but there are rich fishing grounds and initial surveys indicate the islands may contain significant oil and gas. About 45 islands are occupied by relatively small numbers of military forces from People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef but has not made any formal claim.

Bassas da India : France & Madagaskar
Bassas da India is an uninhabited, roughly circular atoll about 10 km in diameter, which corresponds to a total size (including lagoon) of 80 km². It is located in the southern Mozambique Channel, about half-way between Madagascar (which is 385 km to the east) and Mozambique, and 110 km northwest of Europa Island. It rises steeply from the seabed 3000 m below. The reef rim averages around 100 m across and completely encloses a shallow lagoon that has a maximum depth of 15 m. Its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 123,700 km² is contiguous with that of Europa Island.

Bakassi : Nigeria & Cameroon
Bakassi is the peninsular extension of the African territory of Calabar into the Atlantic Ocean. It is currently ruled by Cameroon following the transfer of sovereignty from neighbouring Nigeria as a result of a judgment by the International Court of Justice. On 22 November 2007, the Nigerian Senate rejected the transfer, since the Green Tree Agreement ceding the area to Cameroon was contrary to Section 12(1) of the 1999 Constitution. Regardless, the territory was formally transferred to Cameroon on August 14, 2008.

Chagos Archipelago : UK , Mauritius & Seychelles
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of seven atolls comprising more than 60 individual tropical islands roughly in the centre of the Indian Ocean. The Chagos lies about 500 km (300 miles) due south of the Maldives, its nearest neighbour, 1600 km (1000 miles) southwest of India, half way between Tanzania and Java. The Chagos group is a combination of different coralline structures topping a submarine ridge running southwards across the centre of the Indian Ocean, formed by volcanoes above the Réunion hotspot. Unlike in the Maldives there is not a clearly discernible pattern of arrayed atolls, which makes the whole archipelago look somewhat chaotic. Most of the coralline structures of the Chagos are submerged reefs. Officially part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, the Chagos were home to the Chagossians for more than a century and a half until the United Kingdom and the United States expelled them in the 1960s in order to allow the US to build a military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands. The deal was sanctioned by the then British Secretary of State for Defence, Denis Healey.

Hala'ib Triangle : Sudan & Egypt
The Hala'ib Triangle is an area of land measuring 20,580 km² located on the Red Sea's African coast, between the political borders of Egypt (at the 22nd circle of latitude - as per the 1899 treaty) and the administrative boundary (as per the 1902 treaty) . The major town in this area is Hala'ib. The only other populated place is Abu Ramad, 30 km northwest of Hala'ib town on the Red Sea coast. Alshalateen is an Egyptian town just on the northern administrative boundary. The closest Sudanese town south of the disputed area is Osief (Marsa Osief), located 26 km south of the 22nd circle of latitude, the political borders line claimed by Egypt.

Kuril Islands : Russia & Japan
Matua Island as seen from Raikoke.The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, is a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately 1,300 km (700 miles) northeast from Hokkaido, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands in total and many more minor rocks. All of the islands are under Russian jurisdiction, although the southernmost four are claimed by Japan as part of their territory.

Paracel Islands: China, Taiwan & Vietnam
The Paracel Islands consist of over 30 islets, sandbanks or reefs, occupy about 15,000 km2 of the ocean surface, and located in the South China Sea, also known as East Vietnam Sea or East Sea. Turtles live on the islands, and seabirds have left nests and guano deposits, but there are no permanent human residents except for a small number of troops. The archipelago is approximately equidistant from the coastlines of Vietnam and China, and about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines. The islands comprise of two main groups. The Amphitrite group is in the northeast and the Crescent group is in the west, and about 70 km from one another. Subject to hot and humid climate, with abundant rainfall and frequent typhoons, the archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potential oil and gas reserves. Notably, up until the early 18th century, the present-day Spratly Islands were still delineated as part of the Paracel archipelago, and that the sovereignty over the islands has been inflaming the century-old dispute.

Preah Vihear Temple : Thailand & Cambodia
The Preah Vihear Temple or Prasat Preah Vihear is a Khmer temple situated atop a 525-metre (1,720 ft) cliff in the Dângrêk Mountains, in the Preah Vihear province of northern Cambodia and near the border of the Kantharalak district (amphoe) in the Sisaket province of northeastern Thailand. In 1962, following a significant dispute between Thailand and Cambodia over ownership of the temple, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague awarded the ownership to Cambodia.

Sabah : Malaysia, Indonesia & Phillipines
Sabah is a Malaysian state located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo . It is the second largest state in Malaysia after Sarawak, which it borders on its south-west. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south. In spite of its status as a Malaysian state, Sabah remains a disputed territory; the Philippines has a dormant claim over much of the eastern part of the territory. The capital of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah is known as "Sabah, negeri di bawah bayu", which means "Sabah, the land below the winds", because of its location just south of the typhoon-prone region around the Philippines.

Shatt al-Arab : Iran & Irak
The Shatt al-Arab is a river in Southwest Asia of some 200 kilometres in length, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and the Tigris in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the border between Iraq and Iran down to the mouth of the river as it discharges into the Persian Gulf. It varies in width from about 232 metres at Basra to 800 metres (2,600 ft) at its mouth. It is thought that the waterway formed relatively recently in geologic time, with the Tigris and Euphrates originally emptying into the Persian Gulf via a channel further to the west. The Karun river, a tributary which joins the waterway from the Iranian side, deposits large amounts of silt into the river; this necessitates continuous dredging to keep it navigable. The area is judged to hold the largest date palm forest in the world. In the mid-1970s, the region included 17 to 18 million date palms, an estimated one-fifth of the world's 90 million palm trees. But by 2002, war, salt, and pests had wiped out more than 14 million of the palms, including around 9 million in Iraq and 5 million in Iran. Many of the remaining 3 to 4 million trees are in poor condition.

India at a glance

A blend of the traditional and the modern, India is one of the oldest civilizations and the world's largest democracy. It is home to 1 billion-plus people professing various faiths and speaking in different tongues. But what binds them together is a sense of 'Indianness' which is hard to define, but could be sensed instinctively amid all this mind-boggling diversity. A vibrant multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-faith society, India is seen by many as a model pluralistic society based on its twin ethos of tolerance and mutual respect. Comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories, India is home to all major religions of the world. But the state makes no distinction between them, allowing each Indian citizen constitutional guarantees to pursue freedom in the broadest sense - freedom of expression and freedom to pursue the religion of one's choice.

This dazzling diversity has spawned a unique composite culture and created an unmatched reservoir of talent and enterprise in the country. People are India's greatest resource and strength. And it can be seen in all-encompassing socio-economic progress this nation has made during the last 61 years of its independence. The world has taken note and has been generous with its praise of the India Growth Story. Small wonder, India is now seen as an emerging Asian power and an important participant in the ongoing search for global solutions to global problems ranging from terrorism and poverty eradication to climate change and energy security.

India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production and is now the tenth industrialised country in the world. It is the sixth nation to have gone into outer space, not to militarise it, but to create a better life for its people. Anybody coming to India for the first time or wishing to know it better will be struck by its sheer size and diversity. The country is spread over an area of 32,87,2631 square km, extending from the snow-covered Himalayan heights to the tropical rain forests of the south. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bound by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.

GEOGRAPHY:
Location: India, with an area of 3.3 million sq. km, is a subcontinent. The peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The country lies between 8° 4' and 37° 6' north of the Equator and is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west and the Indian Ocean to the south.

The mainland comprises four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.

The Himalayas form the highest mountain range in the world, extending 2,500 km over northern India. Bound by the Indus river in the west and the Brahmaputra in the east, the three parallel ranges, the Himadri, Himachal and Shivaliks have deep canyons gorged by the rivers flowing into the Gangetic plain.

Indian Standard Time GMT + 05:30

Area 3.3 Million sq. km

Telephone Country Code +91

Border: Countries Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Coastline: 7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Climate: The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons:
Winter (December-February)
Summer (March-June)
South-west monsoon season (June-September)
Post monsoon season (October-November)

River Systems


The rivers may be classified as follows: (a) the Himalayan, (b) the Deccan, (c) the coastal and (d) the rivers of the inland drainage basin. The Himalayan rivers are generally snow-fed and flow throughout the year. During the monsoon months (June to September), the Himalayas receive very heavy rainfall and the rivers carry the maximum amount of water, causing frequent floods. The Deccan rivers are generally rain-fed and, therefore, fluctuate greatly in volume. A very large number of them are non-perennial. The coastal rivers, specially on the west coast, are short and have limited catchment areas. Most of these are non-perennial as well. The rivers on the inland drainage basin are few and ephemeral. They drain towards individual basins or salt lakes like the Sambhar or are lost in the sands, having no outlet to the sea.

Natural Resources: Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc.

Natural Hazards: Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides.

PEOPLE:

India is a country with probably the largest and most diverse mixture of races. All five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian and Negroid - find representation among the people of India, who are mainly a mixed race.

The people of India belong to diverse ethnic groups. At various periods of India's long history, successive waves of settlers and invaders, including the Aryans, Parthians, Greeks and Central Asians, came into the country and merged with the local population. This explains the variety of racial types, cultures and languages in India.

Nationality: Indian

POPULATION
India’s population as on 1 March 2001 stood at 1,028 million (532.1 million males and 496.4 million females). India accounts for a meagre 2.4 per cent of the world surface area of 135.79 million sq km. Yet, it supports and sustains a whopping 16.7 per cent of the world population.

The population of India, which at the turn of the twentieth century was around 238.4 million, increased to 1,028 million at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

The population of India as recorded at each decennial census from 1901 has grown steadily except for a decrease during 1911-21.


POPULATION DENSITY
One of the important indices of population concentration is the density of population. It is defined as the number of persons per sq km. The population density of India in
2001 was 324 per sq km. The density of population increased in all States and Union Territories between 1991 and 2001. Among major states, West Bengal is still the most thickly populated state with a population density of 903 in 2001. Bihar is now the second highest densely populated state pushing Kerala to the third place. Ranking of the
States and Union Territories by density is shown in table 1.3.

LITERACY
For the purpose of the Census 2001, a person aged seven and above, who can both read and write in any language, is treated as literate. A person, who can only read but cannot write, is not literate. In the censuses prior to 1991, children below five years of age were necessarily treated as illiterates.

The results of 2001 census reveal that there has been an increase in literacy in the country. The literacy rate in the country is 64.84 per cent, 75.26 for males and
53.67 for females.

Population Growth Rate: The average annual exponential growth rate stands at 1.93 per cent during 1991-2001.

Birth Rate: The Crude Birth Rate according to the 2001 census is 24.8

Death Rate: The Crude Death Rate according to the 2001 census is 8.9

Life Expectancy Rate: 63.9 years (Males); 66.9 years (Females) (As of Sep 2005)

Languages
India has about 15 major languages and 844 different dialects. Hindi, spoken by about 45 per cent of the population, is the national language. English has also been retained as a language for official communication.


GOVERNMENT


Country Name: Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya

Government Type: Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of Government.

Capital: New Delhi

Administrative Divisions: 28 States and 7 Union Territories.

Independence: August 15, 1947 (From British Colonial Rule)

Constitution: The Constitution of India came into force on 26th January 1950.

Legal System: The Constitution of India is the source of the legal system in the Country.

Executive Branch: The President of India is the head of the state, while the Prime Minister is the head of the government, and runs it with the support of the council of ministers, who form the cabinet.

Legislative Branch: The Indian legislature is a bi-cameral one, comprising the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States).

Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate courts.

National Flag : The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.

National Days: 26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day)
2nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday)

Religions: According to the 2001 census, out of the total population of 1.028 million in the country, Hindus constituted the majority with 80.5%, Muslims came second at 13.4%, followed by Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and others.

Hinduism: The Hindu religion had its origin in the concepts of the early Aryans who came to India more than 4,000 years ago. It is not merely a religion but also a philosophy and a way of life. It does not originate in the teachings of any one prophet or holy book. It respects other religions, and does not attempt to seek converts. It teaches the immortality of the human soul, and three principal paths to ultimate union of the individual soul with the all pervasive spirit.

The essence of the Hindu faith is embodied in the Bhagavad Gita, a philosophical poem that never ceases to surprise readers with new insights into life and man's fate in the world. "He who considers this(self) as a slayer or he who thinks that this(self) is slain, neither knows the Truth. For it does not slay, nor is it slain. This (self) is unborn, eternal, changeless, ancient, it is never destroyed even when the body is destroyed," says a verse in the Gita.

Jainism and Buddhism: In the sixth century before Christ, Mahavira propagated Jainism. His message was asceticism, austerity and non-violence.

At about the same time, Buddhism came into being. Gautama Buddha, a prince, renounced the world and gained enlightenment. He preached that "nirvana" was to be attained through the conquest of self. Buddha's teachings in time spread to China and some other countries of South-East Asia.

Islam: Arab traders brought Islam to South India in the seventh century. After them came the Afghans and the Mughals. Akbar, seen as the most enlightened Mughal emperor, almost succeeded in founding a new religion Din-e-Elahi, based on a blend of different religions including Hinduism and Islam, but it failed to find many adherents.

Islam has flourished in India through the centuries. Muslim citizens have occupied some of the highest positions in the country since independence in 1947. India today is the second largest Muslim country in the world, next only to Indonesia.

Sikhism: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism in the 15th century, stressed the unity of God and the brotherhood of man. Sikhism, with its affirmation of God as the one supreme truth and its ideals of discipline and spiritual striving, soon won many followers. It was perhaps possible only in this hospitable land that two religions as diverse as Hinduism and Islam could come together in a third, namely Sikhism.

Christianity: Christianity reached India not long after Christ's own lifetime, with the arrival of St. Thomas, the Apostle. The Syrian Christian Church in southern India traces its roots to the visit of St. Thomas. With the arrival of St. Francis Xavier in 1542, the Roman Catholic faith was established in India. Today, Christians of several denominations practice their faith freely.

Zoroastrianism: In the days of the old Persian empire, Zoroastrianism was the dominant religion in West Asia. In the form of Mithraism, it spread over vast areas of the Roman Empire, as far as Britain.

After the Islamic conquest of Iran, a few intrepid Zoroastrians left their homeland and sought refuge in India. The first group is said to have reached Diu in about 766 A.D.

Their total world population probably does not exceed 130,000. With the exception of some 10,000 in Iran, almost all of them live in India. The vast majority of Parsis are concentrated in Mumbai. The Parsis excel in industry and commerce, and contribute richly to the intellectual and artistic life of the nation.

Judaism: The Jewish contact with the Malabar coast in Kerala, dates back to 973 BC when King Solomon's merchant fleet began trading for spices and other fabled treasures. Scholars say that the Jews first settled in Cranganore, soon after the Babylonian conquest of Judea in 586 BC. The immigrants were well received and a Hindu king granted to Joseph Rabban, a Jewish leader, a title and a principality.


National Symbols


STATE EMBLEM
The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. In the original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra).
In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted. The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning 'Truth Alone Triumphs', are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.


NATIONAL ANTHEM
The song Jana-gana-mana, composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas.

(As published in Volume Eight of Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, Popular Edition 1972)
Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha
Dravida-Utkala-Banga
Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga
Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga.
Tava shubha name jage,
Tava shubha asisa mange,
Gahe tava jaya gatha,
Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he
Bharata-bhagya-vidhata.
Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he,
Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he!

Playing time of the full version of the national anthem is approximately 52
seconds.
A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certain occasions.

The following is Rabindranath Tagore’s English rendering of the anthem :
Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people,
Dispenser of India’s destiny.
Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind,
Gujarat and Maratha,
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas,
mingles in the music of Jamuna and Ganges and is
chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea.
They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise.
The saving of all people waits in thy hand,
Thou dispenser of India’s destiny.
Victory, victory, victory to thee.

NATIONAL SONG
The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterji, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

The following is the text of its first stanza :Vande Mataram!
Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,
Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!
Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,
Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,
Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,
Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose is :
I bow to thee, Mother,
richly-watered, richly-fruited,
cool with the winds of the south,
dark with the crops of the harvests,
The Mother!
Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,
her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,
sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,
The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

NATIONAL CALENDAR

The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days, was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes: (i) Gazette of India, (ii) news broadcast by All India Radio, (iii) calendars issued by the Government of India and (iv) Government communications addressed to members of the public.
Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in
leap year.

NATIONAL ANIMAL
The magnificent tiger, Panthera tigris, a striped animal is the national animal of India. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength,
ability and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region, and also in neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.


NATIONAL BIRD
The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the national bird of India, is a colourful, swansized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the tail.


NATIONAL FLOWER
Lotus (Nelumbo Nucipera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India, and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.


NATIONAL TREE
The Banyan Tree (Ficus benghalensis) is the National Tree of India. This huge tree towers over its neighbours and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several acres.


NATIONAL FRUIT
Mango (Manigifera indica) is the National fruit of India. Mango is one of the most widely grown fruits of the tropical countries. In India, mango is cultivated almost in
all parts, with the exception of hilly areas. Mango is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India, we have hundreds of varieties of mangoes. They are of different
sizes, shapes and colours.


FLORA
With a wide range of climatic conditions from the torrid to the arctic, India has a rich and varied vegetation, which only a few countries of comparable size possess. India can be divided into eight distinct-floristic-regions, namely, the western Himalayas, the eastern Himalayas, Assam, the Indus plain, the Ganga plain, the Deccan, Malabar and the Andamans.
The Western Himalayan region extends from Kashmir to Kumaon. Its temperate zone is rich in forests of chir, pine, other conifers and broad-leaved temperate trees.
Higher up, forests of deodar, blue pine, spruce and silver fir occur. The alpine zone extends from the upper limit of the temperate zone of about 4,750 metres or even higher. The characteristic trees of this zone are high-level silver fir, silver birch and junipers. The eastern Himalayan region extends from Sikkim eastwards and embraces Darjeeling, Kurseong and the adjacent tract. The temperate zone has forests of oaks, laurels, maples, rhododendrons, alder and birch. Many conifers, junipers and dwarf willows also occur here. The Assam region comprises the Brahamaputra and the Surma valleys with evergreen forests, occasional thick clumps of bamboos and tall grasses. The Indus plain region comprises the plains of Punjab, western Rajasthan and northern Gujarat. It is dry and hot and supports natural vegetation. The Ganga plain region covers the area which is alluvial plain and is under cultivation for wheat, sugarcane and rice. Only small areas support forests of widely differing types.

The Deccan region comprises the entire table land of the Indian Peninsula and supports vegetation of various kinds from scrub jungles to mixed deciduous forests.

The Malabar region covers the excessively humid belt of mountain country parallel to the west coast of the Peninsula. Besides being rich in forest vegetation, this region produces important commercial corps, such as coconut, betelnut, pepper, coffee and tea, rubber and cashewnut. The Andaman region abounds in evergreen, mangrove, beach and diluvial forests. The Himalayan region extending from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh through Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Meghalaya and Nagaland and the Deccan Peninsula is rich in endemic flora, with a large number of plants which are not found elsewhere.

India is rich in flora. Available data place India in the tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. From about 70 per cent geographical area surveyed so far, over 46,000 species of plants have been described by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Kolkata. The vascular flora, which forms the conspicuous vegetation cover, comprises 15,000 species. The flora of the country is being studied by BSI and its nine circle/field offices located throughout the country along with certain universities and research institutions.

Ethno-botanical study deals with the utilisation of plants and plant products by ethnic races. A scientific study of such plants has been made by BSI. A number of detailed ethno-botanical explorations have been conducted in different tribal areas of the country. More than 800 plant species of ethno-botanical interest have been collected and identified at different centres.

Owing to destruction of forests for agricultural, industrial and urban development, several Indian plants are facing extinction. About 1,336 plant species are considered vulnerable and endangered. About 20 species of higher plants are categorised as possibly extinct as these have not been sighted during the last 6-10 decades. BSI brings out an inventory of endangered plants in the form of a publication titled Red Data Book.

FAUNA
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), with its headquarters in Kolkata and 16 regional stations, is responsible for surveying the faunal resources of India. Possessing a tremendous diversity of climate and physical conditions, India has great variety of fauna numbering over 89,000 species. Of these, protista number 2,577, mollusca 5,070, anthropoda 68,389, amphibia 209, mammalia 390, reptilia 456, members of protochordata 119, pisces 2,546, aves 1,232 and other invertebrates 8,329.

The mammals include the majestic elephant, the gaur or Indian bison–the largest of existing bovines, the great Indian rhinoceros, the gigantic wild sheep of the Himalayas, the swamp deer, the thamin spotted deer, nilgai, the four-horned antelope, the Indian antelope or black-buck – the only representatives of these genera. Among the cats, the tiger and lion are the most magnificent of all; other splendid creatures such as the clouded leopard, the snow leopard, the marbled cat, etc., are also found.

Many other species of mammals are remarkable for their beauty, colouring, grace and uniqueness. Several birds, like pheasants, geese, ducks, mynahs, parakeets, pigeons, cranes, hornbills and sunbirds inhabit forests and wetlands.

Rivers and lakes harbour crocodiles and gharials, the latter being the only representative of crocodilian order in the world. The salt water crocodile is found along the eastern coast and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. A project for breeding crocodiles which started in 1974, has been instrumental in saving the crocodile from extinction.

The great Himalayan range has a very interesting variety of fauna that includes the wild sheep and goats, markhor, ibex, shrew and tapir. The panda and the snow leopard are found in the upper reaches of the mountains.

The depletion of vegetative cover due to expansion of agriculture, habitat destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, introduction of toxic imbalance in community structure, epidemics, floods, droughts and cyclones, contribute to the loss of flora and fauna. More than 39 species of mammals, 72 species of birds, 17 species of reptiles, three species of amphibians, two species of fish and a large number of butterflies, moth and beetles are considered vulnerable and endangered.

(Source: India 2009, Ministry of Environment, Planning Commission, Ministry of Health, Press Information Bureau, Census of India, Ministry of External Affairs, Union Budget, Reserve Bank of India, India 2005 - A Reference Annual, www.indiainbusiness.nic.in)