India

India(i/ndi/), officially theRepublic of India(Bhrat Gaarjya),[12][c]is a country inSouth Asia. It is theseventh-largestcountry by area, thesecond-most populouscountry withover 1.2 billion people, and the most populousdemocracyin the world. Bounded by theIndian Oceanon the south, theArabian Seaon the south-west, and theBay of Bengalon the south-east, it shares land borders withPakistanto the west;[d]China,Nepal, andBhutanto the north-east; andBurma (Myanmar)andBangladeshto the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity ofSri Lankaand theMaldives; in addition, India'sAndaman and Nicobar Islandsshare a maritime border withThailandandIndonesia.Home to the ancientIndus Valley Civilisationand a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, theIndian subcontinentwas identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.[13]Four religionsHinduism,Buddhism,Jainism, andSikhismoriginated here, whereasZoroastrianismand theAbrahamic religionsofJudaism,Christianity, andIslamarrived in the 1st millenniumCEand also helped shape the region'sdiverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of theBritish East India Companyfrom the early 18th century andadministered directly by the United Kingdomafter theIndian Rebellion of 1857, India became an independent nation in 1947 after astruggle for independencethat was marked bynon-violent resistanceled byMahatma Gandhi.TheIndian economyis the world'sseventh-largest by nominal GDPandthird-largest by purchasing power parity(PPP).[9]Followingmarket-based economic reformsin 1991, India became one of thefastest-growing major economies; it is considered anewly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges ofpoverty,corruption,malnutrition,inadequate public healthcare, andterrorism. Anuclear weapons stateand aregional power, it has thethird-largest standing armyin the world and ranksninth in military expenditureamong nations. India is afederalconstitutional republicgoverned under aparliamentary systemconsisting of29 states and 7 union territories. India is apluralistic,multilingual, and a multi-ethnic society. It is also home to a diversity ofwildlifein a variety ofprotected habitats.

Ancient IndiaThe earliest authenticatedhumanremains inSouth Asiadate to about 30,000 years ago.[19]Nearly contemporaneousMesolithicrock art sites have been found in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, including at theBhimbetka rock sheltersinMadhya Pradesh.[20]Around 7000 BCE, the first knownNeolithicsettlements appeared on the subcontinent inMehrgarhand other sites in western Pakistan.[21]These gradually developed into theIndus Valley Civilisation,[22]the first urban culture in South Asia;[23]it flourished during 25001900BCE in Pakistan and western India along the river valleys of Indus andSarasvati.[24]Centred on cities such asMohenjo-daro,Harappa,Dholavira, andKalibangan, and relying on varied forms of subsistence, the civilisation engaged robustly in crafts production and wide-ranging trade.[23]

Map of Vedic period.During the period 2000500 BCE, in terms of culture, many regions of the subcontinent transitioned from theChalcolithicto theIron Age.[25]TheVedas, the oldest scriptures ofHinduism,[26]were composed during this period,[27]and historians have analysed these to posit aVedic culturein thePunjab regionand the upperGangetic Plain.[25]Most historians also consider this period to have encompassed several waves ofIndo-Aryan migrationinto the subcontinent.[28][26]Thecaste systemarose during this period, which created a hierarchy of priests, warriors, free peasants and traders, and lastly the indigenous peoples who were regarded as impure; and small tribal units gradually coalesced into monarchical, state-level polities.[29][30]On theDeccan Plateau, archaeological evidence from this period suggests the existence of a chiefdom stage of political organisation.[25]In southern India, a progression to sedentary life is indicated by the large number ofmegalithicmonuments dating from this period,[31]as well as by nearby traces of agriculture, irrigation tanks, and craft traditions.[31]

Paintings at theAjanta CavesinAurangabad, Maharashtra, 6th centuryIn the lateVedic period, around the 6th century BCE, the small states and chiefdoms of theGangesPlain and the north-western regions had consolidated into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies that were known as themahajanapadas.[32][33]The emerging urbanisation and the orthodoxies of this age also created heterodox religious movements, two of which became independent religions. Buddhism, based on the teachings ofGautama Buddhaattracted followers from all social classes excepting the middle class; chronicling the life of the Buddha was central to the beginnings of recorded history in India.[34][35][36]Jainism came into prominence during the life of its exemplar,Mahavira.[37]In an age of increasing urban wealth, both religions held uprenunciationas an ideal,[38]and both established long-lasting monastic traditions. Politically, by the 3rd century BCE, the kingdom ofMagadhahad annexed or reduced other states to emerge as theMauryan Empire.[39]The empire was once thought to have controlled most of the subcontinent excepting the far south, but its core regions are now thought to have been separated by large autonomous areas.[40][41]The Mauryan kings are known as much for their empire-building and determined management of public life as forAshoka's renunciation of militarism and far-flung advocacy of the Buddhistdhamma.[42][43]TheSangam literatureof theTamil languagereveals that, between 200 BCE and 200 CE, the southern peninsula was being ruled by theCheras, theCholas, and thePandyas, dynasties that traded extensively with theRoman Empireand withWestandSouth-East Asia.[44][45]In North India, Hinduism asserted patriarchal control within the family, leading to increased subordination of women.[46][39]By the 4th and 5th centuries, theGupta Empirehad created in the greater Ganges Plain a complex system of administration and taxation that became a model for later Indian kingdoms.[47][48]Under the Guptas, a renewed Hinduism based on devotion rather than the management of ritual began to assert itself.[49]The renewal was reflected in a flowering ofsculptureandarchitecture, which found patrons among an urban elite.[48]Classical Sanskrit literatureflowered as well, andIndian science,astronomy,medicine, andmathematicsmade significant advances.[48]Medieval India

The granitetowerofBrihadeeswarar TempleinThanjavurwas completed in 1010 CE byRaja Raja Chola I.The Indian early medieval age, 600 CE to 1200 CE, is defined by regional kingdoms and cultural diversity.[50]WhenHarshaofKannauj, who ruled much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain from 606 to 647 CE, attempted to expand southwards, he was defeated by theChalukyaruler of the Deccan.[51]When his successor attempted to expand eastwards, he was defeated by thePalaking ofBengal.[51]When the Chalukyas attempted to expand southwards, they were defeated by thePallavasfrom farther south, who in turn were opposed by thePandyasand theCholasfrom still farther south.[51]No ruler of this period was able to create an empire and consistently control lands much beyond his core region.[50]During this time, pastoral peoples whose land had been cleared to make way for the growing agricultural economy were accommodated within caste society, as were new non-traditional ruling classes.[52]The caste system consequently began to show regional differences.[52]In the 6th and 7th centuries, the firstdevotional hymnswere created in the Tamil language.[53]They were imitated all over India and led to both the resurgence of Hinduism and the development of allmodern languages of the subcontinent.[53]Indian royalty,bigandsmall, and the temples they patronised, drew citizens in great numbers to the capital cities, which became economic hubs as well.[54]Temple towns of various sizes began to appear everywhere as India underwent another urbanisation.[54]By the 8th and 9th centuries, the effects were felt in South-East Asia, as South Indian culture and political systems were exported to lands that became part of modern-dayMyanmar,Thailand,Laos,Cambodia,Vietnam,Philippines,Malaysia, andJava.[55]Indian merchants, scholars, and sometimes armies were involved in this transmission; South-East Asians took the initiative as well, with many sojourning in Indian seminaries and translating Buddhist and Hindu texts into their languages.[55]After the 10th century, Muslim Central Asian nomadic clans, usingswift-horsecavalry and raising vast armies united by ethnicity and religion, repeatedly overran South Asia's north-western plains, leading eventually to the establishment of the IslamicDelhi Sultanatein 1206.[56]The sultanate was to control much of North India, and to make many forays into South India. Although at first disruptive for the Indian elites, the sultanate largely left its vast non-Muslim subject population to its own laws and customs.[57][58]By repeatedly repulsingMongol raidersin the 13th century, the sultanate saved India from the devastation visited on West and Central Asia, setting the scene for centuries ofmigrationof fleeing soldiers, learned men, mystics, traders, artists, and artisans from that region into the subcontinent, thereby creating a syncretic Indo-Islamic culture in the north.[59][60]The sultanate's raiding and weakening of the regional kingdoms of South India paved the way for the indigenousVijayanagara Empire.[61]Embracing a strongShaivitetradition and building upon the military technology of the sultanate, the empire came to control much of peninsular India,[62]and was to influence South Indian society for long afterwards.[61]Early modern India

Writing the will and testament of the Mughal king court in Persian, 15901595In the early 16th century, northern India, being then under mainly Muslim rulers,[63]fell again to the superior mobility and firepower of a new generation of Central Asian warriors.[64]The resultingMughal Empiredid not stamp out the local societies it came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices[65][66]and diverse and inclusive ruling elites,[67]leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule.[68]Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially underAkbar, the Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status.[67]The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture[69]and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency,[70]caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.[68]The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion,[68]resulting in greater patronage ofpainting, literary forms, textiles, andarchitecture.[71]Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as theMarathas, theRajputs, and theSikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.[72]Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along the coasts of southern and eastern India.[72]As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs.[73]The "single most important power" that emerged in the early modern period was theMaratha confederacy.[74]By the early 18th century, with the lines between commercial and political dominance being increasingly blurred, a number of European trading companies, including the EnglishEast India Company, had established coastal outposts.[75][76]The East India Company's control of the seas, greater resources, and more advanced military training and technology led it to increasingly flex its military muscle and caused it to become attractive to a portion of the Indian elite; both these factors were crucial in allowing the Company to gain control over theBengalregion by 1765 and sideline the other European companies.[77][75][78][79]Its further access to the riches of Bengal and the subsequent increased strength and size of its army enabled it to annex or subdue most of India by the 1820s.[80]India was then no longer exporting manufactured goods as it long had, but was instead supplying theBritish Empirewith raw materials, and many historians consider this to be the onset of India's colonial period.[75]By this time, with its economic power severely curtailed by the British parliament and itself effectively made an arm of British administration, the Company began to more consciously enter non-economic arenas such as education, social reform, and culture.[81]Modern India

The British Indian Empire, from the 1909 edition ofThe Imperial Gazetteer of India. Areas directly governed by the British are shaded pink; theprincely statesunder Britishsuzeraintyare in yellow.Historians consider India's modern age to have begun sometime between 1848 and 1885. The appointment in 1848 ofLord Dalhousieas Governor General of theEast India Companyset the stage for changes essential to a modern state. These included the consolidation and demarcation of sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and theeducationof citizens. Technological changesamong them, railways, canals, and the telegraphwere introduced not long after their introduction in Europe.[82][83][84][85]However, disaffection with the Company also grew during this time, and set off theIndian Rebellion of 1857. Fed by diverse resentments and perceptions, including invasive British-style social reforms, harsh land taxes, and summary treatment of some rich landowners and princes, the rebellion rocked many regions of northern and central India and shook the foundations of Company rule.[86][87]Although the rebellion was suppressed by 1858, it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and to thedirect administration of Indiaby the British government. Proclaiming a unitary state and a gradual but limited British-style parliamentary system, the new rulers also protected princes and landed gentry as a feudal safeguard against future unrest.[88][89]In the decades following, public life gradually emerged all over India, leading eventually to the founding of theIndian National Congressin 1885.[90][91][92][93]

Jawaharlal Nehru(left) became India's first prime minister in 1947.Mahatma Gandhi(right) led the independence movement.The rush of technology and the commercialisation of agriculture in the second half of the 19th century was marked by economic setbacksmany small farmers became dependent on the whims of far-away markets.[94]There was an increase in the number of large-scalefamines,[95]and, despite the risks of infrastructure development borne by Indian taxpayers, little industrial employment was generated for Indians.[96]There were also salutary effects: commercial cropping, especially in the newly canalled Punjab, led to increased food production for internal consumption.[97]The railway network provided critical famine relief,[98]notably reduced the cost of moving goods,[98]and helped nascent Indian-owned industry.[97]After World War I, in whichsome one million Indians served,[99]a new period began. It was marked byBritish reformsbut alsorepressive legislations, by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of anonviolentmovement of non-cooperation, of whichMohandas Karamchand Gandhiwould become the leader and enduring symbol.[100]During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted by the British; the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections.[101]The next decade was beset with crises:Indian participation in World War II, the Congress's final push for non-cooperation, and an upsurge of Muslim nationalism. All were capped by the advent of independence in 1947, but tempered by thepartition of Indiainto two states: India and Pakistan.[102]Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution, completed in 1950, which put in place a secular and democratic republic; on independence in 1947George VIceased to beEmperor of India, rescinded retroactively by an Act of Parliament on 22 June 1948, and becameKing of Indiauntil 26 January 1950.[103]In the 60 years since, India has had a mixed record of successes and failures.[104]It has remained a democracy with civil liberties, an active Supreme Court, and a largely independent press.[104]Economic liberalisation, which was begun in the 1990s, has created a large urban middle class, transformed India intoone of the world's fastest-growing economies,[105]and increased its geopolitical clout. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture.[104]Yet, India is also shaped by seemingly unyielding poverty, both rural and urban;[104]byreligiousandcaste-related violence;[106]byMaoist-inspired Naxalite insurgencies;[107]and byseparatism in Jammu and Kashmirandin Northeast India.[108]It has unresolved territorial disputes withChina[109]and withPakistan.[109]The IndiaPakistan nuclear rivalry came to a head in 1998.[110]India's sustained democratic freedoms are unique among the world's new nations; however, in spite of its recent economic successes, freedom from want for its disadvantaged population remains a goal yet to be achieved.[111]GeographyMain article:Geography of IndiaSee also:Geology of India

A topographic map of IndiaIndia comprises the bulk of the Indian subcontinent, lying atop theIndian tectonic plate, and part of theIndo-Australian Plate.[112]India's defining geological processes began 75 million years ago when the Indian plate, then part of the southern supercontinentGondwana, began a north-eastwarddriftcaused byseafloor spreadingto its south-west, and later, south and south-east.[112]Simultaneously, the vastTethynoceanic crust, to its northeast, began tosubductunder theEurasian plate.[112]These dual processes, driven by convection in the Earth'smantle, both created theIndian Oceanand caused the Indiancontinental crusteventually to under-thrust Eurasia and to uplift theHimalayas.[112]Immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vasttroughthat rapidly filled with river-borne sediment[113]and now constitutes theIndo-Gangetic Plain.[114]Cut off from the plain by the ancientAravalli Rangelies theThar Desert.[115]The original Indian plate survives aspeninsular India, the oldest and geologically most stable part of India. It extends as far north as theSatpuraandVindhyaranges in central India. These parallel chains run from the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-richChota Nagpur Plateauin Jharkhand in the east.[116]To the south, the remaining peninsular landmass, theDeccan Plateau, is flanked on the west and east by coastal ranges known as theWesternandEastern Ghats;[117]the plateau contains the country's oldest rock formations, some over one billion years old. Constituted in such fashion, India lies to the north of the equator between 6 44' and 35 30' north latitude[e]and 68 7' and 97 25' east longitude.[118]

The Kedar Range of the Greater Himalayas rises behindKedarnath Temple(Indian state ofUttarakhand), which is one of the twelvejyotirlingashrines.India's coastline measures 7,517 kilometres (4,700mi) in length; of this distance, 5,423 kilometres (3,400mi) belong to peninsular India and 2,094 kilometres (1,300mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep island chains.[119]According to the Indian naval hydrographic charts, the mainland coastline consists of the following: 43% sandy beaches; 11% rocky shores, including cliffs; and 46%mudflatsor marshy shores.[119]Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India include theGangesand theBrahmaputra, both of which drain into theBay of Bengal.[120]Important tributaries of the Ganges include theYamunaand theKosi; the latter's extremely low gradient often leads to severe floods and course changes.[121]Major peninsular rivers, whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding, include theGodavari, theMahanadi, theKaveri, and theKrishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal;[122]and theNarmadaand theTapti, which drain into theArabian Sea.[123]Coastal features include the marshyRann of Kutchof western India and the alluvialSundarbansdelta of eastern India; the latter is shared with Bangladesh.[124]India has two archipelagos: theLakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in theAndaman Sea.[125]TheIndian climateis strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the economically and culturally pivotal summer and wintermonsoons.[126]The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asiankatabatic windsfrom blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes.[127][128]The Thar Desert plays a crucial role in attracting the moisture-laden south-west summer monsoon winds that, between June and October, provide the majority of India's rainfall.[126]Four major climatic groupings predominate in India:tropical wet,tropical dry,subtropical humid, andmontane.[129]

BiodiversityMain article:Wildlife of India

TheIndian peafowl(Pavo cristatus) is the Indian national bird. It roosts in moist and dry-deciduous forests, cultivated areas, and village precincts.[130]India lies within theIndomalaya ecozoneand contains threebiodiversity hotspots.[131]One of 17megadiverse countries, it hosts 8.6% of all mammalian, 13.7% of all avian, 7.9% of all reptilian, 6% of all amphibian, 12.2% of all piscine, and 6.0% of all flowering plant species.[132][133]About 21.2% of the country's landmass is covered by forests (tree canopy density >10%), of which 12.2% comprises moderately or very dense forests (tree canopy density >40%).[134]Endemismis high among plants, 33%, and amongecoregionssuch as thesholaforests.[135]Habitat ranges from thetropical rainforestof theAndaman Islands,Western Ghats, andNorth-East Indiato theconiferous forestof the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the moist deciduoussalforest of eastern India; the dry deciduousteakforest of central and southern India; and thebabul-dominatedthorn forestof the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.[136]The medicinalneem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies, is a key Indian tree. The luxuriantpipalfig tree, shown on the seals ofMohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.Many Indian species descend fromtaxaoriginating in Gondwana, from which theIndian plateseparated more than 105 million yearsbefore present.[137]Peninsular India's subsequentmovementtowards and collision with theLaurasianlandmass set off a mass exchange of species.Epochal volcanismand climatic changes 20 million years ago forced a mass extinction.[138]Mammals then entered India from Asia through twozoogeographicalpasses flanking the rising Himalaya.[136]Thus, while 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians are endemic, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are.[133]Among them are theNilgiri leaf monkeyandBeddome's toadof the Western Ghats. India contains 172IUCN-designatedthreatened animal species, or 2.9% of endangered forms.[139]These include theAsiatic lion, theBengal tiger, thesnow leopardand theIndian white-rumped vulture, which, by ingesting the carrion ofdiclofenac-laced cattle, nearly went extinct.The pervasive and ecologically devastating human encroachment of recent decades has critically endangered Indian wildlife. In response the system ofnational parksandprotected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted theWildlife Protection Act[140]andProject Tigerto safeguard crucial wilderness; the Forest Conservation Act was enacted in 1980 and amendments added in 1988.[141]India hostsmore than five hundred wildlife sanctuariesandthirteen biosphere reserves,[142]four of which are part of theWorld Network of Biosphere Reserves;twenty-five wetlandsare registered under theRamsar Convention.[143]PoliticsMain article:Politics of IndiaSee also:Constitution of IndiaA parliamentary joint session being held in theSansad Bhavan.

TheRashtrapati Bhavanis the official residence of the president of India.India is the world's most populous democracy.[144]Aparliamentary republicwith amulti-party system,[145]it has sixrecognisednational parties, including theIndian National Congressand theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP), and more than 40regional parties.[146]The Congress is considered centre-left or "liberal" in Indianpolitical culture, and the BJP centre-right or "conservative". For most of the period between 1950when India first became a republicand the late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the parliament. Since then, however, it has increasingly shared the political stage with the BJP,[147]as well as with powerful regional parties which have often forced the creation of multi-partycoalitionsat the centre.[148]In the Republic of India's first three general elections, in 1951, 1957, and 1962, theJawaharlal Nehru-led Congress won easy victories. On Nehru's death in 1964,Lal Bahadur Shastribriefly became prime minister; he was succeeded, after his own unexpected death in 1966, byIndira Gandhi, who went on to lead the Congress to election victories in 1967 and 1971. Following public discontent with thestate of emergencyshe declared in 1975, the Congress was voted out of power in 1977; the then-newJanata Party, which had opposed the emergency, was voted in. Its government lasted just over three years. Voted back into power in 1980, the Congress saw a change in leadership in 1984, when Indira Gandhi was assassinated; she was succeeded by her sonRajiv Gandhi, who won an easy victory in the general elections later that year. The Congress was voted out again in 1989 when aNational Frontcoalition, led by the newly formedJanata Dalin alliance with theLeft Front, won the elections; that government too proved relatively short-lived, lasting just under two years.[149]Elections were held again in 1991; no party won an absolute majority. But the Congress, as the largest single party, was able to form aminority governmentled byP. V. Narasimha Rao.[150]A two-year period of political turmoil followed the general election of 1996. Several short-lived alliances shared power at the centre. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996; it was followed by two comparatively long-lastingUnited Frontcoalitions, which depended on external support. In 1998, the BJP was able to form a successful coalition, theNational Democratic Alliance(NDA). Led byAtal Bihari Vajpayee, the NDA became the first non-Congress,coalition governmentto complete a five-year term.[151]In the2004 Indian general elections, again no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress emerged as the largest single party, forming another successful coalition: theUnited Progressive Alliance(UPA). It had the support of left-leaning parties and MPs who opposed the BJP. The UPA returned to power in the2009 general electionwith increased numbers, and it no longer required external support fromIndia's communist parties.[152]That year,Manmohan Singhbecame the first prime minister sinceJawaharlal Nehruin1957and1962to be re-elected to a consecutive five-year term.[153]In the2014 general election, the BJP became the first political party since 1984 to win a majority and govern without the support of other parties.[154]The currentPrime Ministerof India isNarendra Modi, who was also the formerChief MinisterofGujarat.GovernmentMain article:Government of IndiaSee also:Elections in IndiaIndia is afederationwith aparliamentary systemgoverned under theConstitution of India, which serves as the country's supreme legal document. It is a constitutional republic andrepresentative democracy, in which "majority ruleis tempered byminority rightsprotected bylaw".Federalism in Indiadefines the power distribution between the federal government and thestates. The government abides by constitutionalchecks and balances. The Constitution of India, which came into effect on 26 January 1950,[155]states in itspreamblethat India is asovereign,socialist,secular,democraticrepublic.[156]India's form of government, traditionally described as "quasi-federal" with a strong centre and weak states,[157]has grown increasingly federal since the late 1990s as a result of political, economic, and social changes.[158][159]National symbols[1]

FlagTiranga

EmblemSarnath Lion Capital

AnthemJana Gana Mana

SongVande Mataram

Currency(Indian rupee)

CalendarSaka

AnimalTiger(land)River dolphin(aquatic)

BirdIndian peafowl

FlowerLotus

FruitMango

TreeBanyan

RiverGangaorGanges

GameNot declared[160]

The federal government comprisesthreebranches: Executive: ThePresident of Indiais the head of state[161]and is elected indirectly by a nationalelectoral college[162]for a five-year term.[163]ThePrime Minister of Indiais thehead of governmentand exercises mostexecutive power.[164]Appointed by the president,[165]the prime minister is by convention supported by thepartyor political alliance holding the majority of seats in the lower house of parliament.[164]The executive branch of the Indian government consists of the president, the vice-president, and theCouncil of Ministersthecabinetbeing its executive committeeheaded by the prime minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of one of the houses of parliament.[161]In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature; the prime minister and his council are directly responsible to the lower house of the parliament.[166] Legislative: The legislature of India is thebicameralparliament. It operates under aWestminster-styleparliamentary system and comprises the upper house called theRajya Sabha("Council of States") and the lower called theLok Sabha("House of the People").[167]The Rajya Sabha is a permanent body that has 245 members who serve in staggered six-year terms.[168]Most are elected indirectly by thestate and territoriallegislatures in numbers proportional to their state's share of the national population.[165]All but two of the Lok Sabha's 545 members are directly elected by popular vote; they represent individualconstituenciesvia five-year terms.[169]The remaining two members are nominated by the president from among theAnglo-Indiancommunity, in case the president decides that they are not adequately represented.[170] Judicial: India has a unitary three-tierindependent judiciary[171]that comprises theSupreme Court, headed by theChief Justice of India, 24High Courts, and a large number of trial courts.[171]The Supreme Court hasoriginal jurisdictionover cases involvingfundamental rightsand over disputes between states and the centre; it hasappellate jurisdictionover the High Courts.[172]It has the power both to declare the law and to strike down union or state laws which contravene the constitution.[173]The Supreme Court is also the ultimate interpreter of the constitution.[174]SubdivisionsMain article:Administrative divisions of IndiaSee also:Political integration of IndiaIndia is a federation composed of 29 states and 7union territories.[175]All states, as well as the union territories ofPuducherryand theNational Capital Territory of Delhi, have elected legislatures and governments, both patterned on theWestminstermodel. The remaining five union territories are directly ruled by the centre through appointed administrators. In 1956, under theStates Reorganisation Act, states were reorganised on a linguistic basis.[176]Since then, their structure has remained largely unchanged. Each state or union territory is further divided into administrativedistricts. The districts in turn are further divided intotehsilsand ultimately into villages.

A clickable map of the 29 states and 7 union territories of India

States1. Andhra Pradesh2. Arunachal Pradesh3. Assam4. Bihar5. Chhattisgarh6. Goa7. Gujarat8. Haryana9. Himachal Pradesh10. Jammu and Kashmir11. Jharkhand12. Karnataka13. Kerala14. Madhya Pradesh15. Maharashtra16. Manipur17. Meghalaya18. Mizoram19. Nagaland20. Odisha21. Punjab22. Rajasthan23. Sikkim24. Tamil Nadu25. Telangana26. Tripura27. Uttar Pradesh28. Uttarakhand29. West BengalUnion territoriesA. Andaman and Nicobar IslandsB. ChandigarhC. Dadra and Nagar HaveliD. Daman and DiuE. LakshadweepF. National Capital Territory of DelhiG. PuducherryForeign relations and militaryMain articles:Foreign relations of IndiaandIndian Armed Forces

Narendra ModimeetsVladimir Putinat the6th BRICS summit. India and Russia share extensive economic, defence, and technologicalties.Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relations with most nations. In the 1950s, it strongly supported decolonisation inAfricaandAsiaandplayed a lead rolein theNon-Aligned Movement.[177]In the late 1980s, the Indian military twice intervened abroad at the invitation of neighbouring countries: apeace-keeping operationin Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990; and an armed intervention to prevent a1988 coup d'tat attemptin Maldives. India hastense relationswith neighbouring Pakistan; the two nationshave gone to war four times: in1947,1965,1971, and1999. Three of these wars were fought over thedisputed territory of Kashmir, while the fourth, the 1971 war, followed from India's support for theindependence of Bangladesh.[178]After waging the 1962Sino-Indian Warand the 1965 war with Pakistan, India pursued close military and economicties with the Soviet Union; by the late 1960s, the Soviet Union was its largest arms supplier.[179]Aside from ongoing strategicrelations with Russia, India has wide-rangingdefence relations with IsraelandFrance. In recent years, it has played key roles in theSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperationand theWorld Trade Organisation. The nation has provided 100,000militaryandpolicepersonnel to serve in 35 UN peacekeeping operations across four continents. It participates in theEast Asia Summit, theG8+5, and other multilateral forums.[180]India has close economic ties withSouth America,[181]Asia, and Africa; it pursues a"Look East" policythat seeks to strengthen partnerships with theASEANnations,Japan, andSouth Koreathat revolve around many issues, but especially those involving economic investment and regional security.[182][183]

INSVikramaditya, the Indian Navy's biggest warship.China'snuclear test of 1964, as well as its repeated threats to intervene in support of Pakistan in the 1965 war, convinced India to develop nuclear weapons.[184]India conducted itsfirst nuclear weapons testin 1974 and carried outfurther underground testingin 1998. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has signed neither theComprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treatynor theNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, considering both to be flawed and discriminatory.[185]India maintains a "no first use" nuclear policy and is developing anuclear triadcapability as a part of its "minimum credible deterrence" doctrine.[186][187]It is developing aballistic missile defence shieldand, in collaboration with Russia, afifth-generation fighter jet.[188]Other indigenous military projects involve the design and implementation ofVikrant-class aircraft carriersandArihant-class nuclear submarines.[188]Since the end of theCold War, India has increased its economic, strategic, and military cooperation with theUnited Statesand theEuropean Union.[189]In 2008, acivilian nuclear agreementwas signed between India and the United States. Although India possessed nuclear weapons at the time and was not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it received waivers from theInternational Atomic Energy Agencyand theNuclear Suppliers Group, ending earlier restrictions on India's nuclear technology and commerce. As a consequence, India became the sixthde factonuclear weapons state.[190]India subsequently signed cooperation agreements involvingcivilian nuclear energywith Russia,[191]France,[192]theUnited Kingdom,[193]andCanada.[194]ThePresident of Indiais the supreme commander of the nation's armed forces; with 1.325 million active troops, they compose theworld's third-largest military.[195]It comprises theIndian Army, theIndian Navy, and theIndian Air Force; auxiliary organisations include theStrategic Forces Commandand threeparamilitary groups: theAssam Rifles, theSpecial Frontier Force, and theIndian Coast Guard.[196]The official Indiandefence budgetfor 2011 was US$36.03 billion, or 1.83% of GDP.[197]For the fiscal year spanning 20122013, US$40.44 billion was budgeted.[198]According to a 2008SIPRIreport, India's annual military expenditure in terms of purchasing power stood at US$72.7 billion.[199]In 2011, the annual defence budget increased by 11.6%,[200]although this does not include funds that reach the military through other branches of government.[201]As of 2012, India is the world's largest arms importer; between 2007 and 2011, it accounted for 10% of funds spent on international arms purchases.[202]Much of the military expenditure was focused on defence against Pakistan and countering growing Chinese influence in theIndian Ocean.[200]EconomyMain article:Economy of IndiaSee also:Economic history of India,Economic development in India,Tourism in IndiaandTransport in India

India's GDP has increased more than ten-fold after theeconomic reforms in 1991.According to theInternational Monetary Fund(IMF), as of April 2015, the Indian economy is nominally worth US$2.306 trillion; it is the 7th-largest economy by market exchange rates, and is, at US$7.996 trillion, the third-largest bypurchasing power parity, or PPP.[9]With its average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the past two decades, and reaching 6.1% during 201112,[203]India is one of theworld's fastest-growing economies.[204]However, the country ranks 140th in the world innominal GDP per capitaand 129th inGDP per capita at PPP.[205]Until 1991, all Indian governments followedprotectionistpolicies that were influenced by socialist economics. Widespreadstate intervention and regulationlargely walled the economy off from the outside world. An acutebalance of payments crisis in 1991forced the nation toliberalise its economy;[206]since then it has slowly moved towards a free-market system[207][208]by emphasising both foreign trade and direct investment inflows.[209]India's recent economic model is largely capitalist.[208]India has been a member ofWTOsince 1 January 1995.[210]The 486.6-million workerIndian labour forceis theworld's second-largest, as of 2011.[196]The service sector makes up 55.6% of GDP, the industrial sector 26.3% and the agricultural sector 18.1%. Major agricultural products include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes.[175]Major industries include textiles, telecommunications, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food processing, steel, transport equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, and software.[175]In 2006, the share of external trade in India's GDP stood at 24%, up from 6% in 1985.[207]In 2008, India's share of world trade was 1.68%;[211]In 2011, India was the world'stenth-largest importerand thenineteenth-largest exporter.[212]Major exports include petroleum products, textile goods, jewellery, software, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures.[175]Major imports include crude oil, machinery, gems, fertiliser, and chemicals.[175]Between 2001 and 2011, the contribution of petrochemical and engineering goods to total exports grew from 14% to 42%.[213]India was the second largest textile exporter after China in the world in calendar year 2013.[214]Averaging an economic growth rate of 7.5% for several years prior to 2007,[207]India has more than doubled its hourly wage rates during the first decade of the 21st century.[215]Some 431 million Indians have left poverty since 1985; India's middle classes are projected to number around 580 million by 2030.[216]Though ranking 51st inglobal competitiveness, India ranks 17th in financial market sophistication, 24th in the banking sector, 44th in business sophistication, and 39th in innovation, ahead of several advanced economies, as of 2010.[217]With 7 of the world's top 15 information technology outsourcing companies based in India, the country is viewed as the second-most favourable outsourcing destination after the United States, as of 2009.[218]India's consumer market, currently the world'seleventh-largest, is expected to become fifth-largest by 2030.[216]India'stelecommunication industry, the world's fastest-growing, added 227 million subscribers during the period 201011,[219]and after the first quarter of 2013, India surpassed Japan to become the third largest smartphone market in the world after China and the U.S.[220]

A small hydro-electric dam on theGanges Canalat Nagla Kabir, UP. Theelectricity sector in Indiahas an installed capacity of 205.34Gigawatt(GW), the world's fifth largest. Coal-fired plants account for 56% of India's electricity capacity, renewalhydropowerfor 19%.Itsautomotive industry, the world's second fastest growing, increased domestic sales by 26% during 200910,[221]and exports by 36% during 200809.[222]Power capacity is 250 gigawatts, of which 8% isrenewable. At the end of 2011, theIndian IT industryemployed 2.8 million professionals, generated revenues close to US$100 billion equalling 7.5% of Indian GDP and contributed 26% of India's merchandise exports.[223]Thepharmaceutical industry in Indiais among the significant emerging markets for global pharma industry. The Indian pharmaceutical market is expected to reach $48.5 billion by 2020. India's R & D spending constitutes 60% of thebiopharmaceuticalindustry.[224][225]India is among the top 12 biotech destinations of the world.[226][227]The Indian biotech industry grew by 15.1% in 201213, increasing its revenues from 204.4 Billion INR (Indian Rupees) to 235.24 Billion INR (3.94 B US$ - exchange rate June 2013: 1 US$ approx. 60 INR).[228]Although hardly 2% of Indians payincome taxes.[229]Despite impressive economic growth during recent decades, India continues to face socio-economic challenges. India contains thelargest concentrationof people living below the World Bank's international poverty line of US$1.25 per day,[230]the proportion having decreased from 60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005, and 25% in 2011.[231]30.7% of India's children under the age of five are underweight.[232]According to aFood and Agriculture Organizationreport in 2015, 15% of Indian population is undernourished.[233][234]TheMid-Day Meal Schemeattempts to lower these rates.[235]Since 1991,economic inequalitybetween India's states has consistently grown: the per-capitanet state domestic productof the richest states in 2007 was 3.2 times that of the poorest.[236]Corruption in Indiais perceived to have increased significantly,[237]with one report estimating the illegal capital flows since independence to be US$462 billion.[238]Driven by growth, India's nominalGDP per capitahas steadily increased from US$329 in 1991, when economic liberalisation began, to US$1,265 in 2010, and is estimated to increase to US$2,110 by 2016; however, it has remained lower than those of other Asian developing countries such as Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and is expected to remain so in the near future. However, it is currently higher than Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and others.[239]According to a 2011PricewaterhouseCoopersreport, India's GDP at purchasing power parity could overtake that of the United States by 2045.[240]During the next four decades, Indian GDP is expected to grow at an annualised average of 8%, making it potentially the world's fastest-growing major economy until 2050.[240]The report highlights key growth factors: a young and rapidly growing working-age population; growth in the manufacturing sector because of rising education and engineering skill levels; and sustained growth of the consumer market driven by a rapidly growing middle class.[240]The World Bank cautions that, for India to achieve its economic potential, it must continue to focus on public sector reform,transport infrastructure, agricultural and rural development, removal of labour regulations,education,energy security, andpublic healthand nutrition.[241]DemographicsMain article:Demographics of India

A population density andIndian Railwaysconnectivity map. The already densely settledIndo-Gangetic Plainis the main driver of Indian population growth.

A woman inBundi, RajasthanWith 1,210,193,422 residents reported in the 2011 provisional census report,[8]India is the world's second-most populous country. Its population grew by 17.64% during 20012011,[242]compared to 21.54% growth in the previous decade (19912001).[242]The human sex ratio, according to the 2011 census, is 940 females per 1,000 males.[8]The median age was 24.9 in the 2001 census.[196]The first post-colonial census, conducted in 1951, counted 361.1 million people.[243]Medical advances made in the last 50 years as well as increased agricultural productivity brought about by the "Green Revolution" have caused India's population to grow rapidly.[244]India continues to face several public health-related challenges.[245][246]Life expectancy in India is at 68 years with life expectancy for women being 69.6 years and for men being 67.3.[247]There are around 50 physicians per 100,000 Indians.[248]The number of Indians living in urban areas has grown by 31.2% between 1991 and 2001.[249]Yet, in 2001, over 70% lived in rural areas.[250][251]The level of urbanization increased from 27.81% in 2001 Census to 31.16% in 2011 Census. The slowing down of the overall growth rate of population was due to the sharp decline in the growth rate in rural areas since 1991.[252]According to the 2011 census, there are 53million-plus cities in India; among themMumbai,Delhi,Bangalore,Hyderabad,Chennai,Ahmedabad,PuneandKolkataare in order of themost populous metropolitan areas. The literacy rate in 2011 was 74.04%: 65.46% among females and 82.14% among males.[253]The rural urban literacy gap which was 21.2 percentage points in 2001, dropped to 16.1 percentage points in 2011. The improvement in literacy rate in rural area is two times that in urban areas.[252]Kerala is the most literate state with 93.91% literacy; while Bihar the least with 63.82%.[253]India is home totwo major language families:Indo-Aryan(spoken by about 74% of the population) andDravidian(24%). Other languages spoken in India come from theAustroasiaticandTibeto-Burmanlanguage families. India has no national language.[254]Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official language of the government.[255][256]English is used extensively in business and administration and has the status of a "subsidiary official language";[257]it is important ineducation, especially as a medium of higher education. Each state and union territory has one or more official languages, and the constitution recognises in particular 22 "scheduled languages". The Constitution of India recognises 212scheduledtribalgroups which together constitute about 7.5% of the country's population.[258]The 2001 census reported thatHinduism, with over 800 million adherents (80.5% of the population), was the largestreligion in India; it is followed byIslam(13.4%),Christianity(2.3%),Sikhism(1.9%),Buddhism(0.8%),Jainism(0.4%),Judaism,Zoroastrianism, and theBah' Faith.[259]India has the world's largest Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Zoroastrian, and Bah' populations, and has thethird-largestMuslim population and the largest Muslim population for a non-Muslim majority country.[260][261]CultureMain article:Culture of India

TheAwadhiHindi poetTulsidascomposed theRamcharitmanas, which is one of the best-known vernacular versions of theRamayana.Indian cultural history spans more than 4,500 years.[262]During theVedic period(c. 1700 500 BCE), the foundations ofHindu philosophy,mythology,theologyandliteraturewere laid, and many beliefs and practices which still exist today, such asdhrma,krma,yga, andmoka, were established.[15]India is notable for itsreligious diversity, withHinduism,Buddhism,Sikhism,Islam,Christianity, andJainismamong the nation's major religions.[263]The predominant religion, Hinduism, has been shaped by various historical schools of thought, including those of theUpanishads,[264]theYoga Sutras, theBhaktimovement,[263]and byBuddhist philosophy.[265]Art and architectureMuch ofIndian architecture, including theTaj Mahal, other works ofMughal architecture, andSouth Indian architecture, blends ancient local traditions with imported styles.[266]Vernacular architectureis also highly regional in it flavours.Vastu shastra, literally "science of construction" or "architecture" and ascribed toMamuni Mayan,[267]explores how the laws of nature affect human dwellings;[268]it employs precise geometry and directional alignments to reflect perceived cosmic constructs.[269]As applied inHindu temple architecture, it is influenced by theShilpa Shastras, a series of foundational texts whose basic mythological form is theVastu-Purusha mandala, a square that embodied the "absolute".[270]The Taj Mahal, built inAgrabetween 1631 and 1648 by orders of EmperorShah Jahanin memory of his wife, has been described in theUNESCO World Heritage Listas "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".[271]Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, developed by the British in the late 19th century, drew onIndo-Islamic architecture.[272]LiteratureThe earliest literary writings in India, composed between 1700 BCE and 1200 CE, were in the Sanskrit language.[273][274]Prominent works of thisSanskrit literatureincludeepicssuch as theMahbhrataand theRamayana, the dramas ofKlidsasuch as theAbhijnakuntalam(The Recognition of akuntal), and poetry such as theMahkvya.[275][276][277]Kamasutra, the famous book aboutsexual intercoursealso originated in India. Developed between 600 BCE and 300 CE in South India, theSangamliterature, consisting of 2,381 poems, is regarded as a predecessor ofTamil literature.[278][279][280][281]From the 14th to the 18th centuries, India's literary traditions went through a period of drastic change because of the emergence ofdevotional poetssuch asKabr,Tulsds, andGuru Nnak. This period was characterised by a varied and wide spectrum of thought and expression; as a consequence, medieval Indian literary works differed significantly from classical traditions.[282]In the 19th century, Indian writers took a new interest in social questions and psychological descriptions. In the 20th century, Indian literature was influenced by theworksof Bengali poet and novelistRabindranath Tagore.[283]Performing arts

Rukmini Devi Arundale, one of the foremost revivalists ofbharatnatyamdance in the 20th century, performs at a concert.Indian musicranges over various traditions and regional styles.Classical musicencompasses two genres and their various folk offshoots: the northernHindustaniand southernCarnaticschools.[284]Regionalised popular forms includefilmiandfolk music; the syncretic tradition of thebaulsis a well-known form of the latter.Indian dancealso features diverse folk and classical forms. Among the better-knownfolk dancesare thebhangraof Punjab, thebihuof Assam, thechhauof Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand,garbaanddandiyaof Gujarat,ghoomarof Rajasthan, and thelavaniof Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accordedclassical dance statusby India'sNational Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are:bharatanatyamof the state of Tamil Nadu,kathakof Uttar Pradesh,kathakaliandmohiniyattamof Kerala,kuchipudiof Andhra Pradesh,manipuriof Manipur,odissiof Odisha, and thesattriyaof Assam.[285]Theatre in Indiamelds music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue.[286]Often based on Hindu mythology, but also borrowing from medieval romances or social and political events, Indian theatre includes thebhavaiof Gujarat, thejatraof West Bengal, thenautankiandramlilaof North India,tamashaof Maharashtra,burrakathaof Andhra Pradesh,terukkuttuof Tamil Nadu, and theyakshaganaof Karnataka.[287]Motion pictures, televisionTheIndian film industryproduces the world's most-watched cinema.[288]Established regional cinematic traditions exist in theAssamese,Bengali,Bhojpuri,Hindi,Kannada,Malayalam,Punjabi,Gujarati,Marathi,Oriya,Tamil, andTelugulanguages.[289]South Indian cinema attracts more than 75% of national film revenue.[290]Television broadcasting began in India in 1959 as a state-run medium of communication, and had slow expansion for more than two decades.[291][292]Thestate monopolyon television broadcast ended in the 1990s and, since then, satellite channels have increasingly shaped popular culture of Indian society.[293]Today, television is the most penetrative media in India; industry estimates indicate that as of 2012 there are over 554 million TV consumers, 462 million with satellite and/or cable connections, compared to other forms of mass media such as press (350 million), radio (156 million) or internet (37 million).[294]Society

Top: A North Indian home-cookedtiffinlunch as delivered to an office by adabbawala. Bottom: A South Indianthali-style dinner as served in a restaurant.Traditional Indian society is sometimes defined by social hierarchy. TheIndian caste systemembodies much of the social stratification and many of the social restrictions found in the Indian subcontinent. Social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups, often termed asjtis, or "castes".[295]India declared untouchability to be illegal[296]in 1947 and has since enacted other anti-discriminatory laws and social welfare initiatives. At the workplace in urban India and in international or leading Indian companies, the caste related identification has pretty much lost its importance.[297][298]Family values are important in the Indian tradition, and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been the norm in India, though nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas.[299]An overwhelming majority of Indians, with their consent, havetheir marriages arrangedby their parents or other family members.[300]Marriage is thought to be for life,[300]and the divorce rate is extremely low.[301]Child marriagesare common, especially in rural areas; manywomen in Indiawed before reaching 18, which is their legal marriageable age.[302]Female infanticide in Indiaandfemale foeticide in Indiahave caused a discrepancy in the sex ratio, as of 2005 it was estimated that there were 50 million more males than females in the nation.[303][304]However the recent report from 2011 shown improvement among the gender ratio.[305]The payment ofdowry, althoughillegal, remains widespread across class lines.[306]Deaths resulting from dowry, mostly frombride burning, are on the rise.[307]ManyIndian festivalsare religious in origin; among them areChhath,Christmas,Diwali,Durga Puja,Bakr-Id,Eid ul-Fitr,Ganesh Chaturthi,Holi,Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan,Navratri,Thai Pongal, andVaisakhi. India hasthree national holidayswhich are observed in all states and union territories:Republic Day,Independence Day, andGandhi Jayanti. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in individual states.Throughout India, many people practice customs and religious rituals, such as "Saskra", which is a series of "personal sacraments and rites conducted at various stages throughout life".[308]ClothingMain article:Clothing in IndiaCottonwas domesticated in India by 4000 BCE. TraditionalIndian dressvaries in colour and style across regions and depends on various factors, including climate and faith. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as thesarifor women and thedhotiorlungifor men. Stitched clothes, such as theshalwar kameezfor women andkurtapyjamacombinations or European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular.[309]Use of delicate jewellery, modelled on real flowers worn in ancient India, is part of a tradition dating back some 5,000 years; gemstones are also worn in India as talismans.[310]SportsMain article:Sport in India

A street-corner game ofpachisiinPushkar, RajasthanIn India, several traditional indigenous sports remain fairly popular, such askabaddi,kho kho,pehlwaniandgilli-danda. Some of the earliest forms of Asianmartial arts, such askalarippayattu,musti yuddha,silambam, andmarma adi, originated in India.Chess, commonly held to haveoriginated in Indiaaschaturaga, is regaining widespread popularity with the rise in the number of Indiangrandmasters.[311][312]Pachisi, from whichparcheesiderives, was played on a giant marble court byAkbar.[313]

Indian chess grandmaster and former world championVishwanathan Anandcompetes at a chess tournament in 2005. Chess is commonly believed to have originated in India in the 5th century.The improved results garnered by theIndian Davis Cup teamand otherIndian tennis playersin the early 2010s have made tennis increasingly popular in the country.[314]India has acomparatively strong presencein shooting sports, and has won several medals at theOlympics, theWorld Shooting Championships, and the Commonwealth Games.[315][316]Other sports in which Indians have succeeded internationally include badminton[317](Saina Nehwalis the top ranked femalebadmintonplayer in the world), boxing,[318]and wrestling.[319]Footballis popular inWest Bengal,Goa,Tamil Nadu,Kerala, and thenorth-eastern states.[320]Field hockey in Indiais administered byHockey India. TheIndian national hockey teamwon the 1975Hockey World Cupand have, as of 2012, taken eight gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, making it the sport's most successful team in the Olympics.

During a twenty four-year career,Sachin Tendulkarhas set many batting records, including most runs in both tests and ODIs and most number of centuries in both tests and ODIs, making him one of the most successful cricketers ever.India has also played a major role in popularisingcricket. Thus, cricket is, by far, the most popular sport of India. TheIndian national cricket teamwon the1983and2011 Cricket World Cupevents, the2007 ICC World Twenty20, shared the2002 ICC Champions Trophywith Sri Lanka, and won2013 ICC Champions Trophy.Cricket in Indiais administered by theBoard of Control for Cricket in India(BCCI); theRanji Trophy, theDuleep Trophy, theDeodhar Trophy, theIrani Trophy, and theNKP Salve Challenger Trophyare domestic competitions. The BCCI is also responsible for conducting an annualTwenty20competition known as theIndian Premier League.India has hosted or co-hosted several international sporting events: the1951and1982 Asian Games; the1987,1996, and2011 Cricket World Cuptournaments; the2003 Afro-Asian Games; the2006 ICC Champions Trophy; the2010 Hockey World Cup; and the2010 Commonwealth Games. Major international sporting events held annually in India include theChennai Open, theMumbai Marathon, theDelhi Half Marathon, and theIndian Masters. The firstIndian Grand Prixfeatured in late 2011.[321]India has traditionally been the dominant country at theSouth Asian Games. An example of this dominance is thebasketball competitionwhereTeam Indiawon three out of four tournaments to date.[322]TheRajiv Gandhi Khel Ratnaand theArjuna Awardare the highest forms of government recognition for athletic achievement; theDronacharya Awardis awarded for excellence in coaching.See also Outline of India India portal Asia portal

Notes1. Jump up^"[...]Jana Gana Manais the National Anthem of India, subject to such alterations in the words as the Government may authorise as occasion arises; and the songVande Mataram, which has played a historic part in the struggle for Indian freedom, shall be honoured equally withJana Gana Manaand shall have equal status with it." (Constituent Assembly of India 1950).2. Jump up^"The country's exact size is subject to debate because some borders are disputed. The Indian government lists the total area as 3,287,260km2(1,269,220sqmi) and the total land area as 3,060,500km2(1,181,700sqmi); the United Nations lists the total area as 3,287,263km2(1,269,219sqmi) and total land area as 2,973,190km2(1,147,960sqmi)." (Library of Congress 2004).3. Jump up^See also:Official names of India4. Jump up^TheGovernment of IndiaregardsAfghanistanas a bordering country, as it considers all ofKashmirto be part of India. However, this isdisputed, and the region bordering Afghanistan is administered by Pakistan. Source:"Ministry of Home Affairs (Department of Border Management)"(PDF). Retrieved1 September2008.5. Jump up^The northernmost point under Indian control is the disputedSiachen GlacierinJammu and Kashmir; however, theGovernment of Indiaregards the entire region of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, including theNorthern Areasadministered by Pakistan, to be its territory. It therefore assigns the longitude 37 6' to its northernmost point.References1. ^Jump up to:abcdeNational Informatics Centre 2005.2. Jump up^Wolpert 2003, p.1.3. ^Jump up to:ab"National Symbols | National Portal of India". India.gov.in. Retrieved6 July2013.4. Jump up^"Profile | National Portal of India". India.gov.in. Retrieved23 August2013.5. Jump up^"Eighth Schedule"(PDF). Retrieved1 July2013.6. Jump up^"Justice HL Dattu sworn in as chief justice of Supreme Court".IANS. Times of India. Retrieved29 September2014.7. Jump up^"Profile".india.gov.in.8. ^Jump up to:abcProvisional Population Totals, Census 2011, p.160.9. ^Jump up to:abcdef"Report for Selected Countries and Subjects". World Economic Outlook Database,International Monetary Fund. April 2015. Retrieved14 April2015.10. Jump up^"Gini Index". World Bank. Retrieved2 March2011.11. Jump up^"Human Development Report 2014 Summary"(PDF). The United Nations. Retrieved24 July2014.12. Jump up^"Dunlop illustrated encyclopedia of facts", p. 91, by Norris McWhirter, Ross McWhirter13. Jump up^Stein 1998, pp.1617.14. Jump up^Oxford English Dictionary.15. ^Jump up to:abKuiper 2010, p.86.16. Jump up^Ministry of Law and Justice 2008.17. Jump up^Kaye 1997, pp.639640.18. Jump up^Encyclopdia Britannica.19. Jump up^Petraglia, Allchin & 2007, p.6.20. Jump up^Singh 2009, pp.8993.21. Jump up^Possehl 2003, pp.2425.22. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp.2123.23. ^Jump up to:abSingh 2009, p.181.24. Jump up^Possehl 2003, pp.1, 69.25. ^Jump up to:abcSingh 2009, p.255.26. ^Jump up to:abSingh 2009, pp.186187.27. Jump up^Witzel 2003, pp.6869.28. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, p.31.29. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp.4143.30. Jump up^Singh 2009, p.200.31. ^Jump up to:abSingh 2009, pp.250251.32. Jump up^Singh 2009, pp.260-265.33. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp.5354.34. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp.5456.35. Jump up^Stein 1998, p.21.36. Jump up^Stein 1998, pp.6768.37. Jump up^Singh 2009, pp.312313.38. Jump up^Singh 2009, p.300.39. ^Jump up to:abSingh 2009, p.319.40. Jump up^Stein 1998, pp.7879.41. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, p.70.42. Jump up^Singh 2009, p.367.43. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, p.63.44. Jump up^Stein 1998, pp.8990.45. Jump up^Singh 2009, pp.408415.46. Jump up^Stein 1998, pp.9295.47. Jump up^Kulke & Rothermund 2004, pp.8991.48. ^Jump up to:abcSingh 2009, p.545.49. 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