Forex trading holidays 2018 india

Notícias do mercado de ações de hoje Análise do amplificador Tempo real após as horas Notícias do pré-mercado Resumo das citações do flash Gráficos interativos Configuração padrão Observe que, uma vez que você fizer sua seleção, ela se aplicará a todas as futuras visitas ao NASDAQ. Se, a qualquer momento, você estiver interessado em reverter as nossas configurações padrão, selecione Configuração padrão acima. Se você tiver dúvidas ou encontrar quaisquer problemas na alteração das configurações padrão, envie um email para isfeedbacknasdaq. Confirme a sua seleção: Você selecionou para alterar sua configuração padrão para a Pesquisa de orçamento. Esta será a sua página de destino padrão, a menos que você altere sua configuração novamente ou exclua seus cookies. Tem certeza de que deseja alterar suas configurações. Temos um favor a ser solicitado. Desative seu bloqueador de anúncios (ou atualize suas configurações para garantir que o javascript e os cookies estejam habilitados), para que possamos continuar fornecendo as notícias do mercado de primeira linha E dados que você espera de nós. Descobrindo a Maravilha que é a Índia O que é a Índia e qual é a identidade dela Ela é tão difícil de descobrir como o interior de uma semente Um mero país não pode assumir os encantos enfeitiçados que penduram seus pulsos delgados. Então, como encontrar a Índia real sentada pelas ruínas, e ver as inscrições esculpidas nas paredes das cavernas e ouvir. Ouça os videntes e os folcloristas, as águas dos rios perenes e os ecos das imortal montanhas gigantes. Olhe para as personificações da oração esculpidas em mármore ou pedra, e se encontram sob uma banyan, e escute - Ouça a Índia. A Índia é o nome dado à vasta península que o continente da Ásia joga ao sul das magníficas cadeias montanhosas que se estendem em uma espada como uma curva ao longo da fronteira sul do Tibete. Em forma de quadrilátero irregular, essa grande extensão de território que chamamos de Índia, merece o nome de um subcontinente. Os geógrafos antigos referentes à Índia como constituídos com uma conformação de quatro vezes (chatuh samasthana samsthitam), no seu Sul e Oeste e Oriente é o Grande Oceano, a escala de Himavat se estende ao longo do seu norte como a corda de um arco. O nome de Himavat na passagem acima refere-se não apenas às faixas nevadas do Himalaia, mas também às suas ramificações menos elevadas - as colinas de Patkai, Lushai e Chittagong a leste e as linhas Sulaiman e Kirthar no oeste. Estes vão para o mar e separam a Índia do vale arborizado de Irrawady, por um lado, e as terras montanhosas do Irã, por outro. Os Himalaias, de pé, em um esplendor de tirar o fôlego, são radiante no mito e no mistério. Estas, as cordilheiras mais jovens e mais altas, alimentam o Ganga com riachos sem fim de neve. Os Himalaias são o lar do povo da Caxemira, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim e Arunachal Pradesh. Os índios adoram esses picos porque são parte de toda vida indígena. Os índios reverenciam as montanhas, como deveriam, o pai. Mesmo hoje, quando a Índia urbana está correndo contra o tempo, nas cavernas dos picos cobertos de neve, vivem eremitas - buscando o divino. Não é uma surpresa quando você considera que mesmo este século já viu alguns grandes filósofos como Ramana Maharishi, Swami Vivekananda. Ramakrishna Paramhansa e J. Krishnamurti. História da Índia - Comemorando as Índias Espírito Invincible À medida que o gigante da história do mundo rolava, muitas civilizações subiam e caíam e passaram para o esquecimento, mas o espírito da Índia permanece eterno e invencível, ileso pela investida do Tempo. A história indiana segue um contínuo processo de reinvenção que, eventualmente, pode ser evasivo para aqueles que buscam compreender seu caráter essencial. A história deste subcontinente surpreendente remonta a cinco mil anos atrás, quando os habitantes da Civilização do Vale do Indo desenvolveram uma cultura urbana baseada no comércio e sustentada pelo comércio agrícola. Entre as culturas mais antigas, mais ricas e mais diversas do mundo, o ethos exclusivo das Índias está enraizado em sua diversidade étnica, cultural e religiosa. O mapa político da Índia antiga e medieval foi constituído por inúmeros reinos com fronteiras flutuantes que tornaram o país vulnerável a invasões estrangeiras. Os arianos foram os primeiros a invadir o país. Eles vieram do Norte em cerca de 1500 aC e trouxeram com eles fortes tradições culturais. Persas, gregos, nômades chineses, árabes, portugueses, britânicos e muitos outros - a lista de invasores que governaram a Índia é longa. No entanto, nenhum poderia esmagar a alma indomável de Bharatvarsha. Aqui está um breve relato da História da Índia, que procura articular a magia eterna da nação incrível que - nas palavras do autor americano Mark Twain - todos os homens ansiosos para ver e ter Visto uma vez, não desistiria desse vislumbre de todas as maravilhas do mundo. A primeira grande civilização das Índias floresceu em torno de 2500 aC no vale do rio Indus. Esta civilização, que durou 1000 anos, e conhecida como a cultura Harappan, parece ter sido o ponto culminante de milhares de anos de colonização. Por volta de 1500 aC, as tribos arianas do Afeganistão e da Ásia Central começaram a se filtrar para o noroeste da Índia. Eventualmente, essas tribos foram capazes de controlar todo o norte da Índia, e muitos dos habitantes originais, os dravidianos, foram empurrados para o sul da Índia. 7 ª século aC À medida que as tribos arianas se espalhavam pela planície de Ganges, no século VII aC, muitas delas foram agrupadas em 16 reinos principais. 5º século aC Gradualmente, estes se amalgamaram em quatro grandes estados, com Kosala e Magadha emergindo para ser o mais poderoso durante o século V aC. O norte da Índia, no entanto, passou a ser dominado pela dinastia Nanda em cerca de 364 aC. Mais. Os Mauryas foram a primeira dinastia governante a controlar grandes partes do norte da Índia e algumas partes do sul da Índia, como uma unidade territorial. Fundada por Chandragupta Maurya com a poderosa orientação de Kautilya, autor do famoso tratado - Arthshastra - o império atingiu seu pico sob Ashoka. Ele deixou pilares e edictos esculpidos em rocha, que delineiam a enorme extensão de seu território que abrangeu grandes áreas do subcontinente indiano. Após o declínio do Império Mauryan. Um número de reinos poderosos surgiram no centro e no sul da Índia, entre eles Satavahanas, Kalingas e Vakatakas têm precedência. Mais tarde, essas regiões viram o surgimento de algumas das maiores dinastias do sul da Índia sob a forma de Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Chalukyas e Pallavas. A próxima dinastia que vale a pena mencionar é a do Guptas. Embora o Império Gupta não tenha sido tão grande quanto o Império Maurya, manteve a Índia do Norte unida politicamente por mais de um século, de 335 a 455 dC. Mais. Índia medieval O declínio dos Guptas no norte da Índia e o consequente aumento de um número grande, mas ineficaz, de poderes regionais tornaram a situação política muito fluida e instável no século IX dC. Isso abriu o caminho para a invasão muçulmana na Índia durante a primeira metade do século XI. Estes foram sentidos na forma de 17 incursões sucessivas ao norte da Índia, feitas por Mahmud de Ghazni entre 1001 e 1025. Essas invasões efetivamente destruíram o equilíbrio de poder no norte da Índia. O próximo governante muçulmano a invadir a Índia, Mohammad Ghauri, atacou a Índia e, após uma fútil resistência pela liderança local, ele fundou um império estrangeiro na Índia. Sob ele, grande parte da Índia estava sob o domínio muçulmano e logo o seu sucessor Qutub-ud-din Aibak tornou-se o primeiro dos sultanes de Delhi. Seguiu-se o governo dos Khaljis e Tughlaq. Também conhecido como o Sultanato de Delhi, que governou uma grande parte do norte da Índia e partes do sul da Índia até a chegada dos Lodis e Sayyids. Mais. Período Mughal Derrota Lodis e Sayyids, estabeleceram os Mughals, o que veio a ser conhecido como a era mais vibrante da história indiana. Os governantes mais prominentes da dinastia Mughal Babur Humayun Akbar Shah Jahan Aurangzeb O Império Mughal foi enorme, cobrindo, no auge, quase todo o subcontinente indiano. Os imperadores mogóis presidiram uma idade dourada de artes e literatura e passaram por paixão por edifícios, o que resultou em algumas das maiores arquiteturas da Índia, como o Taj Mahal em Agra. Além disso, o grande número de fortalezas, palácios, portões, edifícios, mesquitas, baolis (tanques de água ou bem), jardins, etc., forma a herança cultural dos Mughals na Índia. Os Mughals também contribuíram para estabelecer uma das configurações administrativas mais eficientes na Índia. O declínio dos Mughals viu o aumento correspondente de Marathas no oeste da Índia. Em outras partes da Índia, no entanto, uma nova tendência de invasão estrangeira sob a guarnição de ligações comerciais começara a partir do século 15 dC - em primeiro lugar, com a chegada e a tomada gradual de Goa pelos portugueses liderados por Vasco da Gama - entre 1498 E 1510 AD e depois com a chegada, e a criação da primeira posição comercial em Surat, em Gujarat, pela East India Company. Os dinamarqueses e os holandeses também tinham postos de comércio, e em 1672 AD, os franceses se estabeleceram em Pondicherry, um enclave que eles mantiveram mesmo depois que os britânicos partiram. Mais. Os britânicos representados pela East India Company estabeleceram seu controle comercial sobre vastas áreas na Índia, que logo teve uma dimensão administrativa para isso. O governo britânico na Índia foi, no entanto, formalizado pela aquisição direta da Índia pela Coroa Britânica, após a Primeira Guerra da Independência em 1857. A história do Raj é uma luta constante entre os nacionalistas - que assumiram nomes diferentes, ideologias, Backgrounds e métodos - e as políticas britânicas e repressivas. As pessoas do comprimento e da largura da Índia seguiram o caminho definido por Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Onde a verdade e o ahimsa ou a não violência foram considerados supremos. O fortalecimento dessa visão foi a intelectualidade emergente. Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Bankim Chandra. Rabindranath Tagore. Subramanya Bharathi e Abul Kalam Azad foram alguns dos que entusiasmaram as pessoas através de seus escritos e músicas que despertaram a alma para chegar ao nacionalismo. O momento de glória das Índias finalmente chegou na meia-noite de 15 de agosto de 1947. As pessoas, delirantes de alegria, inundaram as ruas para receber o início de uma nova era. E dentro do Salão da Assembléia, Jawaharlal Nehru levantou-se para fazer o seu famoso discurso com o destino. Nas primeiras horas da manhã, quando as nuvens enviaram uma leve chuva para reconhecer o despertar, a Índia independente estava preparada para se transformar de uma sociedade colonial em uma política liberal. Jawaharlal Nehru tornou-se primeiro-ministro das Índias independentes e Rajendra Prasad, o primeiro presidente do país. A Constituição indiana foi elaborada em questão de quatro anos. Procurou assimilar diferentes regiões linguísticas e comunidades religiosas da Índia em um país-Estado coeso e, ao mesmo tempo, conferir autonomia substancial aos diversos estados da União indiana. Os pais fundadores, sob a liderança de B R Ambedkar, governaram o país com base na livre escolha de seus cidadãos. O Legislativo, o Executivo e o Judiciário começaram a funcionar muito antes de esses sistemas serem reconhecidos pelos pensadores internacionais. A Índia iniciou o planejamento e começou a abordar questões como reformas agrárias, melhoria das técnicas de comercialização agrícola e instalações de irrigação. Reduzir a dependência das moustras inconstantes foi uma área prioritária porque a maior parte da agricultura indiana é alimentada a chuva. Tudo isso exigiu, além do planejamento, uma boa pesquisa. Passando à pesquisa científica e desenvolvimento, a Índia elevou sua produção agrícola para uma taxa de crescimento consistente de três por cento ao ano. Índia, depois da independência, a Índia começou a construir uma base científica para todos os seus programas, seja pesquisa agrícola, pesquisa científica pura ou projetos de produtos para os artesãos. Se C. V. Raman. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar e Hargobind Khorana foram beneficiários do Prêmio Nobel, havia outros com capacidades iguais como Homi Bhabha, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar, Jagdish Chandra Bose, Meghnad Saha Kothari, Krishnan, Vikram Sarabhai e Pal que concentraram suas energias na criação do meio ambiente e infra-estrutura Para atividades acadêmicas e de desenvolvimento. A Revolução Verde dos anos sessenta e a Revolução Branca dos anos setenta trouxeram resultados surpreendentes na agricultura e produção leiteira cooperativa. Com a nona maior economia do mundo pelo PIB e a terceira maior por paridade de poder de compra (PPP), a Índia é a segunda economia de crescimento mais rápido do mundo depois da China. De infraestrutura de classe mundial, mega cidades, centros econômicos, aeroportos modernos, multiplexes ostentosos, centros prósperos de varejo, hotéis luxuosos, parques tecnológicos de conhecimento e tecnologia, o país tem tudo para ilustrar seus rápidos avanços na trajetória rápida de modernização e desenvolvimento holístico. Hoje, o país marcha orgulhosamente como o segundo maior país da Ásia e o sétimo maior e segundo país mais populoso da Terra. A Índia compreende até um terço da Ásia e apóia um sétimo da humanidade. Foi reconhecido como a maior democracia do mundo, e um poder global emergente. Mais. Geografia. Localização ampliação Topografia Localizada na parte sul da Ásia, a Índia situa-se entre 84 e 376 N Latitude e 687 e 9725 E Longitude. Este sétimo maior país do mundo se espalha por uma área de 3.166.414 km2. Incluindo a Ilha Lakshadweep no Mar da Arábia e as Ilhas Andaman e Nicobar na Baía de Bengala. A Índia é delimitada pelo mar da Arábia, no seu oeste e sul oeste, e a Baía de Bengala, no leste e no sul do leste, e as cordilheiras do Himalaia circundam o país ao norte. A Índia compartilha sua fronteira territorial com o Afeganistão, Paquistão, China, Nepal, Butão e Bangladesh. A Índia é abençoada com uma topografia diversificada de montanhas para planícies, planaltos, desertos, costas e ilhas. O Trópico de Câncer divide o país em duas partes iguais na parte do norte e do sul, e as montanhas de Vindhya atravessaram todo o país, de oeste a leste. O Himalaias, que forma o limite norte do país, consistem em três séries paralelas de cordilheiras: Himadri, Himachal e Shivaliks. A Índia também é afortunada em possuir um amplo trecho de terras férteis, constituído pelo solo aluvial derrubado sob a forma de limo fino pelos rios poderosos. Ao sul do Himalaia, estas Grandes Planícies do Norte da Índia consistem na bacia do Indo, na bacia de Ganga-Brahmaputra e nos afluentes desses poderosos sistemas fluviais. Ao sul das Grandes Planícies do norte da Índia encontra-se o Grande Planalto da Índia Peninsular, que é dividido em três partes, a saber, o Planalto de Malwa, o Planalto de Chota Nagpur e o Planalto de Deccan. O planalto de Malwa delimitado pelas colinas de Aravalli e os Vindhyas forma a metade norte desta península. O vale do rio Narmada forma o limite sul deste planalto. O platô de Chota Nagpur situa-se na parte oriental da península e é a região produtora de minerais mais rica da Índia. O Planalto de Deccan se estende desde as colinas de Satpura no norte até Kanyakumari no sul. Em direção ao oeste do Planalto de Deccan encontram-se os Ghats Ocidentais que compõem os Sahyadri, o Nilgiri, o Annamalai e o Cardamom Hills. No lado leste, este platô se funde em uma camada de colinas baixas descontínuas conhecidas como as colinas de Mahendra Giri, que compõem os Ghats orientais. As estreitas planícies costeiras ao longo do Mar da Arábia e da Baía de Bengalo flanqueiam o Planalto de Deccan nos lados leste e oeste, respectivamente. As planícies costeiras ocidentais situadas entre os Ghats ocidentais e o Mar da Arábia, dividiram-se ainda mais na Costa do Norte de Konkan e na Costa do Malabar do Sul. As planícies costeiras orientais, por outro lado, estão entre os Ghats orientais e a Baía de Bengala e, como as planícies ocidentais, são divididas em duas partes: a Costa do Coromandel como a parte do sul e os Circars do Norte como a parte norte. Para a metade ocidental da Índia encontra-se uma grande extensão de terra que é dividida pelas montanhas Aravalli em duas unidades separadas. A área a oeste dos Aravalli é composta pelo deserto de Thar - feito de areia e interrompido por colinas rochosas e vales sem água. Esta terra árida se estende profundamente no Paquistão. O estado de Gujarat fica a leste desta faixa e é uma das regiões mais prósperas da Índia. A Índia é um vasto país na parte sul da Ásia, que é vinculado pelo Oceano Índico no sul, o mar da Arábia, no oeste e a Baía de Bengala, no seu leste, e faz fronteira com o Paquistão, Nepal, Butão, China e Bangladesh, no norte, noroeste, Nordeste e leste. Os mapas físicos da Índia podem servir como ferramentas efetivas para a compreensão das características geofísicas e topológicas do subcontinente indiano. Um mapa de destaque da Índia define claramente o esboço geopolítico do país e o mapa político da Índia pode ajudar a compreender melhor os limites políticos e as subdivisões do país para todos os propósitos práticos. No mapa físico da Índia, as regiões propensas ao terremoto (alto risco) podem ser localizadas como região do Himalaia, partes de planícies do norte da Índia e partes de Gujarat. A Índia também testemunhou alguns dos devastadores terremotos nessas regiões. A Índia é um país imenso com mais de um bilhão de habitantes. O mapa de estrada da Índia é uma excelente ferramenta para entender a rede de transporte indiana, que inclui uma imensa rede rodoviária, cobrindo quase todo o subcontinente. No entanto, a rede ferroviária e a rede de viagens aéreas indianas emergiram como motores virtuais do crescimento econômico nos tempos modernos, mesmo quando estão atrasados ​​na rede rodoviária em termos de alcance geográfico. Cultura da Índia A Índia, conhecida pela unidade na diversidade, oferece uma explosão impressionante e criativa de cultura - um potpourri de religiões, raças e línguas. As raízes da cultura e civilização indianas remontam a mais de 5.000 anos atrás, com uma continuidade ininterrupta de tradições, costumes e escolas de filosofia de renome mundial. Entre as culturas mais antigas, mais ricas e mais diversas do mundo, a Índia representa uma incrível confluência de diferentes credos, religiões, crenças e sistemas de crença, ainda mais dividida entre castas, seitas e sub-seitas. Por tempos imemoriais, a Índia permaneceu um local de encontro entre o Oriente eo Ocidente, um tesouro de conhecimento e sabedoria. A cultura védica e o modo de vida védico atingiram raízes profundas na Índia e são seguidos por pessoas até hoje. Além dos Vedas, outras escrituras importantes compostas durante os tempos védicos incluem os Upanishadas (comentários esclarecedores sobre os Vedas), os shrutis e os smritis (armazéns da erudição e da aprendizagem ouvida e lembrada). A Índia acredita em Sarva dharma samabhava, o que significa respeito por todos os sistemas de crenças. Isso permitiu não apenas tolerar as religiões e as crenças, mas a liberdade de propôr idéias e filosofias. Depois de assimilar e nutrir uma incrível diversidade de pessoas e culturas por milênios, a cultura da Índia continua sendo um objeto de fascínio para pessoas de todo o mundo. Os objetos de interesse étnico como vestidos indianos únicos, deliciosas receitas de comida indiana, música indiana sonora e nomes indianos exóticos evocam o interesse global em uma base contínua. Mais. Religião Na Índia, a religião não é simplesmente um sistema de crenças, mas uma jornada de auto-exploração. Todas as principais religiões do mundo, como o hinduísmo, o sijismo, o budismo, o jainismo, o islamismo e o cristianismo, incluindo suas seitas, são encontradas e praticadas na índia com total liberdade. As religiões coexistiram e evoluíram durante muitos séculos no país e são muito centrais para a vida das pessoas, que têm uma abertura notável para até mesmo as religiões estrangeiras. O judaísmo foi uma das primeiras religiões estrangeiras a chegar na Índia há cerca de 2500 anos. O islamismo se espalhou por um período de 700 anos. O zoroastrismo chegou do Irã no século 8 ou 10, enquanto o governo colonial introduziu o país no cristianismo. Lord Buddha nasceu na Índia e é da costa desta terra que o budismo foi divulgado ao Sri Lanka e ao Tibete. À medida que os deuses e deusas em suas miríades de formas eram adorados com rituais elaborados no país, apareceu no século 15 um reformador que ordenava uma forma mais simples de adoração, destituída de rituais. Ele era Guru Nanak Dev, cujos ensinamentos e os dos nove gurus que seguiram depois são coletados no livro sagrado dos Sikhs, o Guru Granth Sahib. Os cristãos estão igualmente em casa na Índia. Os santos cristãos vieram para a Índia há muitos séculos e pregavam a doutrina do cristianismo. Acredita-se que São Tomás, um dos doze apóstolos de Cristo, veio para a Índia no primeiro século dC e passou o resto de sua vida na pregação da Índia. Seu túmulo, Monte São Tomé em Chennai, o Tamil Nadu tornou-se um lugar de peregrinação para os cristãos na Índia. O missionário católico espanhol, São Francisco Xavier, também passou a maior parte de sua vida em Goa. Seu corpo, em um caixão de vidro, foi mantido na Basílica de Bom Jesus em Panjim, Goa. A cada dez anos, suas relíquias estão expostas ao público, e pessoas de todo o mundo se encaminharam para receber a bênção. Mais. Festivais A tradição de celebrar festivais remonta ao período védico. As escrituras e as obras da literatura desta época estão repletas de referências a festivais. Estas foram as celebrações em homenagem a deuses, rios, árvores, montanhas e estações como a primavera e a monção. Estes foram os tempos para orações e meditação, e também para ocasiões de espectáculo e procissão para expressar alegria pura com performances que compõem música, dança e drama, e realizando feiras. A Constituição da Índia garantiu a liberdade de culto e modo de vida a todos os seus cidadãos. Isso garantiu o rico caleidoscópio de festivais que são celebrados em todo o país. Mais. Diwali O mais colorido de todo o festival é Deepawali ou Diwali, o festival das luzes. Rama, a figura central no épico Ramayana, foi para o exílio por 14 anos, acompanhada por sua esposa Sita e seu irmão Lakshman. Durante suas andanças nas florestas, Ravana, o rei de Lanka, levou Sita para longe. Foi só depois de uma batalha épica que Rama venceu Ravana, resgatou Sita e voltou para casa. A viagem de Lanka no sul para Ayodhya no norte levou 20 dias. Seu retorno triunfal trouxe grande alegria ao seu povo que iluminou toda a cidade para celebrar a ocasião. Esta tradição continua até hoje, já que casas e cidades em toda a Índia são iluminadas todos os anos (tradicionalmente com pequenos copos de barro ou diyas cheios de óleo) para comemorar o aniversário. Deepawali significa o triunfo do bem sobre o mal e a luz sobre a escuridão. Mais. Dussehra A batalha entre Ravana e Rama e a última vitória são celebradas como Dussehra em muitas partes da Índia, 20 dias antes de Deepawali. Dussehra é o dia em que as efígies de Ravana, seus irmãos Meghnath e Kumbhakaran, são queimadas. É precedido pela promulgação da história do Ramayana por grupos amadores de pessoas no que é conhecido como Ram Lila, onde os desempenhos durante toda a noite do Ramayana desde o início até o final são promulgados, os atores são principalmente meninos jovens que desempenham o papel de Personagens masculinos e femininos. Mais. Durga Pooja e Ganesh Chaturthi Na Bengala, o culto da Deusa Durga precede Deepawali. Enquanto a Deusa Durga é adorada com grande devoção em Bengala Ocidental, Lord Ganesha - reconhecido como o removedor de obstáculos - é a figura central na celebração de Ganesh Chaturthi em Maharashtra. personagens. Janmashtami Lord Krishna, a oitava encarnação de Vishnu, é o núcleo divino no Mahabharata épico. Foi ele quem deu o sermão do Bhagwat Gita (a música celestial) a Arjuna, um dos cinco irmãos Pandava durante sua batalha com os Kauravas em Kurukshetra. Esta batalha mais uma vez simboliza a luta entre as forças do mal e do bem. O Senhor Krishna é venerado por toda a Índia e há templos dedicados a ele especificamente, mas em particular, o seu terreno de origem de Vrindavan e Mathura, onde ele viveu como um menino e revelou sua divindade pelos milagres que ele fez. Mais. Guru Nanak Jayanti e Baisakhi Os aniversários de nascimento de Guru Nanak e Guru Gobind Singh, o décimo e último dos Gurus, são dias muito importantes e são celebrados com fervor religioso e devoção. As procissões são retiradas, as escrituras são cantadas, sem interrupção, e os Gurudwaras (templos sikh) são iluminados. O calendário indiano, em oposição ao gregoriano, começa em abril. O Dia do Ano Novo é 13 de abril, comemorado como Baisakhi, que coincide com a colheita da colheita de trigo no norte da Índia, especialmente no Punjab. As pessoas usam roupas novas, cantam e dançam com alegria. No leste da Índia, o Ano Novo começa em 14 de abril e, novamente, é uma ocasião alegre com o canto e a dança de jovens homens e mulheres que fazem seus melhores mekhalas de seda (sarongs) e chaddars (um envoltório) e dançam ao ritmo do tambor . Este festival é conhecido como Rangali Bihu em Assam. Holi Depois, há Holi, os festivais de cores quando homens, mulheres e crianças se banham uns aos outros com água colorida para celebrar a beleza da estação da primavera, quando as flores florescem e cobrem a terra. Mais. O festival de Eid é celebrado no final de um jejum de um mês de duração. O Natal, comemoração do nascimento de Jesus Cristo, transcende as barreiras da fé para se tornar uma ocasião para a celebração da alegria em todo o país. Há também inúmeras feiras brilhantes realizadas no país. A gema na coroa é, é claro, a Kumbha Mela realizada em Haridwar, Prayag (Allahabad), Nashik e Ujjain. Pushkar Fair e Urs em Ajmer são alguns outros exemplos famosos. Assim como o Nauchandi mela, realizado no segundo domingo após Holi em Meerut e Sonepur Cattle Fair - a maior feira de gado de Asias, realizada em Kartik Poornima em Bihars Sonepur, na confluência do rio Ganges e Gandak. Línguas Ao longo da história, as línguas e a literatura indianas exerceram uma grande influência sobre outras grandes civilizações e o desenvolvimento intelectual do mundo em geral. Para conhecer a Índia real, as línguas de diferentes regiões devem estar familiarizadas, o que pode proporcionar uma grande quantidade de informações sobre cultura, tradições, história e folclore indianos. Embora o hindi e o inglês sejam as principais línguas na Índia, existem 22 idiomas oficiais e inúmeros outros dialetos. Além de produzir inúmeras obras-primas da literatura, a Índia deu passos rápidos para promover todos os ramos da educação. Desde tempos antigos, a Índia tem desfrutado a reputação inquestionável de ser o centro de excelência em educação. No passado, a Universidade Takshila floresceu no noroeste e na Universidade Nalanda, no leste da Índia. A tradição da educação de qualidade é levada adiante por universidades indianas modernas, como a Universidade de Delhi (DU), a Universidade Jawaharlal Nehru (JNU), a Universidade Hindar de Banaras (BHU), a Universidade Muçulmana Aligarh (AMU), a Universidade Jamia Millia, a Universidade Allahabad, a Visva-Bharati Universidade e Vanasthali Vidya Peeth, para citar alguns. Mais. Índia espiritual O espírito da Índia fascinou o mundo com sua própria mística. A Índia espiritual, rica em lugares sagrados, tradições e crenças, oferece muito para aqueles que buscam conhecimento e consciência do mundo interior. Os índios se envolvem em perseguições espirituais para encontrar um equilíbrio entre as necessidades do corpo e da alma. A Índia sempre foi um devoto da paz e da não-violência como exemplificado pelos ensinamentos de Buda, Mahavira, Guru Nanak de Mahatma Gandhi no passado recente. Na Índia, a espiritualidade faz parte da vida cotidiana. Enquanto a religião é mais sobre rituais, a espiritualidade é mais para fazer com os próprios, ou com o espírito. Para entender a espiritualidade indiana, é essencial compreender os princípios básicos do hinduísmo. Uma religião rica, complexa e profundamente simbólica, o hinduísmo é chamado Sanatana Dharma ou a verdade eterna, a tradição ou a religião. É a religião mais antiga do mundo ou, antes, um modo de vida. Artesanato, Pinturas, Música, Danças, Cozinha, Filmes) O local de nascimento dos grandes épicos Mahabharata e Ramayana Índia tem uma verdadeira riqueza de literatura, incluindo as histórias fascinantes do Panchtantra Raghuvamsha, Shakuntala, Meghaduuta, escrito por Klidsa Pinis Ashtadhyayi, que padronizou a Gramática e fonética do sânscrito clássico Chanakyas Arthashastra (um tratado sobre política estadual, política econômica e estratégia militar) e Vatsyayanas magnum opus sobre a arte do amor - Kamasutra. Geeta Govinda de Jayadeva e as famosas histórias de Akbar-Birbal. O amor do Senhor Krishna por Radha tem sido a inspiração para pintores em miniatura da escola de pintura Kangra ou Pahari, como também pelo elaborado estilo de pintura embellished com ouro, conhecido como os estilos Tanjore do sul da Índia. Na Índia antiga, a cozinha era considerada como um lugar de culto onde o fogo Deus residia e alimentava toda a família. A culinária indiana exótica nunca deixou de atrair nativos e estrangeiros, talvez pela razão de que a Índia tem uma infinita variedade de receitas indianas conhecidas pelo seu sabor único. Ao contrário da percepção popular, na Índia tradicional, as meninas foram colocadas sob a orientação de Gurus aprendidos, onde, juntamente com vários s, também foram feitos para aprender e praticar formas variadas de música e dança indianas para desenvolver suas habilidades artísticas. Especialmente após o casamento, as mulheres indianas deveriam usar jóias indianas intrincadas, que é considerado um símbolo auspicioso para sua felicidade conjugal. Antes da independência, muitos engenheiros da aldeia languideceram quando os britânicos implementaram a política de industrialização lop-sided. Pós-independência, há um avivamento definitivo em geral das tradições e das tradições artesanais, em particular. Os artesanatos são uma parte intrínseca das tradições religiosas e rituais, pois os artesãos costumavam trabalhar para os templos e fornecer as comodidades necessárias para o culto. No contexto moderno, a Índia ocupa um lugar especial como o lar de Bollywood, uma das maiores indústrias cinematográficas do mundo que representa uma identidade cultural única da nação. Os filmes indianos têm vindo a fazer ondas em todo o mundo, além de fazerem bem dentro do país. Uma expansão do cinema comercial e uma série de filmes indianos cruzados criaram uma mania global para atores e superstars indianos. O surgimento de uma nova geração de modelos indianos na indústria da moda da Índia também teve um grande impacto na mídia global. Os talentos indianos mostraram seu potencial ao ganhar uma série de concursos de beleza internacionais. Governança A Índia, a maior democracia mundial, deu passos tremendo no desenvolvimento econômico e social nas últimas duas décadas. O país pretende tornar-se um país com maior renda média até 2025 e isso exige um crescimento ainda mais rápido nos próximos anos. Com o novo governo no mercado este ano, a Índia atualmente está no limiar de uma oportunidade única em relação às reformas da governança. A governança é fundamental para o progresso socioeconômico e a legitimidade política equitativa. A boa governança funciona em quatro rodas: um governo representativo e responsável, um sistema político que deriva legitimidade da democracia participativa, instituições duradouras e sólidas e um crescimento socioeconômico equitativo. A governança na Índia sempre foi uma questão crítica para os governos desde a independência. Nem o caminho socialista do estilo soviético nem a economia capitalista ocidental do mercado livre apareceram a melhor resposta para o país. It strives to craft a unique blend of its own socio-economic policies that would leverage its unique strengths and catapult it to centre-stage of the global economy. In order to achieve this goal, Prime Minister Narenda Modi has given the slogan, minimum government, maximum governance. Government service delivery system in India remains chaotic and a lot needs to be done in this regard. Government machineries at all level need to be strengthened. But mindset is changing as the government at the Centre has made it clear not only to its own wings but even to States that this chaos has to go with better use of information and communication technology. Some of the organisations have successfully transformed their way of functioning and service delivery system with the help of modern technology. The quality and effectiveness of service delivery today is directly linked to good governance practices and use of modern technology, especially ICT. It is widely accepted that governance should be citizen-centric and we need alertness and responsiveness in every aspect of governance. Modern technology is increasingly in demand at the government departments and organisations across the country, either due to the increasing pressure from the public or on the initiatives of bureaucrats and elected representatives. Corruption and sustainable economic development are key problems in India. But, as a vibrant democracy, India has a distinct advantage as it has an accountable government that is subject to transparent surveillance on multiple fronts, democratically elected legislatures, an independent judiciary and evolving regulatory watchdogs. That is Indias inherent strength. The Right to Information Bill was passed in 2005 in an effort to improve governance and public administration and eliminate corruption. This Act widely known as RTI accords all citizens greater access to public documents than was earlier possible. Further, corruption investigations have increased significantly in many states and generally, there is fear among corrupt and powerful with regard to law. Devolution of power aimed at better governance With amendments in Constitutions through the 73rd and 74th Amendments, powers were transferred to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Local Bodies. By transferring functions, fund and functionaries (3Fs), efforts are being made to transform the lives of people. Increased financial autonomy was supposed to be the game changer but we are still far behind from our cherished goals. Administration at various levels is still weak and the poor still suffer the most. Accountability, access to information, political will for real devolution of powers at all levels would only make the desired change and would lead to good governance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, one of the biggest benefits of good governance is that it does not look at welfare of any particular section of the people it results in welfare of all. For example, if you improve water supply, everyone benefits. Modi government has thus adopted the mantra of inclusive development Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas E-governance has a major role to play in the efforts to establish good governance. Technology and innovation are the backbone of governance. Technology also plays a large role in creating and maintaining transparency. Reducing public expenditure is yet another critical area. The government spends huge amount wages, pensions, interest payments, and agricultural subsidies and social sector schemes . Good governance calls for drastic reduction in wasteful public expenditure. Rational and inclusive growth oriented expenditure would lead us to a higher stage of advancement. A long-established legal system has given India the underpinnings necessary for free enterprise to flourish. Although Indias courts are notoriously inefficient, they at least comprise a functioning independent judiciary. Property rights are not fully secure, but the rule of law generally prevails. High and inclusive growth is entwined with good governance and the Modi government is making efforts to take to it to the next level. the Union human resource development ministry wants to celebrate December 25 as good governance day . as on this day fall the birthdays of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya . Good leadership is the basic ingredient of governance. Quality leadership must be available at every level. Modi says, The government cannot run merely on dreams. The government must be policy-driven. If governance is policy driven, those who have to execute those policies will be clear in their mind as to their functions, and responsibility and accountability will follow. When decisions are taken, the nation moves forward. India amp the West Indias diplomatic and strategic engagement with the Western countries has gone through radical changes in recent times. India maintains solid bilateral relations with the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Russia. Indias claim for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council . as well as more responsibility in institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank is much dependent on good relation with the developed West. The country is maintaining a balance with regard to bilateral relations with the United States and Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modis historical visit to the US resulted in strengthening of trade and strategic tie-up between the two countries. US President Barack Obama was invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the chief guest at Indias Republic Day parade on 26 January 2018 . He became the first US President to get that honour and also the first one to visit India twice while in office. While moving closure to the US, India never undermined its old and trusted friend Russia and recently it warmly welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin . India and Russia signed agreements in oil exploration, infrastructure, defence and nuclear energy including construction of 12 Russian-built nuclear units in India over the next two decades. India is the worlds largest democracy. It is a nuclear weapons power and has joined the elite space club. India would be the third largest economy in the world by 2050 and a middle income country by 2025. It has already become the second largest market in the world. The appurtenances of democracy - adult suffrage, a free media, an independent judiciary, the rule of law, the sanctity of property rights - are essential for inclusive growth which in turn strengthens democratic institutions. Borrowed from British model of Parliamentary democracy, India has adopted best practices from every one. It is a republic where Constitution is supreme. Elected legislature, executive, independent Judiciary and free media are four pillars of our democracy . Democracy has given Indians an institutional framework for the exercise of political choice and freedom to express dissent. This has acted as an indispensable safety valve in an inequitable milieu with great discrepancies in the distribution of power and wealth. Democracy has given the weakest and the poorest a stake in the system. The Indian electorate now numbers more than 800 million, making Indian elections the largest organised single political activity even in human history. Democracy has proved to be the most effective instrument for the cherished pursuit of power The Indian Judicial System is one of the oldest legal systems in the world today. It is part of the inheritance India received from the British after more than 200 years of their Colonial rule, and the same is obvious from the many similarities the Indian legal system shares with the English Legal System. The frame work of the current legal system has been laid down by the Indian Constitution and the judicial system derives its powers from it. Now a debate on the need to repeal obsolete laws has been set in motion in India with the government appointing a committee to look into the matter. The Law Commission of India under the aegis of the Ministry of Law amp Justice in India is responsible for introducing India law reforms and implementation. The first Law Commission of Independent India was constituted in 1955 by the Government of India for democratic Indian law reforms in accordance with the directives laid down by the Constitution of India. The primary objective behind setting up of the Law Commission was to introduce suitable changes in pre-Constitution laws recognized by the Constitution of India under article 372, as and when required. More. India of my dreams For many, India of their dreams is a place for equal opportunities, where all the talented people are given equal opportunities for growth irrespective of their caste, gender and economic and social status. India is witnessing a jobless growth even while it is very young country with regard to workforce. One hopes that one day every youth of the country will get a job and employability would be achieved through large-scale skill development programmes. Women safety and empowerment is yet another dream. Lessening of economic disparity across various social strata in the country is another cherished goal. While friendly ties with India and Pakistan as well as with India and other countries in the world become the priority for a majority, an improvement in living standards is the concern of all those who are Below Poverty Line at present. In India, democracy can be actualised in the true sense of the term if Indian politics can do away with casteism, vote bank politics, nepotism and criminalisation. For many, this is the India of their dreams. Honest, politically free and committed bureaucracy is a dream of many, especially who are into social activism, whereas quick justice and judicial activism are seen as an end and not as means by many towards the India of my dreams. Defence Indian Defence capability is ranked 4th in the world with the 2nd largest army at its command. The President of India himself serves as the Supreme Commander of Indian Armed Forces composed of Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force . In India, defence forces have grown from strength to strength after every major armed conflict and military operation in the past 60 years. In the current geopolitical context, India is faced with a complex array of internal as well as external security threats and the Indian Armed Forces are well-equipped to deal with them. India spends huge amount to enhance its military capabilities. Defence minister Manohar Parrikar recently told Parliament that the total expenditure on direct payments to foreign vendors for capital acquisitions for the Army, Navy and IAF during the last five years stood at Rs 1,03,535 crore (16.72 billion). India is the worlds largest arms importer due to a stagnant defence-industrial base (DIB), which forces the armed forces to acquire 65 per cent of their requirements from abroad. The Modi government has enhanced Foreign Direct Investment in defence sector from 26 per cent to 49 per cent and the move aims at increasing domestic production and less dependence on imports. However, defence sector needs structural reforms to increase domestic production. Elections Fair and free elections are the backbone of our democracy. From Lok Sabha to local bodies, elections have become a part of our life and a strong tool for empowerment. But Lok Sabha elections 2018 was different from the previous ones in more that one ways. After a very long period (over 30 years) a single party got majority on its own. The elections were personality centric. Seasoned journalist Rajdeep Sardesais book 2018: The Election that Changed India provides a perspective into how elections in India are now much more complex than the conventional tussle of ballots. The elections 2018, including some Assembly elections in states like Maharashtra and Haryana marked the unprecedented shift in poll campaign strategy and the role played by the Media amp PR Network. Indeed this time, the Congress Party lost the election before it entered the electoral fray and the Modi as factor emerged there to establish a new identity. The elections clearly manifested that youth was no longer ready to digest the blunders done by the previous UPA regimes. More. Politics If politics decides your future, decide what your future politics should be, goes the proverbial importance of politics. In India, Bharatiya Janata Party finally swept the entire India in its wave. The wave of hope had consumed everyone, and rightly so. States that were conventionally not the seat of power for BJP came under the umbrella with the hope of acche din. Modi assumed the mantle of power and right now, as things seem, we are seeing a rather unconventional mode of politics and governance. The year 2018 was something that triggered a series of changes in India and the trickle effect will possibly cover the entire 2018 to settle down and give a final picture. A changed political landscape would result in two important aspects in times to come. Indian politics was, since independence, dominated by vote banks politics based on religion, caste and other class factors and forces. Now development has become the catch word and youth want change, jobs not debate over Babri Mosque or any divisive issues. Smart politicians have realised the change mind set of the youth and the graffiti is on the wall Indian Economy With the new government taking over this year, India seems to be back on course to getting back to the growth rates seen earlier in the best years. The international sentiment is very bullish on India and that confidence is reflected with India receiving in excess of US 15 billion in FII till the mid of November 2018. The Sensex has crossed record levels of 28,000 offering the best YTD Returns of 33.2, after touching lows of 17,000 in September 2018 and is expected to rise even further by the end of the current fiscal. By any standard, this is indeed a smart recovery. In fact, India has been the star amongst BRICS nations in the recovery period, post the global slowdown. With the new government demonstrating serious intent in reforming the economy by initiating steps towards reforms in land acquisition laws, labour laws, introducing GST, increasing FDI in Insurance, Railways, Construction, Infrastructure and Defence. Sensitive issues like deregulation of diesel have been initiated, while the coal and mining sector is being given an impetus through fresh auctions. Policies pertaining to clearances from the Environment and Forests are being revised to ensure faster clearances of projects. The fall in global commodity prices, especially crude oil has helped India improve its Balance of Payments situation. The domestic financial investors have also shown marked improvement in sentiment with mutual funds that were net sellers in the last couple of years having turned net buyers this year. Mutual funds alone have pumped in 25,000 crore in equities this year. The Indian economy showed itself to be more robust than most of the other BRICS nations through the difficult years from 2010-2018. From 2000-2018, the economy saw its lowest GDP growth rate of 4.15 (2000-2001), 3.88 (2002-2003), 4.47 (2018-2018) and 4.74 (2018-2018). The best years saw growth rates touch 9.48 (2005-2006) and 9.57 (2006-2007). The economy has begun to recover and is expected to post growth rate above 5 for the current period of 2018-2018) and the economy is expected to continue to increase the pace of growth through 2017. However, the industrial growth rates have shown a different trend. The highest growth rate of 12.17 was witnessed in 2006-2007, followed by 9.81 in 2004-2005 and 9.72 in 2005-2006. During the recession years, the industrial growth rate plummeted to 0.96 in 2018-2018 and 0.35 in 2018-2018. The industrial growth rate has been slow to post a recovery but current signs confirm that 2018-2018 will be better than the previous two years. The agriculture and allied sectors have been erratic in growth rates and the period in question has not shown consistent growth or decline, in fact there have been sharp growth and decline in respective years. The year 2000-2001 saw a negative growth rate of -0.01, while 2001-2002 showed robust recovery at 6.01, however 2002-2003 again saw a sharp decline at -6.60. The very next year 2003-2004 saw the best year posting 9.05 growth rate. Similarly, 2018-2018 saw growth rate dip to 1.42, while 2018-2018 saw a recovery at 4.71. Agriculture and allied sectors have seen increasing interest from corporates who now see a growth opportunity in the sector, with the government adopting a more open policy to private sector investment in modernizing the sector. With modernization and increased credit flow to the sector, growth rates are likely to continue to improve in the next few years. One sector which has been consistently growing at a rapid pace is the services sector. India has rapidly grown in the services sector that has seen substantial investment in financial services, insurance, IT amp business process outsourcing and backend support. India is also witnessing rising investment in health services, clinical and pharmaceutical research, education and skill development. The share of the services sector in the overall economy continues to remain high. The best years witnessed 10.91 (2005-2006), 10.06 (2006-2007) and 10.27 (2007-2008) growth rates. On the fiscal side, the Gross Domestic Savings touched its highest level in 2007-2008 at 36.82 of GDP and the same has been steadily declining till 2018-2018 when it touched 30.09. 2018-2018 showed a marginal improvement at 30.50. The combined fiscal deficit (centre and state) had its best year in 2007-2008 when it reached -0.40 but has been rising ever since. However, with the RBI adopting measures to curb the deficit, 2018-2018, the deficit stood at -6.7. The inflation WPI (average) touched its highest point in 2009-2010 at 9.6 but has since been kept in check with the same being brought down to 5.9 in 2018-2018. The CPI (average) touched its highest at 12.3 in 2009-2010 with the same coming down to 9.5 in 2018-2018. The Rupee has been steadily weakening against the dollar and after hovering in the mid Rs 40 for over a decade the Rupee has been holding steady around the Rs 60. While the weakening of the rupee was mostly welcomed by the exporters, especially the IT sector, the same hit the industry hard that was directly or indirectly impacted by it. With the global slowdown, the economy was strained with almost all infrastructure related activities coming to a standstill in the years 2010-2018. On international trade, the exports have been rising steadily year on year and stood at US 318.6 billion, while the imports had reached its highest level at US 502.2 billion in 2018-2018. The same had come down to US 466.2 billion. The forex assets, excluding gold, have been rising and stood at US 303.6 billion in 2018-2018. What has been worrying is that the external debt too has been steadily rising and was at its peak at US 426 billion with the short term debt standing at US 92.7 billion. The RBI has been facing a challenge in trying to keep the Current Account Deficit (CAD) down to manageable levels. The CAD as a percentage of GDP has been at its highest at 8.6 in 2007-2008 but with tight control on imports, the same has come down to 2.6 in 2018-2018. Governor Rajan took over as Governor at RBI in 2018 under the UPA II has had to take measures to bring the economy back to a growth path. His initial steps have been to control inflation and bring down the trade deficit. The curbs on gold import helped to bring down the CAD but by later 2018-2018, the Governor is under pressure to bring down interest rates to boost investment. According to the Census Data 2018, the population stood at 1210.2 million. The population has risen by 17.64 over the previous Census taken in 2001, when the population stood at 1028.7 million. In absolute terms, the population has risen by 181.96 million. Interestingly, the female population has registered a higher growth rate at 18.3 over the male growth rate which was at 17.1. The children population count stood at 164.5 million which represents a rise of 660,000 over the previous Census in 2001. The male child (0-6 years) has increased between 2001 and 2018, while the female child in the same age group has decreased marginally. The density of population per square km in India is 382 persons. Delhi recorded the highest people density amongst all cities at 97.5 with Chandigarh recording the second highest. Arunachal Pradesh had the lowest density per square km. In a path breaking initiative, The Prime Minister has taken steps to introduce a power sharing grid amongst the SAARC countries that will ensure that the surplus power generated in one country is distributed to another country based on need. The region already imports 30 of its requirement and having a grid will help all countries in the region. India already has power buying agreements with Bhutan and Bangladesh. India is set to grow at a rapid pace from here and the power sector alone requires an investment upwards of US250 billion over the next five years, with US 100 billion needed by the renewable sector alone. India is expected to have a demand of 2 trillion units by 2019. Solar, wind and Hydro are major areas that are expected to witness major investments in a bid to shore up clean energy generation. The government is targeting 100,000 mw of clean power generation by 2022. Gas based power projects have suffered in the last few years. In a relief to major gas based power plants the government plans to provide major relief to help revive 16,000 mw of power. Relief measures include lowering of interest rates and longer loan tenures. Wind energy, a part of the clean energy plan of the government, has received a boost with the government planning to invite bids worth Rs 20,000 crore in the coming fiscal that will see private players add another 3,000 mw of clean energy generated from wind. Investment in power transmission has lagged behind with several south based states suffering from power transmission congestion. The government plans to auction eight major power transmission projects with a cumulative investment of Rs 53,000 crore. One project will connect Chhattisgarh with Tamil Nadu through a 2,500 km long high capacity power evacuation link, costing Rs 26,820 crore. Railways Reforming the Indian Railways is high on the new governments agenda. The railways has suffered from political interference and lack of adequate investment for years that has resulted in the entire infrastructure becoming strained to maintain, besides safety and efficiency standards falling to dangerous levels. The railways, on account of passenger operations, has been losing Rs 25,000 crore annually and almost all arms of the railways require a massive inflow of investment if it has to keep a pace with the growth and achieve optimum operational efficiency. The Railway Budget for 2018-2018 has the largest budget outlay at Rs 65,445 crore. The plan outlay under budgetary sources is placed at Rs 47,650 crore which is Rs 9,383 crore higher than the previous year. Railway Safety Fund has an allocation of Rs 2,200 crore. The new government has rightly identified critical areas of focus as project delivery, safety, passenger services including sanitation, cleanliness and catering, financial discipline, resource mobilization, IT initiatives, transparency amp system improvements. The central government is keen to push forward introduction of high speed railways with international funding, fare and tariff rationalization and consolidation amp expansion of dedicated freight projects. Green initiatives by the railways include utilizing station roof tops of stations, buildings and land under the railways for solar power generation to meet internal needs-to be executed under the PPP mode. Airport modernization The new government is keen to modernize Civil Aviation and is keen to push development of short interstate air connectivity besides making India a major aviation hub. However, the new government has not been able to take bold steps to open up the sector and is still grappling with policy issues related to privatization and operations. Airport modernization started under the UPA II is being further consolidated, after the new government took over this year. Six airports have been identified for modernization, of which Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Guwahati will be developed under PPP mode and Kolkata and Chennai will be under fee-based management contracts from private operators. The private aviation space continues to grow at a rapid pace with aircraft acquisition continuing by all operators and new ones like Air Asia and Vistara in the process of taking advantage of the opening up of civil aviation in India. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has come under much criticism on account of safety downgrade by the US based FAA and this continues to remain a matter of concern, as India races ahead with expansion of its skies. National Highways Infrastructure The Indian road network covers over 33 lakh kms and is the second largest in the world. The roads handle 65 of the total freight and 80 of the passenger traffic. While the National Highways are just 1.7 of the total road network, they carry over 40 of the total road traffic. This reflects the growth potential for the same in India and by extension the massive investment required for the planned expansion of national and state highways. The National Highways Authority is responsible for managing a network of roads and highways that cover 92,851 kms. The UPA II faltered after initiating a massive expansion of the highways and the last few years saw various projects being stalled on account of land acquisition issues and funding. The new government is now taking steps to speed up the Land Acquisition Law reform to ensure that the highway expansion can get back on to the fast track mode. Amongst the policy measures undertaken to attract private sector investment has been the decision to provide capital grant of 40 of total project cost to enhance viability, on a case-to-case basis. 100 tax exemption for 5 years and 30 relief for next 5 years is offered, which may be availed of in 20 years. Concession period has been extended to 30 years. In BOT projects, entrepreneurs will be permitted to collect and retain toll. Furthermore, the concessionaire will be permitted to import modern high capacity equipment for highway construction. The government has now decided to undertake land acquisition and utility removal prior to handing over Right of Way to the concessionaire. This has also been one of the major reasons for delay in project execution. Coal and Mining sector Under the UPA II, Coal mine allocation to the private sector came under legal scrutiny and the new government has scrapped the earlier allocation of 204 coal blocks out of a total allotted 218 coal blocks and has announced that the cancelled blocks will be auctioned off in a fair and transparent manner. After suffering a slowdown in coal mining operations, the mining operations are now being given a boost. In the period April-September 2018, Coal India Limited mined 210.75 million tons against a target of 220.10 million tons. Of this, the total coal dispatched to the power sector has been 167.59 million tons reflecting a growth of only 3.5 over the same period last year. The power sector has reached critical levels of coal stock on account of slowdown in domestic mining. Similarly, iron ore mining had also come under criticism and mining operations suffered a setback. In addition, with international coal and iron ore demands suffering a decline, especially on account of slackening of demand from China, the international commodity prices have been steadily declining. Defence The Defence forces continue the process of modernization in keeping with the perceived threats in the sub-continent and the Indian Ocean Region. India has had a long and hostile neighborhood that has kept the defence forces in a high state of alert. With changing geo-political equations in the post-cold war era, new political-economic-military equations have emerged. The Defence allocation continues to remain high and the budgetary allocation for 2018-2018 is Rs 2,29,000 crore. Of this the largest share is allocated to the Army at 51.69, Air Force 23.68, Navy 16.51, DG Ordinance Factories 1.08, DG Quality Assurance 0.36, and RampD 0.07. With increased Chinese activity in the North and North Eastern borders, the government has decided to raise a Strike Corp, with limited offensive capability to handle any possible threat emerging from China. The raising of the new Corps is expected to cost Rs 60,000 crore. To increase mobility in the region, the government is accelerating its border road development program across Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and JampK. On air modernization, the government is in the process of finalizing the commercial and technical terms for the final agreement for the purchase of 126 MMRCA Raphael fighter aircraft from France. The long pending Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) has faced delays on account of terms of work allocation and cost negotiation with Russia. The same is expected to be resolved by 2018. India continues to consider and dominate the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and is expected to continue to play the role of safeguarding the maritime sea lanes from the Malacca Straits in the east to the Strait of Hormuz amp Gulf of Aden in the west. Towards enforcing sea control, the Indian Navy strategy revolves around maintaining at least 2 Carrier Battle Groups (CBG). Presently, the Navy maintains a fleet of 140 vessels which includes 3 stealth warships, recently inducted. An additional 41 ships are under construction in various shipyards. To augment its sea denial capability, 6 state-of-the-art stealth submarines are in the process of being built. India has had to deal with poor planning and project execution in the submarine acquisition and building space and with the new government pushing for Make in India, naval arena is likely to see a lot of activity, in coming times. The domestic defence manufacturing sector is all set to get a boost with the government raising FDI to 49 from the earlier 26. In certain cases of high technology transfer, up to 100 FDI will be allowed. Indian companies are being encouraged to form joint ventures to ensure that the weapons and equipment with latest technology are manufactured in India along with developing Research amp Development capability. Science amp Technology As Indian civilization is one of the ancient civilizations in the world, its history dates back to the prehistoric era and so is its science and technology. It has been found that many of the scientific inventions and discoveries which are still in practice had originated in India only. It started in a place called Mehrgarh, which is presently in Pakistan. These prehistoric human activities had been in continuation since the Indus Valley Civilization. The Indus Valley Civilization which was developed around 4500 BCE was a planned settlement that knew the usage of drainage and sewerage system. Not only this, the said civilization was so developed that advanced and modern canal irrigation and water storage systems which included artificial reservoirs could also be found there. Cotton and sugarcane were also cultivated during that time. The system of standardization, evolved by the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilization who used the weights and measures, allowed gauging devices to be used in measurement of construction and angular measurement very efficiently and the use of calibration was also found for measuring devices. Lothal, the most important city of the Indus Valley Civilization, is well known for having its earliest docks. The keen observations of todays oceanographers have proved that the Harappans were extremely knowledgeable about tides and also possessed excellent and extraordinary knowledge on hydrograph and maritime engineering. The finding of an animal-drawn plough is an archaeological proof that dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization. While tracing the origins of Indian cartography, Joseph E. Schwartzberg (2008) a University of Minnesota professor emeritus of geography, on the facts of the surviving maps, disclosed that, Though not numerous, a number of map like graffiti appear among the thousands of Stone Age Indian cave paintings, and at least one complex Mesolithic diagram is believed to be a representation of the cosmos. Use of large numbers can be found from the religious texts found in the Vedic period. From the Baudhayan Sutra written by Baudhayana (8th century BCE), we can find some notable and prominent mathematical results which include value of pi to some degrees of precision. It consists of Pythagorean theorems general statements and also cites the formula for the square root of two. Science and technology was so advanced at that time that we can find the primary astronomical text with different astronomical features like calendrical studies, astronomical calculations between 6th and 4th century BCE. This text is named as Vedanga Jyotisha which was generally implemented for timing social and religious events. This precious text deals with Indian astrology also as it is a religious text, with detailed descriptions of time and season which includes lunar and solar months. It has been studied that at that time people had knowledge on twelve zodiac signs, eclipses, seven planets and twenty seven constellations. Cataract operation was also introduced during that time with a special tool called Jabamukhi Salaka and this operation was known as Sushruta (6th century BCE) to the physicians. Traces of active mines of zinc can be found at Zawar near Udaipur, Rajasthan. The information about the construction of dams and bridges made of iron chain and bamboo, which was interweaved, could be traced to around 4th century. An Indian philosopher, Kanada, who lived around 200 BCE was the most prominent supporter of Vaisheshika School of atomism. This school suggested that atoms are eternal and invisible which cannot be created and destroyed and each one of them possess their own specific individuality. During Chandragupta II Vikramadityas period (375413) the iron pillar of Delhi was constructed and we can make out the magnitude of science and technology advancements of that time from the fact that it is still rust-free. Use of the law of signs of multiplication was also evolved in India as well as Pascal Triangle, binomial coefficient and binary numbers. Zero, as any other number, was first introduced in India by 9th century BCE. Aryabhattas elliptical model was reevaluated by Nilkantha Somayaji of Kerala School of astronomy and mathematics in 1500. Some notable scholars of pre independent era were Satyendra Nath Bose, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prafulla Chandra Roy, Sir CV Raman, Meghnad Saha and many more. After India got independent on 15th August 1947, science and technology was encouraged and development began with a slow but steady pace. Indian Institute of Technology was established which was actually formulated by 22 members committee of scholars and entrepreneurs for upgrading technical education in India. Since then the positive and substantial growth of science and technology in our country is really noticeable and that is why today India has been considered as the third largest powerhouse of qualified technical manpower who are competent enough to face any challenge. Green revolution which started in the 1960s as high yield variety of crops was introduced with the help of advanced agricultural techniques which increased the production of food in India. The Father of the Green Revolution in India, Dr. MS Swaminathans dream to make the world free of poverty and hunger led the Green Revolution of India. White revolution in milk production, golden revolution in horticulture, blue revolution in production of fish and the yellow revolution in oil seeds also took place other than the green revolution. The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) has developed a number of PARAM supercomputers which work for multiple functions like drug design, remote sensing, molecular modeling, weather forecasting and Indias space program. The information technology and the telecommunication sector in India have a very prominent role in India and have completely reversed its identity and picture in front of the whole world. These two sectors have established a very strategic position in the international market where India is looked upon as the hub for Information amp Communication s Technology (ICT). These two sectors have gone through total liberalization and immense growth since 1990s. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established to develop Indian space program very fast to promote rocket, space infrastructure and satellite development. For the national development, science and technology has emerged as a key instrument since India has become independent and our country has secured a very important and strategic position across the whole world. As India is a land of biodiversity, it has political boundaries which cover vast and extensive range of ecozones like high mountains, swamplands, deserts, grasslands, tropical and temperate forests, islands and rivers. The Western Ghats, The IndoBurma region and the Himalayas are the three biodiversity hotspots of India. It is a habitat of various types of animals, both large and small, like Bengal Tiger, Indian Wolf, Asian Elephant, Water Buffalo, Golden Jackal, Bengal Fox, Indian Rhinoceros, Nilgai and many more. The geological and geographical conditions of India play a very crucial and significant role in determining the climatic pattern of the sub continent. Being the earths highest mountain range with a gigantic stature, Himalaya acts as a barrier which protects India from the katabatic winds of icy Tibetan Plateau. Most of the parts of the country have a tropical climate as the Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India. The whole weather pattern and the monsoon are very much unpredictable in India. The Himalayas in the north and the Thar Desert in the northwest play a very vital role for the Indian climate which work together and break all monsoonal patterns. The gaming industry in India is an emerging industry and has been predicted that by the end of 2017 it is likely to reach Rs. 4000 crore mark. Indian gaming market has a great potential as the country has younger generation which account for more than 50 percent of its total population. The growth of this industry is very rapid as it has become very common on different platforms such as online gaming, console, mobile, social media and others. There will be a high scope for the game developers who really possess creativity and skill, as developing a game is not only a coding job. Ecommerce and the gaming industry are concepts which are of recent origin. The games have been distributed to more than 200 cities through e commerce. But to make the gaming business a huge success, there are various challenges too. The gaming industry in India can have a strategic growth if the use of internet and the digital content of different types of devices increase. Research And Development There are innumerable numbers of research and development institutes in India where every type of research and development takes place. Indian Institute of Science was founded by Jamshedji Tata in 1899 in Bangalore with swami Vivekanandas patronage for research and higher education. The institute had some notable directors like Sir JC Ghosh, Sir CV Raman and others. Indias biggest research and development organisation Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was established in 1942. CSIR performs various types of research and development like aerospace engineering, structural engineering, metallurgy, ocean sciences, mining, leather, life sciences, etc. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru established the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962 which later evolved as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969. Aryabhata was Indias first satellite developed by ISRO. The most significant achievement of ISRO is Indian Remote Sensing System which presents data for water harnessing, agriculture, land use and land cover mapping, forestry, ocean resources survey and fold mapping. The most recent achievement was the successful insertion of Mangalyaan in Mars orbit on 24 September 2018. The Defense Research and Development Organisation were established in 1958 for the technological advancement of defense sector. For instance, the Kaveri engine was designed especially for the Indian environment as it extends from the worlds highest range of mountains to the hot deserts. India, a geographical space to which many travellers, traders and researchers have been to, is also one among the first few countries that have marked their virtual presence on internet. India online shopping and India online music have become a way of life for net savvy people within and outside India. Whats more, talented youth in India need not remain waiting for opportunities to come to them anymore. A study done by a US based company predicted that by 2018 there will be 283.8 million Indian online users. As the confidence of the online shoppers have boosted remarkably it has been predicted that the ecommerce industry in India will be a 15 billion market by 2018. With the advent of mobile banking, ATM channel and internet banking, the banking sector has got a complete transformation in their operational process. The healthcare industry has started realizing that to make their presence felt in the Indian healthcare industry, they have to compete in the online environment. Not only this industry, but every segment of Indian industry has understood the significance of having an online presence, right from the tourism and hospitality industry to the education segment. Online presence has become so vital that now people do not have to rush to ticket counters and stand in a long queue for purchasing a movie ticket or for the railway reservation bookings. They can sit at home and can book their tickets online. Travel amp Tourism The origins of the Indian civil aviation sector date back to the year 1932 and the credit largely goes to JRD Tata, the legendary chairman of the Tata Group. What began as a humble joint venture by the aviator Nevill Vintcent and the industrialist JRD, assumed large-scale operations by 1937 and in 1938 it was christened as Tata Airlines. Commercial success of Tata Airlines led to the birth of Air India on 29 July 1946. Ever since, Air India has carried out yeomans service both in the national and international arena establishing connectivity with 95 destinations around the world. Air India has a fleet of 121 aircraft. Its state - of-the-art first class completely validates the famous Indian hospitality. Combine this with the up-to-date services like mobile booking, online booking, low cost air tickets, web check-in and 24-hour help desk and Air India unfolds into an immensely attractive airline. The introduction of Air Corporations Act 1953 led to the nationalisation of the entire Indian civil aviation sector. Thus was born Indian Airlines Corporation, the coveted domestic airline of India. With a fleet of 70 high quality aircraft, Indian Airlines coverage area includes major destinations within and outside India. With a user-friendly online booking system, Indian Airlines has always been a perfect service provider maintaining quality, efficiency and reliability all along. The ever growing Indian tourism industry reached its pinnacle of glory in 2018 when it contributed 6.6 per cent to the countrys GDP. With employment getting a major boost (supported 39.5 million jobs in 2018), today the tourism sector in India is at an all time high. Keeping its Incredible India campaign intact, the Ministry of Tourism plans to reach the growth figure of 7.9 per cent (average annual rate) during 2018-2023. One wonders what could be the reason behind such optimistic prediction. The answer is very simple cultural diversity, mesmerising beauty, clubbed together with a visitor-friendly attitude make India a perfect global destination for travel. There is a natural flair in Indian geography that intrinsically draws travellers to explore its infinite charm. Also, heritage sites and cultural fairs and festivals eco tourism that offers sylvan landscapes, wildlife sanctuaries, snow-covered mountain peaks like the alluring Kanchenjunga, sun-kissed beaches like in Goa and Andamans easy accessibility to world class hotels and resorts and many more factors make India look incredibly alluring. Another aspect that has captured the imagination of international tourists is medical tourism which is growing fast, riding on the advantage of world-class treatment facilities at low-cost available in India. The concrete measures being taken by the Government to boost Indian tourism have manifested themselves in the manifold increase in employment and foreign exchange earnings. Therefore, its not for nothing that India is ranked as the best country brand for value for money in the Country Brand Index survey conducted by a leading global brand consultancy. The beginnings of Indian railways take us to the colonial era in 1853 when the first railway was introduced that plied between Bombay and Thane. Subsequently from 1857 began the expansion of Indian Railways initiated by the then British engineer Robert Maitland Brereton. Thus, commenced the journey of railways in India, a large and robust enterprise, now owned and operated by the Indian Government. Today, Indian Railways is a crisscross representation of several zones the numbers of which has increased from six to 17 over the years. With a total track length of 115000 km, trains in India operate on the broad gauge, standard gauge, meter gauge and the narrow gauge. Trains are aplenty in India and their classification is subject to their average speed. For instance, superfast trains like the Duronto, Rajdhani and the Shatabdi express run at an average speed of 130 to 160 kmh and have much fewer halts than others. The operational area of suburban trains and metros are within the periphery of important cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. To promote tourism, the Indian Government has designed special trains like the Palace on Wheels, whose interiors are decked with the glorious Indian artistry, meant to provide feelings of pleasure and luxury to the travellers. With its reach extending even to the remotest areas, Indian Railways has the distinction of being the lifeline of this country. Keeping in view the highly competitive nature of travel and transport sphere, the Government has embarked upon innovative measures to enhance and upgrade the operations and services of Indian Railways. More. Indian embassy is the vital connect between India and rest of the world and its job is to diplomatically engage with other countries, while duly following the international law. The person responsible for mediating such a specific task is called the ambassador of the country. While dispersing his duties, the ambassadors topmost priority is to safeguard the rights and interests of the country. He works in the spirit of harmony and cordial relations, while forging closer social. cultural, economic and defence ties with other countries. The Indian embassy functions following the above mentioned principles in the course of its interaction with other countries. The Commonwealth countries of the world have high commissions instead of embassies and the Indian embassy makes every effort to fully cooperate with the high commissioners of these countries. Modern Indian history abounds with instances wherein India has extended diplomatic assistance to its neighbouring countries in the Central Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. Diplomatic missions carried out by India in far flung areas like in the Caribbean and Pacific regions are also well known. Overseas visitors desirous of visiting India must obtain a visa from the Indian embassy located abroad. However, this rule is not applicable to citizens belonging to visa-exempt countries like Nepal and Bhutan. India also offers visa on arrival facility that can be availed by ordinary passport-holders of 43 countries. The validity of this visa is 30 days for a single stay. To boost Indian tourism, the Government of India recently introduced the ETA enabled visa on arrival facility. ETA or Electronic Travel Authorisation promises to make citizens of more than 40 countries eligible for visa on arrival. This enables the ETA cardholders to immediately proceed towards the immigration counters once they reach India. To avail this benefit, tourists must apply four days in advance of their date of arrival. This visa is functional for 30 days and can be acquired twice a year. Those interested in obtaining an Indian visa must first complete an online application form. This process also requires one to submit a valid passport, a recent passport sized photo and details of their intended travel. The application fees for visa differ from country to country. The processing part of Indian visa applications are handled by outsourced agencies in most countries. However, very soon Indian agencies are set to replace them including those run by Travisa and VFS Global. Visiting certain remote areas in India is strictly prohibited even for valid visa holders. Foreigners, therefore, have to obtain special permission in the form of Protected Area Permit (PAP) to visit these places. Historically, various board and dice games that find reference in ancient Hindu texts and mythologies were popular in India. While there may not have been a mega sporting event like the Greek Olympics, competitions in wrestling and archery as entertainment for royal families were not uncommon in ancient and medieval India. Also, thanks to the great body of work in yoga and ayurveda as well as various dance forms, physical well-being was seen as an integral part of overall well-being. With the coming of the British, sports like other parts of life became an organized activity, and modern sports such as cricket, badminton, lawn tennis and hockey were introduced in the subcontinent. Its a quirk of history that a white mans game cricket became not only Indias most popular sport, but also its great obsession. As social scientist Ashis Nandy has cheekily remarked, Cricket is an Indian game invented by the British. Sports got a major fillip right after independence when Delhi hosted the first ever Asian Games in 1951. Six sports were featured in the games athletics, basketball, weightlifting, football, cycling and aquatics . India stood second in the medal tally with 15 gold medals. By the time India hosted the Asian Games again in 1982, sports in India had taken off, and the event featured more than 190 events in 21 sports along with 23 disciplines. However, compared to Asian sporting giants such as China, Japan and South Korea, India has lagged behind in sports in recent years the medal tally of recent Asiads brings this out sharply. India has been most successful in Olympics in field hockey, with the mens team winning eight gold medals in its glorious years. More recently, Indian archers, shooters, wrestlers, boxers and shuttlers have found success in the international arena. Though cricket continues to remain the most popular sport, sporting heroes such as Leander Paes and Sania Mirza in tennis, Saina Nehwal in badminton and Abhinav Bindra in shooting have made budding sportsmen and women more confident about pursing varied disciplines. Also, cricket no longer commands the absolute devotion that it once did in the 1980s and 1990s. Indias world cup cricket triumph of 1984 remains one of the finest sporting moments in the collective imagination of millions of Indians. Cricketers of every generation have been household names. But one man, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, rose to such supreme heights of fame and popularity that it is hard to imagine anyone in the future replacing his place. Its not as if there wont be great champions in Indian sports, but the Tendulkar era coincided with the opening up of the Indian economy, a reassertion of Indian nationalism, and the proliferation of television and other mass media, creating a unique, near-divine aura around the batting legend for his millions of fans. India has hosted several key cricket tournaments including the cricket world cup in 1987, 1996 and 2018. With the private sector getting more closely involved with sports and state government such as Haryana investing in sports in a significant way, the future looks promising. India has done particularly well in billiards and chess. Michael Ferreira, Geet Sethi and Pankaj Advani have brought several laurels for the country in the international arena. Viswanathan Anand has been the face of Indias success in chess for more than two decades. A new generation of sportspersons from states like Haryana and Manipur are leading Indias charge in the Olympics and elsewhere. Meanwhile, sports and events such as marathons, half-marathons, motor sports and adventure sports are gaining a committed band of followers in a globalizing India. Marathons are popular events in many cities now, with celebrities joining in to promote a social cause. Mais. Cricket has rightly been described as a religion in India. Before the 1990s, Indian cricketers, though admired and lauded, were paid very meager amounts as salary. That changed with the opening up of the economy. Today Indian national team cricketers are multimillionaires, rubbing shoulders with Bollywood stars and endorsing multiple brands. In the first four decades after independence, cricket was still similar to the old colonial sport, and synonymous with Test cricket. It was a game spread over five days, with a one-day break in the middle, and followed on radio and in newspapers. It was played in whites and the great urban centers such as Bombay produced most of the cricketers. The average Indian cricketer of today is likely to come as much from a small town as from a big city. One day cricket and T20 have made the sport easy to follow and a made-for-television event. Purists argue that the twenty over version of the game has eroded its soul, but as long as the money keeps coming in, nobody will take their complaints seriously. Mais. Indias national sport has seen the best of times and the worst of times. In the decades before and after independence, India was a powerhouse in hockey. The names of hockey legends such as Dhyan Chand are still taken in awed reverence. The Indian Hockey Federation was founded in 1927. The following year, India participated in Olympic hockey for the very first time in the Amsterdam Games. Captain Jaipal Singhs leadership and Dhyan Chands wizardry helped India to a landmark gold medal. India continued their golden ways in hockey in the next two Olympics. In the post-independence era, India clinched the gold medal in the 1948 London Olympics. Indias winning streak ended in the 1960 Rome Olympics when rivals Pakistan beat them in the finals. India made a comeback in one final burst of glory in the Moscow Olympics of 1980. The world of hockey had already started changing in the 1970s, and the subcontinent players found themselves out of touch with a faster, more aggressive style of playing. Indians also failed to adjust to the new artificial turf. Since then its been a saga of decline, with just a few flashes of brilliance for Indian hockey. Mais. Football is a strange phenomenon in India. India ranks nowhere in the soccer playing nations of the world, but the sport is arguably only second in popularity to cricket. Football clubs such as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the eastern city of Kolkata have had a fanatical fan following traditionally. Football is also quite popular in Goa, Kerala and Sikkim among other states. Many young, urban middle-class Indians enthusiastically follow the English Premier League and Champions League. People are known to reschedule their holidays and office hours during the World Cup, one of the most widely followed sporting events in the country, though nobody seriously expects India to come even close to qualifying in the near future. Given Indias near-absence from the football map of the world today, its surprising to learn that India won the gold medal in the 1951 Asian Games reached the semi-final in the Melbourne Olympic and bagged another gold medal in the 1962 Asian Games. The formation of the Indian Super League in 2018, with the likes of Nicolas Anelka and Robert Pires part of the action, promises to turn around the fortunes of Indian football. But it is too early to tell what the long-term effects of the league would be. Mais. Sardar Nihal Singh was the first Indian to play at Wimbledon in 1908. Two years later he managed to reach round 3 of the championship. The other Indian and British-India players to make a mark on the world stage during the British raj include the British brothers AA Fyzee and AH Fyzee SM Jacob Sydney Jacob (who represented India and reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 1925) and the Lahore lawyer Mohammad Sleem, who reached the pre-quarters in 1921. Ghaus Mohammad Khan was the first Indian to reach the quarters in 1939. Post independence, Dilip Bose reached the 4th round of Wimbledon in 1948. But the first truly great Indian tennis player was Ramanathan Krishnan, a two-time Wimbledon semi-finalist in the 1960s, the farthest any Indian player has ever reached. Premjit Lall and Jaideep Mukherjea were among the other notable players of the 1960s and 1970s. Vijay Amritraj reached the quarter-finals twice in Wimbledon, in 1973 and 1981. In 1986, Ramanathans son Ramesh Krishnan reached the quarters of the championships. In more recent times, India has done quite well in the mixed, mens and womens doubles in various Grand Slams, with Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupati and Sania Mirza the three most successful Indian tennis players of the last two decades leading the charge. Mais. Last Updated on. December 4, 2018 Advertise with us Let Your Voice be Heard by 1O Million Users in India