IBPS CWE 2ND

IBPS CWE clerk 2nd 

Institute of Banking Personnel Selection 
COMMON WRITTEN EXAMINATION [CWE] FOR 
RECRUITMENT IN CLERICAL CADRE IN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS  
Email: clerk@ibps.in    Website: www.ibps.in 
With high growth forecast, the Indian Banking sector offers vast opportunities for a career. Eligible
aspirants for bank jobs at the entry level in Public Sector Banks are invited to participate in the process.
With the validity of the scorecard issued for the first CWE for Clerks held in November/
December 2011 expiring in February 2013, the next Common Written Examination
(CWE Clerk-II) as a pre-requisite for selection of personnel for Clerical cadre
posts in the Public Sector Banks will be conducted  online by the Institute of
Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS) tentatively in December 2012.
Any eligible candidate, who aspires to join any of the Public Sector Banks listed below
as a Clerk or in a similar post in that cadre, is required to clear the Common Written
Examination (CWE). Candidates who qualify in CWE Clerk-II, will subsequently be
called for a Common Interview to be co-ordinated by IBPS. Candidates, successful in
qualifying in both the CWE and Common Interview will be listed in the order of merit.
Depending on the vacancies in each bank of his preference, candidate will receive
through a computerised system an offer from  one of the Participating Public Sector
Banks listed below. Vacancies remaining unfilled on account of candidates declining
offer, will be filled from among the remaining candidates, through subsequent iterations.
This system of Common Written Examination and common interview for recruitment of
Clerical Cadre in Participating PSBs has the approval of the appropriate authorities.
 
Candidates intending to appear for CWE will have to apply to IBPS after carefully
reading the advertisement regarding the process of examination and interview, eligibility
criteria, online registration process, payment of prescribed application fee/ intimation
charges, pattern of examination, issuance of call letters etc.
A PARTICIPATING BANKS
Allahabad Bank Indian Bank
Andhra Bank Indian Overseas Bank
Bank of Baroda Oriental Bank of Commerce
Bank of India Punjab National Bank
Bank of Maharashtra Punjab & Sind Bank
Canara Bank Syndicate Bank
Central Bank of India  UCO Bank
Corporation Bank Union Bank of India
Dena Bank United Bank of India
IDBI Bank Vijaya Bank
After the declaration of result of both CWE and common interview, a notification will be
issued by IBPS giving the state/UT wise and category-wise vacancies for each Bank and
order of preference for Banks will be obtained from successful candidates. Based on the
marks obtained in CWE and common interview as well  as the indication of order of
preference of Banks and available vacancies, a successful candidate will receive a call from
an individual Bank.   2
Since recruitment in clerical cadre in Public Sector Banks is done on State/UT-wise
basis,  candidates can apply for vacancies in any one State/ UT only. Consequently, a
candidate would be required to appear for CWE in any one of the centres in that
particular State/UT. However, depending upon the response, administrative feasibility
etc. candidates may be allotted to a centre of examination outside the chosen State/UT
for which vacancies he/she is applying.  Please note this reallocation is only for the
conduct of examination and the candidate will be considered for vacancies in the
State/UT applied for, as aforesaid.
B. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Candidates, intending to appear for CWE should ensure that they fulfil the minimum
eligibility criteria specified by IBPS before applying for the Common Written
Examination (CWE):
Please note that the eligibility criteria specified herein are the basic criteria for
applying for the Post. However merely applying for  CWE/ appearing for and
qualifying in the examination and/or in the subsequent interview does not imply
that a candidate will necessarily be eligible for employment in any of the
Participating Public Sector Banks.
I. Nationality / Citizenship:  
A candidate must be either -
(i) a Citizen of India or
(ii) a subject of Nepal or  
(iii) a subject of Bhutan or
(iv) a Tibetan Refugee who came over to India before 1
st
 January 1962 with the
intention of permanently settling in India or
(v) a person of Indian origin who has migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka,
East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, the United Republic of Tanzania
(formerly Tanganyika and Zanzibar), Zambia, Malawi, Zaire, Ethiopia and
Vietnam with the intention of permanently settling in India,
provided that a candidate belonging to categories (ii), (iii), (iv) & (v) above shall be a
person in whose favour a certificate of eligibility has been issued by the Government of
India.
 II  Age (As on 01.10.2012):  
Minimum: 20 Years   Maximum: 28 Years 
The maximum age limit specified is applicable to General Category candidates
  3
Relaxation of Upper age limit
Sr. No.                   Category Age relaxation
1 Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe  5 years
2 Other Backward Classes 3 years
3 Persons With Disability 10 years
4 Ex-Servicemen / Disabled Ex-Servicemen  actual period of service rendered  in
the defence forces  + 3 years (8 years
for Disabled Ex-Servicemen
belonging to SC/ST) subject to a
maximum age limit of 50 years
5 Widows. Divorced women and women legally
separated from their husbands who have not
remarried
9 years
6 Persons ordinarily domiciled in the Kashmir
Division of the State of Jammu & Kashmir
during the period 1-1-80 to 31-12-89
5 years
7 Persons affected by 1984 riots 5 years
8 Regular employees of the Union Carbide
Factory, Bhopal retrenched from service
(Applicable to Madhya Pradesh state only)
5 years
NOTE:  (i)  In case of a candidate who is eligible for relaxation under more than one of the
above categories the age relaxation will be available on a cumulative basis with
any one of the remaining categories for which age relaxation is permitted as
mentioned above.
              (ii)   Candidates seeking age relaxation will be required to submit copies of necessary
certificate(s) at the time of interview, if called.
 The following rules applicable to Ex-Servicemen re-employed under the Central
government would apply to Ex-Servicemen candidates appearing for the CWE:
(iii) Ex-Servicemen candidates who have already secured employment under the Central
Government in Group ‘C’ & ‘D’ will be permitted the benefit of age relaxation as
prescribed for Ex-Servicemen for securing another employment in a higher grade or
cadre in Group ‘C’/ ‘D’ under the Central Government. However, such candidates
will not be eligible for the benefit of reservation for Ex-Servicemen in Central
Government jobs.
(iv) An ex-Servicemen who has once joined a Government job on civil side after availing
of the benefits given to him/her as an Ex-Servicemen for his/her re-employment,
his/her Ex-Servicemen status for the purpose of the re-employment in Government
jobs ceases.
 
DEFINITION OF EX-SERVICEMEN (EXSM)
 i.  EX-SERVICEMEN(EXSM): Only those candidates shall be treated as Exservicemen who fulfill the revised definition as laid down in Government of
India, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Personnel & Administrative
Reforms Notification No.36034/5/85 Estt. (SCT) dated 27.01.1986 as amended
from time to time. 4
 ii.   DISABLED EX-SERVICEMEN(DISXS): Ex-servicemen who while serving in
Armed Forces of the union were disabled in operation against the enemy or in
disturbed areas shall be treated as DISXS.
 iii.  DEPENDENTS OF EX-SERVICEMEN KILLED IN ACTION (DXS):
Servicemen killed in the following operations would be deemed to have been
killed in action attributable to military service (a) war (b) war like operations or
Border skirmishes either with Pakistan on cease fire line or any other country (c)
fighting against armed hostiles in a counter insurgency environment  viz:
Nagaland, Mizoram, etc. (d) serving with peace keeping mission abroad (e) laying
or clearance of mines including enemy mines as also mine sweeping  operation
between one month before and three months after conclusion of an operation (f)
frost bite during actual operations or during the period specified by the
Government (g) dealing with agitating para-military forces personnel (h) IPKF
Personnel killed during the operations in Sri Lanka.
DEFINITION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
Under Section 33 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of
Rights and Full Participation) Act 1995 only such persons would be eligible for reservation
who suffer from not less than 40% of relevant disability and are certified by a Medical Board
appointed by the Central/State Govt.
Accordingly, candidates with the following disabilities are eligible to apply. Applicants
claiming such benefits should produce certificate in original in support of their claim at
the time of Interview.
Visually Impaired  (VI)
Blindness refers to  condition where a person suffers from any of the following
conditions namely (1) Total absence of sight,  (ii)  Visual acuity not exceeding 6/60 or
20/200 (snellen) in the better eye with correcting lenses.  (iii) Limitation of the field of
vision subtending in angle of 20 degrees or worse.
Low vision means a person with impairment of visual functioning even after treatment
or standard refractive connection but who uses or is potentially capable of using vision
for the planning of execution of a task with appropriate assistive device.
As per the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full
Participation) Act 1995, low vision aids will be permitted to candidates with visual
impairment, and such candidates will be eligible for extra time if applicable.
Deaf & Hearing Impaired (HI)
The deaf are those persons in whom the sense of hearing is non- functional for ordinary
purposes of life i.e. total loss of hearing in both ears. They do not hear, understand
sounds at all even with amplified speech. Hearing impairment means loss of sixty
decibels or more in the better ear in the conversational range of frequencies.
Orthopedically Challenged (OC)
Locomotor Disability means disability of bones, joints or muscles leading to substantial
restriction of the movement of the limbs or any form of cerebral palsy.
Cerebral Palsy means a group of non-progressive conditions of person characterized by
abnormal motor control posture resulting from brain insult or injuries occurring in the
pre-natal, peri-natal or infant period of development. 5
All the cases of Orthopedically Challenged Persons  would be covered under the
category of ‘Locomotor disability or cerebral palsy’.  
Guidelines for Persons With Disabilities using a Scribe
The visually impaired candidates and candidates whose writing speed is affected by
cerebral palsy can use their own scribe at their cost during the examination. In all such
cases where a scribe is used, the following rules will apply:
- The candidate will have to arrange his own scribe at his/her own cost.
- The academic qualification of the scribe should be  one grade lower than the
stipulated criteria.
- The scribe may be from any academic stream.
- Both the candidates as well as scribes will have to give a suitable undertaking
confirming that the scribe fulfils all the stipulated eligibility criteria for a scribe
mentioned above.  Further in case it later transpires that he/she did not fulfill any
laid down eligibility criteria or suppressed material facts the candidature of the
applicant will stand cancelled, irrespective of the result of the examination.
- Those candidates who use a scribe shall be eligible for extra time of 20 minutes
for every hour of the examination.  
C.  EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (as on 01.10.2012) 
Degree in any discipline from a recognized University or any equivalent qualification 
recognized as such by the Central Government.  
Computer literacy: Operating and working knowledge in computer systems is mandatory 
i.e. candidates should have Certificate/Diploma/Degree in computer 
operations/Language/ should have studied Computer / Information Technology as one of
the subjects in the High School/College/Institute.
Proficiency in the Official Language of the State/UT (candidates should know how to
read/ write and speak the Official Language of the  State/UT) for which vacancies a
candidate wishes to apply is preferable.
Ex-Servicemen who do not possess the above civil examination qualifications should be
matriculate Ex-Servicemen who have obtained the Army Special Certificate of
Education or corresponding certificate in the Navy or Air Force after having completed
not less than 15 years of service in the Armed Forces of  the Union.
Note:   (i) All educational qualifications should be from a recognised university/ Board.
(ii) The percentage of marks shall be arrived at by dividing the aggregate/total marks
obtained by the candidate in all the subjects irrespective of optional/additional
subjects studied with the aggregate maximum marks of the examination passed for
all the years of the examination.
(iii) The date of passing the examination which reckons for eligibility will be the date
appearing on the Mark Sheet or Provisional Certificate
  6
D. EXAMINATION  (ONLINE)
   Structure of Examination:
Sr.
No.
Name of Tests (Objective) No. of
Questions
Maximum
Marks
Total Time
1 Reasoning 40 40
2 hours
2 English Language 40 40
3 Numerical Ability 40 40
4 General Awareness with special
reference to Banking Industry  
40 40
5 Computer Knowledge 40 40
 Total 200 200
The above tests except the Test of English Language will be available bilingually, i.e.
English and Hindi.
Other detailed information regarding the examination will be given in an
Information Handout, which will be made available for the candidates to download
along with the call letter for examination from the IBPS website.
E. PENALTY FOR WRONG ANSWERS
There will be penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. For each
question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate one fourth or 0.25 of
the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty to arrive at corrected
score. If for any question a candidate gives more than one answer, it will be treated as
wrong even if one of the given answers happens to be right and 0.25 of the marks
assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty. If a question is left blank, i.e. no
answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
F. STANDARDIZED SCORES
(i) The corrected scores obtained by each of the candidates in different sessions will
first be normalized using equipercentile method.
(ii) Normalized scores may subsequently be standardized by linear conversion method.
(iii) If the standard score obtained is in fraction, the marks obtained will be rounded off
to the nearest integer, i.e. if fraction is 0.50 or more, it will be rounded off to next
higher integer.
G. CUTOFF SCORE
Each candidate will have to secure a minimum standard score in each of the tests as well
as on the Total Weighted Standard Score to be called for interview. The cut-off points to
qualify in each of the tests will be decided based on the average (Average – ¼ Standard
Deviation for General category candidates and Average – ¾ Standard Deviation for
Reserved Category candidates).  Mere passing in individual tests may not be sufficient
as candidates should also score sufficiently high on Total in order of merit to be called
for interview. A candidate should qualify both in the CWE and interview for being
considered for appointment in vacancies announced and anticipated by Participating
Banks. 7
H. CWE SCORE
The candidates’ scores will be made available on IBPS website and candidates may view
the same.
I. EXAMINATION CENTERS
(i) The examination will be conducted online in venues  across many centres in
India. The list of Examination centres is available in Annexure I.
(ii) IBPS, however, reserves the right to cancel any of the Examination Centres and/
or add some other Centres, depending upon the response, administrative
feasibility, etc.
(iii) As far as possible candidates will be allotted to a centre of his/her choice
however IBPS also reserves the right to allot the candidate to any centre other
than the one he/she has opted for and a candidate may be allocated a centre of
exam outside the State/UT for which vacancies he/she is applying.
(iv) Candidate will appear for the examination at an Examination Centre at his/her
own risks and expenses and IBPS will not be responsible for any injury or losses
etc. of any nature.
(v) No request for change of centre for Examination shall be entertained.
J. PRE-EXAMINATION TRAINING
It is proposed that Pre-Examination Training will be imparted to a limited
number of candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribes/ Minority
Communities/ ExServicemen/ Persons With Disabilities at some centers viz.
Agartala, Agra, Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Amritsar, Aurangabad, Balasore,
Bareilly, Behrampur (Ganjam), Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh,
Chennai, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Dhanbad, Gorakhpur,  Gulbarga, Guwahati,
Hubli, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Jammu, Jodhpur, Kanpur, Karnal,
Kavaratti, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mangalore, Mumbai,
Muzaffarpur, Mysore, Nagpur, New Delhi, Panaji (Goa), Patiala, Patna, Port
Blair, Puducherry, Pune, Raipur, Rajkot, Ranchi, Rohtak, Sambalpur, Shimla,
Shillong, Siliguri, Thiruchirapalli, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, Vadodara,
Varanasi, Vijaywada and Vishakhapatnam.
All eligible candidates who will opt for and wish to avail of Pre-Examination
Training should fill in the relevant column in the  ON-LINE APPLICATION.
While training will be imparted free of cost, all other expenses regarding
travelling, boarding, lodging etc. will have to be  borne by the candidate for
attending the pre-examination training programme at the designated Centers.
Depending on the response and administrative feasibility the right to cancel any
of the Pre- Examination Training Centres and/ or add some other Centres and/or
make alternate arrangements is reserved.
By merely attending the Pre-Examination Training no candidate acquires any
right to be selected in any of the participating Public Sector Banks mentioned.
  8
K. HOW TO APPLY
Candidates can apply online only from 15.10.2012 to 05.11.2012 and no other mode
of application will be accepted.
Pre-Requisites for Applying Online
Before applying online, candidates should--
(i) scan their photograph and signature ensuring that both the photograph and
signature adhere to the required specifications as  given in Annexure II to this
Advertisement.
(ii) Keep the necessary details/documents ready if desired to make online payment
of the requisite application fee/ intimation charges (In case of Offline Payment
i.e. CBS candidates have to apply online, obtain a fee payment challan and then
remit the necessary application fees/ intimation charges).  
(iii) have a valid personal email ID, which should be kept active till the declaration of
results of this round of CWE. IBPS may send call letters Examination etc.
through the registered e-mail ID. Under no circumstances, a candidate should
share with/mention e-mail ID to / of any other person. In case a candidate does
not have a valid personal e-mail ID, he/she should create his/her new e-mail ID
before applying on-line and must maintain that email account.
Application Fees/ Intimation Charges (Payable from 15.10.2012 to 05.11.2012 (Online
payment) and 17.10.2012 to 09.11.2012 (Offline payment) both dates inclusive)
-  Rs. 50/- for SC/ST/PWD/EXSM candidates.
-  Rs. 400 /- for all others
Bank Transaction charges for Offline/ Online Payment of fees/ intimation charges  will have to
be borne by the candidate
Procedure for applying online
(1) Candidates are first required to go to the IBPS’s website www.ibps.in and click on the
Home Page to open the link “Common Written Examination” and then click on the option
“CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE FOR CWE- Clerks (IBPS-CWE-Clerk-II)
December 2012” to open the On-Line Application Form.
(2) Candidates will have to enter their basic details and upload the photograph and signature
in the online application form. Candidates are required to upload their photograph and
signature as per the specifications given in the Guidelines for Scanning and Upload of
Photograph and Signature (Annexure II).
Mode of Payment
Candidates have the option of making the payment of requisite fees/ intimation charges either
through the ONLINE mode or the OFFLINE mode:
(1) Payment of fees/ intimation charges via the ONLINE MODE
(i) Candidates should carefully fill in the details in  the On-Line Application at the
appropriate places very carefully and click on the “SUBMIT” button at the end of the
On-Line Application format. Before pressing the “SUBMIT” button, candidates are
advised to verify every field filled in the application. The name of the candidate or his
/her father/husband etc. should be spelt correctly in the application as it appears in the
certificates/mark sheets. Any change/alteration found may disqualify the candidature.
(ii) The application form is integrated with the payment gateway and the payment process
can be completed by following the instructions.   9
(iii) The payment can be made by using only Master/ Visa Debit or Credit cards or Internet
Banking by providing information as asked on the screen.
(iv) In case candidates wish to pay fees/ intimation charges through the online payment
gateway after the upload of photograph and signature an additional page of the
application form is displayed wherein candidates may follow the instructions and fill in
the requisite details.
(v) If the online transaction has been successfully completed a Registration Number and
Password will be generated. Candidates should note  their Registration Number and
Password for future reference.
(vi) If the online transaction has not been successfully completed then the following message
is displayed ‘Your online transaction was unsuccessful. Please register again’
Candidates may then revisit the ‘Apply Online’ link and fill in their application details
again.
(vii) On successful completion of the transaction, an e-receipt will be generated.  
(viii) Candidates are required to take a printout of the e-receipt.
Note:
o After submitting your payment information in the online application form, please wait
for the intimation from the server, DO NOT press Back or Refresh button in order to
avoid double charge
o For Credit Card users: All prices are listed in Indian Rupee. If you use a non-Indian
credit card, your bank will convert to your local currency based on prevailing exchange
rates.
o To ensure the security of your data, please close the browser window once your
transaction is completed.
(2) Payment of fees/ intimation charges via OFFLINE MODE (at counters of specified
Bank branches):
Payment of fee/ intimation charges through the offline mode can be made through the CBS
branches of any one of the following 7 Public Sector Banks-
Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India,
Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, United Bank of India
Candidates should carefully fill in the details in  the On-Line Application at the
appropriate places very carefully and click on the “SUBMIT” button at the end of the
On-Line Application format. Before pressing the “SUBMIT” button, candidates are
advised to verify every field filled in the application. A Provisional Registration Number
and Password will be generated by the system and displayed on the screen. Candidate
should note down the Registration Number and Password. An Email & sms indicating
the Provisional Registration number and Password will also be sent. The name of the
candidate or his /her father/husband etc. should be spelt correctly in the application as it
appears in the certificates/mark sheets. Any change/alteration found may disqualify the
candidature.
In case the candidate is unable to fill in the application form in one go, he/ she can save
the data already entered. When the data is saved, a provisional registration number and
password will be generated by the system and displayed on the screen. Candidate should
note down the Provisional registration number and password. An Email & sms 10
indicating the Provisional Registration number and Password will also be sent. They can
reopen the saved data using Provisional registration number and password and edit the
particulars, if needed. This facility will be available for three times only. Once the
application is filled in completely, candidate should submit the data. Candidates should
take a printout of the system generated fee payment challan immediately. No change/edit
will be allowed after submission.
The registration at this stage is provisional.
Fee Payment: Fee payment will be accepted at the CBS branches of the banks listed above
from 2nd working day after registration and can be  made within three working days.
System generated fee payment challan will be used for depositing fee. (For example: If
one has registered on 20.10.2012, then he/she will  be able to deposit the fee from
23.10.2012 to 27.10.2012, considering 21.10.2012 is a non- working day). Once fee has
been paid, the registration process is completed.
Candidate will receive registration confirmation by SMS/e-mail after two working days
from the date of payment of fees/ intimation charges. Please ensure to furnish correct
Mobile number / e-mail address to receive the registration confirmation.
Note- - There is also a provision to reprint the submitted application containing fee
details, three days after fee payment.
  After completing the procedure of applying on-line including payment of fees, the
candidate should take a printout of the system generated on-line application form three
days after fee payment, ensure the particulars filled in are accurate and retain it along
with Registration Number and Password for future reference. They should not send this
printout to the IBPS/ Banks.
Please note that all the particulars mentioned in the online application including
Name of the Candidate, Category, Date of Birth, Address, Mobile Number, Email ID,
Centre of Examination etc. will be considered as final and no modifications will be
allowed after submission of the online application  form. Candidates are hence
requested to fill in the online application form with the utmost care as no
correspondence regarding change of details will be  entertained. IBPS will not be
responsible for any consequences arising out of furnishing of incorrect and
incomplete details in the application or omission to provide the required details in
the application form.
An email/ sms intimation with the Registration Number and Password generated on successful
registration of the application will be sent to the candidate’s email ID/ Mobile Number specified
in the   online application form as a system generated acknowledgement. If candidates do not
receive the email and sms intimations at the email ID/ Mobile number specified by them,
they may consider that their online application has not been successfully registered.
An online application which is incomplete in any respect such as without photograph and
signature uploaded in the online application form will not be considered as valid.
Candidates are advised in their own interest to apply on-line much before the closing date
and not to wait till the last date for depositing the fee to avoid the possibility of 11
disconnection/inability/failure to log on the IBPS’s website on account of heavy load on
internet/website jam.
IBPS does not assume any responsibility for the candidates not being able to submit their
applications within the last date on account of the aforesaid reasons or for any other
reason beyond the control of the IBPS.
Please note that the above procedure is the only valid procedure for applying.  No other
mode of application or incomplete steps would be accepted and such applications would be
rejected.
Any information submitted by an applicant in his/ her application shall be binding on the
candidate personally and he/she shall be liable for prosecution/ civil consequences in case the
information/ details furnished by him/ her is found to be false at a later stage.
L. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS  
(1) Candidates will have to submit the examination call letter and a photocopy of
photo-identity proof at the time of examination.
(2) Before applying for the CWE for Clerk posts in the participating Public Sector Banks,
the candidate should ensure that he/she fulfils the eligibility and other norms mentioned
in this advertisement. Candidates are therefore to carefully read this advertisement and
follow all the instructions given for submitting online application.
(3) IBPS would be free to reject any application, at any stage of the process, if the candidate
is found ineligible as per the stipulated eligibility criteria.  Decision of the IBPS in all
matters regarding eligibility of the candidate, the stages at which such scrutiny of
eligibility is to be undertaken, qualifications and other eligibility norms, the documents
to be produced for the purpose of the conduct of Examination etc. and any other matter
relating to the CWE will be final and binding on the candidate.  No correspondence or
personal enquiries shall be entertained by the IBPS in this behalf.
(4) Not more than one application should be submitted by any candidate. Multiple
Applications/Registrations will be summarily rejected and the application fee forfeited.
(5) Online applications once registered will not be allowed to be withdrawn and/or the
application fee, postage charges once paid will not be refunded nor be held in reserve for
any other examination.
(6) Any resulting dispute arising out of this advertisement including the recruitment  
process shall be subject to the sole jurisdiction of the Courts situated at Mumbai.
(7) Canvassing in any form will be a disqualification.  
(8) In case it is detected at any stage that a candidate does not fulfill the eligibility norms
and/or that he/she has furnished any incorrect/false information/certificate/documents or
has suppressed any material fact(s), his/her candidature will stand cancelled.  If any of
these shortcomings is/are detected after appointment in a Bank, his/her services are
liable to be summarily terminated.
(9) Any request for change of address will not be entertained.  
(10)In case any dispute arises on account of interpretation of clauses in any version of this
advertisement other than English, the English version available on IBPS website shall
prevail.  12
(11) A Candidate’s admission to the examination is strictly provisional. The mere fact that
the call letter has been issued to the candidate does not imply that his/ her candidature
has been finally cleared by the IBPS.
(12) A candidate should ensure that the signatures appended by him/her in all the places viz.
in his/her call letter, attendance sheet etc. and in all correspondences with the IBPS/
Bank in future should be identical and there should be no variation of any kind.
(13) In the administration of the examination, there is the likelihood that a small number of
problems may occur that might impact test delivery  and/or a result from being
generated. In the event that this does occur, every effort will be made to correct the
problem, upto and including the administration of another examination.
M. Use of Mobile Phones, pagers, calculator or any such devices:
(a) Mobile phones, pagers or any other communication devices are not allowed inside
the premises where the examination is being conducted. Any infringement of these
instructions shall entail cancellation of candidature and disciplinary action
including ban from future examinations.
(b) Candidates are advised in their own interest not to bring any of the banned item
including mobile phones/ pagers to the venue of the examination, as arrangement
for safekeeping cannot be assured.
(c) Candidates are not permitted to use or have in possession calculators in
examination premises.
 
N. Action Against Candidates Found Guilty of Misconduct/ Use of Unfair Means
Candidates are advised in their own interest that they should not furnish any particulars that are false,
tampered with or fabricated and should not suppress any material information while submitting online
application.
At the time of examination or in a subsequent selection procedure, if a candidate is (or has been ) found
guilty of –
(i) using unfair means or
(ii) impersonating or procuring impersonation by any person or
(iii) misbehaving in the examination hall or disclosing, publishing, reproducing, transmitting,
storing or facilitating transmission and storage of contents of the test(s) or any information
therein in whole or part thereof in any form or by  any means, verbal or written,
electronically or mechanically for any purpose or
(iv) resorting to any irregular or improper means in connection with his/ her candidature or
(v) obtaining support for his/ her candidature by unfair means, or
(vi) carrying mobile phones or similar electronic devices of communication in the examination hall
such a candidate may, in addition to rendering himself/ herself liable to criminal prosecution, be
liable :
(a) to be disqualified from the examination for which he/ she is a candidate
(b) to be debarred either permanently or for a specified period from any examination
conducted by IBPS
(c) for termination of service, if he/ she has already joined the Bank.  
Important:
IBPS would be analysing the responses (answers) of  individual candidates with other
candidates to detect patterns of similarity of right and wrong answers. If in the analytical
procedure adopted by IBPS in this regard, it is inferred/ concluded that the responses
have been shared and scores obtained are not genuine/ valid, IBPS reserves right to
cancel the candidature of the concerned candidates  and the result of such candidates
(disqualified) will be withheld. 13
O. CALL LETTERS FOR WRITTEN EXAMINATION
The date and time of Examination (tentatively in December 2012/ January 2013) shall be
intimated in the Call Letter along with the Centre/Venue address.
An eligible candidate should download his/her call  letter from the IBPS’s website
www.ibps.in  by entering his / her details i.e. Registration Number and Password/Date of
Birth, after 03.12.2012. The Information Handout will also be available on IBPS website
and a candidate may download the same. No hard copy of the call letter/ Information
Handout will be sent by post/ courier.
A candidate has to bring his/her Examination call letter along with his/her photo
identity proof in original as well as a photocopy while attending the examination
and will have to submit the Examination call letter and photocopy of photo-identity
proof in the examination hall.
Identity Verification
In the examination hall, the call letter along with a photocopy of the candidate’s photo
identity such as PAN Card/ Passport/ Driving Licence/ Voter’s Card/ Bank Passbook
with photograph/ Photo identity proof issued by a Gazzetted Officer/ People’s
Representative along with a photograph / Identity Card issued by a recognised college/
university/ Aadhar card with a photograph/ Employee ID should be submitted to the
invigilator for verification. The candidate’s identity will be verified with respect to
his/her details on the call letter and in the Attendance List. If identity of the candidate
is in doubt the candidate may not be allowed to appear for the Examination.
Note: Candidates have to submit photocopy of the photo identity proof along with
Examination Call Letter while attending the examination, without which they will not be
allowed to take up the examination.
This advertisement is also available on IBPS’s website address www.ibps.in
Candidates are advised to remain in touch with IBPS’s website for any information
which may be posted for further guidance.
Decision of the IBPS in respect of all matters pertaining to this examination would be
final and binding on all candidates.
Start date for Online Registration 15.10.2012
Online Payment of Application Fees 15.10.2012- 05.11.2012
Offline Payment of Application Fees 17.10.2012- 09.11.2012
Last date for Online Registration 05.11.2012
Download of Call letter for Examination After 03.12.2012
Mumbai          Director
Date:  15.10.2012        IBPS
 
Please note that candidates will not be permitted to appear for the Common
Examination without the following documents:
(1) Call Letter for Examination
(2) Photo-identity proof (as specified) in original and
(3) Photocopy of photo-identity proof (as mentioned in (2) above)
Candidates reporting late i.e. after the reporting time specified on the call letter for
Examination will not be permitted to take the examination.14
ANNEXURE I
EXAMINATION CENTERS (Tentative List)
The examination will tentatively be held at the following centers and the address of
the venue will be advised in the call letters:
State Code State /UT Centre
11 Andaman & Nicobar Port Blair
12 Andhra Pradesh Guntur
Hyderabad
Karimnagar
Rajahmundry
Tirupati
Vijaywada
Vishakhapatnam
13 Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar
14 Assam Dibrugarh
Guwahati
Jorhat
Silchar
15 Bihar Bhagalpur
Muzaffarpur
Patna
16 Chandigarh Chandigarh
17 Chattisgarh Raipur
18 Dadra & Nagar Haveli Bulsar
19 Daman & Diu Bulsar
Jamnagar
20 Goa Panaji
21 Gujarat  Ahmedabad
Bhavnagar
Bulsar
Jamnagar
Rajkot
Surat
Vadodara
22 Haryana Hissar
Karnal
Panchkula
Rohtak
23 Himachal Pradesh Dharamsala
Shimla
24 Jammu & Kashmir Jammu
25 Jharkhand Bokaro
Dhanbad
Jamshedpur
Ranchi
  15
26 Karnataka Belgaum
Bengaluru
Gulbarga
Hubli
Mangalore
Mysore
Udipi
27 Kerala  Kannur
Kochi
Kottayam
Kozhikode
Thrichur
Thiruvananthapuram
28 Lakshwadweep Kavarrati
29 Madhya Pradesh Bhopal
Gwalior
Indore
Jabalpur
30 Maharashtra Aurangabad
Kolhapur
Mumbai
Nagpur
Nasik
Pune
Solapur
31 Manipur Imphal
32 Meghalaya Shillong
33 Mizoram Aizawl
34 Nagaland Kohima
35 New Delhi New Delhi
36 Orissa Balasore
Berhampur(Ganjam)
Bhubaneshwar
Cuttack
Sambalpur
37 Puducherry Puducherry
38 Punjab Amritsar
Bhatinda
Jalandhar
Ludhiana
Mohali
Patiala
39 Rajasthan Ajmer
Jaipur
Jodhpur
Kota
Udaipur
40 Sikkim Gangtok
  16
41 Tamilnadu Chennai
Coimbatore
Madurai
Salem
Thiruchirapalli
Tirunelvelli
42 Tripura Agartala
43 Uttar Pradesh Agra
Allahabad
Bareilly
Gorakhpur
Kanpur
Lucknow
Meerut
Varanasi
44 Uttarakhand Dehradun
Haldwani
45 West Bengal Berhampur (West Bengal)
Durgapur
Kolkata
Siliguri
  17
Annexure II
Guidelines for scanning and Upload of Photograph & Signature
Before applying online a candidate will be required to have a scanned (digital) image of
his/her photograph and signature as per the specifications given below.
Photograph Image:
- Photograph must be a recent passport style colour picture.
- Make sure that the picture is in colour, taken against a light-coloured, preferably
white, background.
- Look straight at the camera with a relaxed face  
- If the picture is taken on a sunny day, have the sun behind you, or place yourself in
the shade, so that you are not squinting and there are no harsh shadows
- If you have to use flash, ensure there's no "red-eye"
- If you wear glasses make sure that there are no reflections and your eyes can be
clearly seen.
- Caps, hats and dark glasses are not acceptable. Religious headwear is allowed but it
must not cover your face.
- Dimensions 200 x 230 pixels (preferred)  
- Size of file should be between 20kb–50 kb
- Ensure that the size of the scanned image is not more than 50kb. If the size of the file
is more than 50 kb, then adjust the settings of the scanner such as the DPI resolution,
no. of colours etc., during the process of scanning.
Signature Image:  
- The applicant has to sign on white paper with Black Ink pen.
- The signature must be signed only by the applicant and not by any other person.
- The signature will be used to put on the Hall Ticket and wherever necessary.
- If    the Applicant’s signature on the answer script, at the time of the examination,
does not match the signature on the Hall Ticket, the applicant will be disqualified.  
- Dimensions 140 x 60 pixels (preferred)
- Size of file should be between 10kb – 20kb
- Ensure that the size of the scanned image is not more than 20kb
Scanning the photograph & signature:
- Set the scanner resolution to a minimum of 200 dpi (dots per inch)
- Set Color to True Color  
- File Size as specified above
- Crop the image in the scanner to the edge of the photograph/signature, then use the
upload editor to crop the image to the final size (as specified above).
- The image file should be JPG or JPEG format. An example file name is :
image01.jpg or image01.jpeg  Image dimensions can be checked by listing the folder
files or moving the mouse over the file image icon.
- Candidates using MS Windows/MSOffice can easily obtain photo and signature in
.jpeg  format not exceeding 50kb & 20kb respectively by using MS Paint or
MSOffice Picture Manager. Scanned photograph and signature  in any format can be
saved in .jpg format by using ‘Save As’ option in the File menu and size can be
reduced below 50 kb (photograph) & 20 kb(signature) by using crop and then resize
option (Please see point (i) & (ii) above for the pixel size) in the ‘Image’ menu.
Similar options are available in other photo editor also.  18
- If the file size and format are not as prescribed, an error message will be displayed.
- While filling in the Online Application Form the candidate will be provided with a
link to upload his/her photograph and signature.
Procedure for Uploading the Photograph and Signature
- There will be two separate links for uploading Photograph and Signature
- Click on the respective link “Upload Photograph / Signature”
- Browse and Select the location where the Scanned Photograph / Signature file has
been saved.
- Select the file by clicking on it
- Click the ‘Open/Upload’ button
Your Online Application will not be registered unless you upload your photograph
and signature as specified.
Note:
(1) In case the face in the photograph or signature is unclear the candidate’s
application may be rejected.  After uploading the photograph/ signature in the
online application form candidates should check that the images are clear and
have been uploaded correctly. In case the photograph or signature is not
prominently visible, the candidate may edit his/ her application and re-upload his/
her photograph or signature, prior to submitting the form.
(2) After registering online candidates are advised to take a printout of their system
generated online application forms.
 

About india

INDIA
  

This article is about the Republic of India. For other uses, see India (disambiguation).

Republic of India Bhārat Gaṇarājya
Flag Emblem
Motto:  "Satyameva Jayate" (Sanskrit)    "Truth Alone Triumphs"[1]
Anthem:  Jana Gana Mana    "Thou Art the Ruler of the Minds of All People"[2]
National song: Vande Mataram         "I Bow to Thee, Mother"[a][1]
Area controlled by India is in dark green. Claimed but uncontrolled regions are in light green.
Capital		New Delhi 28°36.8′N 77°12.5′E
Largest city		Mumbai
Official language(s)		Hindi, English[show]
Recognised regional languages		Eighth Schedule[show]
National language(s)		none[3]
Demonym		Indian
Government		Federal parliamentary constitutional republic[1]
-	President	Pranab Mukherjee
-	Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Legislature		Parliament of India
-	Upper house	Rajya Sabha
-	Lower house	Lok Sabha
Independence		from the United Kingdom
-	Dominion	15 August 1947
-	Republic	26 January 1950
Area
-	Total	3,287,263 km2 [b](7th) 1,269,219 sq mi
-	Water (%)	9.56
Population
-	2011 census	1,210,193,422[4] (2nd)
-	Density	369.6/km2 (31st) 957.2/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$4.457 trillion[5] (3rd)
-	Per capita	$3,693[5] (129th)
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$1.676 trillion[5] (11th)
-	Per capita	$1,388[5] (140th)
Gini (2004)		36.8[6] (79th)
HDI (2011)		0.547[7] (medium) (134th)
Currency		Indian rupee () (INR)
Time zone		IST (UTC+05:30)
-	Summer (DST)	not observed (UTC+05:30)
Date formats		dd-mm-yyyy (AD)
Drives on the		left
ISO 3166 code		IN
Internet TLD		.in other TLDs[show]
Calling code		91

India (ⁱ/ˈɪndiə/), officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya),^[c] is a country inSouth Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bound by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;^[d] China,Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Burma and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India'sAndaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history.^[8] Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism,Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also helped shape the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after astruggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.

The Indian economy is the world's eleventh-largest by nominal GDP and third-largest bypurchasing power parity (PPP). Following market-based economic reforms in 1991, India became one of the fastest-growing major economies; it is considered a newly industrialised country. However, it continues to face the challenges of poverty, illiteracy,corruption, and inadequate public healthcare. A nuclear weapons state and a regional power, it has the third-largest standing army in the world and ranks eighth in military expenditure among nations. India is a federal constitutional republic governed under aparliamentary system consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories. India is a pluralistic,multilingual, and multiethnic society. It is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

Contents   [hide]  1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 Ancient India 2.2 Medieval India 2.3 Early modern India 2.4 Modern India 3 Geography 4 Biodiversity 5 Politics 5.1 Government 5.2 Subdivisions 6 Foreign relations and military 7 Economy 8 Demographics 9 Culture 9.1 Art and architecture 9.2 Literature 9.3 Performing arts 9.4 Society 9.5 Sport 10 See also 11 Notes 12 Citations 13 References 14 External links

Etymology

Main article: Names of India

The name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu. The latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River.^[9] The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi(Ινδοί), which translates as "the people of the Indus".^[10] The geographical term Bharat(pronounced [ˈbʱaːrət̪] ( listen)), which is recognised by the Constitution of India as an official name for the country, is used by many Indian languages in various subtle guises.^[11] The eponym of Bharat is Bharata, a mythological figure that Hindu scriptures describe as a legendary emperor of ancient India. Hindustan ([ɦɪnd̪ʊˈst̪aːn] ( listen)) was originally a Persian word that meant "Land of the Hindus"; prior to 1947, it referred to a region that encompassed northern India and Pakistan. It is occasionally used to solely denote India in its entirety.^[12][13]

History

Main articles: History of India and History of the Republic of India

Ancient India

The earliest anatomically modern human remains found in South Asia date from approximately 30,000 years ago.^[14] Nearly contemporaneous Mesolithic rock art sites have been found in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, including at the Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh.^[15] Around 7000 BCE, the first known Neolithicsettlements appeared on the subcontinent in Mehrgarh and other sites in western Pakistan.^[16] These gradually developed into the Indus Valley Civilisation,^[17] the first urban culture in South Asia;^[18] it flourished during 2500–1900 BCE in Pakistan and western India.^[19] Centred around cities such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, andKalibangan, and relying on varied forms of subsistence, the civilisation engaged robustly in crafts production and wide-ranging trade.^[18]

Paintings at the Ajanta Cavesin Aurangabad, Maharashtra, 6th century

During the period 2000–500 BCE, in terms of culture, many regions of the subcontinent transitioned from the Chalcolithic to the Iron Age.^[20] The Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism,^[21] were composed during this period,^[22] and historians have analysed these to posit a Vedic culture in thePunjab region and the upper Gangetic Plain.^[20] Most historians also consider this period to have encompassed several waves of Indo-Aryan migration into the subcontinent from the north-west.^[23][21][24] The caste system, which created a hierarchy of priests, warriors, and free peasants, but which excluded indigenous peoples by labeling their occupations impure, arose during this period.^[25] On the Deccan Plateau, archaeological evidence from this period suggests the existence of a chiefdom stage of political organisation.^[20] In southern India, a progression to sedentary life is indicated by the large number of megalithic monuments dating from this period,^[26] as well as by nearby traces of agriculture, irrigation tanks, and craft traditions.^[26]

In the late Vedic period, around the 5th century BCE, the small chiefdoms of the Ganges Plain and the north-western regions had consolidated into 16 major oligarchies and monarchies that were known as the mahajanapadas.^[27][28] The emerging urbanisation and the orthodoxies of this age also created the religious reform movements of Buddhism and Jainism,^[29] both of which became independent religions.^[30] Buddhism, based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha attracted 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.^[29][31][32] Jainism came into prominence around the same time during the life of its exemplar, Mahavira.^[33] In an age of increasing urban wealth, both religions held up renunciation as an ideal,^[34] and both established long-lasting monasteries.^[27] Politically, by the 3rd century BCE, the kingdom of Magadha had annexed or reduced other states to emerge as the Mauryan Empire.^[27] 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.^[35][36] The Mauryan kings are known as much for their empire-building and determined management of public life as for Ashoka's renunciation of militarism and far-flung advocacy of the Buddhist dhamma.^[37][38]

The Sangam literature of the Tamil language reveals that, between 200 BCE and 200 CE, the southern peninsula was being ruled by theCheras, the Cholas, and the Pandyas, dynasties that traded extensively with the Roman Empire and with West and South-East Asia.^[39][40] In North India, Hinduism asserted patriarchal control within the family, leading to increased subordination of women.^[41][27]By the 4th and 5th centuries, the Gupta Empire had created in the greater Ganges Plain a complex system of administration and taxation that became a model for later Indian kingdoms.^[42][43] Under the Guptas, a renewed Hinduism based on devotion rather than the management of ritual began to assert itself.^[44] The renewal was reflected in a flowering of sculpture and architecture, which found patrons among an urban elite.^[43] Classical Sanskrit literature flowered as well, and Indian science, astronomy, medicine, andmathematics made significant advances.^[43]

Medieval India

The granite tower ofBrihadeeswarar Temple inThanjavur was completed in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I.

The Indian early medieval age, 600 CE to 1200 CE, is defined by regional kingdoms and cultural diversity.^[45] When Harsha of Kannauj, who ruled much of the Indo-Gangetic Plain from 606 to 647 CE, attempted to expand southwards, he was defeated by the Chalukya ruler of the Deccan.^[46]When his successor attempted to expand eastwards, he was defeated by the Pala king of Bengal.^[46]When the Chalukyas attempted to expand southwards, they were defeated by the Pallavas from farther south, who in turn were opposed by the Pandyas and the Cholas from still farther south.^[46] No ruler of this period was able to create an empire and consistently control lands much beyond his core region.^[45] 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.^[47] The caste system consequently began to show regional differences.^[47]

In the 6th and 7th centuries, the first devotional hymns were created in the Tamil language.^[48] They were imitated all over India and led to both the resurgence of Hinduism and the development of allmodern languages of the subcontinent.^[48] Indian royalty, big and small, and the temples they patronised, drew citizens in great numbers to the capital cities, which became economic hubs as well.^[49] Temple towns of various sizes began to appear everywhere as India underwent another urbanisation.^[49] 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-day Thailand,Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Java.^[50] 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.^[50]

After the 10th century, Muslim Central Asian nomadic clans, using swift-horse cavalry and raising vast armies united by ethnicity and religion, repeatedly overran South Asia's north-western plains, leading eventually to the establishment of the Islamic Delhi Sultanate in 1206.^[51] 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.^[52][53] By repeatedly repulsing Mongol raiders in the 13th century, the sultanate saved India from the devastation visited on West and Central Asia, setting the scene for centuries of migration of 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.^[54][55] The sultanate's raiding and weakening of the regional kingdoms of South India paved the way for the indigenous Vijayanagara Empire.^[56] Embracing a strong Shaivite tradition and building upon the military technology of the sultanate, the empire came to control much of peninsular India,^[57] and was to influence South Indian society for long afterwards.^[56]

Early modern India

Scribes and artists in the Mughal court, 1590–1595

In the early 16th century, northern India, being then under mainly Muslim rulers,^[58] fell again to the superior mobility and firepower of a new generation of Central Asian warriors.^[59] The resulting Mughal Empire did not stamp out the local societies it came to rule, but rather balanced and pacified them through new administrative practices^[60][61] and diverse and inclusive ruling elites,^[62] leading to more systematic, centralised, and uniform rule.^[63] Eschewing tribal bonds and Islamic identity, especially under Akbar, the Mughals united their far-flung realms through loyalty, expressed through a Persianised culture, to an emperor who had near-divine status.^[62] The Mughal state's economic policies, deriving most revenues from agriculture^[64] and mandating that taxes be paid in the well-regulated silver currency,^[65] caused peasants and artisans to enter larger markets.^[63] The relative peace maintained by the empire during much of the 17th century was a factor in India's economic expansion,^[63] resulting in greater patronage of painting, literary forms, textiles, and architecture.^[66]Newly coherent social groups in northern and western India, such as the Marathas, the Rajputs, and the Sikhs, gained military and governing ambitions during Mughal rule, which, through collaboration or adversity, gave them both recognition and military experience.^[67] Expanding commerce during Mughal rule gave rise to new Indian commercial and political elites along the coasts of southern and eastern India.^[67] As the empire disintegrated, many among these elites were able to seek and control their own affairs.^[68]

By the early 18th century, with the lines between commercial and political dominance being increasingly blurred, a number of European trading companies, including the English East India Company, had established coastal outposts.^[69][70] 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 the Bengalregion by 1765 and sideline the other European companies.^{[71][69][72][73]} 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.^[74] India was now no longer exporting manufactured goods as it long had, but was instead supplying the British empire with raw materials, and many historians consider this to be the onset of India's colonial period.^[69] 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.^[75]

Modern India

The British Indian Empire, from the 1909 edition of The Imperial Gazetteer of India. Areas directly governed by the British are shaded pink; the princely states under British suzerainty are in yellow.

Historians consider India's modern age to have begun sometime between 1848 and 1885. The appointment in 1848 of Lord Dalhousie as Governor General of the East India Company rule in India set the stage for changes essential to a modern state. These included the consolidation and demarcation of sovereignty, the surveillance of the population, and theeducation of citizens. Technological changes—among them, railways, canals, and the telegraph—were introduced not long after their introduction in Europe.^{[76][77][78][79]} However, disaffection with the Company also grew during this time, and set off the Indian 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.^[80][81] Although the rebellion was suppressed by 1858, it led to the dissolution of the East India Company and to the direct administration of India by 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.^[82][83] In the decades following, public life gradually emerged all over India, leading eventually to the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885.^{[84][85][86][87]}

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 setbacks—many small farmers became dependent on the whims of far-away markets.^[88] There was an increase in the number of large-scalefamines,^[89] and, despite the risks of infrastructure development borne by Indian taxpayers, little industrial employment was generated for Indians.^[90] There were also salutary effects: commercial cropping, especially in the newly canalled Punjab, led to increased food production for internal consumption.^[91] The railway network provided critical famine relief,^[92]notably reduced the cost of moving goods,^[92] and helped nascent Indian-owned industry.^[91]After World War I, in which some one million Indians served,^[93] a new period began. It was marked by British reforms but also repressive legislation, by more strident Indian calls for self-rule, and by the beginnings of a non-violent movement of non-cooperation, of whichMohandas Karamchand Gandhi would become the leader and enduring symbol.^[94] During the 1930s, slow legislative reform was enacted by the British; the Indian National Congress won victories in the resulting elections.^[95] 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 the bloody partition of the subcontinent into two states: India and Pakistan.^[96]

Vital to India's self-image as an independent nation was its constitution, completed in 1950, which put in place a sovereign, secular, and democratic republic.^[97] In the 60 years since, India has had a mixed bag of successes and failures.^[98] It has remained a democracy with civil liberties, an activist Supreme Court, and a largely independent press.^[98] Economic liberalisation, which was begun in the 1990s, has created a large urban middle class, transformed India into one of the world's fastest-growing economies,^[99] and increased its geopolitical clout. Indian movies, music, and spiritual teachings play an increasing role in global culture.^[98] Yet, India has also been weighed down by seemingly unyielding poverty, both rural and urban;^[98] by religious and caste-related violence;^[100] by Maoist-inspired Naxalite insurgencies;^[101] and by separatism in Jammu and Kashmir.^[102] It has unresolved territorial disputes with China, which escalated into the Sino-Indian War of 1962;^[103] and with Pakistan, which flared into wars fought in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999.^[103] The India–Pakistan nuclear rivalry came to a head in 1998.^[104] 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.^[105]

Geography

Main article: Geography of India

See also: Geology of India

A topographic map of India

India comprises the bulk of the Indian subcontinent and lies atop the minor Indian tectonic plate, which in turn belongs to the Indo-Australian Plate.^[106] India's defining geological processes commenced 75 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent, then part of the southern supercontinent Gondwana, began a north-eastward drift across the then-unformed Indian Ocean that lasted fifty million years.^[106] The subcontinent's subsequent collision with, and subduction under, the Eurasian Plate bore aloft the planet's highest mountains, theHimalayas. They abut India in the north and the north-east.^[106] In the former seabed immediately south of the emerging Himalayas, plate movement created a vast trough that has gradually filled with river-borne sediment;^[107] it now forms the Indo-Gangetic Plain.^[108]To the west lies the Thar Desert, which is cut off by the Aravalli Range.^[109]

The original Indian plate survives as peninsular India, which is the oldest and geologically most stable part of India; it extends as far north as the Satpura and Vindhya ranges in central India. These parallel chains run from the Arabian Sea coast in Gujarat in the west to the coal-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand in the east.^[110] To the south, the remaining peninsular landmass, the Deccan Plateau, is flanked on the west and east by coastal ranges known as the Western and Eastern Ghats;^[111] the plateau contains the nation's oldest rock formations, some of them 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.^[112]

The Kedar Range of the Greater Himalayas rises behindKedarnath Temple, which is one of the twelve jyotirlinga shrines.

India's coastline measures 7,517 kilometres (4,700 mi) in length; of this distance, 5,423 kilometres (3,400 mi) belong to peninsular India and 2,094 kilometres (1,300 mi) to the Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep island chains.^[113] According to the Indian naval hydrographic charts, the mainland coastline consists of the following: 43% sandy beaches; 11% rocky shores, including cliffs; and 46%mudflats or marshy shores.^[113]

Major Himalayan-origin rivers that substantially flow through India include the Ganges and theBrahmaputra, both of which drain into the Bay of Bengal.^[114] Important tributaries of the Ganges include the Yamuna and the Kosi; the latter's extremely low gradient often leads to severe floods and course changes.^[115] Major peninsular rivers, whose steeper gradients prevent their waters from flooding, include the Godavari, the Mahanadi, the Kaveri, and the Krishna, which also drain into the Bay of Bengal;^[116] and the Narmada and the Tapti, which drain into the Arabian Sea.^[117] Coastal features include the marshy Rann of Kutch of western India and the alluvial Sundarbans delta of eastern India; the latter is shared with Bangladesh.^[118] India has two archipelagos: the Lakshadweep, coral atolls off India's south-western coast; and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a volcanic chain in the Andaman Sea.^[119]

The Indian climate is strongly influenced by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert, both of which drive the economically and culturally pivotal summer and winter monsoons.^[120] The Himalayas prevent cold Central Asian katabatic winds from blowing in, keeping the bulk of the Indian subcontinent warmer than most locations at similar latitudes.^[121][122] 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.^[120] Four major climatic groupings predominate in India: tropical wet, tropical dry, subtropical humid, and montane.^[123]

Biodiversity

Main article: Wildlife of India

The brahminy kite (Haliastur indus) is identified with Garuda, the mythical mount ofVishnu. It hunts for fish and other prey near the coasts and around inland wetlands.

India lies within the Indomalaya ecozone and contains three biodiversity hotspots.^[124] One of 17 megadiverse 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.^[125][126] Endemism is high among plants, 33%, and among ecoregions such as theshola forests.^[127] Habitat ranges from the tropical rainforest of the Andaman Islands,Western Ghats, and North-East India to the coniferous forest of the Himalaya. Between these extremes lie the moist deciduous sal forest of eastern India; the dry deciduous teakforest of central and southern India; and the babul-dominated thorn forest of the central Deccan and western Gangetic plain.^[128] Under 12% of India's landmass bears thick jungle.^[129] The medicinal neem, widely used in rural Indian herbal remedies, is a key Indian tree. The luxuriant pipal fig tree, shown on the seals of Mohenjo-daro, shaded Gautama Buddha as he sought enlightenment.

Shola highlands are found inKudremukh National Park, which is part of the Western Ghats.

Many Indian species descend from taxa originating in Gondwana, from which the Indian plate separated more than 105 million years before present.^[130] Peninsular India's subsequent movement towards and collision with the Laurasian landmass set off a mass exchange of species. Epochal volcanism and climatic changes 20 million years ago forced a mass extinction.^[131] Mammals then entered India from Asia through two zoogeographical passes flanking the rising Himalaya.^[128] Thus, while 45.8% of reptiles and 55.8% of amphibians are endemic, only 12.6% of mammals and 4.5% of birds are.^[126]Among them are the Nilgiri leaf monkey and Beddome's toad of the Western Ghats. India contains 172 IUCN-designated threatened species, or 2.9% of endangered forms.^[132] These include theAsiatic lion, the Bengal tiger, and the Indian 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 of national parks and protected areas, first established in 1935, was substantially expanded. In 1972, India enacted theWildlife Protection Act^[133] and Project Tiger to safeguard crucial wilderness; the Forest Conservation Act was enacted in 1980 and amendments added in 1988.^[134] India hosts more than five hundred wildlife sanctuaries and thirteen biosphere reserves,^[135] four of which are part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves; twenty-five wetlands are registered under the Ramsar Convention.^[136]

Politics

Main article: Politics of India

A parliamentary joint session is held in the Sansad Bhavan.

India is the world's most populous democracy.^[137] A parliamentary republic with a multi-party system,^[138] it has six recognised national parties, including the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and more than 40 regional parties.^[139] The Congress is considered centre-left or "liberal" in Indian political culture, and the BJP centre-right or "conservative". For most of the period between 1950—when India first became a republic—and the late 1980s, the Congress held a majority in the parliament. Since then, however, it has increasingly shared the political stage with the BJP,^[140] as well as with powerful regional parties which have often forced the creation of multi-party coalitions at the centre.^[141]

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 Shastri briefly became prime minister; he was succeeded, after his own unexpected death in 1966, by Indira Gandhi, who went on to lead the Congress to election victories in 1967 and 1971. Following public discontent with the state of emergency she declared in 1975, the Congress was voted out of power in 1977; the then-new Janata 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 son Rajiv Gandhi, who won an easy victory in the general elections later that year. The Congress was voted out again in 1989 when a National Front coalition, led by the newly formed Janata Dal in alliance with theLeft Front, won the elections; that government too proved relatively short-lived: it lasted just under two years.^[142] Elections were held again in 1991; no party won an absolute majority. But the Congress, as the largest single party, was able to form a minority governmentled by P. V. Narasimha Rao.^[143]

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-lasting United Front coalitions, which depended on external support. In 1998, the BJP was able to form a successful coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the NDA became the first non-Congress, coalition government to complete a five-year term.^[144] In the 2004 Indian general elections, again no party won an absolute majority, but the Congress emerged as the largest single party, forming another successful coalition: the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). It had the support of left-leaning parties and MPs who opposed the BJP. The UPA returned to power in the 2009 general election with increased numbers, and it no longer required external support from India's communist parties.^[145] That year, Manmohan Singh became the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957 and 1962 to be re-elected to a consecutive five-year term.^[146]

Government

Main article: Government of India

See also: Elections in India

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India.

India is a federation with a parliamentary system governed under the Constitution of India, which serves as the country's supreme legal document. It is a constitutional republic andrepresentative democracy, in which "majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected bylaw". Federalism in India defines the power distribution between the federal government and the states. The government abides by constitutional checks and balances. The Constitution of India, which came into effect on 26 January 1950,^[147] states in its preamble that India is asovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic.^[148] India's form of government, traditionally described as "quasi-federal" with a strong centre and weak states,^[149] has grown increasingly federal since the late 1990s as a result of political, economic, and social changes.^[150][151]

National symbols^[1]

Flag	Tricolour
Emblem	Sarnath Lion Capital
Anthem	Jana Gana Mana
Song	Vande Mataram
Calendar	Saka
Game	Hockey
Flower	Lotus
Fruit	Mango
Tree	Banyan
Bird	Indian Peafowl
Land animal	Royal Bengal Tiger
Aquatic animal	River Dolphin
River	Ganga (Ganges)

The federal government comprises three branches:

• Executive: The President of India is the head of state^[152] and is elected indirectly by a national electoral college^[153] for a five-year term.^[154] The Prime Minister of India is the head of government and exercises most executive power.^[155] Appointed by the president,^[156] the prime minister is by convention supported by the party or political alliance holding the majority of seats in the lower house of parliament.^[155] The executive branch of the Indian government consists of the president, the vice-president, and the Council of Ministers—thecabinet being its executive committee—headed by the prime minister. Any minister holding a portfolio must be a member of one of the houses of parliament.^[152] In the Indian parliamentary system, the executive is subordinate to the legislature; the prime minister and his council directly responsible to the lower house of the parliament.^[157]
• Legislative: The legislature of India is the bicameral parliament. It operates under aWestminster-style parliamentary system and comprises the upper house called the Rajya Sabha ("Council of States") and the lower called the Lok Sabha ("House of the People").^[158]The Rajya Sabha is a permanent body that has 245 members who serve in staggered six-year terms.^[159] Most are elected indirectly by the state and territorial legislatures in numbers proportional to their state's share of the national population.^[156] All but two of the Lok Sabha's 545 members are directly elected by popular vote; they represent individual constituencies via five-year terms.^[160] The remaining two members are nominated by the president from among the Anglo-Indian community, in case the president decides that they are not adequately represented.^[161]
• Judicial: India has a unitary three-tier independent judiciary^[162] that comprises the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India, 21 High Courts, and a large number of trial courts.^[162] The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases involvingfundamental rights and over disputes between states and the centre; it has appellate jurisdiction over the High Courts.^[163] It has the power both to declare the law and to strike down union or state laws which contravene the constitution.^[164] The Supreme Court is also the ultimate interpreter of the constitution.^[165]

Subdivisions

A clickable map of the 28 states and 7 union territories of India

Main article: Administrative divisions of India

See also: Political integration of India

India is a federation composed of 28 states and 7 union territories.^[166] All states, as well as the union territories of Pondicherryand the National Capital Territory of Delhi, have elected legislatures and governments, both patterned on the Westminster model. 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.^[167] Since then, their structure has remained largely unchanged. Each state or union territory is further divided into administrative districts. The districts in turn are further divided intotehsils and ultimately into villages.

States

Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat

Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu and Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Orissa Punjab

Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal

Union territories

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli Daman and Diu Lakshadweep National Capital Territory of Delhi Pondicherry

Foreign relations and military

Main articles: Foreign relations of India and Indian Armed Forces

Manmohan Singh meets Dmitry Medvedevat the 34th G8 summit. India and Russia share extensive economic, defence, and technological ties.

Since its independence in 1947, India has maintained cordial relations with most nations. In the 1950s, it strongly supported decolonisation in Africa and Asia and played a lead role in the Non-Aligned Movement.^[168] In the late 1980s, the Indian military twice intervened abroad at the invitation of neighbouring countries: a peace-keeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990; and an armed intervention to prevent a coup d'état attempt in Maldives. India has tense relations with neighbouring Pakistan; the two nations have gone to war four times: in 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999. Three of these wars were fought over the disputed territory of Kashmir, while the fourth, the 1971 war, followed from India's support for the independence of Bangladesh.^[169] After waging the 1962 Sino-Indian War and the 1965 war with Pakistan, India pursued close military and economic ties with the Soviet Union; by the late 1960s, the Soviet Union was its largest arms supplier.^[170]

Aside from ongoing strategic relations with Russia, India has wide-ranging defence relations with Israel and France. In recent years, it has played key roles in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and the World Trade Organisation. The nation has provided 100,000 military and police personnel to serve in 35 UN peacekeeping operations across four continents. It participates in the East Asia Summit, the G8+5, and other multilateral forums.^[171] India has close economic ties with South America, Asia, and Africa; it pursues a "Look East" policy that seeks to strengthen partnerships with the ASEAN nations, Japan, and South Korea that revolve around many issues, but especially those involving economic investment and regional security.^[172][173]

The HAL Tejas is a light supersonic fighter developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency and manufactured byHindustan Aeronautics inBangalore.^[174]

China's nuclear 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.^[175] India conducted its first nuclear weapons test in 1974 and carried out further underground testing in 1998. Despite criticism and military sanctions, India has signed neither the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty nor the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, considering both to be flawed and discriminatory.^[176] India maintains a "no first use" nuclear policy and is developing a nuclear triad capability as a part of its "minimum credible deterrence" doctrine.^[177][178] It is developing a ballistic missile defence shield and, in collaboration with Russia, a fifth-generation fighter jet.^[179] Other indigenous military projects involve the design and implementation of Vikrant-class aircraft carriers and Arihant-class nuclear submarines.^[179]

Since the end of the Cold War, India has increased its economic, strategic, and military cooperation with the United States and the European Union.^[180] In 2008, a civilian nuclear agreement was 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 the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Suppliers Group, ending earlier restrictions on India's nuclear technology and commerce. As a consequence, India became the sixth de facto nuclear weapons state.^[181] India subsequently signed cooperation agreements involvingcivilian nuclear energy with Russia,^[182] France,^[183] the United Kingdom,^[184] and Canada.^[185]

The President of India is the supreme commander of the nation's armed forces; with 1.6 million active troops, they compose the world's third-largest military.^[186] It comprises the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force; auxiliary organisations include theStrategic Forces Command and three paramilitary groups: the Assam Rifles, the Special Frontier Force, and the Indian Coast Guard.^[6]The official Indian defence budget for 2011 was US$36.03 billion, or 1.83% of GDP.^[187] For the fiscal year spanning 2012–2013, US$40.44 billion was budgeted.^[188] According to a 2008 SIPRI report, India's annual military expenditure in terms of purchasing power stood at US$72.7 billion,^[189] In 2011, the annual defence budget increased by 11.6%,^[190] although this does not include funds that reach the military through other branches of government.^[191] 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.^[192] Much of the military expenditure was focused on defence against Pakistan and countering growing Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean.^[190]

Economy

Main article: Economy of India

See also: Economic history of India, Economic development in India, and Transport in India

Indian agriculture dates from the period 7,000–6,000 BCE,^[193] employs most of the national workforce, and is second in farm output worldwide. Above, a farmer works an ox-drawn plow in Kadmati, West Bengal.

According to the International Monetary Fund, as of 2011, the Indian economy is nominally worth US$1.676 trillion; it is the eleventh-largest economy by market exchange rates, and is, at US$4.457 trillion, the third-largest by purchasing power parity, or PPP.^[194] With its average annual GDP growth rate of 5.8% over the past two decades, and reaching 6.1% during 2011–12,^[195] India is one of the world's fastest-growing economies.^[196] However, the country ranks 140th in the world in nominal GDP per capita and 129th in GDP per capita at PPP.^[194] Until 1991, all Indian governments followed protectionist policies that were influenced by socialist economics. Widespread state intervention and regulation largely walled the economy off from the outside world. An acute balance of payments crisis in 1991forced the nation to liberalise its economy;^[197] since then it has slowly moved towards a free-market system^[198][199] by emphasizing both foreign trade and direct investment inflows.^[200] India's recent economic model is largely capitalist.^[199] India has been a member of WTO since 1 January 1995.^[201]

The 487.6-million worker Indian labour force is the world's second-largest.^[6] 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.^[166] Major industries include textiles, telecommunications, chemicals, food processing, steel, transport equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, machinery, and software.^[166] In 2006, the share of external trade in India's GDP stood at 24%, up from 6% in 1985.^[198] In 2008, India's share of world trade was 1.68%;^[202] In 2011, India was the world'stenth-largest importer and the nineteenth-largest exporter.^[203] Major exports include petroleum products, textile goods, jewelry, software, engineering goods, chemicals, and leather manufactures.^[166] Major imports include crude oil, machinery, gems, fertiliser, and chemicals.^[166] Between 2001 and 2011, the contribution of petrochemical and engineering goods to total exports grew from 14% to 42%.^[204]

The Bombay Stock Exchangeis Asia's oldest and India's largest bourse by market capitalisation.

Averaging an economic growth rate of 7.5% during the last few years,^[198] India has more than doubled its hourly wage rates during the last decade.^[205] Some 431 million Indians have left poverty since 1985; India's middle classes are projected to number around 580 million by 2030.^[206] Though ranking 51st in global 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.^[207] 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.^[208] India's consumer market, currently the world's eleventh-largest, is expected to become fifth-largest by 2030.^[206] Its telecommunication industry, the world's fastest-growing, added 227 million subscribers during the period 2010–11.^[209] Its automotive industry, the world's second fastest growing, increased domestic sales by 26% during 2009–10,^[210] and exports by 36% during 2008–09.^[211] Power capacity is 250 gigawatts, of which 8% is renewable.^[212] At the end of 2011, Indian IT Industry employed 2.8 million professionals, generated revenues close to US$100 billion equaling 7.5% of Indian GDP and contributed 26% of India's merchandize exports.^[213]

Despite impressive economic growth during recent decades, India continues to face socio-economic challenges. India contains the largest concentration of people living below the World Bank's international poverty line of US$1.25 per day,^[214] the proportion having decreased from 60% in 1981 to 42% in 2005.^[215] Half of the children in India are underweight,^[216] and 46% of children under the age of three suffer from malnutrition.^[214] The Mid-Day Meal Scheme attempts to lower these rates.^[217] Since 1991, economic inequality between India's states has consistently grown: the per-capita net state domestic product of the richest states in 2007 was 3.2 times that of the poorest.^[218] Corruption in India is perceived to have increased significantly,^[219] with one report estimating the illegal capital flows since independence to be US$462 billion.^[220] Driven by growth, India's nominal GDP per capita has 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 always 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.^[221]

According to a 2011 PricewaterhouseCoopers report, India's GDP at purchasing power parity could overtake that of the United States by 2045.^[222] 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.^[222] The report highlights key growth factors: a young and rapidly growing working-age population; growth in the manufacturing sector due to rising education and engineering skill levels; and sustained growth of the consumer market driven by a rapidly growing middle class.^[222] 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, and public health and nutrition.^[223]

As per a report by Datamonitor, India is expected to occupy sixth place in top 10 wealth markets list by the end of 2012.^[224]

Citing persistent inflation pressures, weak public finances, limited progress on fiscal consolidation and ineffectiveness of the government, rating agency Fitch revised India's Outlook to Negative from Stable on 18 June 2012.^[225] Another credit rating agency S&Phad warned previously that a slowing GDP growth and political roadblocks to economic policy-making could put India at the risk of losing its investment grade rating.^[226] However, Moody didn't revise its outlook on India keeping it stable^[227], but termed the national government as the "single biggest drag" on the business activity.^[228]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of India

A population density and Indian Railwaysconnectivity map. The already densely settled Indo-Gangetic Plain is the main driver of Indian population growth.

With 1,210,193,422 residents reported in the 2011 provisional census,^[4] India is the world's second-most populous country. Its population grew at 1.76% per annum during 2001–2011,^[4] down from 2.13% per annum in the previous decade (1991–2001).^[229] The human sex ratio, according to the 2011 census, is 940 females per 1,000 males.^[4] The median age was 24.9 in the 2001 census.^[6] 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.^[230] India continues to face several public health-related challenges.^[231][232] According to the World Health Organisation, 900,000 Indians die each year from drinking contaminated water or breathing polluted air.^[233] There are around 50 physicians per 100,000 Indians.^[234] The number of Indians living in urban areas has grown by 31.2% between 1991 and 2001.^[235] Yet, in 2001, over 70% lived in rural areas.^[236][237]According to the 2001 census, there are 27 million-plus cities in India,^[235] with Mumbai,Delhi, Kolkata, and Chennai being the largest. The literacy rate in 2011 was 74.04%: 65.46% among females and 82.14% among males.^[4] Kerala is the most literate state;^[238] Bihar the least.^[239]

A coal miner in Bachra, Jharkhand

India is home to two major language families: Indo-Aryan(spoken by about 74% of the population) and Dravidian(24%). Other languages spoken in India come from the Austro-Asiatic and Tibeto-Burman language families. India has no national language.^[240] Hindi, with the largest number of speakers, is the official language of the government.^[241][242] English is used extensively in business and administration and has the status of a "subsidiary official language";^[243] it is important in education, especially as a medium of higher education. Each state and union territory has one or more official languages, and the constitution recognises in particular 21 "scheduled languages". The Constitution of India recognises 212 scheduled tribal groups which together constitute about 7.5% of the country's population.^[244] The 2001 census reported that Hinduism, with over 800 million adherents (80.5% of the population), was the largest religion in India; it is followed by Islam (13.4%), Christianity (2.3%), Sikhism (1.9%), Buddhism (0.8%),Jainism (0.4%), Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahá'í Faith.^[245] India has the world's largest Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Zoroastrian, and Bahá'í populations, and has the third-largest Muslim population and the largest Muslim population for a non-Muslim majority country.^[246][247]

Culture

Main article: Culture of India

A Warli tribal painting by Jivya Soma Mashe from Thane, Maharashtra

Indian cultural history spans more than 4,500 years.^[248] During the Vedic period (c. 1700–500 BCE), the foundations of Hindu philosophy, mythology, and literature were laid, and many beliefs and practices which still exist today, such as dhárma, kárma, yóga, andmokṣa, were established.^[10] India is notable for its religious diversity, with Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, and Jainism among the nation's major religions.^[249] The predominant religion, Hinduism, has been shaped by various historical schools of thought, including those of the Upanishads,^[250] the Yoga Sutras, the Bhakti movement,^[249] and byBuddhist philosophy.^[251]

Art and architecture

Much of Indian architecture, including the Taj Mahal, other works of Mughal architecture, andSouth Indian architecture, blends ancient local traditions with imported styles.^[252]Vernacular architecture is also highly regional in it flavours. Vastu shastra, literally "science of construction" or "architecture" and ascribed to Mamuni Mayan,^[253] explores how the laws of nature affect human dwellings;^[254] it employs precise geometry and directional alignments to reflect perceived cosmic constructs.^[255] As applied in Hindu temple architecture, it is influenced by the Shilpa Shastras, a series of foundational texts whose basic mythological form is the Vastu-Purusha mandala, a square that embodied the "absolute".^[256] The Taj Mahal, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by orders of Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, has been described in the UNESCO World Heritage List as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage."^[257] Indo-Saracenic Revival architecture, developed by the British in the late 19th century, drew on Indo-Islamic architecture.^[258]

Literature

The earliest literary writings in India, composed between 1400 BCE and 1200 CE, were in the Sanskrit language.^[259][260] Prominent works of this Sanskrit literature include epics such as the Mahābhārata and the Ramayana, the dramas of Kālidāsa such as theAbhijñānaśākuntalam (The Recognition of Śakuntalā), and poetry such as the Mahākāvya.^{[261][262][263]} Developed between 600 BCE and 300 CE in South India, the Sangam literature, consisting of 2,381 poems, is regarded as a predecessor of Tamil literature.^{[264][265][266][267]} From the 14th to the 18th centuries, India's literary traditions went through a period of drastic change because of the emergence of devotional poets such as Kabīr, Tulsīdās, and Guru Nānak. 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.^[268] 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 the works of Bengali poet and novelist Rabindranath Tagore.^[269]

Performing arts

Balasaraswati, one the foremostbharatnatyam dancers of the 20th century, performs at a concert.

Indian music ranges over various traditions and regional styles. Classical musicencompasses two genres and their various folk offshoots: the northern Hindustani and southern Carnatic schools.^[270] Regionalised popular forms include filmi and folk music; the syncretic tradition of the bauls is a well-known form of the latter. Indian dance also features diverse folk and classical forms. Among the better-known folk dances are the bhangra of the Punjab, the bihu of Assam, the chhau of West Bengal and Jharkhand, sambalpuri of Orissa,ghoomar of Rajasthan, and the lavani of Maharashtra. Eight dance forms, many with narrative forms and mythological elements, have been accorded classical dance status by India'sNational Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. These are: bharatanatyam of the state of Tamil Nadu, kathak of Uttar Pradesh, kathakali and mohiniyattam of Kerala, kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, manipuri of Manipur, odissi of Orissa, and the sattriya of Assam.^[271]

Theatre in India melds music, dance, and improvised or written dialogue.^[272] Often based on Hindu mythology, but also borrowing from medieval romances or social and political events, Indian theatre includes the bhavai of Gujarat, the jatra of West Bengal, the nautanki andramlila of North India, tamasha of Maharashtra, burrakatha of Andhra Pradesh, terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and the yakshagana of Karnataka.^[273] The Indian film industry produces the world's most-watched cinema.^[274] Established regional cinematic traditions exist in the Assamese, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, and Telugu languages.^[275] South Indian cinema attracts more than 75% of national film revenue.^[276]

Society

Tourists from North-East India, wrapped in sarongs and shawls, visit the Taj Mahal.

Traditional Indian society is defined by relatively strict social hierarchy. The Indian caste system embodies 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 as jātis, or "castes".^[277] Most Dalits ("Untouchables") and members of other lower-caste communities continue to live in segregation and often facepersecution and discrimination.^[278][279] Traditional Indian family values are highly valued, and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been the norm in India, though nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas.^[280] An overwhelming majority of Indians, with their consent, have their marriages arranged by their parents or other family members.^[281]Marriage is thought to be for life,^[281] and the divorce rate is extremely low.^[282] Child marriages are common, especially in rural areas; more than half of Indian females wed before reaching 18, which is their legal marriageable age.^[283]

Many Indian festivals are religious in origin; among them are Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, Thai Pongal, Navaratri, Holi, Durga Puja, Eid ul-Fitr, Bakr-Id, Christmas, and Vaisakhi. India has three national holidays which are observed in all states and union territories: Republic Day, Independence Day, and Gandhi Jayanti. Other sets of holidays, varying between nine and twelve, are officially observed in individual states. Traditional Indian dress varies in colour and style across regions and depends on various factors, including climate and faith. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as the sari for women and the dhoti orlungi for men. Stitched clothes, such as the shalwar kameez for women and kurta–pyjama combinations or European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular.^[284] 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.^[285]

Indian cuisine features an unsurpassed reliance on herbs and spices, with dishes often calling for the nuanced usage of a dozen or more condiments;^[286] it is also known for its tandoori preparations. The tandoor, a clay oven used in India for almost 5,000 years, grills meats to an "uncommon succulence" and produces the puffy flatbread known as naan.^[287] The staple foods are wheat (predominantly in the north),^[288] rice (especially in the south and the east), and lentils.^[289] Many spices that have worldwide appeal are native to the Indian subcontinent,^[290] while chili pepper, native to the Americas and introduced by the Portuguese, is widely used by Indians.^[291]Āyurveda, a system of traditional medicine, used six rasas and three guṇas to help describe comestibles.^[292] Over time, as Vedic animal sacrifices were supplanted by the notion of sacred-cow inviolability, vegetarianism became associated with high religious status and grew increasingly popular,^[293] a trend aided by the rise of Buddhist, Jain, and bhakti Hindu norms.^[294] India has the world's highest concentration of vegetarians: a 2006 survey found that 31% of Indians were non-ovo vegetarian.^[294] Common traditional eating customs include meals taken on or near the floor, caste- and gender-segregated dining,^[295][296] and a lack of cutlery in favour of the right hand or a piece of roti.

Sport

Main article: Sport in India

Girls play hopscotch in Juara, Madhya Pradesh.

In India, several traditional indigenous sports remain fairly popular, among them kabaddi, kho kho, pehlwani and gilli-danda. Some of the earliest forms of Asian martial arts, such askalarippayattu, musti yuddha, silambam, and marma adi, originated in India. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and the Arjuna Award are the highest forms of government recognition for athletic achievement; the Dronacharya Award is awarded for excellence in coaching. Chess, commonly held to have originated in India as chaturaṅga, is regaining widespread popularity with the rise in the number of Indian grandmasters.^[297][298] Pachisi, from which parcheesiderives, was played on a giant marble court by Akbar.^[299] The improved results garnered by the Indian Davis Cup team and other Indian tennis players in the early 2010s have made tennis increasingly popular in the country.^[300] India has a comparatively strong presence in shooting sports, and has won several medals at the Olympics, the World Shooting Championships, and the Commonwealth Games.^[301][302] Other sports in which Indians have succeeded internationally include badminton,^[303] boxing,^[304] and wrestling.^[305] Football is popular in West Bengal, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the north-eastern states.^[306]

India's official national sport is field hockey; it is administered by Hockey India. The Indian national hockey team won the 1975 Hockey World Cup and have, as of 2012, taken eight gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, making it the sport's most successful team. India has also played a major role in popularizing Cricket, thus cricket is by far the most popular sport of India; the Indian national cricket team won the 1983 and 2011 Cricket World Cup events, the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, and shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka. Cricket in India is administered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI; the Ranji Trophy, the Duleep Trophy, the Deodhar Trophy, the Irani Trophy, and the NKP Salve Challenger Trophy are domestic competitions. The BCCI conducts a Twenty20 competition known as the Indian Premier League. India has hosted or co-hosted several international sporting events: the1951 and 1982 Asian Games; the 1987, 1996, and 2011 Cricket World Cup tournaments; the 2003 Afro-Asian Games; the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy; the 2010 Hockey World Cup; and the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Major international sporting events held annually in India include the Chennai Open, the Mumbai Marathon, the Delhi Half Marathon, and the Indian Masters. The first Indian Grand Prix featured in late 2011.^[307] India has traditionally been the dominant country at the South Asian Games. An example of this dominance is the basketball competition where Team India won three out of four tournaments to date.^[308]