| INDIA Republic of India Bharatiya Ganarajya Joined United Nations: 30 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 08/23/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
New Delhi
1,173,108,018 (July 2010 est.)
Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister since 22 May 2004
Prime Minister since 22 May 2004
President elected by an electoral college consisting of elected
members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the
states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July
2007 ; Vice President elected by both houses of Parliament for a
five-year term; election last held 12 August 2007
Next scheduled election: July and August 2012
members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the
states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July
2007 ; Vice President elected by both houses of Parliament for a
five-year term; election last held 12 August 2007
Next scheduled election: July and August 2012
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Prime Minister chosen by parliamentary members of the
majority party following legislative elections; election last held
May 2009
Next scheduled election: Spring 2014
majority party following legislative elections; election last held
May 2009
Next scheduled election: Spring 2014
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
| RELIGIONS |
Hindu 80.5%, Muslim 13.4%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.1% (2001 census)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Federal republic with 28 states and 7 union territories; Legal system is based on English common law; judicial review of legislative acts;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Executive: President elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the
states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 11 August 2007 (next to be held August 2012); prime minister chosen by
parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held May 2009 (next to be held Spring 2014)
Legislative: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than
250 members up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and
territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular
vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held May 2009 (Spring 2014)
Judicial: Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are appointed by the president and remain in office until they
reach the age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; separate personal law codes apply to Muslims, Christians, and Hindus
Executive: President elected by an electoral college consisting of elected members of both houses of Parliament and the legislatures of the
states for a five-year term (no term limits); election last held 21 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012); vice president elected by both
houses of Parliament for a five-year term; election last held 11 August 2007 (next to be held August 2012); prime minister chosen by
parliamentary members of the majority party following legislative elections; election last held May 2009 (next to be held Spring 2014)
Legislative: bicameral Parliament or Sansad consists of the Council of States or Rajya Sabha (a body consisting of not more than
250 members up to 12 of whom are appointed by the president, the remainder are chosen by the elected members of the state and
territorial assemblies; members serve six-year terms) and the People's Assembly or Lok Sabha (545 seats; 543 elected by popular
vote, 2 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms)
elections: People's Assembly - last held May 2009 (Spring 2014)
Judicial: Supreme Court (one chief justice and 25 associate justices are appointed by the president and remain in office until they
reach the age of 65 or are removed for "proved misbehavior")
| LANGUAGES |
English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi,
and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Isolated remains of Homo erectus in Hathnora in the Narmada Valley in Central India indicate that India might have been inhabited
since at least the Middle Pleistocene era, somewhere between 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The Mesolithic period in the Indian
subcontinent covered a timespan of around 25,000 years, starting around 30,000 years ago. Modern humans seem to have settled
the subcontinent towards the end of the last Ice Age, or approximately 12,000 years ago. The first confirmed permanent settlements
appeared 9,000 years ago in the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka in modern Madhya Pradesh. Early Neolithic culture in South Asia is
represented by the Mehrgarh findings (7000 BC onwards) in present day Balochistan, Pakistan. Traces of a Neolithic culture have
been found submerged in the Gulf of Khambat, radiocarbon dated to 7500 BC. Late Neolithic cultures sprang up in the Indus
Valley region between 6000 and 2000 BC and in southern India between 2800 and 1200 BC. The Bronze Age on the Indian
subcontinent began around 3300 BC with the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley,
the Harappans, developed new techniques in metallurgy and produced copper, bronze, lead and tin. The Indus Valley Civilization
which flourished from about 2600 BC to 1900 BC, and included urban centers such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (in Pakistan),
marked the beginning of the urban civilization on the subcontinent. The Vedic culture is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the
Vedas, which are some of the oldest extant texts, orally composed in Vedic Sanskrit. It lasted from about 1500 BC to 500 BC. In
the later Vedic Age, a number of small kingdoms or city states had covered the subcontinent, many mentioned during Vedic
literature as far back as 1000 BC. By 600 BC, sixteen monarchies and 'republics' known as the Mahajanapadas — Kasi, Kosala,
Anga, Magadha, Vajji (or Vriji), Malla, Chedi, Vatsa (or Vamsa), Kuru, Panchala, Machcha (or Matsya), Surasena, Assaka,
Avanti, Gandhara, Kamboja — stretched across the Indo-Gangetic plains from modern-day Afghanistan to south pole. Much of the
northwestern Indian Subcontinent (present day Eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan west of the Indus) came under the rule of the
Persian Achaemenid Empire in c. 520 BC during the reign of Darius the Great, and remained so for two centuries thereafter. In 334
BC, Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor and the Achaemenid Empire, reaching the north-west frontiers of the Indian
subcontinent; there, he defeated King Puru in the Battle of the Hydaspes (near modern-day Jhelum, Pakistan) and conquered much
of the Punjab. However, Alexander's troops refused to go beyond the Hyphases (Beas) River near modern day Jalandhar, Punjab.
Amongst the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the kingdom of Magadha rose to prominence under a number of dynasties. According to
tradition, the Haryanka dynasty founded the Magadha Empire in 684 BC whose capital was Rajagriha, later Pataliputra, near the
present day Patna. This dynasty was succeeded by the Shishunaga dynasty which, in turn, was overthrown by the Nanda dynasty in
424 BC. The Nandas were followed by the Maurya dynasty. The middle period was a time of notable cultural development. The
Satavahanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BC.
The north-western hybrid cultures of the subcontinent included the Indo-Greeks, the Indo-Scythians, the Indo-Parthians, and the
Indo-Sassinids. Roman trade with India started around 1 AD following the reign of Augustus and his conquest of Egypt, theretofore
India's biggest trade partner in the West. In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Gupta Dynasty unified northern India. During this period,
known as India's Golden Age, Hindu culture, science and political administration reached new heights. The classical age in India
began with the resurgence of the north during Harsha's conquests around the 7th century, and ended with the fall of the Vijayanagar
Empire in the South, due to pressure from the invaders to the north in the 13th century. This period produced some of India's finest
art, considered the epitome of classical development, and the development of the main spiritual and philosophical systems which
continued to be in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. After the Arab-Turkic invasion of India's ancient northern neighbour Persia,
expanding forces in that area were keen to invade India, which was the richest classical civilization, with the only known diamond
mines in the world. After resistance for a few centuries by various north Indian kingdoms, short lived Islamic empires invaded and
spread across the northern subcontinent over a period of a few centuries. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Arabs, Turks and Afghans
invaded parts of northern India and established the Delhi Sultanate at the beginning of the 13th century, from former Rajput
holdings. The Delhi Sultanate is the only Sultanate to stake a claim to possessing one of the few female rulers in India, Razia Sultan
(1236-1240). Informed about civil war in India, a Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur began a trek starting in 1398 to invade the
reigning Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud of the Tughlaq Dynasty in the north Indian city of Delhi. In 1526, Babur, a Timurid (Turco-
Persian) descendant of Timur, swept across the Khyber Pass and established the Mughal Empire, which lasted for over 200 years.
The Mughal Dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent by 1600; it went into a slow decline after 1707 and was finally defeated
during the 1857 war of independence also called the Indian rebellion of 1857. Vasco da Gama's discovery of a new sea route to
India in 1498 paved the way for European commerce with India.[24] The Portuguese soon set up trading-posts in Goa, Daman,
Diu and Bombay. The next to arrive were the Dutch, the British—who set up a trading-post in the west-coast port of Surat[25] in
1619—and the French. Although the continental European powers were to control various regions of southern and western India
during the ensuing century, they would eventually lose all their Indian dominions to the British, with the exception of the French
outposts of Pondicherry and Chandernagore, the Dutch port of Travancore, and the Portuguese colonies of Goa, Daman, and Diu.
The British East India Company had been given permission by the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1617 to trade in India. Gradually
their increasing influence led the de-jure Mughal emperor Farrukh Siyar to grant them dastaks or permits for duty free trade in
Bengal in 1717. The Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah, the de facto ruler of the Bengal province, opposed British attempts to use
these permits. This led to the Battle of Plassey in 1757, in which the East India Company army, led by Robert Clive, defeated the
Nawab. This was the first political foothold that the British acquired in India. By the 1850s, the East India Company controlled most
of the Indian sub-continent, which included present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. The first major movement against British rule
resulted in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the "Indian Mutiny" or "Sepoy Mutiny" or the "First War of Independence".
Along with the desire for independence, tensions between Hindus and Muslims had also been developing over the years. The
Muslims had always been a minority, and the prospect of an exclusively Hindu government made them wary of independence; they
were as inclined to mistrust Hindu rule as they were to resist the Raj. In 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi came onto the
scene, calling for unity between the two groups in an astonishing display of leadership that would eventually lead the country to
independence. The profound impact Gandhi had on India and his ability to gain independence through a totally non-violent mass
movement made him one of the most remarkable leaders the world has ever known. He led by example, wearing homespun clothes
to weaken the British textile industry and orchestrating a march to the sea, where demonstrators proceeded to make their own salt
in protest against the British monopoly. Indians gave him the name Mahatma, or Great Soul. The British promised that they would
leave India by 1947. India gained independence in 1947, after being partitioned into the Republic of India and Pakistan. Following
the division, rioting broke out between Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in several parts of India, including Punjab, Bengal and Delhi,
leaving some 500,000 dead. Also, this period saw one of the largest mass migrations ever recorded in modern history, with a total
of 12 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims moving between the newly created nations of India and Pakistan.
Source: Wikipedia: History of India
since at least the Middle Pleistocene era, somewhere between 200,000 to 500,000 years ago. The Mesolithic period in the Indian
subcontinent covered a timespan of around 25,000 years, starting around 30,000 years ago. Modern humans seem to have settled
the subcontinent towards the end of the last Ice Age, or approximately 12,000 years ago. The first confirmed permanent settlements
appeared 9,000 years ago in the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka in modern Madhya Pradesh. Early Neolithic culture in South Asia is
represented by the Mehrgarh findings (7000 BC onwards) in present day Balochistan, Pakistan. Traces of a Neolithic culture have
been found submerged in the Gulf of Khambat, radiocarbon dated to 7500 BC. Late Neolithic cultures sprang up in the Indus
Valley region between 6000 and 2000 BC and in southern India between 2800 and 1200 BC. The Bronze Age on the Indian
subcontinent began around 3300 BC with the beginning of the Indus Valley Civilization. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley,
the Harappans, developed new techniques in metallurgy and produced copper, bronze, lead and tin. The Indus Valley Civilization
which flourished from about 2600 BC to 1900 BC, and included urban centers such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (in Pakistan),
marked the beginning of the urban civilization on the subcontinent. The Vedic culture is the Indo-Aryan culture associated with the
Vedas, which are some of the oldest extant texts, orally composed in Vedic Sanskrit. It lasted from about 1500 BC to 500 BC. In
the later Vedic Age, a number of small kingdoms or city states had covered the subcontinent, many mentioned during Vedic
literature as far back as 1000 BC. By 600 BC, sixteen monarchies and 'republics' known as the Mahajanapadas — Kasi, Kosala,
Anga, Magadha, Vajji (or Vriji), Malla, Chedi, Vatsa (or Vamsa), Kuru, Panchala, Machcha (or Matsya), Surasena, Assaka,
Avanti, Gandhara, Kamboja — stretched across the Indo-Gangetic plains from modern-day Afghanistan to south pole. Much of the
northwestern Indian Subcontinent (present day Eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan west of the Indus) came under the rule of the
Persian Achaemenid Empire in c. 520 BC during the reign of Darius the Great, and remained so for two centuries thereafter. In 334
BC, Alexander the Great conquered Asia Minor and the Achaemenid Empire, reaching the north-west frontiers of the Indian
subcontinent; there, he defeated King Puru in the Battle of the Hydaspes (near modern-day Jhelum, Pakistan) and conquered much
of the Punjab. However, Alexander's troops refused to go beyond the Hyphases (Beas) River near modern day Jalandhar, Punjab.
Amongst the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the kingdom of Magadha rose to prominence under a number of dynasties. According to
tradition, the Haryanka dynasty founded the Magadha Empire in 684 BC whose capital was Rajagriha, later Pataliputra, near the
present day Patna. This dynasty was succeeded by the Shishunaga dynasty which, in turn, was overthrown by the Nanda dynasty in
424 BC. The Nandas were followed by the Maurya dynasty. The middle period was a time of notable cultural development. The
Satavahanas, also known as the Andhras, were a dynasty which ruled in Southern and Central India starting from around 230 BC.
The north-western hybrid cultures of the subcontinent included the Indo-Greeks, the Indo-Scythians, the Indo-Parthians, and the
Indo-Sassinids. Roman trade with India started around 1 AD following the reign of Augustus and his conquest of Egypt, theretofore
India's biggest trade partner in the West. In the 4th and 5th centuries, the Gupta Dynasty unified northern India. During this period,
known as India's Golden Age, Hindu culture, science and political administration reached new heights. The classical age in India
began with the resurgence of the north during Harsha's conquests around the 7th century, and ended with the fall of the Vijayanagar
Empire in the South, due to pressure from the invaders to the north in the 13th century. This period produced some of India's finest
art, considered the epitome of classical development, and the development of the main spiritual and philosophical systems which
continued to be in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. After the Arab-Turkic invasion of India's ancient northern neighbour Persia,
expanding forces in that area were keen to invade India, which was the richest classical civilization, with the only known diamond
mines in the world. After resistance for a few centuries by various north Indian kingdoms, short lived Islamic empires invaded and
spread across the northern subcontinent over a period of a few centuries. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Arabs, Turks and Afghans
invaded parts of northern India and established the Delhi Sultanate at the beginning of the 13th century, from former Rajput
holdings. The Delhi Sultanate is the only Sultanate to stake a claim to possessing one of the few female rulers in India, Razia Sultan
(1236-1240). Informed about civil war in India, a Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur began a trek starting in 1398 to invade the
reigning Sultan Nasir-u Din Mehmud of the Tughlaq Dynasty in the north Indian city of Delhi. In 1526, Babur, a Timurid (Turco-
Persian) descendant of Timur, swept across the Khyber Pass and established the Mughal Empire, which lasted for over 200 years.
The Mughal Dynasty ruled most of the Indian subcontinent by 1600; it went into a slow decline after 1707 and was finally defeated
during the 1857 war of independence also called the Indian rebellion of 1857. Vasco da Gama's discovery of a new sea route to
India in 1498 paved the way for European commerce with India.[24] The Portuguese soon set up trading-posts in Goa, Daman,
Diu and Bombay. The next to arrive were the Dutch, the British—who set up a trading-post in the west-coast port of Surat[25] in
1619—and the French. Although the continental European powers were to control various regions of southern and western India
during the ensuing century, they would eventually lose all their Indian dominions to the British, with the exception of the French
outposts of Pondicherry and Chandernagore, the Dutch port of Travancore, and the Portuguese colonies of Goa, Daman, and Diu.
The British East India Company had been given permission by the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1617 to trade in India. Gradually
their increasing influence led the de-jure Mughal emperor Farrukh Siyar to grant them dastaks or permits for duty free trade in
Bengal in 1717. The Nawab of Bengal Siraj Ud Daulah, the de facto ruler of the Bengal province, opposed British attempts to use
these permits. This led to the Battle of Plassey in 1757, in which the East India Company army, led by Robert Clive, defeated the
Nawab. This was the first political foothold that the British acquired in India. By the 1850s, the East India Company controlled most
of the Indian sub-continent, which included present-day Pakistan and Bangladesh. The first major movement against British rule
resulted in the Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the "Indian Mutiny" or "Sepoy Mutiny" or the "First War of Independence".
Along with the desire for independence, tensions between Hindus and Muslims had also been developing over the years. The
Muslims had always been a minority, and the prospect of an exclusively Hindu government made them wary of independence; they
were as inclined to mistrust Hindu rule as they were to resist the Raj. In 1915, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi came onto the
scene, calling for unity between the two groups in an astonishing display of leadership that would eventually lead the country to
independence. The profound impact Gandhi had on India and his ability to gain independence through a totally non-violent mass
movement made him one of the most remarkable leaders the world has ever known. He led by example, wearing homespun clothes
to weaken the British textile industry and orchestrating a march to the sea, where demonstrators proceeded to make their own salt
in protest against the British monopoly. Indians gave him the name Mahatma, or Great Soul. The British promised that they would
leave India by 1947. India gained independence in 1947, after being partitioned into the Republic of India and Pakistan. Following
the division, rioting broke out between Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims in several parts of India, including Punjab, Bengal and Delhi,
leaving some 500,000 dead. Also, this period saw one of the largest mass migrations ever recorded in modern history, with a total
of 12 million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims moving between the newly created nations of India and Pakistan.
Source: Wikipedia: History of India
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
India is developing into an open-market economy, yet traces of its past autarkic policies remain. Economic liberalization, including
reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and has served to accelerate the country's growth,
which has averaged more than 7% per year since 1997. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern
agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly more than half of the work force is in
agriculture, but services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output, with only
one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of
information technology services and software workers. An industrial slowdown early in 2008, followed by the global financial crisis,
led annual GDP growth to slow to 6.5% in 2009, still the second highest growth in the world among major economies. India
escaped the brunt of the global financial crisis because of cautious banking policies and a relatively low dependence on exports for
growth. Domestic demand, driven by purchases of consumer durables and automobiles, has re-emerged as a key driver of growth,
as exports have fallen since the global crisis started. India's fiscal deficit increased substantially in 2008 due to fuel and fertilizer
subsidies, a debt waiver program for farmers, a job guarantee program for rural workers, and stimulus expenditures. The
government abandoned its deficit target and allowed the deficit to reach 6.8% of GDP in FY10. Nevertheless, as shares of GDP,
both government spending and taxation are among the lowest in the world. The government has expressed a commitment to fiscal
stimulus in FY10, and to deficit reduction the following two years. It has increased the pace of privatization of government-owned
companies, partly to offset the deficit. India's long term challenges include widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social
infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and insufficient access to basic and higher education. Over the long-term, a
growing population and changing demographics will only exacerbate social, economic, and environmental problems.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select India)
reduced controls on foreign trade and investment, began in the early 1990s and has served to accelerate the country's growth,
which has averaged more than 7% per year since 1997. India's diverse economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern
agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a multitude of services. Slightly more than half of the work force is in
agriculture, but services are the major source of economic growth, accounting for more than half of India's output, with only
one-third of its labor force. India has capitalized on its large educated English-speaking population to become a major exporter of
information technology services and software workers. An industrial slowdown early in 2008, followed by the global financial crisis,
led annual GDP growth to slow to 6.5% in 2009, still the second highest growth in the world among major economies. India
escaped the brunt of the global financial crisis because of cautious banking policies and a relatively low dependence on exports for
growth. Domestic demand, driven by purchases of consumer durables and automobiles, has re-emerged as a key driver of growth,
as exports have fallen since the global crisis started. India's fiscal deficit increased substantially in 2008 due to fuel and fertilizer
subsidies, a debt waiver program for farmers, a job guarantee program for rural workers, and stimulus expenditures. The
government abandoned its deficit target and allowed the deficit to reach 6.8% of GDP in FY10. Nevertheless, as shares of GDP,
both government spending and taxation are among the lowest in the world. The government has expressed a commitment to fiscal
stimulus in FY10, and to deficit reduction the following two years. It has increased the pace of privatization of government-owned
companies, partly to offset the deficit. India's long term challenges include widespread poverty, inadequate physical and social
infrastructure, limited employment opportunities, and insufficient access to basic and higher education. Over the long-term, a
growing population and changing demographics will only exacerbate social, economic, and environmental problems.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select India)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
According to its constitution, India is a "sovereign socialist secular democratic republic." India is the largest state by population with
a democratically-elected government. Like the United States, India has a federal form of government, however, the central
government in India has greater power in relation to its states, and its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary
system. Regarding the former, "the Centre", the national government, can and has dismissed state governments if no majority party
or coalition is able to form a government or under specific Constitutional clauses, and can impose direct federal rule known as
President's rule. Locally, the Panchayati Raj system has several administrative functions.
For most of the years since independence, the federal government has been led by the Indian National Congress (INC), Politics in
the states have been dominated by several national parties including the INC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist
Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and various regional parties. From 1950 to 1990, barring two brief periods, the INC enjoyed a
parliamentary majority. The INC was out of power between 1977 and 1980, when the Janata Party won the election owing to
public discontent with the corruption of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1989, a Janata Dal-led National Front coalition in
alliance with the Left Front coalition won the elections but managed to stay in power for only two years. As the 1991 elections gave
no political party a majority, the INC formed a minority government under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and was able to
complete its five-year term. The years 1996–1998 were a period of turmoil in the federal government with several short-lived
alliances holding sway. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996, followed by the United Front coalition that excluded both the
BJP and the INC. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with several other parties and became the
first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.In the 2004 Indian elections, the INC won the largest number of
Lok Sabha seats and formed a government with a coalition called the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), supported by various
parties. In the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, it won again with a surprising majority, the INC itself winning more than 200 seats.
At the federal level, India is the most populous democracy in the world. While many neighboring countries witness frequent coups,
Indian democracy has been suspended only once. Nevertheless, Indian politics is often described as chaotic. More than a fifth of
parliament members face criminal charges.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of India
a democratically-elected government. Like the United States, India has a federal form of government, however, the central
government in India has greater power in relation to its states, and its central government is patterned after the British parliamentary
system. Regarding the former, "the Centre", the national government, can and has dismissed state governments if no majority party
or coalition is able to form a government or under specific Constitutional clauses, and can impose direct federal rule known as
President's rule. Locally, the Panchayati Raj system has several administrative functions.
For most of the years since independence, the federal government has been led by the Indian National Congress (INC), Politics in
the states have been dominated by several national parties including the INC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Communist
Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) and various regional parties. From 1950 to 1990, barring two brief periods, the INC enjoyed a
parliamentary majority. The INC was out of power between 1977 and 1980, when the Janata Party won the election owing to
public discontent with the corruption of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In 1989, a Janata Dal-led National Front coalition in
alliance with the Left Front coalition won the elections but managed to stay in power for only two years. As the 1991 elections gave
no political party a majority, the INC formed a minority government under Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao and was able to
complete its five-year term. The years 1996–1998 were a period of turmoil in the federal government with several short-lived
alliances holding sway. The BJP formed a government briefly in 1996, followed by the United Front coalition that excluded both the
BJP and the INC. In 1998, the BJP formed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with several other parties and became the
first non-Congress government to complete a full five-year term.In the 2004 Indian elections, the INC won the largest number of
Lok Sabha seats and formed a government with a coalition called the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), supported by various
parties. In the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections, it won again with a surprising majority, the INC itself winning more than 200 seats.
At the federal level, India is the most populous democracy in the world. While many neighboring countries witness frequent coups,
Indian democracy has been suspended only once. Nevertheless, Indian politics is often described as chaotic. More than a fifth of
parliament members face criminal charges.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of India
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated discussions related to the dispute over
most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan,
and other matters continue; various talks and confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir,
particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most
militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan have maintained the 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated
discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line
of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on
water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained
a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to
defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed
boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh
claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange
territory for 51 Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of
Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and
Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine
contested boundary sections, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a
strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan,
and other matters continue; various talks and confidence-building measures have cautiously begun to defuse tensions over Kashmir,
particularly since the October 2005 earthquake in the region; Kashmir nevertheless remains the site of the world's largest and most
militarized territorial dispute with portions under the de facto administration of China (Aksai Chin), India (Jammu and Kashmir), and
Pakistan (Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas); India and Pakistan have maintained the 2004 cease fire in Kashmir and initiated
discussions on defusing the armed stand-off in the Siachen glacier region; Pakistan protests India's fencing the highly militarized Line
of Control and construction of the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, which is part of the larger dispute on
water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries; UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) has maintained
a small group of peacekeepers since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964; to
defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek technical resolution of the disputed
boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh
claim in Indian Gujarat State; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit a small section of river boundary, to exchange
territory for 51 Bangladeshi exclaves in India and 111 Indian exclaves in Bangladesh, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
cross-border trade, migration, violence, and transit of terrorists through the porous border; Bangladesh protests India's attempts to
fence off high-traffic sections of the border; dispute with Bangladesh over New Moore/South Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of
Bengal deters maritime boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and Burma to keep Indian Nagaland and
Assam separatists from hiding in remote areas along the borders; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine
contested boundary sections, including the 400 square kilometer dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a
strict border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from Nepal
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDPS) |
Refugees (country of origin): 77,200 (Tibet/China); 69,609 (Sri Lanka); 9,472 (Afghanistan)
IDPs: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)
IDPs: at least 600,000 (about half are Kashmiri Pandits from Jammu and Kashmir) (2007)
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
World's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade, but an undetermined quantity of opium is diverted to illicit
international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit
producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor
production
international drug markets; transit point for illicit narcotics produced in neighboring countries and throughout Southwest Asia; illicit
producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money laundering through the hawala system; licit ketamine and precursor
production
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Reports: India
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
India is a multiparty, federal, parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament and a population of approximately 1.1 billion with an
active civil society. It has a federal structure in which the states enjoy a high degree of autonomy, especially on issues of law and order.
Manmohan Singh became prime minister for a second term following his Congress Party-led coalition's victory in the April-May general
elections, which were considered free and fair, despite scattered instances of violence. Serious internal unrest at times affected the state
of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as several states in the Northeast. Although civilian authorities maintained effective control of the
security forces, security forces occasionally acted independently of government authority.
The government generally respected the rights of its citizens and made progress in reducing incidents of communal violence, expanding
efforts against human trafficking, and reducing the exploitation of indentured, bonded, and child workers but serious problems remained.
Major problems included:
Separatist insurgents and terrorists in Kashmir, the Northeast, and the Naxalite (Maoist) belt committed numerous serious abuses,
including killing armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians. Insurgents engaged in widespread torture, rape,
beheadings, kidnapping, and extortion. The number of incidents declined compared with the previous year.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
India is a multiparty, federal, parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament and a population of approximately 1.1 billion with an
active civil society. It has a federal structure in which the states enjoy a high degree of autonomy, especially on issues of law and order.
Manmohan Singh became prime minister for a second term following his Congress Party-led coalition's victory in the April-May general
elections, which were considered free and fair, despite scattered instances of violence. Serious internal unrest at times affected the state
of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as several states in the Northeast. Although civilian authorities maintained effective control of the
security forces, security forces occasionally acted independently of government authority.
The government generally respected the rights of its citizens and made progress in reducing incidents of communal violence, expanding
efforts against human trafficking, and reducing the exploitation of indentured, bonded, and child workers but serious problems remained.
Major problems included:
- reported extrajudicial killings of persons in custody, disappearances, and torture and rape by police and other security forces.
- Investigations into individual abuses and legal punishment for perpetrators occurred, but for many abuses, a lack of accountability
created an atmosphere of impunity. - Poor prison conditions and lengthy detentions were significant problems.
- Some officials used antiterrorism legislation to justify excessive use of force.
- Corruption existed at all levels of government and police.
- While there were no large-scale attacks against minorities during the year, there were reports of delays in obtaining legal redress
for past incidents. - Some states promulgated laws restricting religious conversion.
- Violence associated with caste-based discrimination occurred.
- Domestic violence, child marriage, dowry-related deaths, honor crimes, and female feticide remained serious problems.
Separatist insurgents and terrorists in Kashmir, the Northeast, and the Naxalite (Maoist) belt committed numerous serious abuses,
including killing armed forces personnel, police, government officials, and civilians. Insurgents engaged in widespread torture, rape,
beheadings, kidnapping, and extortion. The number of incidents declined compared with the previous year.
Click here to read more »
26 January 2009
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief,
Asma Jahangir
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief undertook a country visit to India from 3 to 20 March 2008, upon the invitation
of the Government.
The present report gives an overview of the international legal standards and the domestic legal framework on freedom of religion or
belief. The Special Rapporteur refers to the religious demography and highlights selected aspects of the status of freedom of religion or
belief in India. She focuses on the following issues of concern: the situation of religious or belief minorities; justice for victims and
survivors of communal violence; freedom of religion or belief in Jammu and Kashmir; the negative impact of laws on religious
conversion in several states; and implications of religion-based personal laws.
In the last part of the report, the Special Rapporteur presents her conclusions and recommendations. She notes the religious diversity of
society in India and the positive impact of secularism as embodied in the Constitution, as well as the high degree of human rights activism
in the country. Even though a comprehensive legal framework to protect freedom of religion or belief does exist, many of her
interlocutors, especially from religious minorities, remain dissatisfied with its implementation. Owing to the federal nature of the political
system, Indian states have wide powers, including in the field of law and order. While recognizing the efforts and achievements of the
central Government, the Special Rapporteur focuses on issues of concern with regard to intolerance and discrimination based on religion
or belief, especially in certain states. Organized groups claiming adherence to religious ideologies have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of
mob violence in many parts of the country. Referring to her predecessor’s report on his visit to India (E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1), the
Special Rapporteur stresses the need to prevent political exploitation of communal distinctions effectively and to address adequately
advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
The Special Rapporteur appeals to the authorities to take quick and effective measures to protect members of religious minorities from
any attacks and to step up efforts to prevent communal violence. Any specific legislation on communal violence should take into account
the concerns of religious minorities and must not reinforce impunity of communalized police forces at the state level. While inquiries into
large-scale communal violence should not be performed hastily, they should be accorded the highest priority and urgency by the
investigation teams, the judiciary and any commission appointed to study the situation. Furthermore, the laws and bills on religious
conversion in several Indian states should be reconsidered since they raise serious human rights concerns, in particular because of the
use of vague or overbroad terminology and discriminatory provisions. In addition, the eligibility for affirmative action benefits should be
restored to those members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes who have converted to another religion. Finally, religion-based
personal laws should be reviewed to prevent discrimination based on religion or belief and to ensure gender equality.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session Agenda item 3
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL
RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief,
Asma Jahangir
Summary
The Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief undertook a country visit to India from 3 to 20 March 2008, upon the invitation
of the Government.
The present report gives an overview of the international legal standards and the domestic legal framework on freedom of religion or
belief. The Special Rapporteur refers to the religious demography and highlights selected aspects of the status of freedom of religion or
belief in India. She focuses on the following issues of concern: the situation of religious or belief minorities; justice for victims and
survivors of communal violence; freedom of religion or belief in Jammu and Kashmir; the negative impact of laws on religious
conversion in several states; and implications of religion-based personal laws.
In the last part of the report, the Special Rapporteur presents her conclusions and recommendations. She notes the religious diversity of
society in India and the positive impact of secularism as embodied in the Constitution, as well as the high degree of human rights activism
in the country. Even though a comprehensive legal framework to protect freedom of religion or belief does exist, many of her
interlocutors, especially from religious minorities, remain dissatisfied with its implementation. Owing to the federal nature of the political
system, Indian states have wide powers, including in the field of law and order. While recognizing the efforts and achievements of the
central Government, the Special Rapporteur focuses on issues of concern with regard to intolerance and discrimination based on religion
or belief, especially in certain states. Organized groups claiming adherence to religious ideologies have unleashed an all-pervasive fear of
mob violence in many parts of the country. Referring to her predecessor’s report on his visit to India (E/CN.4/1997/91/Add.1), the
Special Rapporteur stresses the need to prevent political exploitation of communal distinctions effectively and to address adequately
advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
The Special Rapporteur appeals to the authorities to take quick and effective measures to protect members of religious minorities from
any attacks and to step up efforts to prevent communal violence. Any specific legislation on communal violence should take into account
the concerns of religious minorities and must not reinforce impunity of communalized police forces at the state level. While inquiries into
large-scale communal violence should not be performed hastily, they should be accorded the highest priority and urgency by the
investigation teams, the judiciary and any commission appointed to study the situation. Furthermore, the laws and bills on religious
conversion in several Indian states should be reconsidered since they raise serious human rights concerns, in particular because of the
use of vague or overbroad terminology and discriminatory provisions. In addition, the eligibility for affirmative action benefits should be
restored to those members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes who have converted to another religion. Finally, religion-based
personal laws should be reviewed to prevent discrimination based on religion or belief and to ensure gender equality.
Click here to read more »
Freedom In The World 2010 Report
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 3
Status: Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which is examined in a
separate report.
Overview
The ruling United Progressive Alliance, a coalition led by the Congress Party, won a decisive victory in the April–May 2009
parliamentary elections, allowing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remain in office. The Congress-led alliance also maintained its
majority in state elections in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh in October, and won a plurality of seats in Haryana. While the year was
relatively peaceful, ongoing Maoist and separatist insurgencies contributed to lawlessness and human rights violations in a number of
states.
The UPA gained strength in the April–May 2009 parliamentary elections, decisively defeating the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance,
which remained its closest rival. Congress itself won 206 of 543 lower house seats, compared with 116 for the BJP, and the UPA won
260 seats overall. Moreover, the coalition made alliances with several independent parties, eventually giving it a majority of 322 seats.
Mayawatti, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and a leader of low-caste Dalits, was thought to be a potential contender for the
premiership before the elections, but her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not perform as well as expected, securing only 21 seats.
Average voter turnout over all five phases of the election was approximately 60 percent.
Congress’s electoral victory led to a more stable government, though the absence of communist parties from the ruling coalition did not
lead to any major economic changes in its first budget, released in July. Liberal attempts to introduce reforms were weakened by India’s
comparative success during the global economic crisis.
A peace dialogue that began after India and Pakistan came close to war in 2002, but which faltered in 2008 due to a series of terrorist
attacks attributed to Islamist militants, resumed in June 2009. The fresh talks came after Pakistan took steps to acknowledge the role of
the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba in a November 2008 terrorist assault on hotels and other sites in Mumbai that killed
171 people. After a round of talks in July, India and Pakistan issued a joint statement declaring that acts of terrorism would not have any
impact on the peace process, although the Indian government was forced to backtrack on the issue following vocal domestic criticism.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 3
Status: Free
Explanatory Note
The numerical ratings and status listed above do not reflect conditions in Indian-controlled Kashmir, which is examined in a
separate report.
Overview
The ruling United Progressive Alliance, a coalition led by the Congress Party, won a decisive victory in the April–May 2009
parliamentary elections, allowing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remain in office. The Congress-led alliance also maintained its
majority in state elections in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh in October, and won a plurality of seats in Haryana. While the year was
relatively peaceful, ongoing Maoist and separatist insurgencies contributed to lawlessness and human rights violations in a number of
states.
The UPA gained strength in the April–May 2009 parliamentary elections, decisively defeating the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance,
which remained its closest rival. Congress itself won 206 of 543 lower house seats, compared with 116 for the BJP, and the UPA won
260 seats overall. Moreover, the coalition made alliances with several independent parties, eventually giving it a majority of 322 seats.
Mayawatti, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and a leader of low-caste Dalits, was thought to be a potential contender for the
premiership before the elections, but her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) did not perform as well as expected, securing only 21 seats.
Average voter turnout over all five phases of the election was approximately 60 percent.
Congress’s electoral victory led to a more stable government, though the absence of communist parties from the ruling coalition did not
lead to any major economic changes in its first budget, released in July. Liberal attempts to introduce reforms were weakened by India’s
comparative success during the global economic crisis.
A peace dialogue that began after India and Pakistan came close to war in 2002, but which faltered in 2008 due to a series of terrorist
attacks attributed to Islamist militants, resumed in June 2009. The fresh talks came after Pakistan took steps to acknowledge the role of
the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba in a November 2008 terrorist assault on hotels and other sites in Mumbai that killed
171 people. After a round of talks in July, India and Pakistan issued a joint statement declaring that acts of terrorism would not have any
impact on the peace process, although the Indian government was forced to backtrack on the issue following vocal domestic criticism.
Click here to read more »
PUBLIC STATEMENT
18 August 2010
India: Authorities in Tamil Nadu must release five activists campaigning against torture and drop false charges against them
Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu must release five arrested human rights defenders, drop the false charges against
them and hold the state police accountable for harassment and intimidation, Amnesty International said today.
The five human rights defenders - Bharathi Pillai, Niharga Priya, Sudha, Gnana Diraviam and Anandan – who were part of a human
rights training programme conducted by People’s Watch, Madurai, were arrested on the night of 15 August on false charges. They had
gone to Veeravanallur police station for a fact-finding exercise as part of the field training programme to inquire about the lack of
investigation in the torture of a Dalit youth, Suresh, allegedly by a police officer there. Earlier, they were detained at the police station for
six hours.
The five activists have been charged with section 170 of the Indian Penal Code (impersonating a public servant), section 353 (assault or
criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his or her duty), section 416 (cheating by impersonation) and section 506
(criminal intimidation) and lodged in prison. The police also declared Henri Tiphagne, Director of People’s Watch, Madurai, as an
“absconding offender” in the case. This was on the basis of a complaint from one of the police officials that the five activists, claiming
to be public officials, had apparently tried to threaten them.
Fact-finding exercises are commonly held globally and in India, as a way of probing allegations of human rights violations and seeking
accountability. There was no attempt by the fact-finding team to impersonate public officials and the team had informed the
Veeravanallur police in advance about the purpose of its visit.
Amnesty International is concerned that the arrests and the filing of charges appear to be politically motivated, as a result of their work
as defenders of human rights raising issues of torture and impunity. The police charges of impersonation against Henri Tiphagne and the
five arrested human rights defenders appear to be an attempt to silence the victims of police torture by criminalizing a legitimate form of
protest by human rights defenders.
Amnesty International calls on the Tamil Nadu government to:
* drop the false charges against the six human rights defenders and immediately release the five persons.
* hold the State police accountable for such harassment and intimidation and ensure an independent investigation into the allegations of
torture by the police of the Dalit youth.
Click here to read more »
18 August 2010
India: Authorities in Tamil Nadu must release five activists campaigning against torture and drop false charges against them
Authorities in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu must release five arrested human rights defenders, drop the false charges against
them and hold the state police accountable for harassment and intimidation, Amnesty International said today.
The five human rights defenders - Bharathi Pillai, Niharga Priya, Sudha, Gnana Diraviam and Anandan – who were part of a human
rights training programme conducted by People’s Watch, Madurai, were arrested on the night of 15 August on false charges. They had
gone to Veeravanallur police station for a fact-finding exercise as part of the field training programme to inquire about the lack of
investigation in the torture of a Dalit youth, Suresh, allegedly by a police officer there. Earlier, they were detained at the police station for
six hours.
The five activists have been charged with section 170 of the Indian Penal Code (impersonating a public servant), section 353 (assault or
criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his or her duty), section 416 (cheating by impersonation) and section 506
(criminal intimidation) and lodged in prison. The police also declared Henri Tiphagne, Director of People’s Watch, Madurai, as an
“absconding offender” in the case. This was on the basis of a complaint from one of the police officials that the five activists, claiming
to be public officials, had apparently tried to threaten them.
Fact-finding exercises are commonly held globally and in India, as a way of probing allegations of human rights violations and seeking
accountability. There was no attempt by the fact-finding team to impersonate public officials and the team had informed the
Veeravanallur police in advance about the purpose of its visit.
Amnesty International is concerned that the arrests and the filing of charges appear to be politically motivated, as a result of their work
as defenders of human rights raising issues of torture and impunity. The police charges of impersonation against Henri Tiphagne and the
five arrested human rights defenders appear to be an attempt to silence the victims of police torture by criminalizing a legitimate form of
protest by human rights defenders.
Amnesty International calls on the Tamil Nadu government to:
* drop the false charges against the six human rights defenders and immediately release the five persons.
* hold the State police accountable for such harassment and intimidation and ensure an independent investigation into the allegations of
torture by the police of the Dalit youth.
Click here to read more »
India: Don’t Repeat Misuse of Counterterrorism Laws
Amend Laws to Protect Basic Rights
July 27, 2010
(New York) - The Indian government should revise its draconian 2008 amendments to counterterrorism laws that can lead to serious
violations of human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The amendments mirror previous counterterrorism
laws that had been allowed to lapse or were repealed because of the abuses committed under them, Human Rights Watch said.
The 20-page report, "Back to the Future: India's 2008 Counterterrorism Laws," is an analysis of the amendments to the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), enacted after the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai that killed 166 people and injured over 300.
Comparing them to previous legislation, the report finds that the new amendments contain provisions that are also likely to result in abuse
of terrorism suspects and the infringement of basic due process rights.
"The Indian government needs to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, but laws that open the way to human rights violations are
counterproductive," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Abuse of previous counterterrorism laws all
too often alienated communities and served as a recruitment tool for militants."
The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act 1985 was allowed to lapse in 1995, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002
(POTA) was repealed in 2004 because both laws had led to the arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial
killing of numerous terrorism suspects and others, including Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and citizens of India's northeastern states.
The 2008 amendments contain the same vague definitions of terrorist activity and unlawful association as these previous laws. With the
amendments' harsh penalties and wide powers of detention and investigation, the government can misuse this law to persecute political
opponents or authorize repressive measures against minority groups and targeted populations. Human Rights Watch is particularly
concerned that the amendments will be invoked during security operations against Maoist armed groups, known as Naxalites, to target
tribal groups and human rights defenders.
Click here to read more »
Amend Laws to Protect Basic Rights
July 27, 2010
(New York) - The Indian government should revise its draconian 2008 amendments to counterterrorism laws that can lead to serious
violations of human rights, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The amendments mirror previous counterterrorism
laws that had been allowed to lapse or were repealed because of the abuses committed under them, Human Rights Watch said.
The 20-page report, "Back to the Future: India's 2008 Counterterrorism Laws," is an analysis of the amendments to the Unlawful
Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), enacted after the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai that killed 166 people and injured over 300.
Comparing them to previous legislation, the report finds that the new amendments contain provisions that are also likely to result in abuse
of terrorism suspects and the infringement of basic due process rights.
"The Indian government needs to protect its citizens from terrorist attacks, but laws that open the way to human rights violations are
counterproductive," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Abuse of previous counterterrorism laws all
too often alienated communities and served as a recruitment tool for militants."
The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act 1985 was allowed to lapse in 1995, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2002
(POTA) was repealed in 2004 because both laws had led to the arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial
killing of numerous terrorism suspects and others, including Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and citizens of India's northeastern states.
The 2008 amendments contain the same vague definitions of terrorist activity and unlawful association as these previous laws. With the
amendments' harsh penalties and wide powers of detention and investigation, the government can misuse this law to persecute political
opponents or authorize repressive measures against minority groups and targeted populations. Human Rights Watch is particularly
concerned that the amendments will be invoked during security operations against Maoist armed groups, known as Naxalites, to target
tribal groups and human rights defenders.
Click here to read more »
STATEMENT BY MR. S. M. KRISHNA, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER AT THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THE 64TH
SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2009
Mr. President,
Climate change is one of the most important global challenges that we face today. Developing countries bear a disproportionate share of
its adverse effects even though they are not responsible for it. Cognizant of the serious threat that climate change poses, India is engaged
in the ongoing negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change including in the upcoming Copenhagen
Conference. India will work for an outcome that recognizes the development imperatives of developing countries and is rooted in the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Poverty alleviation and livelihood security are central imperatives for India. For this, accelerated economic growth and energy security
are critical drivers. In pursuing our development goals, India has been successful in significantly reducing its energy intensity. India will
continue to pursue this path.
India is aware that the continuing volatility in the fossil-fuel markets together with the threat of climate change which makes the
development of all renewable and clean energy sources, including nuclear energy crucial. In this context, international civil-nuclear
cooperation is important.
India has also taken several independent initiatives to address the issue of climate change. We have put in place a comprehensive policy
and legislative framework as well as a National Action Plan on Climate Change with separate Eight National Missions. An unprecedented
afforestation campaign has been launched with doubling of the budget for forestry this year to US$ 1.3 billion and this increase is going
to be sustained every year. The Prime Minister‟s Council has approved National Missions for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, and Solar
Energy setting ambitious goals.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate India‟s steadfast commitment to the work of the United Nations. Speaking to this Assembly 41 years
ago, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said and I QUOTE "..the United Nations is the trustee of the world's peace and represents the hopes
of mankind. Its very existence gives a feeling of assurance that the justice of true causes can be brought fearlessly before the world.
This Assembly and the agencies of the United Nations should, in all that they do, sustain those hopes and promote the causes of peace.
UNQUOTE. The truth and conviction of these words are more meaningful today than ever before.
Click here to read more »
SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2009
Mr. President,
Climate change is one of the most important global challenges that we face today. Developing countries bear a disproportionate share of
its adverse effects even though they are not responsible for it. Cognizant of the serious threat that climate change poses, India is engaged
in the ongoing negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change including in the upcoming Copenhagen
Conference. India will work for an outcome that recognizes the development imperatives of developing countries and is rooted in the
principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Poverty alleviation and livelihood security are central imperatives for India. For this, accelerated economic growth and energy security
are critical drivers. In pursuing our development goals, India has been successful in significantly reducing its energy intensity. India will
continue to pursue this path.
India is aware that the continuing volatility in the fossil-fuel markets together with the threat of climate change which makes the
development of all renewable and clean energy sources, including nuclear energy crucial. In this context, international civil-nuclear
cooperation is important.
India has also taken several independent initiatives to address the issue of climate change. We have put in place a comprehensive policy
and legislative framework as well as a National Action Plan on Climate Change with separate Eight National Missions. An unprecedented
afforestation campaign has been launched with doubling of the budget for forestry this year to US$ 1.3 billion and this increase is going
to be sustained every year. The Prime Minister‟s Council has approved National Missions for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, and Solar
Energy setting ambitious goals.
In conclusion, I wish to reiterate India‟s steadfast commitment to the work of the United Nations. Speaking to this Assembly 41 years
ago, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi said and I QUOTE "..the United Nations is the trustee of the world's peace and represents the hopes
of mankind. Its very existence gives a feeling of assurance that the justice of true causes can be brought fearlessly before the world.
This Assembly and the agencies of the United Nations should, in all that they do, sustain those hopes and promote the causes of peace.
UNQUOTE. The truth and conviction of these words are more meaningful today than ever before.
Click here to read more »
NHRC Chairperson says State Governments need to take effective steps to strengthen Human Rights Commissions
New Delhi, August 17th, 2010
The National Human Rights Commission held a meeting of the State Human Rights Commissions in New Delhi today. In his opening
remarks, the Chairperson, NHRC, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said that all the State Governments should take steps to strengthen their
State Human Rights Commissions. Mere setting of the State Human Rights Commission will not serve any purpose, if they are not
provided with sufficient manpower and infrastructure for their effective functioning. He also said that the states which do not have
Human Rights Commission should also take steps to set up them at the earliest.
Justice Balakrishnan said that the State Governments need to appreciate that the Human Rights Commissions are meant to facilitate good
governance. They are for the help of the administration and the people of the country to achieve their social, cultural and economic
rights. However, he appreciated that NHRC received good cooperation from the State Governments, as 99 per cent of its
recommendations are implemented by them.
Justice Balakrishnan said that NHRC can assist in providing material and resource persons to the State Human Rights Commissions for
the training of their personnel in the area of human rights. He also hoped that the State Human Rights Commission will improve their
Complaint Management Systems with the assistance of NHRC.
There are 18 Human Rights Commissions in the country and recently, the governments of Jharkhand and Sikkim have also notified
constitution of the State Human Rights Commissions.
During the discussions in the meeting quantum of complaints on human rights violations, lack of manpower, financial and infrastructural
resources emerged as the major concerns of the State Human Rights Commissions. The State Human Rights Commissions were of the
view that some mechanism needs to be evolved to ensure uniformity in deployment of manpower in the State Human Rights
Commissions, either in accordance with the population or the number of complaints received in each state.
Earlier, welcoming the participants, the Secretary General, NHRC, Mr. K.S. Money hoped that the closure interaction between NHRC
and SHRCs will help in finding joint strategies for addressing the emerging challenges in the area of human rights protection and
promotion.
Click here to read more »
New Delhi, August 17th, 2010
The National Human Rights Commission held a meeting of the State Human Rights Commissions in New Delhi today. In his opening
remarks, the Chairperson, NHRC, Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said that all the State Governments should take steps to strengthen their
State Human Rights Commissions. Mere setting of the State Human Rights Commission will not serve any purpose, if they are not
provided with sufficient manpower and infrastructure for their effective functioning. He also said that the states which do not have
Human Rights Commission should also take steps to set up them at the earliest.
Justice Balakrishnan said that the State Governments need to appreciate that the Human Rights Commissions are meant to facilitate good
governance. They are for the help of the administration and the people of the country to achieve their social, cultural and economic
rights. However, he appreciated that NHRC received good cooperation from the State Governments, as 99 per cent of its
recommendations are implemented by them.
Justice Balakrishnan said that NHRC can assist in providing material and resource persons to the State Human Rights Commissions for
the training of their personnel in the area of human rights. He also hoped that the State Human Rights Commission will improve their
Complaint Management Systems with the assistance of NHRC.
There are 18 Human Rights Commissions in the country and recently, the governments of Jharkhand and Sikkim have also notified
constitution of the State Human Rights Commissions.
During the discussions in the meeting quantum of complaints on human rights violations, lack of manpower, financial and infrastructural
resources emerged as the major concerns of the State Human Rights Commissions. The State Human Rights Commissions were of the
view that some mechanism needs to be evolved to ensure uniformity in deployment of manpower in the State Human Rights
Commissions, either in accordance with the population or the number of complaints received in each state.
Earlier, welcoming the participants, the Secretary General, NHRC, Mr. K.S. Money hoped that the closure interaction between NHRC
and SHRCs will help in finding joint strategies for addressing the emerging challenges in the area of human rights protection and
promotion.
Click here to read more »
Rohingyas should not be treated in hostile way
Nurul Islam, March 3, 2010
The Rohingya, ethnic minority of Arakan, Burma have been languishing in their ancestral Land, Arakan and in exile for decades since the
military took power in 1962. They are being treated as foreigners. The history has shown their existence in Arakan before 8th century
and now they are facing religious discrimination by their own government. The Muslim ethnic minority, generally known as the
Rohingyas, who live in northern Rakhine State, western Myanmar, continue to suffer from several forms of restrictions and human
rights violations. The Rohingyas' freedom of movement is severely restricted and the vast majority of them have effectively been denied
Myanmar citizenship.
They are also subjected to various forms of extortion and arbitrary taxation; land confiscation; forced eviction and house destruction;
and financial restrictions on marriage. Rohingyas continue to be used as forced labourers on roads and at military camps, although the
amount of forced labour in northern Rakhine State has decreased over the last decade. These practices, in addition to violating other
basic human rights of the Rohingyas, are discriminatory towards the Rohingya population as they do not appear to be imposed in the
same manner and at the same level on other ethnic nationalities in Rakhine State, or in the country as a whole. These restrictions and
abuses, and the general discrimination against them, also amount to violations of the right to an adequate standard of living for many
Rohingyas. Approximately one third of Myanmar's population consists of ethnic minority groups; the seven ethnic minority states take
their names from the Shan, Kachin, Chin, Kayin, Kayah, Mon, and Rakhine nationalities. These states surround the central plains of
Myanmar, where most of the majority Bama (Burman) people live in the seven Divisions.
As a consequence tens of thousands have fled to neighboring Bangladesh and other countries. The Rakhine State (historically known as
Arakan), is one of seven ethnic minority states which were formed under the constitution of 1974. The Rohingya population is mostly
concentrated in the three northern townships: Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung. The Rohingyas speak a Bengali dialect similar to
what is spoken in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, mixed primarily with words from the Urdu, Hindi and Arabic languages, but also
from the Bama and English languages. The first Muslims who settled in this region were believed to be Arab mariners and traders that
arrived on the Rakhine coast in the 8th and 9th centuries. Other Muslims who came to the area in later centuries include Persians,
Moguls, Turks, Pathans and Bengalis. Apart from the Muslim population, the other major ethnic group is the Rakhine, who are
Buddhists. They speak a related form of Bama, but claim separate political and nationality traditions from the ethnic Bama majority of
Myanmar. The Rakhine people established independent kingdoms from central Myanmar; the last one was founded in the 15th century
with its royal capital at Myo Haung (Mrauk-U). This kingdom was conquered by the Myanmar king Bodawpaya in 1784. The population
of Rakhine State is estimated at some three million people. Apart from the majority Rakhine population, there are between 700,000 and
1½ million Muslims, most of them Rohingyas from northern Rakhine State. There are also a number of smaller ethnic minority groups,
including the Mro, Daignet, Kamein, Thet, and also some Chin. The population of Northern Rakhine State (Maungdaw, Buthidaung and
Rathedaung) is estimated at some 800,000 people, of which 80% are Muslims. The total Muslim population in Myanmar, the majority of
whom live in urban areas throughout the country, is estimated at between 4 – 5% of the total population. The word Rohingya refers to
the Muslim population in northern Rakhine State, who have developed a distinct culture and dialect. After Myanmar gained independence
from Britain in 1948 civil war broke out when many ethnic nationalities and the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) took up arms against
the central government headed by U Nu. In Rakhine State both Rakhine and Muslim groups formed armed opposition groups who fought
against the government. It was only by the early 1960s that the tatmadaw, or Myanmar army, captured the main positions of these
groups, and reached cease-fire agreements with the Muslim organizations.
Click here to read more>>
Nurul Islam, March 3, 2010
The Rohingya, ethnic minority of Arakan, Burma have been languishing in their ancestral Land, Arakan and in exile for decades since the
military took power in 1962. They are being treated as foreigners. The history has shown their existence in Arakan before 8th century
and now they are facing religious discrimination by their own government. The Muslim ethnic minority, generally known as the
Rohingyas, who live in northern Rakhine State, western Myanmar, continue to suffer from several forms of restrictions and human
rights violations. The Rohingyas' freedom of movement is severely restricted and the vast majority of them have effectively been denied
Myanmar citizenship.
They are also subjected to various forms of extortion and arbitrary taxation; land confiscation; forced eviction and house destruction;
and financial restrictions on marriage. Rohingyas continue to be used as forced labourers on roads and at military camps, although the
amount of forced labour in northern Rakhine State has decreased over the last decade. These practices, in addition to violating other
basic human rights of the Rohingyas, are discriminatory towards the Rohingya population as they do not appear to be imposed in the
same manner and at the same level on other ethnic nationalities in Rakhine State, or in the country as a whole. These restrictions and
abuses, and the general discrimination against them, also amount to violations of the right to an adequate standard of living for many
Rohingyas. Approximately one third of Myanmar's population consists of ethnic minority groups; the seven ethnic minority states take
their names from the Shan, Kachin, Chin, Kayin, Kayah, Mon, and Rakhine nationalities. These states surround the central plains of
Myanmar, where most of the majority Bama (Burman) people live in the seven Divisions.
As a consequence tens of thousands have fled to neighboring Bangladesh and other countries. The Rakhine State (historically known as
Arakan), is one of seven ethnic minority states which were formed under the constitution of 1974. The Rohingya population is mostly
concentrated in the three northern townships: Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung. The Rohingyas speak a Bengali dialect similar to
what is spoken in the Chittagong region of Bangladesh, mixed primarily with words from the Urdu, Hindi and Arabic languages, but also
from the Bama and English languages. The first Muslims who settled in this region were believed to be Arab mariners and traders that
arrived on the Rakhine coast in the 8th and 9th centuries. Other Muslims who came to the area in later centuries include Persians,
Moguls, Turks, Pathans and Bengalis. Apart from the Muslim population, the other major ethnic group is the Rakhine, who are
Buddhists. They speak a related form of Bama, but claim separate political and nationality traditions from the ethnic Bama majority of
Myanmar. The Rakhine people established independent kingdoms from central Myanmar; the last one was founded in the 15th century
with its royal capital at Myo Haung (Mrauk-U). This kingdom was conquered by the Myanmar king Bodawpaya in 1784. The population
of Rakhine State is estimated at some three million people. Apart from the majority Rakhine population, there are between 700,000 and
1½ million Muslims, most of them Rohingyas from northern Rakhine State. There are also a number of smaller ethnic minority groups,
including the Mro, Daignet, Kamein, Thet, and also some Chin. The population of Northern Rakhine State (Maungdaw, Buthidaung and
Rathedaung) is estimated at some 800,000 people, of which 80% are Muslims. The total Muslim population in Myanmar, the majority of
whom live in urban areas throughout the country, is estimated at between 4 – 5% of the total population. The word Rohingya refers to
the Muslim population in northern Rakhine State, who have developed a distinct culture and dialect. After Myanmar gained independence
from Britain in 1948 civil war broke out when many ethnic nationalities and the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) took up arms against
the central government headed by U Nu. In Rakhine State both Rakhine and Muslim groups formed armed opposition groups who fought
against the government. It was only by the early 1960s that the tatmadaw, or Myanmar army, captured the main positions of these
groups, and reached cease-fire agreements with the Muslim organizations.
Click here to read more>>
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Pratibha Patil
President since 25 July 2007
President since 25 July 2007
Hamid Ansari
Vice President since 11 August 2007
Vice President since 11 August 2007
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
Current situation: India is a source, destination, and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of
forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; internal forced labor may constitute India's largest trafficking problem; men,
women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labor working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery
factories; women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage;
children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used
as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups; India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and
Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for
commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labor and
commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fifth consecutive year for its failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007; despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government
authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims; government authorities continued to rescue
victims of commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor and child armed combatants, and began to show progress in law
enforcement against these forms of trafficking; a critical challenge overall is the lack of punishment for traffickers, effectively resulting
in impunity for acts of human trafficking; India has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)
forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation; internal forced labor may constitute India's largest trafficking problem; men,
women, and children are held in debt bondage and face forced labor working in brick kilns, rice mills, agriculture, and embroidery
factories; women and girls are trafficked within the country for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced marriage;
children are subjected to forced labor as factory workers, domestic servants, beggars, and agriculture workers, and have been used
as armed combatants by some terrorist and insurgent groups; India is also a destination for women and girls from Nepal and
Bangladesh trafficked for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; Indian women are trafficked to the Middle East for
commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Bangladesh and Nepal are trafficked through India for forced labor and
commercial sexual exploitation in the Middle East
Tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - India is on the Tier 2 Watch List for a fifth consecutive year for its failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat human trafficking in 2007; despite the reported extent of the trafficking crisis in India, government
authorities made uneven efforts to prosecute traffickers and protect trafficking victims; government authorities continued to rescue
victims of commercial sexual exploitation and forced child labor and child armed combatants, and began to show progress in law
enforcement against these forms of trafficking; a critical challenge overall is the lack of punishment for traffickers, effectively resulting
in impunity for acts of human trafficking; India has not ratified the 2000 UN TIP Protocol (2008)