Avigail Eitan,

SW 780: International Socia

Country Profile-
India
Item I: Brief History of India:

India, officially recognized as the Republic of India, is situated in the Indian subcontinent within South

Asia. As of June 2023, it stands as the world's most populous country and the largest democracy. India's

distinguished biodiversity, flora, and geological features contribute to its global renown. The nation's

profound historical engagement in commerce and governance has fostered the coexistence of diverse

religious and spiritual beliefs within its territorial confines.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, India was an integral part of the Mughal Empire. This era

was characterized by promoting religious tolerance, with Islam and Hinduism being the predominant

faiths. A semblance of peace marked the period, robust trade connections with Europe, and the

construction of enduring architectural marvels that continue to attract tourists. However, the early 18th

century witnessed the decline of the Mughal Empire, sparking military upheavals across various regions

of India. During this period, the East India Company, a trading entity with a more extensive military

force than Britain, effectively gained control over South Asia. The Company established educational

institutions and implemented social reforms, which sparked local opposition due to the perceived

imposition of foreign ideals and religious conversion efforts. In the mid-eighteenth century, the British

took direct rule in India and the surrounding regions, seizing control from the Mughal emperors.

However, two-fifths of India remained under the control of semi-independent governors. In these

centuries, European traders from Germany, Portugal, France, and Britain came to Indian coastal cities.

The effects of some European countries are still evident today.

Between 1858 and 1947, India was under British control. The British colonial government

significantly impacted the Indian constitution, laws, and education system. During the rule of the East
India Company and the British Crown, India built the fourth-largest railway system in the world.

However, India also experienced multiple famines that resulted in the deaths of millions of people.

At the beginning of the 20th century, as part of the British "divide and rule" system, the

predominantly Muslim eastern areas were separated from the largely Hindu western areas. At the same

time, an awakening of national consciousness began, and national Indian movements began to take

shape, with some linking religious affiliation with the Indian national identity. The conflicts between

interest groups based on religious affiliation were especially evident in what is now known in northern

India, in the Punjab, Kashmir, and Bengal regions.

India gained independence in 1947 after a non-violent struggle led by the independence

movement, primarily under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi, who remains an inspiration for

civil rights movements worldwide, spearheaded the campaign for independence through non-violent

civil disobedience. He envisioned India as a religiously pluralistic and multi-ethnic nation. The British

partitioned the region, leading to the formation of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, resulting in a mass

migration of approximately 12 million people between the newly established nations. Since their

establishment, the relations between Pakistan and India have been tense and have included four wars so

far, with the region of Kashmir being a major point of dispute.

Item 2: India’s Major Ethnic/Racial Groups

The diversity in India encompasses its populace, comprising numerous distinct racial and ethnic

groups. Given the social construction of these classifications, various methods are employed for

population categorization. Following India's liberation from colonial rule, the government implemented

a ban on discrimination based on race between groups and communities. Presently, the official Census of

Independent India does not acknowledge any racial delineations within the nation. Regarding ethnic
groups, the majority in India is Hindu-Aryan (75%), about 20% are Dravidian, and the rest belong to

various ethnic minority groups such as Kolarian, Tibeto-Burman, Khasi, Tai, and others.

Item 3: A demographic profile

The UN predicts that India's population will reach 1,425,775,850 by the end of April 2023 and is

expected to keep growing in the coming decades. On the other hand, China recently reached its

population peak and saw a decrease in 2022. According to the latest UN estimations, India's population

is expected to peak around 2064 and gradually decline. In the past decade, urbanization in India has

increased by almost 4 percent. Although urbanization is rising due to the growing importance of private

sector jobs and services, India has not experienced a shortage of agricultural workers or a mass exodus

to the cities.

The number of adults aged 25-64 in India exceeds the number of children and youth under 25 by

around 20%. In 2023, the median age of an Indian was 29.5 years, compared to 39.8 for China and 49.5

for Japan. The number of working-age adults is projected to continue increasing both in number and as a

proportion of the total population through mid-century, contributing positively to per capita economic

growth. Both China and India have imbalances in the sex ratio at birth, with millions more boys than

girls born since the 1980s. In some regions of India, discrimination against girls continues, resulting in

higher mortality rates for girls than for boys, further exacerbating the imbalanced sex ratio. In 2023,

were 116 males for every 100 females in China and 110 males per 100 females in India among

individuals under 25. These imbalances may pose challenges for adult partnerships and family

formation.

The caste system is an ancient social division still in use in India today. The word "caste"

originated from the Portuguese "Casta" and the Latin "castus," which closely translates to varna and jati.
Castes are applied among the Hindu and Buddhist populations in India, with Christians and Muslims

also forming a type of caste. The division into castes is ancient, but during British rule in India, this

division was reinforced and became significant in everyday life, affecting areas such as education and

employment. The caste system still affects classes and communities in India. Despite persisting

influence, legislative measures have been implemented to ensure equitable opportunities for lower caste

members and establish educational and occupational quotas. Notably, Scheduled Caste communities and

Scheduled Tribes encounter disproportionately higher rates of violence, crime, and honor killings and

encounter challenges when seeking to marry outside their caste.

Resources for Section 1-3

All information on the history and population of India were taken from these sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 25)., World Bank Open Data, Census 2011, Statista Website.

Item 4: A poverty profile

At the $3.65 poverty line, India is responsible for 40% of the marginal increase in the global poverty

rate, rising from 23.6% to 24.1%, as indicated in the September 2023 Global Poverty Update published

by the World Bank. According to an article authored by Meryl Sebastian (2023), India exhibits

significant wealth disparity, with over 40% of the country's wealth generated between 2012 and 2021

accruing to merely 1% of the population, while only 3% filtered down to the bottom 50%. The top 10%

of Indians own 77% of the country's wealth. Almost two people fall into poverty every second because

of healthcare costs alone. The unequal distribution of wealth is also evident geographically, with

southern and western India growing 12% faster than northern and eastern India, which will likely

worsen over time (Chakravorti & Dalmia, 2023).

lack of safe water sources is the main cause of diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A,

typhoid, and polio. This also contributes to high rates of illness and death among children under five

years old (Sheel V, 2024). In rural India, many people lack basic infrastructure like a reliable power

supply and sewage and water treatment systems. As a result, people in these areas spend a lot of time

and effort to meet their daily needs. Research by Shannyn Snyder indicates that only 33% of the

population in India has access to proper sanitation, and water-related issues cause more than 21% of the

country's diseases. In the 2023 Global Hunger Index, India is ranked 111th out of 125 countries with

sufficient data to calculate 2023 GHI scores. With a score of 28.7, India faces a serious level of hunger.

According to the 2011 Census, there are 763,498,517 (76.34 crores) literate individuals in the

country. Of these, 434,683,779 (43.46 crore) are males and 328,814,738 (32.88 crore) are females. The

overall literacy rate is 72.9%, with the male literacy rate at 80.89% and the female literacy rate at

64.64%. According to the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5), adult women (aged 15-49)

have a literacy rate of 71.5%, while adult men (aged 15-49) have a literacy rate of 87.4%. According to

the United Nations Development Program Index, India's Human Development Index value for 2022 is

0.644, placing the country in the Medium human development category and positioning it at 134 out of

193 countries and territories.

Item 4: An economic profile

India is ranked as the world's fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP and the third-largest by purchasing

power parity. As of 2022, India's nominal (current) Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was

$3,385,090,000,000 (USD) with a GDP growth rate of 7.00% in 2022. In the same year, India was the

world's 10th-largest importer and the 8th-largest exporter. According to the World Bank, India is one of
the world's fastest-growing economies. However, India also has one of the world's highest numbers of

billionaires and extreme income inequality. The World Bank reports that persistent inequality in

consumption, indicated by a Gini index of around 35 over the past two decades, remains high.

India has various major industries, including iron, steel, textiles, jute, sugar, cement, and paper.

Additionally, petrochemicals, automobiles, information technology (IT), banking, and insurance have

become prominent industries. In 2022, 42.86 percent of the workforce in India was employed in

agriculture, while the other half was almost evenly distributed between the industry and services sectors.

India is one of the top three global producers of many crops, including wheat, rice, pulses,

cotton, peanuts, fruits, and vegetables. Over the past 60 years, agricultural output per hectare has

increased in India. Road and power generation infrastructure improvements, knowledge gains, and

reforms have enabled India to increase farm productivity by 40% to 500% over 40 years. Despite these

gains, India still experiences some of the highest food losses in the world due to poor infrastructure and

unorganized retail after harvest.

The military expenditure in India increased to $83574.60 million in 2023 from $79976.80

million in 2022, reaching an all-time high in 2023. In 2022, India's high-technology exports accounted

for 12.48% of its manufactured exports. India was ranked 40th in the Economic Complexity Index and

15th in total exports, which amounted to $468 billion. During the same year, China ranked 22nd in the

Economic Complexity Index and 1st in total exports, totaling $3.73 trillion. The Indian government has

actively pursued policies and financial reforms to attract more foreign direct investment. According to a

UN report in 2022, India was among the top 20 host economies for foreign direct investment inflows.

The total foreign direct investment inflow into India dropped to $70.9 billion in the financial year 2023.
 Resources for Section 1-3

All information on the history and population of India were taken from these sources:

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 25)., World Bank Open Data, Statista Website, Trading

Economics, UNDP Website and World Data Lab.

Author’s perspective:

As I reflect on India's history, from the Mughal Empire to the present day, I see a country undergoing

significant economic development and possessing a rich diversity of natural resources and human

capital. Despite concerning data about the accessibility of basic needs for the rural population, such as

drinking water and electricity, it is evident that India is investing in human development and making

progress in these areas. India faces unique challenges, but its growth rate is promising and holds the

potential for a better future for future generations.

I was deeply impressed by the religious and ethnic tolerance evident throughout India's history,

despite the tensions that exist today. I hope that the scales will tip in favor of tolerance and inclusion. It

seems that India is not only preserving history and ancient cultures but also embracing western values. I

am eager to delve deeper and learn more about the welfare system in the Republic, as well as understand

the state of corruption and governance, in the hope that my findings will be encouraging.
Resources:

Aron, D. V., & Aguilar,, A. C. (2023, September 1). September 2023 Update to the Poverty and

Inequality Platform (PIP). World Bank.

https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099624209142386941/pdf/

IDU0ac16be61074040439f08b4203f3b4e24fd10.pdf

Chakravorti, B., & Dalmia, G. (2023, September 6). Is India the World’s Next Great Economic Power?

Harvard Business Review Home. https://doi.org/https://hbr.org/2023/09/is-india-the-worlds-next-

great-economic-power

Census 2011, National Statistical Office (NSO) & National Family health Survey (NFHS-

5) https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/pdf/FR375/FR375.pdf

Snyder, S. (n.d.). Water in Crisis - India. The Water Project - Give Water.

https://thewaterproject.org/water-crisis/water-in-crisis-india?

utm_campaign=long_tail&utm_source=googlegrant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&gad_source=

1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjNS3BhChARIsAOxBM6q3QA5Te6BTZCgHT8F_7hazNXKGWkDcj95GHA

0BM6FogvTOoJPTJN0aAuceEALw_wcB

Sheel V, Kotwal A, Dumka N, Sharma V, Kumar R, Tyagi V. Water as a social determinant of health:

bringing policies into action. Journal of Global Health Reports.

2024;8:e2024003. doi:10.29392/001c.92160

Statista (2024) India: FDI inflow amount for all sectors 2024

https://www.statista.com/statistics/715539/india-fdi-inflow-amount-for-all-sectors/
Trading Economics (n.d.). India Military Expenditure. https://tradingeconomics.com/india/military-

expenditure

UNDP (n.d.). Human Development Index - India. https://www.undp.org/india/human-development-

index-india

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 21). Demographics of India. In Wikipedia, The Free

Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:47, September 26, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Demographics_of_India&oldid=1246825685

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 25). India. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved

23:44, September 26, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=India&oldid=1247700275

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, September 25). Mahatma Gandhi. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Retrieved 00:02, September 27, 2024, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Mahatma_Gandhi&oldid=1247758378

https://www.statista.com/statistics/271312/urbanization-in-india/

World Bank. (May 30, 2024). India: Distribution of the workforce across economic sectors from 2012 to

2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved September 26, 2024, from

https://www.statista.com/statistics/271320/distribution-of-the-workforce-across-economic-sectors-

in-india/

World Data Lab (n.d.). World Poverty Clock - India. World Poverty Clock. https://worldpoverty.io/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture_in_India#Output
Appendix: