Political Overview of India
India operates as a federal parliamentary democratic republic, governed under a constitution that came into effect on January 26, 1950. The President of India serves as the ceremonial head of state, while the Prime Minister is the head of government, leading the Council of Ministers. The bicameral Parliament consists of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States), with members elected both directly by citizens and indirectly by state legislatures. India’s political landscape is characterized by a multi-party system, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Indian National Congress (INC) being the major national parties, alongside a multitude of regional parties that hold sway in various states.
Cultural Heritage and Identity
India’s cultural tapestry is incredibly rich and diverse, woven from millennia-old traditions in art, music, dance, literature, and religious practice. Home to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism collectively known as the Indian-origin religions India’s spiritual heritage has deeply influenced its social norms, festivals, and everyday life. The country’s languages, of which there are 22 officially recognized and hundreds more spoken, reflect its pluralistic ethos; Hindi and English serve as the principal link languages. From the classical dances of Bharatanatyam and Kathak to the folk traditions of Bhangra and Garba, and from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana to the contemporary works of modern Indian authors, India’s identity is defined by its harmonious coexistence of the ancient and the modern.
Geographical Landscape, Area and Climate
Spanning approximately 3.287 million square kilometers, India is the world’s seventh-largest country by land area. Its geography ranges from the towering Himalayas in the north to the coastal plains of the Indian Ocean in the south, and from the Thar Desert in the west to the lush, tropical greenery of the northeast. This varied topography gives rise to a wide spectrum of climatic zones: alpine conditions in the high mountain regions, arid desert in the northwest, humid subtropical in the Indo-Gangetic plains, and tropical wet and dry in most of the southern peninsula. Monsoon rains, occurring chiefly between June and September, are vital for agriculture, while winter temperatures can dip below freezing in the Himalayan foothills but remain mild in most southern and coastal regions.
