Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president and remain in
office until they reach the age of 65)
Political parties and leaders:
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or AIADMK [C. Jayalalitha
JAYARAM]; All India Forward Bloc or AIFB, [D. BISWAS, general
secretary]; Asom Gana Parishad [Brindaban GOSWAMI]; Bahujan Samaj
Party or BSP [MAYAWATI]; Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP [Venkaiah
NAIDU]; Biju Janata Dal or BJD [Naveen PATNAIK]; Communist Party of
India or CPI [Ardhendu Bhushan BARDHAN]; Communist Party of
India/Marxist-Leninist or CPI/ML [Dipankar BHATTACHARYA]; Congress
(I) Party [Sonia GANDHI]; Dravida Munnetra Kazagham or DMK (a
regional party in Tamil Nadu) [M. KARUNANIDHI]; Indian National
Congress or INC [leader NA]; Indian National League [Suliaman
SAITH]; Janata Dal (Secular) [H. D. Deve GOWDA]; Janata Dal (United)
or JDU [Sharad YADAV]; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha or JMM [leader NA];
Kerala Congress (Mani faction) [K. M. MANI]; Lok Jan Shakti Party or
LSP [leader NA]; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK
[VAIKO]; Muslim League [G. M. BANATWALA]; Nationalist Congress Party
or NCP [Sharad PAWAR]; Pattali Makkal Katchi or PMK [leader NA];
Rashtriya Janata Dal or RJD [Laloo Prasad YADAV]; Revolutionary
Socialist Party or RSP [Abani ROY]; Samajwadi Party or SP [Mulayam
Singh YADAV]; Shiromani Akali Dal or SAD [G. S. TOHRA]; Shiv Sena or
SS [Bal THACKERAY]; Tamil Maanila Congress [G. K. VASAN]; Telangana
Rashtra Samithi or TRS [leader NA]; Telugu Desam Party or TDP
[Chandrababu NAIDU]; Trinamool Congress [Mamata BANERJEE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
numerous religious or militant/chauvinistic organizations,
including Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh; various separatist groups seeking greater
communal and/or regional autonomy, including the All Parties
Hurriyat Conference
International organization participation:
AfDB, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, C, CERN (observer),
CP, FAO, G- 6, G-15, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW,
PCA, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ranendra SEN
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 265-4351
telephone: [1] (202) 939-7000
chancery: 2107 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note -
Consular Wing located at 2536 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David C. MULFORD
embassy: Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [91] (11) 2419-8000
FAX: [91] (11) 2419-0017
consulate(s) general: Chennai (Madras), Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai
(Bombay)
Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of saffron (subdued orange) (top),
white, and green with a blue chakra (24-spoked wheel) centered in
the white band; similar to the flag of Niger, which has a small
orange disk centered in the white band
Economy India
Economy - overview:
India's economy encompasses traditional village farming, modern
agriculture, handicrafts, a wide range of modern industries, and a
multitude of support services. Government controls have been reduced
on foreign trade and investment, and privatization of domestic
output has proceeded slowly. The economy has posted an excellent
average growth rate of 6% since 1990, reducing poverty by about 10
percentage points. India is capitalizing on its large numbers of
well-educated people skilled in the English language to become a
major exporter of software services and software workers. Despite
strong growth, the World Bank and others worry about the continuing
public-sector budget deficit, running at approximately 60% of GDP.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $3.033 trillion (2003 est.)