Visveswaraiah Technological University is situated in a 115 acres of
land made available by the Govt. of Karnataka in Machche village
limits, near Belgaum. The campus is situated about 13 km from Belgaum
on Belgaum - Jamboti road.
India's
amazing diversity offers you everything you could ever want.
From the moment that you set foot in India to be greeted The
Taj by a graceful namaste, a gesturethat denotes both welcome
and respect, you are on the way to one of the most rewarding
experiences of your life.
Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged
by a spectacular coastline surrounded by three seas, India is
a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes,magnificent historical sites
and royal cities, golden beaches, misty mountain retreats, colorful
people, rich cultures and festivities.
At any part of the year India can offer you a dazzling array
of destinations and experiences. In summer, when the subcontinent
is sizzling, there are spectacular retreats amidst the heady
beauty of the Himalayas or the lush heights of the Western Ghats
Mountains with cool trekking trails, tall peaks to conqueror
stretches of white water for the adventure seekers.
In the cool of an Indian winter, cities come alive with cultural
feasts of music and dance. The balmy weather is an ideal time
for you to go century hopping in romantic cities studded with
medieval forts and palaces. The sun drenched beaches are inviting
and wildlife sanctuaries with their abundance of flora and fauna
are a buzz with the nurture of the young.
You can taste the delights of the Indian monsoon anywhere in
the country- on a camel safari in the Rajasthan desert when
nature comes alive and the peacocks dance; along the west coast
where the relentless slantingrain paints the countryside in
brilliant greens or even trekking amidst the stark grandeur
of mountain valleys lying in the rain shadow of the Himalayas.
Experience exotic India live like a maharaja in the rich ambiance
of royal forts and palaces that are now heritage hotels; luxuriate
in the serene beauty of a coral Meenakshi Mandir island with
its turquoise lagoon; participate in the exuberance of a village
fair or a colorful festival; day dream on a house boat drifting
down the palm - fringed backwaters; delight in the grace of
a dancer or shop till you drop - buying exquisite silks, carved
figurines, brass and silver ware, marble inlaid with semi-precious
stones,finely crafted jewelry, miniature paintings, carpets
....at unbelievable prices.
India, always warm and inviting, is a place of infinite variety
- one that favors you with a different facet of its fascination
every time you comeon a visit.
droughts; flash
floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal
rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes
Environment
- current issues:
deforestation; soil
erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial
effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage
and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable
throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining
natural resources
Environment
- international agreements:
party to:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources,
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography
- note:
dominates South
Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes
total: 24.4
years male: 24.4 years female: 24.4 years
(2004 est.)
Population
growth rate:
1.44% (2004 est.)
Birth
rate:
22.8 births/1,000
population (2004 est.)
Death
rate:
8.38 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.)
Net
migration rate:
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.)
Sex
ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years
and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population:
1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant
mortality rate:
total: 57.92
deaths/1,000 live births male: 58.52 deaths/1,000
live births female: 57.29 deaths/1,000 live births
(2004 est.)
Life
expectancy at birth:
total population:
63.99 years male: 63.25 years female:
64.77 years (2004 est.)
Total
fertility rate:
2.85 children born/woman
(2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS:
3.97 million (2001
est.)
HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
310,000 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Indian(s)
adjective: Indian
Ethnic
groups:
Indo-Aryan 72%,
Dravidian 25%, Mongoloid and other 3% (2000)
Religions:
Hindu 81.3%, Muslim
12%, Christian 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, other groups including Buddhist,
Jain, Parsi 2.5% (2000)
Languages:
English enjoys associate
status but is the most important language for national, political,
and commercial communication; Hindi is the national language and
primary tongue of 30% of the people; there are 14 other official
languages: 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
Literacy:
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population:
59.5% male: 70.2% female: 48.3% (2003
est.)
conventional
long form: Republic of India conventional short form:
India
Government
type:
federal republic
Capital:
New Delhi
Administrative
divisions:
28 states and 7
union territories*; Andaman and Nicobar Islands*, Andhra Pradesh,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh*, Chhattisgarh, Dadra
and Nagar Haveli*, Daman and Diu*, Delhi*, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala,
Lakshadweep*, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya,
Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Pondicherry*, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim,
Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
Independence:
15 August 1947 (from
UK)
National
holiday:
Republic Day, 26
January (1950)
Constitution:
26 January 1950
Legal
system:
based on English
common law; limited judicial review of legislative acts; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age;
universal
Executive
branch:
chief of state:
President Abdul KALAM (since 26 July 2002); Vice President Bhairon
Singh SHEKHAWAT (since 19 August 2002) head of government:
Prime Minister Manmohan SINGH (since NA May 2004) cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation
of the prime minister elections: 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; election last held NA July 2002 (next to be held
18 July 2007); vice president elected by both houses of Parliament
for a five-year term; election last held 12 August 2002 (next
to be held NA August 2007); prime minister elected by parliamentary
members of the majority party following legislative elections;
election last held 3 October 1999 (next to be held NA October
2004) election results: Abdul KALAM elected president;
percent of electoral college vote - 89.6%; Bhairon Singh SHEKHAWAT
elected vice president; percent of Parliament vote - 59.8%; Manmohan
SINGH elected prime minister; percent of vote - NA%
Legislative
branch:
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 which
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 20 April through 10 May 2004 (next to be
held NA 2009) election results: People's Assembly
- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - INC 145, BJP
138, CPI(M) 43, SP 36, RJD 21, BSP 19, DMK 16, SS 12, BJD 11,
CPI 10, NCP 9, JDU 8, SAD 8, PMK 6, TDP 5, TRS 5, JMM 5, LJSP
4, MDMK 4, independents 5, other 30
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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ranendra SEN chancery: 2107 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; note - Embassy located at 2536
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:
[1] (202) 939-7000 FAX: [1] (202) 483-3972 consulate(s)
general: Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco
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) 419-8000 FAX:
[91] (11) 419-0017 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
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.)
general assessment:
recent deregulation and liberalization of telecommunications laws
and policies have prompted rapid change; local and long distance
service provided throughout all regions of the country, with services
primarily concentrated in the urban areas; steady improvement
is taking place with the recent admission of private and private-public
investors, but telephone density remains low at about seven for
each 100 persons nationwide but only one per 100 persons in rural
areas and a national waiting list of over 1.7 million; fastest
growth is in cellular service with modest growth in fixed lines
domestic: expansion of domestic service, although
still weak in rural areas, resulted from increased competition
and dramatic reductions in price led in large part by wireless
service; mobile cellular service (both CDMA and GSM) introduced
in 1994 and organized nationwide into four metropolitan cities
and 19 telecom circles each with about three private service providers
and one state-owned service provider; in recent years significant
trunk capacity added in the form of fiber-optic cable and one
of the world's largest domestic satellite systems, the Indian
National Satellite system (INSAT), with 5 satellites supporting
33,000 very small aperture terminals (VSAT) international:
country code - 91; satellite earth stations - 8 Intelsat (Indian
Ocean) and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region); nine gateway exchanges
operating from Mumbai (Bombay), New Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta),
Chennai (Madras), Jalandhar, Kanpur, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, and
Ernakulam; 5 submarine cables, including Sea-Me-We-3 with landing
sites at Cochin and Mumbai (Bombay), Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe (FLAG) with landing site at Mumbai (Bombay), South Africa
- Far East (SAFE) with landing site at Cochin, i2icn linking to
Singapore with landing sites at Mumbai (Bombay) and Chennai (Madras),
and Tata Indicom linking Singapore and Chennai (Madras), provide
a significant increase in the bandwidth available for both voice
and data traffic (2004)
Radio
broadcast stations:
AM 153, FM 91, shortwave
68 (1998)
Television
broadcast stations:
562 (of which 82
stations have 1 kW or greater power and 480 stations have less
than 1 kW of power) (1997)
total: 63,140
km (15,994 km electrified) broad gauge: 45,099 km
1.676-m gauge narrow gauge: 14,776 km 1.000-m gauge;
3,265 km 0.762-m gauge and 0.610-m gauge (2003)
Highways:
total: 3,319,644
km paved: 1,517,077 km unpaved: 1,802,567
km (1999 est.)
Waterways:
14,500 km note:
5,200 km on major rivers and 485 km on canals suitable for mechanized
vessels (2004)
Pipelines:
gas 5,798 km; liquid
petroleum gas 1,195 km; oil 5,613 km; refined products 5,567 km
(2003)
Army, Navy (including
naval air arm), Air Force, Coast Guard, various security or paramilitary
forces (including Border Security Force, Assam Rifles, National
Security Guards, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Special Frontier
Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security
Force, Railway Protection Force, and Defense Security Corps)
Military
manpower - military age:
17 years of age
(2004 est.)
Military
manpower - availability:
males age 15-49:
293,677,117 (2004 est.)
Military
manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49:
172,153,371 (2004 est.)
Military
manpower - reaching military age annually:
Kashmir remains
the world's most highly 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),
but recent discussions and confidence-building measures among
parties are beginning to defuse tensions; India does not recognize
Pakistan's ceding lands to China in the 1965 boundary agreement;
disputes with Pakistan over Indus River water sharing and the
terminus of the Sir Creek Estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
Kutch, which prevents maritime boundary delimitation; Pakistani
maps continue to show Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat State;
most of the rugged, militarized boundary with China is in dispute,
but sides have committed to begin resolution with discussions
on the least disputed Middle Sector; Joint Border Committee with
Nepal continues to work on resolution of minor disputed boundary
sections; discussions with Bangladesh remain stalled to delimit
a small section of river boundary, to exchange 162 miniscule enclaves
in both countries, to allocate divided villages, and to stop illegal
cross-border trade, migration, and violence; Bangladesh protests
India's attempts to fence off high-traffic sections of the porous
boundary; dispute with Bangladesh over volcanic New Moore/South
Talpatty/Purbasha Island in the Bay of Bengal deters maritime
boundary delimitation; India seeks cooperation from Bhutan and
Burma to keep out Indian Nagaland insurgents; joint border commission
continues to work on small disputed sections of boundary with
Nepal; India has instituted a stricter border regime to restrict
transit of Maoist insurgents and illegal cross-border activities
from Nepal
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;
illicit producer of methaqualone; vulnerable to narcotics money
laundering through the hawala system
India Facts 
