India Culture and People

The diverse racial and cultural origins of India's people are bound intricately with the other societies of the Indian subcontinent, including the inhabitants of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. The geographical barriers of the Himalayan mountain range mingled the indigenous peoples with the successive waves of migrants from the northwest and the northeast of the subcontinent. But environmental and historical factors favored the coexistence of many different societies. The culture has remained stable for at least 4,000 years despite invasions, persecution, European colonialism and political upheaval. India ranks second only to China among the world's most populous countries, with a population that exceeds 1 billion.

Half of Indian adults are illiterate, more than half of the country's children are undernourished, and one-third of the population live below the poverty line. Each year, India adds 18 million people - roughly the population of Australia.

More than 1,600 languages or dialects, comprising 16 major language groups, are spoken in India. Sanskrit, the ancient language of Hindu scriptures, and is still widely studied in India as a sacred and learned language. The constitution provides that the official language of the country is Hindi. However, it also accepts English as an associate language and approves its use for official purposes. Tamil is the dominant language in Chennai, Global Volunteers' host community.

Despite being a secular democracy, most of society revolves around religion. India's major religion today, Hinduism, is practiced by approximately 83 percent of the population. Other major religious groups are Muslims (11 percent), Christians (two percent), Sikhs (two percent), Buddhists (0.7 percent), and Jains (0.5 percent). The strict Hindu institution of the caste system, including twith its dietary proscriptions, still has wide-ranging effects on secular Indian society. Estimates range from 2,000 to 3,000 different castes established by Brahmanical law exist throughout India, each region having its own distinct groups defined by craft/profession and fixed by custom. The caste system is perpetuated by the Hindu beliefs of samsara (reincarnation) and karma (quality of action).