About India

Lying in south-west Asia, India is home to more than one billion people. It gained independence from Britain in 1947, and although Hindi is the official language, English is widely spoken.

Four distinct geographical areas make up the country:

1) the southern plateau peninsula
2) the desert region
3) the mountainous Himalayas
4) the plains of the Indus and Ganga basins.

Eighty per cent of the population is Hindu, and fourteeen per cent Muslim, with the remainder Christian, Sikh, Buddihist or Jain. It the largest democracy in the world, with over 28 states and seven centrally administered union territories.

Agriculture is the primary source of sustenance for many families. However, few rural farmers own their own land, and most work as tenant farmers and day labourers.

Although educational facilities are available in certain areas of the country, there are inadequacies in the system in the more rural areas. Schools are lacking teachers and technical resources, and parents often have trouble affording the cost of uniforms and textbooks.

Plan began working in India in 1979 and today is one of the largest International Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) in the country.