INDIA – COUNTRY FACT SHEET

Peruvian Universities road to the Harvard World Model United Nations 2017

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please, fulfill ALL the subjects required with the information you can find about India. It is MANDATORY to
review trustable websites such as the official websites of the Indian Government and its respective Agencies,
international websites for consultation such as IMF, Trademap, Worldbank or related and websites of relevant
opinion such as Foreign Affairs, the Oxford Journal, among others you consider trustable.

While gathering this information, take into account that this document will be the main core based on which
you should address your committee. It will allow you to know who are you allies or natural block, be aware to
what extend you can create a proposal or support one, and more important, to understand what are your
needs and what can you offer to other countries in the world.

I. GENERAL INFORMATION - FER

1. 1. Official Name:
1. 2. Capital:
1. 3. Official language(s):
1. 4. Region:
1. 5. Location:
1. 6. Surface Area:
1. 7. Major cities (and islands, if applicable); Please, briefly describe the main characteristics of
those cities (location, urban, rural, demographic rate, etc)
1. 8. Surface Area:

II. GOVERNMENT & INVESTMENT - DIEGO

2. 1. Governmental System: The Government of India (GoI) is a federal government established
by the Constitution of India as the constituted governing authority of the union of 29 states and
seven union territories of a proclaimed and established parliamentary democratic republic,
constitutionally called the Republic of India.
2. 2. Head of state: Pranab Mukherjee
2. 3. Head of Government: Narendra Modi
2. 4. Day of Independence: Independence Day, is annually observed on 15 August as a national
holiday in India commemorating the nation's independence from the British Empire on 15
August 1947.
2. 5. Constitution (times amended, If applicable): It is governed under the 1949 constitution
(effective since Jan., 1950).
2. 6. Legal System: The legal system in India follows the common law model prevalent in the
countries which were at one time under British Rule or were part of the British
Commonwealth. The jurisprudence followed in India is almost the same as the one prevalent
in England, though it has been cross-fertilized by typical Indian values.
2. 7. Elections: The president of India, who is head of state, is elected for a five-year term by the
elected members of the federal and state parliaments; there are no term limits.
2. 8. Military Organization/Power: The Indian Armed Forces are the military forces of the
Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, Indian
 Navy, and Indian Air Force. Additionally, the Indian Armed Forces are supported by Indian Coast
Guard and paramilitary organisations (Assam Rifles,and Special Frontier Force) and various
inter-service commands and institutions such as the Strategic Forces Command, the Andaman
and Nicobar Command and the Integrated Defence Staff. The President of India is the Supreme
Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. The Indian Armed Forces are under the management
of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Government of India. With strength of over 1.4 million
active personnel, it is world's 3rd largest military force and has the world's largest volunteer
army. It is important to note that the Central Armed Police Forces, which are commonly and
incorrectly referred to as 'Paramilitary Forces', are headed by officers from the Indian Police
Service and are under the control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, not the Ministry of Defence.
2. 9. Military Expenditures (%GDP spent in defense):

2. 10. Major weapons, arsenal, nuclear capability, etc:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equipment_of_the_Indian_Army#Infantry_weapons
India possesses weapons of mass destruction in the form of nuclear weapons and, in the
past, chemical weapons. Though India has not made any official statements about the size of its
nuclear arsenal, recent estimates suggest that India has 110 nuclear weapons

III. ECONOMY - FER

3. 1. Economic System:
3. 2. Currency:
3. 3. Exchange rate:
3. 4. Main macroeconomic variables:

2011 2012 2013 2014

Gross Domestic Product (%)

GDP per cápita (US$)

Inflation (%)
 Unemployment rate (%)

Gross debt (%GDP)

Goods exports (%GDP)

Goods imports (%GDP)

3. 5. Taxes (%GDP)
3. 6. Government expenditure on:
- Health
- Education
- Defense
- Industry
- Manifacture
3. 7. Economic Trade blocks / associations:
- International Organizations:
- Regional Organizations:
3. 8. Balance of payments/trade:
3. 9. Major exports/imports:
3. 10. Major trade partners:
3. 11. IMF, World Bank positions (debtor nation? donor nation?):
3. 12. Explain the effects of the global financial crisis.

IV. POPULATION & SOCIETY – DIEGO

4. 1. Denomination:
4. 2. Population: The current population of India is 1,332,584,868 as of Monday, November 14,
2016, based on the latest United Nations estimates.
4. 3. Population growth rate:

4. 4. Ethnic Groups (%):

There are many diverse ethnic groups among the people of India. The 6 main ethnic groups are as
follows.

1. Negrito
2. Proto - Australoids or Austrics
3. Mongoloids
4. Mediterranean or Dravidian
5. Western Brachycephals
6. Nordic Aryans

4. 5. Major religions/cultures (%):

4. 6. Standard of living:

4. 7. Net migration rate:

4. 8. People living with HIV/AIDS:

4. 9. Literacy:
- Female (%)
 - Male (%)

V. DEVELOPMENT - FER
5. 1. Access to water and Sanitation:
- Urban (%):
- Rural (%):
5. 2. Development Status:
5. 3. Natural resources:
5. 4. Energy resources:
5. 5. Main Industries:
5. 6. Climate:
5. 7. Environmental (hazards, problems, innovations, etc.):
5. 8. Has this nation met the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)? Explain.

VI. INTERNAL CONFLICTS & ISSUES – FER

6. 1. What are 4 problems/threats that affect this nation?
6. 2. Ethnic/cultural issues
6. 3. Refugee problems? Explain.
6. 4. Briefly describe the major conflicts, both past and present:

VII. INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY & COOPERATION - DIEGO

7. 1. Main International Treaties ratified:

 Agenda 21
 Rio Declaration
 Stockholm 1972
 Convention on Biological Diversity
 Convention to Combat Desertification
 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
(Signed in May, 2002 but to be ratified by India)
Full Text of the Convention
 Prior Informed Consent (PIC), Rotterdam Convention
(For certain Hazardous Chemicals in International Trade)
(Ratified on 24th May, 2005)
Full Text of the Convention
 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
India has ratified it on January 17, 2003. [html], [pdf], and [word].
Full text of the Protocol [html], [pdf], and [word].
 The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of
Hazardous Wastes
 Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
  Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES)
 World Trade Agreement
 Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the Reduction of Sulphur Emissions or their
Transboundary Fluxes by at least 30 percent
 Sofia Protocol to LRTAP concerning the Control of Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides or
their Transboundary Fluxes (NOx Protocol)
 Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the Control of Emissions of Volatile Organic
Compounds or their Transboundary Fluxes (VOCs Protocol)
 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
 Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)
 Convention Secretariats of the UNEP

7. 2. Main Political & Economical Allies/Blocks:

India is a newly industrialised country, has a history of collaboration with several countries, is a
component of the BRICS and a major part of developing world.[4][5] India was one of the
founding members of several international organisations - the United Nations, the Asian
Development Bank, New Development BRICS Bank, G-20 and the founder of the Non-Aligned
Movement.
India has also played an important and influential role in other international organisations
like East Asia Summit, World Trade Organisation,[7] International Monetary Fund (IMF), G8+5
and IBSA Dialogue Forum. India is also a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
Regionally, India is a part of SAARC and BIMSTEC. India has taken part in several UN
peacekeeping missions and in 2007, it was the second-largest troop contributor to the United
Nations.[11] India is currently seeking a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, along with
the other G4 nations.

7. 3. In what kind of treaties does India has great influence?

Described by WTO chief Pascal Lamy as one of the organisation's "big brothers",[439] India was
instrumental in bringing down the Doha Development Round of talks in 2008.[440] It has played
an important role of representing as many as 100 developing nations during WTO summits
7. 4. Relationship with neighboring countries:
http://mea.gov.in/conflit-cooperation.htm
7. 5. Transnational Disputes:
since China and India launched a security and foreign policy dialogue in 2005, consolidated
discussions related to the dispute over most of their rugged, militarized boundary, regional
nuclear proliferation, Indian claims that China transferred missiles to Pakistan, and other
matters continue; Kashmir remains the site of the world's largest and most 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); India and Pakistan resumed bilateral
dialogue in February 2011 after a two-year hiatus, have maintained the 2003 cease-fire in
Kashmir, and continue to have disputes over water sharing of the Indus River and its tributaries;
UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan has maintained a small group of peacekeepers
since 1949; India does not recognize Pakistan's ceding historic Kashmir lands to China in 1964;
to defuse tensions and prepare for discussions on a maritime boundary, India and Pakistan seek
technical resolution of the disputed boundary in Sir Creek estuary at the mouth of the Rann of
Kutch in the Arabian Sea; Pakistani maps continue to show its Junagadh claim in Indian Gujarat
 State; Prime Minister Singh's September 2011 visit to Bangladesh resulted in the signing of a
Protocol to the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh, which had
called for the settlement of longstanding boundary disputes over undemarcated areas and the
exchange of territorial enclaves, but which had never been implemented; Bangladesh referred
its maritime boundary claims with Burma and India to the International Tribunal on the Law of
the Sea; Joint Border Committee with Nepal continues to examine contested boundary sections,
including the 400 sq km dispute over the source of the Kalapani River; India maintains a strict
border regime to keep out Maoist insurgents and control illegal cross-border activities from
Nepal
7. 6. Refugees and Internally Displaced People:
Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees (country of origin): 110,098 (Tibet/China);
64,208 (Sri Lanka); 15,735 (Burma); 10,196 (Afghanistan) (2015)
IDPs: 612,000 (armed conflict and intercommunal violence) (2015)

Definition: This entry includes those persons residing in a country as refugees or internally
displaced persons (IDPs). The definition of a refugee according to a United Nations Convention
is "a person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-
founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a
particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of
the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution." The UN established
the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1950 to handle refugee
matters worldwide. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
(UNRWA) has a different operational definition for a Palestinian refugee: "a person whose
normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who
lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." However, UNHCR also
assists some 400,000 Palestinian refugees not covered under the UNRWA definition. The term
"internally displaced person" is not specifically covered in the UN Convention; it is used to
describe people who have fled their homes for reasons similar to refugees, but who remain
within their own national territory and are subject to the laws of that state.

VIII. UNITED NATIONS – DIEGO

8. 1. Date admitted to the United Nations : India was among the original members of
the United Nations that signed the Declaration by United Nations at Washington, D.C. on 1
January 1942 and also participated in the United Nations Conference on International
Organization at San Francisco from 25 April to 26 June 1945. As a founding member of the
United Nations, India strongly supports the purposes and principles of the UN and has made
significant contributions in implementing the goals of the Charter, and the evolution of the
UN's specialised programmes and agencies.
8. 2. UN dues payment status : 18,342,559
8. 3. How much does this country contributes or requests contributions to or from the United
 Nations? In regards to which programmes?
Before the inception of WTO, India generally did not pursue any regional economic
agreement route to promote trade or to achieve any other goal. However, in the
Post Cancun Ministerial period, it has progressively entered into a number of
preferential trade arrangements with several Asian as well as non-Asian partners.
Looking into India’s regional economic integration approach, the current analysis
makes an attempt to identify the major determinants behind the shift in the country’s
interest and the policy implications of this change. We conclude that India’s approach
towards preferential trade can de depicted as a three-pronged PTA strategy: it can
compensate for loss in goods sector by gain in services or within the goods sector,
loss in some sectors (due to tariff reduction) is to be compensated through effective
market access of other products in which India has potential advantage; or
identification of India’s specific interest in the partner country (which may be
commercial, regional development or political).
8. 4. Has the UN ever intervene in a conflict involving this nation? If so, where and how? If not,
has it ever considered it?
The Security Council Resolution 47 (1948) also enlarged the membership of the UNCIP to 5
members. India and Pakistan signed the Karachi Agreement in March 1951 and established
a ceasefire line to be supervised by observers. After the termination of the UNCIP, the
Security Council passed Resolution 91 (1951) and established a United Nations Military
Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to observe and report violations of
ceasefire.
After the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the two countries signed the Simla Agreement in 1972
to define the Line of Control in Kashmir. India and Pakistan disagree on UNMOGIP’s mandate
in Kashmir because India argued that the mandate of UNMOGIP has lapsed after the Simla
agreement because it was specifically established to observe ceasefire according to the
Karachi Agreement.
However, The Secretary General of the United Nations maintained that the UNMOGIP
should continue to function because no resolution has been passed to terminate it. The
military authorities of Pakistan have continued to lodge complaints with the UNMOGIP
about ceasefire violations. The military authorities of India have lodged no complaints since
January 1972 and have restricted the activities of the UN observers on the Indian side of the
Line of Control
8. 5. How does the country contribute to UN Peacekeeping?
India has been the largest troop contributor to UN missions since its inception. So far India
has taken part in 43 Peacekeeping missions with a total contribution exceeding 180,000
troops and a significant number of police personnel having been deployed. In 2014 India is
the third largest troop contributor [TCC] with 7,860 personnel deployed with ten UN
Peacekeeping Missions of which 995 are police personnel, including the first Female Formed
Police Unit under the UN. Recently Indian Peacekeepers were lauded by the UN for their
efforts in preventing a carnage in the South Sudan conflict which resulted in the death of
two of its soldiers.
India has so far, provided two Military Advisors (Brig. Inderjit Rikhye and Lt Gen R K Mehta),
two Police Advisers (Ms Kiran Bedi), one Deputy Military Adviser (Lt Gen Abhijit Guha), 14
Force Commanders and numerous Police Commissioners in various UN Missions. Indian
Army has also contributed lady officers as Military Observers and Staff Officers apart from
them forming part of Medical Units being deployed in UN Missions. The first all women
contingent in peacekeeping mission, a Formed Police Unit from India, was deployed in 2007
to the UN Operation in Liberia (UNMIL).[1] Lt Gen Satish Nambiar, a former Indian Army
Lieutenant General served as the United Nations Protection Force commander from March
 1992 to March 1993. He also served on the "High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and
Change" of the Peacebuilding Commission.
India was reappointed to the Organizational Committee of the Peacebuilding Commission
in December 2010, for a third 2-year term. India is supportive of nationally-led plans for
peace consolidation, while arguing for a constructive approach and a "lighter touch" by the
Peacebuilding Commission in extending advice, support and in extending its involvement.
India has also been contributing to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund.
8. 6. Has the UN cited this nation for human rights violations? If so, why?
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/02/28/report-details-indias-worst-recent-
human-rights-abuses/
8. 7. Based on your research, what do you feel is this nations’ identity?
I love the country
8. 8. Try to find at least one recent article that is about or makes reference to this nation
(preferable from the past two weeks) and make a short summary.
MARRAKECH, Morocco: The International Solar Alliance (ISA), brainchild of Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, moved to a next level when more than 20 countries, including India, France
and Brazil, signed its framework agreement on Tuesday - the first day when it was opened
for signature here on side-lines of the UN climate conference (COP22) on Tuesday.
More countries are expected to join it formally in coming weeks. The ISA - a collective voice
of sunshine rich nations - will enter into force once 15 countries ratify it after completing
their respective domestic processes. It will help these countries to bargain their positions as
a group to get low cost finance and technology to boost solar energy.
The ISA was launched at the UN climate change conference (COP21) in Paris on November
30 last year by PM Modi and French President Francois Hollande after the former had given
a call to all solar resource rich countries to form a coalition to specifically address energy
needs by tapping solar energy from the sun. This alliance provides a platform for 121
prospective member countries to collaborate and address the identified gaps through a
common agreed approach.
Welcoming the countries move to sign the ISA framework agreement within 11 months of
its launch, India's environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said, "The ISA activities have
increased significantly and many initiatives are under implementation. With legal
framework in place, the Alliance will be a major international body, headquartered in India".
The Alliance is expected to achieve the objective of the Paris Agreement which emphasizes
on moving towards renewable energy. The Alliance has been envisioned as a dedicated
platform which will contribute towards the common goal of increasing utilization and
promotion of solar energy and solar applications to help the world transition to a low-carbon
and greener society.
8. 9. About India´s participation in the Security Council (Past and future) Has its participation
been more than relevant?
India will not be given a permanent seat this year on the United Nations Security Council: a
decision has been deferred to next year with discussions between countries unable to reach
a breakthrough.
"It is unfortunate that the 70th anniversary of the United Nations was not able to build up
momentum with a view to reaching an agreement on this important item of the agenda of
the General Assembly," India said in a joint statement with Brazil, Japan and Germany.
The four countries jointly work for expanding the Security Council's permanent membership
and mutually support each other for permanent seats and are known as G4.
The United Nations has 193 member countries who form the General Assembly. A meeting
of their representatives has just ended without a decision on reconfiguring the Security
Council, which has 15 members who decide how to maintain international peace and
security. Britain, France, the United States, China and Russia are permanent members and
hold veto power.
Last month, India failed to gain entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a block of 48 countries
that control the trade in nuclear technology and material.
India wants a permanent place on the Security Council to reflect its importance as a trillion
dollar economy and a major South Asian power.
After more than 20 years of stalling, moves to reform the council to reflect a more global
balance of power gained momentum last year when a negotiating text was adopted by the
General Assembly, overcoming strong opposition from a small group of countries including
Pakistan and Italy.
The adoption of the text was a breakthrough as meaningful negotiations could not be held
without such a document.
Most UN members support increasing the total number of council members from 15 to the
mid-20s and for making its working more transparent and involving non-member countries
in its activities