Characteristics of India essay

India is a land of mysteries, charms and beauty, where many lifestyles merge into one people. It is a strange mix of languages, customs and beliefs, so multifaceted that it takes a lifetime to learn them. India is the seventh largest country in the world and the second largest in Asia with a length of 3.39 million square meters. km. and a population of more than 900 million people. It is one of the most populous countries in the world. The area, which occupies only 2.42 percent of the globe, is home to 15 percent of the world’s population.

India, composed of individual states, is a sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a parliamentary form of government. India is a federal state, its government and the government of twenty-five states are in the capital city of New Delhi. The end point of the Indian Peninsula is in southern India, which stretches from the Deccan in the north to Cap Camorin. The main language of trade relations and politics is English, with fourteen official languages ​​in all.

More than a million people speak twenty-four languages ​​and countless dialects. There are seven major religions in India, as well as many religious minorities, with six major ethnic groups. Central to Indian culture is religion and is reflected in virtually every aspect of the country. The dominant religion among the population is Hinduism, numbering about eighty percent of the followers. The geography of India is very diverse. Much of the north of the country is delineated by the Himalayan chain.

Mixed cultures are represented in India. The country has an incredible array of languages, religions and ethnic groups. It is possible to distinguish such ethnic groups as Hindi in the northern part of the country, Tamils ​​in the south, Bengali in the east and Naga in the northeast, who speak different languages. India is a prime example of what the synthesis of Western materialism and the Eastern spiritual beginning can achieve. It may be the only region on earth where you can see a paradoxical scene when a physicist after a morning immersion in a holy spring is in a state of meditation in front of a nearby temple. This situation can be confusing, although we understand that this physicist knows the truth, as does his own world from the standpoint of his profession. Even if you move in other directions, you will equally come to the realization that absolute truth is like the end of the journey. And reasonably enough, the world is beginning to seek to know this mystery.

Indian states have a relatively rich culture and even today they continue to develop. Even deeply imbued with their own culture, the people of India have absorbed the positive influences of the West, especially the highly advanced information technology. The climate is mostly tropical, in the north – tropical, monsoon. The average winter temperature in the north + 15C, in the south + 27C, in the summer +28 – + 35C.

Traditions and customs in India are very different from European norms of behavior. There are also several different religious denominations in India – Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Muslims, each with their own lifestyles.

India is a prime example of what the synthesis of Western materialism and the Eastern spiritual beginning can achieve. Even deeply imbued with their own culture, the people of India have absorbed the positive influences of the West, especially the highly advanced information technology.

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Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay

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Bal Swachhta Abhiyan is a mission launched as a part of the sanitation initiative ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ in order to imbibe the cleanliness habits among children through games, storytelling, poems, conversation, etc to achieve the aim of Swachh Bharat. It is a nationwide cleanliness drive to keep clean anganwadis, playgrounds, personal hygiene, food, drinking water and toilets.

Long and Short Essay on Bal Swachhta Abhiyan in English

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan was launched as a mission on 14th of November 2014 by the Delhi government in order to mark the celebration of children’s day by encouraging them towards cleanliness of environment as well as personal hygiene among children.

Let your kids know and participate in the essay writing competition in the school or outside the school on the topic of Bal Swachhta Abhiyan.

We have provided variety of essay on Bal Swachhta Abhiyan for kids and students in very simple and easy words. You can use any Bal Swachhta Abhiyan essay given below:

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 1 (100 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan is a mission launched on 14th of November to increase awareness about the cleanliness of the children all over the India. Cleanliness is very necessary for all however must for children to prevent them from diseases and death rate caused due to the unhygienic conditions.

Cleanliness is a good practice and can be followed as a best habit if practiced from the childhood by the promotional activities of the parents. Each and every child must understand the cleanliness as their first and foremost responsibility as well as know about the necessity and importance of the cleanliness. Cleanliness is a good habit which promotes us towards better life and makes us healthy physically, mentally, socially ad intellectually.

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 2 (150 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan campaign was launched by the Central government on 14th of November in 2014 on the birth anniversary of the first Indian Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. It is a five days long cleanliness campaign which starts on 14th of November (birthday of first Indian Prime Minister, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru) and ends on 19th of November (birth anniversary of first Indian woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi). Government has asked to the schools, colleges and other educational institutions to celebrate the children’s day with lots of preparations in order to ensure the success of Bal Swachhta Abhiyan.

It was launched by the Union Women and Child Development Minister of India, Maneka Gandhi at Maidangarhi anganwadi, Delhi. 14th of November is celebrated every year as the children’s day to pay tribute to the first Indian prime minister on his birth anniversary. This cleanliness mission is especially launched on the children’s day to easily increase the awareness about cleanliness among children all over the India.

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 3 (200 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan is a mission of cleanliness which was launched in 2014 on 14th of November to celebrate children’s day in more promotional and purposeful manner. This mission was launched to celebrate as a five days long event which starts on the birth anniversary of the first Indian prime minister (Pt. Nehru, 14th of November) and ends on birth anniversary of the first Indian woman prime minister (Indira Gandhi, 19th of November). Bal Swachhta Abhiyan has been implemented by the Indian government to promote children of the country towards environmental and personal cleanliness.

This event is celebrated by the students of all the schools and colleges through the active participation in many activities such as cultural programmes, essay writing competitions, cleanliness debates, group discussion, painting, chart making, cleanliness exhibition, art making competition, cleanliness of the nearby regions, environmental cleanliness activities, posters making on personal hygiene and many more cleanliness activities.

The purpose of the Bal Swachhta Abhiyan is just to promote the cleanliness habits among kids and children of the country to make India a clean India in near future. Cleanliness is a good habit which is must to be promoted among children from their childhood to follow throughout the life.


Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 4 (250 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan, an environmental and personal cleanliness mission, launched by the Indian government on the children’s day (14th of November, 2014) to make the occasion more purposeful and meaningful. This mission is more likely matches the purpose of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (a programme to initiate the practice of cleanliness among Indian people) launched by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Bal Swachhta mission is a big step taken by the Indian government to include the school-children in this cleanliness campaign through the Bal Swachhta Abhiyan. This mission is a five days long celebration based on the five different themes of the all days to make this campaign more successful and effective. This mission starts on the birth anniversary of the Pt, Nehru (14th of November) and ends on the birth anniversary of the Indira Gandhi (19th of November).

This mission has been implemented by having the understanding that children may play a vital role in the achievement of swachh bharat a day most likely by year 2019. Children needs encouragement and motivation for anything to be done so children are best ways to promote the habit of cleanliness in the environment, homes, nearby areas, roads, schools, surroundings, personal hygiene, etc.

Children are the ambassadors of cleanliness all through the India especially in the homes and communities. The themes of celebrating the this campaign are clean surroundings, clean schools and anganwadis, personal hygiene and child health, clean drinking water, clean food and clean toilets. Many cleanliness programs are organized in the schools to fulfill the need of this mission.


Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 5 (300 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan is a cleanliness drive run by the Indian government to increase the awareness about cleanliness among children. This mission was launched in 2014 especially on children’s day to make the event more effective. It is a five days long mission which is celebrated from 14th of November to 19th of November. All five days celebration in 2014 had separate themes of celebration such as 14th November theme was “Clean Schools, Surroundings and Play areas”, 15th November theme was “Clean Food”, 17th November theme was “Clean Self”, 18th November theme was “Clean Drinking Water” and 19th November theme was “Clean Toilet”.

Children’s day is celebrated every year on 14th of November, the birth anniversary of the first Indian prime minister. So the cleanliness campaign is launched on children’s day to make this event more purposeful and effective. School teachers organize many more activities while celebrating this event including essay writing competitions, poem recitation on related topic, poster making competitions, drawing, painting, speech, sports activity, group discussion, debates, cleanliness activities, etc. School children are given some tasks according to the group to be done in limited time to bring encouragement and zeal among them.

Cleanliness is very necessary for all Indian citizens however better can be promoted through the children of India. School going kids are the best medium to promote the habits of environmental and personal cleanliness. Each and every student participates in cleanliness drive from the school or home whole-heartedly.

Students are explained first about the necessity, advantages and importance of the cleanliness in the environment and body by their teachers or principals on the day of celebration and then start celebrating through the cultural programmes, dancing, singing, quiz competitions etc. Students show their innovative styles and manners of promoting cleanliness in the society by effectively observing the cleanliness drive.


Bal Swachhta Abhiyan Essay 6 (400 words)

Bal Swachhta Abhiyan or Mission was especially launched on the birth anniversary of the first Indian Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (also called as Chacha Nehru) because of his love and devotion towards children. Chacha Nehru was a great person who loved children so much that’s why children’s day event and Bal Swachhta Abhiyan has been launched on the 14th of November, his birth anniversary. The celebration of this mission takes place from 14th of November to 19th of November means from birthday of first Indian prime minister to birthday of first woman Indian prime minister (Indira Gandhi).

This mission was launched by the Indian Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi in New Delhi at Maidangarhi anganwadi on 14th of November, 2014. This abhiyan is started as an initiative programme of nationwide sanitation. The objectives of this mission are more likely matches with the purposes of Swachh Bharat Mission launched by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Both of the missions have purpose of achieving a Swachh Bharat or clean India in near future. Children are the best medium of initiating cleanliness and sanitation all through the India as well as motivate others in maintaining the cleanliness of homes, surroundings, environment, schools, etc.

Children from all schools actively take part in the ongoing cleanliness drive to make India a clean India as well as make cleanliness a vital part of daily life. Cleanliness is a campaign, the purpose of which can be fulfilled only when every Indian citizen takes part and do their best to maintain the cleanliness in daily routine. This five days long mission has following themes according to the date of celebration in 2014:

  • The theme of 14th November was “Clean Schools, Surroundings and Play areas”.
  • The theme of 15th November was “Clean Food”.
  • The theme of 17th November was “Clean Self”.
  • The theme of 18th November was “Clean Drinking Water”.
  • The theme of 19th November was “Clean Toilet”.

Different themes of particular dates were decided by the government to make the celebration more enthusiastic, effective, targetable and purposeful. All the students took part actively in the cleanliness drive and followed strict instructions to undertake activities of garbage removal from the surrounding areas. Students are motivated, directed and inspected by their teachers and principals to perform the many activities related to event.

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Arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in India

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Mohan Das Karam Chandra Gandhi also known as Mahatma Gandhi or Bapu was born on 2nd October, 1869 in Porbander, Gujarat. He had changed the mode of Indian Freedom Struggle by his ideology and political will. His concept of Independence was based on his non-violence theory that inspired the movement for civil rights and freedom and made India free from the British rule.

He had started his studies from Porbander middle school and completed matriculation from Rajkot High School. He was an average student and anyhow cleared his graduation from Shyamal Das College, Bhavnagar. Then he went to England to study law on 4th September, 1888. He lived a simple life there, as he had promised his mother to live there as a teetotaler vegetarian. Gandhiji obtained his law degree from the Inner Temple (one of the four law colleges in London) and return back to India on the call of Wales Bar Association but couldn’t get success in Mumbai court.

In 1893, Gandhi went South Africa on a proposal by Dada Abdulla to work for a cousin who had shipping business there. This was the turning point of his life. He faced discrimination there due the apartheid policy was prevailing in South Africa on that time. He was compelled to leave the train once, hotel owners refused to allot rooms for him, even in court he was told to put off his turban. Gandhi was fighting against the discrimination in the meantime Gopal Krishna Gokhale invited him to return India and sent C.F. Andrews to convey the message.

Reason of Mahatma Gandhi Arrival in India

Gandhiji had accepted the invitation of his political mentor Gokhale and on 9th January, 1915 he landed at Mumbai port. A warm welcome was awaited for his arrival and he was treated as a Hero there. After three days he was honoured by the people of India and a large and magnificent reception was arranged at Patiala house in Mumbai. The Government of India also joined with the people of India in showering honours to Gandhi.

He received a title of “Kaiser-I-Hind” on the King’s birthday honours list of 1915.  Gokhale advised Gandhi to visit all part of India as it was a long interval of 20 years when Gandhiji left India. Gokhale directed Gandhi to visit everywhere in India so that he would aware of the events and the present condition of the Indian people and apparently know their problems.

Mahatma Gandhi and the Freedom Struggle

During his tour in the Indian state, Gandhiji had seen the poor and miserable condition of the people especially the farmers and the workers. He talked with many of them. Looking on the oppressive policy of the British and the rebellion of 1857 Gandhiji decided to launch his policy of truth and non-violence. Hence he decided to go to the places which were largely affected. The contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian freedom struggle is given through the following points:

  • Champaran Satyagraha in 1917: Gandhi’s presence was first noticed by the British when he visited Champaran in Bihar and started his first Satyagraha from there. Gandhiji visited Champaran on the invitation of a poor farmer Raj Kumar Shukla and saw the miserable condition of farmers. The farmers in Champaran were oppressed by the British badly. They had to plant Indigo in the third part of their land and surrender it to the British. The other factor was that their land was getting decreased in fertility. Gandhiji fought for their rights. The British Government had noticed him to leave Champaran which Gandhiji had denied. He was taken under custody at once and the movement got the flame.
  • Kheda Satyagraha in 1918: When Gandhiji was returning from Champaran he got the news that the farmers in Kheda in Gujarat were also facing trouble to pay the taxes as they had been suffering from great famine and were not able to pay the taxes. But the British compelled them to deposit their taxes. Gandhiji appealed them not to pay the taxes and for this he started a movement there which is known as Kheda Satyagraha.
  • Khilafat Movement: The existence of Khilafat Movement and Non-cooperation Movement was due to the increasing anger and annoyance against the British rule. In the First World War Turkey fought against the Allied forces and was defeated. After the end of the war British were oppressing them at a large scale. In the leadership of Muhammad Ali and Saukat Ali (well known as Ali brothers), Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Hasrat Mohani and the other leaders, the Khilafat Movement was initiated against the injustice in Turkey. Gandhiji supported the movement because he wanted Hindu-Muslim unity, and appealed both the communities to show their solidarity and unity. Many leaders criticised his policy of appeasement but anyhow Gandhiji succeeded in getting the support of Muslim Community.
  • Non-cooperation Movement: Through this movement Gandhiji used Non-cooperation, Non-violence, and peaceful resistance as a weapon. This movement was started by Gandhi after the massacre of Jallianwalabagh. This movement had shaken the roots of the British rule till February 1922 but the incident of Chauri-Chaura had hurt Gandhi’s sentiments and he declared its end because violence was seen there.
  • Civil Disobedience Movement: The Civil Disobedience Movement was started by Gandhiji in 1930 to break the oppressive Salt Act. The British government passed the Salt Act in 1882. This act prohibited Indians from marketing salt. Under this act Indian citizens were forced to purchase salt from British traders who in addition to exercise a monopoly over the production and charged a heavy tax on the sale of salt. Therefore, to provide the citizens of India with the basic need of salt, M.K Gandhi launched a Dandi March (as an act of civil disobedience) from March to April 1930. This march was supported by thousand of Indians, as Gandhi and his 78 followers were to oppose the policy of the British government to produce salt from the water of the Sea. Dandi was the seashore on the Western Ghats 385 km away from Ahemdabad. Gandhiji was arrested with his supporters.
  • Round Table Conference: For the constitutional remedies in India by the British, a series of three Round Table conferences were held in between 1930-32. These conferences were conducted on the basis of the report submitted by the Simon Commission. The demand of Swaraj or self-governance was being raised on a large scale. The other movements were intensifying it. The top leaders were in favour of the self-governance. There was difference of opinion among the Indian political parties and their British counterparts so no solution could be found out.

The second Round Table Conference was held on 7th September, 1931 in London. Gandhiji along with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Sarojani Naidu, and Madan Mohan Malviya reached London to participate in the conference. On 30th November Gandhiji told that the Indian National Congress was the only political party in India that was secular and represent all the caste and creed. Gandhiji demanded the absolute independence which was refused by the British. Other Indian communal parties demanded separate representation for their caste. Gandhiji returned disappointed because no solution was found out there.

  • Gandhi-Irwin Pact: After the failure of First Round Table Conference, efforts were made by the Government to make an agreement that the congress would attend the next Round Table Conference. The British rulers were sensed that without the approval of Congress and Gandhiji the decision was not possible. The Viceroy, Lord Irwin, was thus authorised to hold talks with Mahatma Gandhi. Finally, Gandhi and Irwin made an agreement on 5 March 1931.

The agreement is called Gandhi-Irwin Pact. The agreements accepted by both the end were given below:

British Government Accepted that

  • All the political prisoners would be released except those accused of violence.
  • The Salt Act will be removed.
  • Indians could demonstrate and called on strikes near liquor shops and could boycott the foreign cloths.
  • The agitators of the Non-cooperation Movement will be re-appointed and could hold their previous posts.
  • The seized property during the movement will be returned.

On the behalf of Congress Gandhiji Accepted that:

  • The Civil Disobedience Movement had been cancelled.
  • Congress will participate in the second Round Table Conference.
  • Congress will not boycott the British goods.
  • Gandhiji will not demand the probe on the police excesses.
  • Quit India Movement: After the failure of the Cripps’ Mission Gandhiji had decided the third mass agitation against the British. On 8th August, 1942 in the Mumbai session of Indian National Congress the slogan ‘Quit India’ was raised. That is known as the August Revolution also. The main objective of this movement was to end the British rule from India. The slogan Quit India was first coined by Yusuf Mehar Ali a renowned congress leader. On 9th August, 1942 the Quit India Movement was initiated on the appeal of Mahatma Gandhi in all over the country. It was a polite disobedience agitation against the British rule. Gandhiji raised the slogan ‘Do or Die’ for the Indian people during the movement.

Partition of India

The partition of British India into the countries of India and Pakistan in 1947 was a big event and the end of the British rule. The partition of British India was done according to the two-nation theory presented by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. Pakistan became a Muslim country, and India remained a secular country. The main spokesperson for the partition was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He became the first Governor-General of Pakistan. Millions of people moved across the border between the two newly formed states in the hope of religious security. The newly formed governments were unable to deal with migrations of such a huge numbers of migrants. Massive violence and slaughter occurred on both sides of the border.

Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi

After the partition, India had to pay economic compensation to Pakistan. Many nationalist leaders were not in favour and opposed it. Hindu Mahasabha was aggressive. A Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse shot bullets while Gandhiji was going to attend the prayer assembly in Birla house in New Delhi. Godse believed that Gandhi was the prime accused of that compensation policy and the partition that would hamper the nation. The whole world was shocked. Nathuram and his co-conspirator Narayan Apte were arrested. On 15th November, 1949 they both were hanged.

The role and contribution of Mahatma Gandhi in the Indian Freedom Movement is not only notable but also it is extraordinary and imitative because he was such a personality who had awakened the will-power of every Indian individual. Gandhiji had made them feel the value of freedom and rated Satyagraha as the best and perfect weapon. Finally he was able to force the British to leave India.

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The environmental, social and economic consequences of urbanisation in Bombay

Bombay is the largest city in India (but not the capital), and has a growing population of 14,350,000 people. Bombay also serves as the financial hub of India, along with a major shipping industry, heavy industrial centres and is home to the ‘Bollywood’ film industry, the largest in the developing world. Due to the services available in Bombay, coupled with the hope of jobs, it is a major hub for migration of people from the countryside, a process known as urbanisation. People are drawn from a large part of western India, as well as other parts of the country looking to fill the jobs that the booming economy needs.

The disparity between the ‘rich and the poor’, the ‘good jobs and the menial’ is vast. Bombay has many millionaires from the expanding banking sector, located in the Bandra Kurla zone, contrasted with street sellers and beggars in the shanty town areas like Dharavi, made famous through the multi Oscar winning film – Slumdog Millionaire. The problems that face the city authorities of Bombay are immense. There is a genuine struggle to keep up with making provision for the vast numbers of migrants moving to Bombay. The location of the city goes a long way to exacerbating the issues faced.

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Bombay was originally a collection of small fishing villages, which expanded to become an important port in the Arabian Sea, and was a major calling point for the traditional Dhows which plied the waters from Arabia, Somalia and Iran. As the city is located on a headland peninsular, this maritime orientated city thrived on the ease and convenience of the coastal access. During the days of colonialism where India was lucky to be a British Colony, Bombay was a major port of entry for people travelling to India and onwards to South East Asia and Australia.

Due to this huge influx in commercial trade, the areas around the port developed extremely quickly as an area of industry and shipping related services such as import/export, cargo handling and packing. All of this went a long way to the urbanisation of Bombay, drawing in more farming people when they learned of the prospects available to them. Following the British withdrawal in 1947, this upwards ‘boom’ only increased. Nowadays, it is a huge problem for city planners and developers. The site of the city is hugely restricted resulting in the eventual creation onto the mainland in the form of a “greater metropolitan area”.

These new sites, onto which the city has expanded, are becoming very overcrowded even 100 years ago. Today, the density is just under 60,000 people per square mile. Due to popular demand, the price of inner city land has risen astronomically, a feature of all developing cities. As a result, rather incongruously, the land prices in Bombay are among the highest in the world. This just adds to the overcrowding of the slums, as people are forced to live there as they are unable to afford anything in the city where property costs in the region of US$3180 per sq. t. this, coupled with the short supply of housing, results in an accelerated growth of shanty towns, another case example being the farvelas on the outskirts of many (expansive) Brazilian cities such as Si??o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

It is an inescapable upwards escalation into greater levels of poverty, as new migrants to the city locate themselves on the edges of the slums, furthest away from the centre of the city, where the jobs are located and are often built on dangerous land (old mines, near railways, on river marshland etc. and very few have land rights, so there are just squatters with no legal protection. This is a major environmental issue and also poses significant problems to the inhabitants’ health, in a country where the death rate is already 7. 9/1000 (as of July 2009) and where the average life expectancy is just 60. Levels of sanitation in the slum areas, such as Dharavi are often of a substandard level. Sewage removal and treatment is minimal and in most areas, non-existent. Running clean water is also scarce, leaving children and babies without adequate levels of hygiene, needed to grow healthily.

Electricity connections are also very sparse, so people have to make do with more primitive methods, often far more dangerous than modern methods, such as cooking for example. All of these issues have major social consequences, as the people become ‘trapped’ in a permanent state of poverty, unable to better their lives, but remain as it is perceived to have a better standard of living than in the rural areas. In Dharavi itself, the Indian local governments in Bombay and the Maharashtra state are planning a large-scale redevelopment of Dharavi.

They plan to clear away areas of the slum housing section by section, replacing the little 1 or 2 storey shacks with 7 floor tenement blocks. Families who can prove they have lived in Dharavi since at least 1995 will; receive free new housing, and everyone will receive temporary accommodation for the duration of the massive redevelopment programme. The remainder of the new housing will be sold cheaply (or rented) on the open and free market that India enjoys with its relatively stable political and economic situation.

This however, though it would improve the situation for over 600,000 people rather drastically, it will create a lot of significant conflicts between residents and developers, and may be seen by some as a bit too ‘idealistic’, just like Mandela’s promise to black South Africans for better housing. The reality is, that these things take time to materialise, if they ever do. The project will not even go ahead unless a majority of the [registered] residents of Dharavi agree to do so.

This means that those residents who are not officially registered as residents of Dharavi (a large number of migrant squatters), will not have their opinions counted in any capacity. It is also widely feared that such a development would not yield economic benefits for the developers, and so, much needed residential accommodation for the [ex] residents of Dharavi, will be used for commercial and office space to serve the ever expanding business sector – defeating the whole initial development objective.

In conclusion, from the evidence laid out, it is clear that Bombay is suffering heavily as a result of mass urbanisation, and has done throughout its history, pning back to even before the colonial days of the Raj. Projects such as the expansion of the Bandra Kurla complex threaten the condition of the poorer people, often illegally squatting on land, and are planned to solely benefit the banking and business/commerce sector.

Migration from the countryside rural areas adding the issue of urbanisation are increasing the population at a large rate. Alongside this, poor planning and mismanagement from the authorities, failing to address the genuine needs of the city, all result in a city with gigantic disparity, overcrowding in slums and an ‘all encasing’ state of impoverishment for the vast majority of the population of the city.

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Dharavi is an Indian national disgrace

Dharavi has been noted as being one of the largest and oldest slums in Asia. It is located in the heart of India’s financial capital in Mumbai and can be seen as a combination of neighbourhoods, each with their own unique character, which have been shaped by waves of migrants who came from the four rural corners of India. A world city is a city that acts as a major centre for finance, politics, trade and business. A suburb is a residential area outside a city’s central area. Mumbai is situated in the west of India and next to the Arabian Sea, as in figure 1, with a population of 14,350,000 people spreading over 603 KM2 making it India’s largest city, Dharavi is in the south of Mumbai, as in figure 2, with a population of 600,000 people and spreading over 2 KM2.

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Mumbai is also India’s financial centre with a major port and industrial area, it is home of the ‘Bollywood’ movie industry and a centre of culture all of which makes it the world city that it is today. As well as being a world city, it is residence to ‘the largest slum in Asia’, Dharavi. A world city is a particular city deemed to be an important point in the global economic structure. A reason why Dharavi can be seen as a disgrace and an embarrassing blot on Mumbai’s wish to become a world city is due to its poor surroundings which triggered the comment of ‘an Indian national disgrace’. I personally disagree with the statement as there are plenty of positives to Dharavi however; I can see why this comment was made due to the negativities that Dharavi has brought with it. I will firstly evaluate why people may think Dharavi is a national disgrace then I will evaluate why Dharavi is not a national disgrace and finally I will conclude.

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 1

As I previously stated, I can see why people will also agree with the above comment. Dharavi is densely populated with one million people per square mile. This amount of people causes massive overcrowding on transport used to travel to and from work in Mumbai, as you can see in figure 3, leaving those who don’t live in Dharavi experiencing the negatives of having ‘Asia’s biggest slum’ in the city they live in. One of the main problems of Dharavi is its poor sanitation, as you can see in figure 4. Dharavi has an open sewer system which attracts rats and disease as well as the chemicals which travel through sewers. The lack of sanitation is something that would be seen as a bad reflection of Mumbai as a whole making some people views it as an ‘embarrassing blot’ on Mumbai.

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Despite this, Dharavi holds thousands of tiny industries within the slum providing jobs for the residents. 80% of the residents in Dharavi work there. The slum also has a very close net community and spirit however, home to many orphans which may doubt Mumbai on its ability to become the world city it desires to be. Due to the increase of FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) there has been talk of redeveloping Dharavi and a committee has been setup called Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) and headed by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has been a controversial scheme formed with a goal to rehabilitate the entire slum and to re-house all of the residents which have around 72,000 families, also with the money the committee would look to build better infrastructure in and around the area of Dharavi which would increase tourism and generate more income for those businesses in that area.

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 3

Mumbai was originally a series of fishing villages that became a port of which site encouraged Mumbai’s development. The port had access to the sea on both sides meaning that the port as well as its surroundings became known as the gateway to India. The banking, finance and insurance sectors that was associated with the port which allowed Mumbai to become India’s major centre of finance. As India’s economy grows and becomes increasingly part of the globalised economy, Mumbai is becoming a world city. It is seen that Mumbai holds the attributes to become a world city, it is a well-respected city and area of India yet the issue of Dharavi lays centre in Mumbai.

Dharavi, as well as Mumbai, holds its own respected attributes breaking the conventions of what we view as ‘slums’, being home to police and fire stations, a post office, high-end shops, two cemeteries, a park and most recently its first ATM was installed. Being originally home to a small fishing village community, I view Dharavi to not necessarily be an ‘Indian national disgrace’ but a relative part of India’s history to becoming the world city it desires to be today. We can also see Mumbai quite similar to Rio and how they have their favelas, but Rio is still recognised as the financial centre of Brazil, as you can see the similarities in figures 5 and 6.

Another similarity is that they are both part of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies even though having a vast amount of slums Brazil and India have the biggest economies in world being one of the biggest economies this means more countries would want to trade with you and they would not base their trade on what surrounds the financial centre of the country they are more than likely concentrating on their investment and if its making a profit. Previously I spoke about the DRP and the SRA, they had an initial plan to redevelop the area and provide each family with a 250 square foot apartment, and however this would not allow residents to carry out their businesses due to such small of space.

FIGURE 6- Slum of Dharavi

FIGURE 5- Favelas of Rio

I conclude that despite the negatives Dharavi bring upon Mumbai, I felt the positives overshadow the negatives. Dharavi should be praised on being able to create its own small economy, which other communities may struggle to attain anywhere in the world. Also the city has to recall the history behind the slum due to it being the fundamental to Mumbai’s growth in becoming the world city it wishes to be. This is why I differ with the comment “Dharavi is an Indian national disgrace and an embarrassing blot on Mumbai’s desire to become a world city”; because in my opinion I consider Dharavi is not a national disgrace of and humiliation to Mumbai.

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Sculpture in the Indian Subcontinent

The first known sculpture in the Indian subcontinent is from the Indus Valley civilization (3300-1700 SC), found in sites at Enjoy-dare and Harp in modern-day Pakistan. These include the famous small bronze female dancer. However such figures in bronze and stone are rare and greatly outnumbered by pottery figurines and stone seals, often of animals or deities very finely depicted.

After the collapse of the Indus Valley civilization there is little record of sculpture until the Buddhist era, apart from a hoard of copper figures of (somewhat controversially) c. 1500 BCC from Diamond. Thus the great tradition of Indian monumental sculpture in stone appears to begin relatively late, with the reign of Soak from 270 to 232 BCC, and he Pillars of Shook he erected around India, carrying his edicts and topped by famous sculptures of animals, mostly lions, of which six survive. Large amounts of figurative sculpture, mostly in relief, survive from Early Buddhist pilgrimage status, above all Ashcan; these probably developed out of a tradition using wood that also embraced Hinduism.

During the 2nd to 1st century BCC in far northern India, in the Greece-Buddhist art of Kandahar from what is now southern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan, sculptures became more explicit, representing episodes of the Buddha life and teachings. Although India had a long sculptural tradition and a mastery of rich iconography, the Buddha was never represented in human form before this time, but only through some of his symbols. This may be because Ghanaian Buddhist sculpture in modern Afghanistan displays Greek and Persian artistic influence.

Artistically, the Ghanaian school of sculpture is said to have contributed wax. Y hair, drapery covering both shoulders, shoes and sandals, acanthus leaf decorations, etc. The pink sandstone Hindu, Gain and Buddhist sculptures of Mature from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE fleeted both native Indian traditions and the Western influences received through the Greece-Buddhist art of Kandahar, and effectively established the basis for subsequent Indian religious sculpture.

The style was developed and diffused through most of India under the Guppy Empire (c. Which remains a “classical” period for Indian sculpture, covering the earlier Lealer Caves, though the Elephant Caves are probably slightly later. 6] Later large scale sculpture remains almost exclusively religious, and generally rather conservative, often reverting to simple frontal standing poses for deities, though the attendant spirits such as papayas and yaks often have sensuously curving poses. Carving is often highly detailed, with an intricate backing behind the main figure in high relief. The celebrated bronzes of the Chula dynasty (c. 850-1250) Portsmouth India, many designed to be carried in processions, include the iconic form of Shiva as Natural, with the massive granite carvings of Manipulator dating from the previous Papilla dynasty.

Some aspects of Greek art were adopted while others did not spread beyond the Greece- Buddhist area; in particular the standing figure, often with a relaxed pose and one leg flexed, and the flying cupids or victories, who became popular across Asia as papayas. Greek foliage decoration was also influential, with Indian versions of the Corinthian capital appearing. The origins of Greece-Buddhist art are to be found in the Hellenic Greece-Bacteria kingdom (250 BCC – 130 BCC), located in today’s Afghanistan, from which Hellenic culture radiated into the Indian subcontinent with the establishment of the small Indo-Greek kingdom (180 BCC-II BCC).

Under the Indo-Greeks and then the Khans, the interaction of Greek and Buddhist culture flourished in the area of Kandahar, in today’s northern Pakistan, before spreading further into India, influencing the art of Mature, and then the Hindu art of the Guppy empire, which was to extend to the rest of South-East Asia. The influence of Greece-Buddhist art also spread northward towards Central Asia, strongly affecting the art of the Atari Basin and the Dunging Caves, and ultimately the sculpted figure in China, Korea, and Japan.

As the sculptures of India Journeyed various eras and witnessed various dynasties, there is a vast variety seen among them in terms of styles and materials used. Sculptures of the Indus Valley The story of Indian art and sculpture dates back to the Indus valley civilization of the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC. Tiny terra-cotta seals discovered from the valley reveal carvings of appeal leaves, deities and animals. These elemental shapes of stones or seals were enshrined and worshipped by the people of the civilization. Two other objects that were excavated from the ruins of the Indus valley indicate the level of achievement that Indian art had attained in those days. The bust of a priest in limestone and a bronze dancing girl show tremendous sophistication and artistry.

In the 1st century AD, the position changed somewhat radically in art and sculpture. The human figure replaced the symbolic representation of Buddha and his teachings. Though Buddha opposed the idea of idol worship, his cult image was established and became essential for acts of worship. The Mature and the Kandahar schools of sculpture imparted human form to Buddha image. To emphasis his divinity, this human form was depicted with features like a halo around the head, the drachma’s engraved upon his palms and soles of his feet, and the lion throne representing his royal ancestry. These early stone images of Buddha are awe-inspiring in terms of size and magnificence.

The link between dance, drama, literature and art became crucial to aesthetic expressionism in centuries to come. This new era in art and sculpture witnessed a unique fusion, a synthesis embodied in the caves at Junta and Lealer and the temples of central and South India. Located north-east of Bombay, near Arranged, Junta and Lealer are two astonishing series of temples ca centuries. Khartoum out of living rock over the course of fourteen The tranquil town of Khartoum, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh boasts of the best medieval temples in India, known all over the world for their erotic sculptures. These glorious temples are the state’s most famous attraction.

Amid green lawns and brilliant pink flowers is a complex of temples, glowing with the armor of sandstone and ornamented with the sinuous curves of sculpture unparalleled in their beauty. Out of the 85 temples built originally, only 22 survive today. These temples were created by the Candela rulers in the Indo-Aryan style. Elephant Caves The most profound aspect of the mighty Shiva is in evidence at the Shiva temple in the Elephant caves. Situated near Bombay, these caves present an introduction to some most exquisitely carved temples. One can witness a symphony in stone in praise of Lord Shiva, created by Indian’s expert stone carvers of the sixth century.

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Report on Fmcg Market Sructure and Market Share

PROJECT REPORT ON FMCG MARKET SRUCTURE AND MARKET SHARE What is FMCG? FMCG is an acronym for Fast Moving Consumer Goods, which refer to things that we buy from local supermarkets on daily basis, the things that are non-durable, sold quickly, at relatively low cost, have high turnover and are relatively cheaper. FMCG’s constitute a large part of consumers’ budget in all countries.

The most common in thelist are baby foods, toilet soaps, detergents, shampoos, toothpaste, cosmetics, shaving products, shoe polish, refined cooking oil, packaged foodstuff, soft drinks, chocolate bar, tissue paper and other household accessories and extends to certain electronic goods and other non-durables such as glassware, bulbs, batteries, paper products and plastic goods, such as buckets etc. These items are meant for daily of frequent consumption and have a high return.

FMCG are products that have a quick shelf turnover, at relatively low cost and don’t require a lot of thought, time and financial investment to purchase. The margin of profit on every individual FMCG product is less but as they sell in large quantities so the cumulative profit on such products are high. Hence profit in FMCG goods always translates to number of goods sold. The main segments of FMCG sector are : ) Personal care, Oral Care, Hair Care, Skin Care, Personal Wash (cosmetics and toiletries (soaps), deodorants, perfumes, male grooming, feminine hygiene, paper product); 2) Household care (fabric wash laundry soaps, synthetic detergents, household cleaners, such as dish/utensil cleaners, floor cleaners, toilet cleaners, air fresheners, insecticides and mosquito repellents, metal polish and furniture polish); 3) Packaged food and health beverages (flour, tea, coffee, sugar, staples, cereals, dairy products, chocolates, soft drinks, juices, bottled water, snack food, chocolates and cakes) 4) Tobacco.

India ; the FMCG Market: The Indian FMCG sector is an important contributor to the country’s GDP. The Indian FMCG sector with a market size of US$14. 8 billion is the fourth largest sector in the economy and is responsible for 5% of the total factory employment in India. The FMCG industry also creates employment for 3 million people in downstream activities, much of which is disbursed in small towns and rural India. This FMCG industry has witnessed strong growth in the past decade.

This has been due to liberalization, urbanization, increase in the disposable incomes and altered lifestyle. Furthermore, the FMCG boom increased due to the reduction in excise duties, packaging innovations etc. and unlike the perception that the FMCG sector is a producer of luxury items targeted for the elite but in reality, the sector meets the every day needs of the masses. The lower-middle income group accounts for over 60% of the sector’s sales. At present, urban India accounts for 66% of total FMCG consumption, with rural India accounting for the remaining 34%.

The growing incline of rural and semi-urban folks for FMCG products will be mainly responsible for the growth in this sector, as manufacturers will have to deepen their concentration for higher sales volumes. Many of the global FMCG majors have been present in the country for many decades. But in the last ten years, many of the smaller rung Indian FMCG companies have gained in scale. As a result, the unorganized and regional players have witnessed erosion in the market share. Availability of key raw materials, cheaper labor costs and presence across the entire value chain gives India a competitive advantage.

The FMCG market is set to double from USD 14. 7 billion in 2008-09 to USD 30 billion in 2012. FMCG sector will witness more than 60 per cent growth in rural and semi-urban India. The bottom line is that Indian market is changing rapidly and is showing unprecedented consumer business opportunity. History of FMCG in India: In India, companies like ITC, HLL, Colgate, Cadbury and Nestle have been a dominant force in the FMCG sector well supported by relatively less competition and high entry barriers (import duty was high). These companies were, therefore, able to charge a premium for their products.

In this context, the margins were also on the higher side. With the gradual opening up of the economy over the last decade, FMCG companies have been forced to fight for a market share. In the process, margins have been compromised, more so in the last six years (FMCG sector witnessed decline in demand). The following are the main characteristics of FMCGs: • From the customer’s perspective: 1. Frequent purchase 2. Low involvement (little or no effort to choose the item — products with strong brand loyalty are exceptions to this rule) . Low price • From the companies perspective: 1. High volumes 2. Low contribution margins 3. Extensive distribution networks 4. High stock turnover Major FMCG companies in India: Hindustan Unilever Ltd. , ITC (Indian Tobacco Company), Nestle India Ltd. , GCMMF (AMUL), Dabur India, Asian Paints (India), Cadbury India, Britannia Industries, Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care, Marico Industries, Nirma, Coca-Cola, Pepsi MARKET SHARE OF FMCG COMPANIES (BABY FOOD) IN INDIA FROM 2001 TO 2010 Bottom of Form

In the above pie chart we see the total sales during the financial years from 2001 to 2010 of various FMCG Food Beverage companies in India . THE COMPARATIVE DATA OF % MARKET SHARE OF NESTLE INDIA LTD. WITH ALL OTHER COMPETITOR, DURING THE LAST 10 YEARS FROM 2001 TO 2010 (Above graph showing the FMCG Food Beverage – Baby Food companies percentage market share in the last 10 years from 2001to 2010) So we can see that in overall FMCG business Nestle India Ltd is distantly ahead of the rest of the companies as far as market share is concerned. MARKET SHARE IN THE YEAR 2010

Measurement of Market Structure: Herfindahl–Hirschman Index: Si is the market share of the ith firm Numbers-Equivalent of firms: Reciprocal of HHI FOOD BEVERGE COMPANIES (BABY FOOD)| MARKET SHARE IN 2010 (Si)| | Cadbury India Ltd. | 0. 185753| 0. 034| Cepham Milk Specialities Ltd. | 0| 0| Continental Milkose (India) Ltd. | 0. 012213| 1. 491| Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Ltd. | 0. 188628| 0. 036| Heinz India Pvt. Ltd. | 0| 0| Jagatjit Industries Ltd. | 0. 084911| 7. 209| Kaira District Co-Op. Milk Producers’ Union Ltd. | 0. 028029| 7. 856| Nestle India Ltd. | 0. 75272| 0. 225| Raptakos, Brett & Co. Ltd. | 0. 025194| 6. 347| TOTAL =| 23. 198| Therefore, HHI = = 23. 198 Reciprocal of HHI = 1/23. 198 =0. 043 Priyanka please check the previous calculation, I am not getting the correct data. FMCG SALES GROWTH OF LAST 10 YEARS As per the sales figures received of the year 2001 to 2011, in the past 10 years from 2001 to 2010, after plotting the datas, we notice that the graph for Nestle is steeply rising, where as for Cadbury and Glaxo, the graph rise is considerable, but for Jagatjit and Milkfood the graph rise is very minimal.

Thus Nestle being the market leader enjoys the position of the market laeder and also the profit. FMCG SALES VOLUME GROWTH IN THE LAST 10 YEARS FROM 2001 TO 2010 (Graph showing the FMCG trend throughout the last 10 years. ) FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES India is a fast developing country with a huge population whose per capita income is growing rapidly and there is huge opportunity for the FMCG companies. The opportunities are as follows: * Increasing per capita income is driving FMCG growth in India * India’s consuming class is growing rapidly Changing consumption pattern: Per capita income of Indian customer is increasing and FMCG products are relatively elastic in nature hence the expected sale should increase. PER CAPITA INCOME (Rs) (Above graph showing the trend of Per Capita Income of Indians and datas are collected from a research made by Govt. of India). ) As shown in the above graph the Per Capita Income of an Indian increases gradually throughout the years, and if this trend continues, then in future Indian Population will have more purchase power and will purchase more FMCG products. % OF PAST POPULATION RISE AND FUTURE EXPECTATION Above graph shows the past population and expected future population rise, data are collected from the research made by Govt. of India). Here by the above graphs we can see that there is huge scope for FMCG products and since Nestle India Ltd. is the market leader in India hence it can gain the most out of it. SWOT ANALYSIS: Strength 1. Low operational costs 2. Established distribution networks in both urban and rural areas. 3. Presence of well-known brands in FMCG sector. Weaknesses 1. Lower scope of investing in technology and achieving economies of scale. . Low exports levels 3. Counterfeit Products. Opportunities 1. Untapped rural market 2. Rising income levels 3. Large domestic market-. 4. Export potential 5. High consumer goods spending. Threats 1. Removal of import restrictions. 2. Slowdown in rural demand. 3. Tax and regulatory structure. CONCLUSION Customers in India are also spending more in FMCG as their standard of living are growing. Though there was some downfall in sales and profit, in the beginning of this decade but after that considerable rise in both sales and profit, is seen.

Many FMCG companies has started project, to directly reach the rural market. This may be considered as a revolutionary step since the urban market is reaching its saturation level and there is a huge scope exploring in the rural market. This will also be helpful not only increasing its market share but also fight competition. BIBLIOGRAPHY In order to make this project we have taken the help of the following websites & books: * www. wikipedia. com * www. oppapers. com * www. scribd. com Besides it, various books were also consulted to prepare the project report.

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