History
Delhi came under direct British control after the Indian Rebellion of 1857 Shortly after the Rebellion, Calcutta was declared the capital of British India and Delhi was made a district province of the Punjab. In 1911, Delhi was again declared as the capital of British India. Parts of the old city were pulled down to create New Delhi; a monumental new quarter of the city designed by the British architect Edwin Lutyens to house the government buildings. New Delhi, also known as Lutyens' Delhi, was officially declared as the seat of the Government of India and the capital of the republic after independence on 15 August 1947. During the partition of India thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees from West Punjab and Sindh migrated to Delhi. Migration to Delhi from the rest of India continues, contributing more to the rise of Delhi's population than the birth rate, which is declining.
The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi.[19] The Act gave Delhi its own legislative assembly, though with limited powers.
Economy
With an estimated net State Domestic Product (SDP) of US$95 billion (FY 2005), Delhi is the second largest commercial center in South Asia after Mumbai. Delhi has a per capita income of 53,976 INR which is around 2.5 times of the national average. The tertiary sector contributes
70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.2% and 3.85% contribution respectively. Delhi's workforce constitutes 32.82% of the population showing an increase of 52.52% between 1991 and 2001. Delhi's unemployment rate decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003. In December 2004, 636,000 people were registered with various employment exchange programmes in Delhi.
In 2001, the total workforce in all government (union and state) and quasi government sector was 620,000. In comparison, organised private sector employed 219,000. Delhi's service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism. Delhi's manufacturing industry has also grown considerably as many consumer goods industries have established manufacturing units and headquarters in and around Delhi. Delhi's large consumer market, coupled with the easy availability of skilled labour, has attracted foreign investment in Delhi. In 2001, the manufacturing sector employed 1,440,000 workers while the number of industrial units was 129,000. Construction, power, telecommunications, health and community services, and real estate form integral parts of Delhi's economy. Delhi's retail industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India. However, as in the rest of India, the fast growth of retail is expected to affect the traditional unorganized retail trading system.
Geography and Climate
The National Capital Territory of Delhi is spread over an area of 1,483 km² (573 sq mi), of which 783 km² (302 sq mi) is designated rural, and 700 km² (270 sq mi) urban. Delhi has a maximum length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and the maximum width of 48.48 km (30 mi). There are three local bodies (statutory towns) namely, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (area is 1,397.3 km² (540 sq mi)), New Delhi Municipal Committee (42.7 km² (16 sq mi)) and Delhi Cantonment Board (43 km² (17 sq mi)). The Great Gangetic Plains cover most of Delhi, as can be seen in this NASA image. Delhi is located at [show location on an interactive map] 28°61'N, 77°23'E, and lies in northern India. It borders the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh on East and Haryana on West, North and South. Delhi lies almost entirely in the Gangetic plains. Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plain and the Delhi ridge. The low-lying Yamuna flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture. However, these plains are prone to recurrent floods. Reaching up to a height of 318 m (1043 ft), the ridge forms the most dominating feature in this region. It originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, northeast and northwest parts of the city. Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. Most of the city, including New Delhi, lies west of the river. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara. Delhi falls under seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes.
Delhi has a semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to October, with the monsoon season in between. Winter starts in October and peaks in January and is notorious for its heavy fog. Extreme temperatures range from -0.6 °C (30.9 °F) to 47 °C (117 °F). The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 °C to 33 °C (58 °F to 92 °F). The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August. The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.
Government and Politics
As a special union territory, the National Capital Territory of Delhi has its own Legislative Assembly, Lieutenant Governor, Council of Ministers and Chief Minister. The legislative assembly seats are filled by direct election from territorial constituencies in the NCT. However, the Union Government of India and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi jointly administer New Delhi. The legislative assembly was re-established in 1993 for the first time since 1956, with direct federal rule in the span. In addition, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) handles civic administration for the city as part of the Panchayati Raj act. New Delhi, an urban area in Delhi, is the seat of both the State Government of Delhi and the Government of India. The Parliament of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace) and the Supreme Court of India are located in New Delhi. There are 70 assembly constituencies and seven Lok Sabha (Indian parliament's lower house) constituencies in Delhi.
Delhi was a traditional stronghold of the Indian National Congress, also known as the Congress Party. In the 1990s the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under the leadership of Madan Lal Khurana came into power. However in 1998, Congress regained power. Sheila Dixit of Congress is the incumbent Chief Minister. The Congress retained power in the Legislative Assembly in the 2003 election as well by a large margin. However, in 2007, the BJP scored a crushing victory over the ruling Congress in the MCD election, signalling a near certain return to power in the elections of Dec, 2008. Both parties have advocated full-fledged statehood for Delhi, but the process to establish this has been slow.
Education
Schools and higher educational institutions in Delhi are administered either by the Directorate of Education, the NCT government, or private organizations. In 2004–05, there were 2,515 primary, 635 middle, 504 secondary and 1,208 senior secondary schools in Delhi. That year, the higher education institutions in the city included 165 colleges, among them five medical colleges and eight engineering colleges, six universities—DU, JNU, JMI, GGSIPU, IGNOU and Jamia Hamdard—and nine deemed universities. GGSIPU is the only state university; IGNOU is for open/distance learning; the rest are all central universities.
Private schools in Delhi which employ either English or Hindi as the language of instruction are affiliated to one of two administering bodies: the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE). In 2004–05, approximately 15.29 lakh (1.529 million) students were enrolled in primary schools, 8.22 lakh (0.822 million) in middle schools and 6.69 lakh (0.669 million) in secondary schools across Delhi. Female students represented 49% of the total enrollment. The same year, the Delhi government spent between 1.58% and 1.95% of its gross state domestic product on education.
Colonial Architecture
Colonial architecture is well depicted in some of the masterwork done during the British Rule. Delhi is no exception to it. Visit the world famous India Gate, Parliament House, St. James's Church and awe at these Gothic structures.
India Gate
Parliament House
Rashtrapati Bhavan
Lotus Temple
Supreme CourtMonuments & Temples of India
Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India. It was consecrated in November 2005 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS (the organization responsible for the creation of Akshardham) and ceremoniously dedicated to the nation by the President of India, Abdul Kalam and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Sitting on the banks of the Yamuna River, adjacent to the proposed Commonwealth Games village, the complex features a large monument, crafted entirely of stone, permanent exhibitions on Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Hinduism, an IMAX, musical fountain, and large landscaped gardens.
Fairs & Festivals
India has a rich and varied cultural heritage, which is reflected in the colorful and brilliant festivals that are celebrated in Delhi city. Two of the most popular festivals of Delhi city, which hold a special significance for the Indian people are Holi and Diwali.
Delhi the capital city of India is a cultural hub and a center of active cultural activities. Various fairs and festivals are celebrated in Delhi all through the year. Delhi’s festive season begins with the Lohri and Republic day celebration in the month of January. Indian Holiday offers to give you online information on fairs and festivals in Delhi, India.
Republic Day Parade of Delhi is the biggest crowd puller and a major festival of Delhi. People from all over the country come to watch this grand event whose main attraction is the grand parade besides, the cultural events and tableaus.
Makar Sankranti and Lohri are other major festivals celebrated in Delhi. Besides, flower show, Garden festival, Suraj Kund crafts mela etc.are some of the festivals celebrated in the winters of Delhi.
Holi the festival of colors is another major festival, which is celebrated at the onset of spring. People celebrate the festival with great gusto and fanfare and apply color on each other.
Janamashtami, Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali etc. are some of the other important fairs and festivals in Delhi.
Posted by
Syed Abrar (alies) Arif
