Friday, June 08, 2007

Fun Factoids about India

MAY 24, 2007 -- The great thing about taking an organized tour is that you learn oodles about the country you're visiting. Here are some things I picked up during the five-hour bus ride from Delhi to Agra:
  • There are 1 billion, 100 million people in India.
  • Delhi's population alone is 15 million. It takes three hours by car to drive from Delhi's south city limit to north city limit.
  • Only 3 million people live in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. (Practically a small town, eh?)
  • In an attempt to improve air quality, Delhi has banned all industry from setting up shop within the city limits. Consequently, a "factory row" has developed just outside city limits. This is also where you'll find the majority of call centers owned by foreign companies. I kept my eye out for Dell Computers but couldn't find it.
  • In India there are three kinds of schools -- federally funded ones for the children of federal government workers; state-funded schools for the public majority; and private schools (mostly populated by children of diplomats and India's wealthier families.)
  • According to our guide, all good office jobs require a university degree, so the federal govt offers highly subsidized tuition assistance to those who meet financial and academic qualifications.
  • It largely depends on the city, but the average monthly salary for factory workers is $250 (and that often includes some meals on site). Teachers get about $500 to $800 a month.
  • Rent in Delhi for a decent apartment ranges between $100 to $200 a month.
  • The major religions in India are Hindu (about 80 percent); Muslim (about 20 percent); and then Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhist, Sikhs and Jains (Orthodox Hindus).
  • There are three kinds of health care in India: federally funded hospitals, state-funded hospitals and private hospitals. The federal and state hospitals provide free medical care to the general population but you have to buy your meds. At private hospitals, the patient pays for everything. Read: It's also where you'll get the most advanced, qualified care. I, fortunately, did not visit any of these facilities.
  • ABOUT THE DOT: Many of you wanted me to find out about the dot on an Indian woman's forehead, so I did some diligent research.
    Me doing diligent research: "Excuse me, Amit? About those dots on foreheads of Indian women... What's up with that?"
    Amit: "If it's a red dot, higher up on her forehead, that means she is married. Any other dot -- whether it's a jewel or another color -- is just a feminine touch. It's merely for decorative purposes."
  • India is agriculturally self-sufficient. It doesn't have to import any produce, though it does export some produce. To keep the farmers happy, the government excludes them from income taxes, and there's lots of subsidizing of utilities and major farming equipment purchases.
  • The signs you see along the street in India that say "STD" with an arrow pointing to a nearby door does not indicate that a man with gonorrhea lives there. STD stands for "Subscriber Trunk Dialing" -- India's public telephone system.
  • Likewise, the UTI Bank (one of the first private banks in India beginning in 1994) is not a business that caters only to women with urinary tract infections. Although it does offer a free liter of cranberry juice when you open a checking account. (Kidding!)

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