Happy Republic Day ...

“What makes a nation, is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past“, says the noted historian Eric Hobsbawm.

Hence, when talking of a nation, it becomes absolutely imperative that the past should also be talked about. And the past of India is fascinating and interesting as it is momentous.

Today the country is celebrate its 67th Republic Day, many of us have perhaps forgotten that that day was important. The only thing that remains in our mind now, is the break from the regular work we had. Ironically, today, Valentines Day, New Years day etc. make us feel ecstatic and festive but Republic Day and other national days do not throw us into a similar festive frenzy. The reason being, there is no business opportunity, glamour or show off associated with our national festivals.

We urge the youth to look at all that India as a nation has achieved; be proud and determined to take her to new heights.

As a tribute to our nation we present 55 most amazing, awesome, interesting, unknown and mind blowing facts about our motherland that we should be proud of India which every Indian must know.. So here it goes:

We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America , even faring better than the whites and the natives.

1. Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. It is the most precise and therefore suitable language for computer software.

2. India was one of the richest countries before British rule in India, i.e. during the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India’s wealth and was looking for a route to India when he discovered America by mistake.

3. India is the Largest democracy in the world, the 7th largest country in the world and one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).

4. India has the largest number of biomass gasifier systems in the world producing over 656 mega watts (MW) of power; and still has the potential of producing over 30000 mega watts of power.

5. India was the first country to be accorded the status of a Pioneer Investor in 1987 and was allocated an exclusive area in the central Indian Ocean by the UN for exploration and utilisation of resources.

6. Indian factories exported a record 3.5 million cars in the March 2014-March 2015, 15% more than last year.

7. India has the maximum number of post offices in the world!

8. India has separate civil and military nuclear facilities owing to the 123 Agreement with US in 2005.

9. India has the largest number of news channels in the world. It has 798 TV channels as of July 2014.

10. India is the 3rd largest producer of solar photovoltaic cells in the world producing 2.12 MW of power. India is the world’s 4th largest wind power user.

11. India is the 9th largest solar thermal power generating country in terms of million units per sq. m. It will have 20 million solar lights installed by 2022 which will save 1 billion litres of kerosene every year.

12. India is the world’s largest, oldest, continuous civilization.

13. India never invaded any country in her last 10,000 years of history.

14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.

15. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.

16. India is the second largest English speaking nation in the world.

17. India is the only country other than the USA and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

18. Sundar Pichai, an Indian, is the present CEO of Google Inc.

19. On 28 April 2008, a world record was set when India’s Polar rocket successfully placed ten satellites, including the country’s remote sensing satellite, into orbit in a single mission.

20. India is the world’s second largest producer of small cars. It is the largest newspaper market in the world.

21. World’s largest electronic ID program, Aadhar, is underway in India.

22. Bollywood with about 1000 films every year is the largest centre of film production in the world.

23. India is the largest producer of milk, cashew nuts, coconuts, tea, ginger, turmeric and black pepper, in the world. It also has the world’s largest cattle population (281 million). It is the second largest producer of wheat, rice, sugar, groundnut and inland fish.

24. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or NREGA, an Indian job guarantee scheme, enacted by legislation on August 25, 2005 is the largest ever – public employment programme visualized in human history.

25. The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over 1.6 million people!

26. Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. (Source: Gemological Institute of America )

27. A Cricket ground at the height of 2,444 meters, in Chail, is the world’s highest cricket ground situated in India.

28. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called “the ancient city” when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.

29. Jaipur (India) hosts the world’s widest concrete building. It has a reinforced concrete cement (RCC) flat roof with a single span of 119 feet.

30. By volume of pills produced, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is the world’s second largest after China.

31. ISRO 100 million dollars launching satellites in 2015. It launched 5 UK satellites and is set to launch 9 micro satellites for US. .

32. A mass singalong of 160,000 people in the Indian city of Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh, has broken a 72-year-old record for the world’s largest choir.

33. India contributes the largest number of troops for UN Peacekeeping Missions.

34. Indian banks are among top 500 financial brands.

35. The gathering of Kumbh Mela of 2011 was so huge that it was visible from space.

36. United Nations Industrial Development Organisation found that India ranks among the top 12 producers of manufacturing value-added(MVA) .

44. Indian American Prof. Praveen Jain of Queens University is heading the project to make CFL’s more efficient.

45. The TATA group, State Bank of India and Infosys Technologies are among 17 Indian firms that figure among the top 50 in the list of the world’s 200 most-reputed companies.

46. World’s biggest family lives in India, a man with 39 wives and 94 children.

47. India’s per person consumption of meat is the lowest in the world.

48. India has a 70% share in the export of spices.

49. Cancer drug Gleevec costs US$ 2500 in India, as opposed to US$ 70,000, because it cant be patented here.

50. State Bank of India has the maximum number of branches in the world.

51. Indian currency has braille markings for the blind.

52. India has the second largest network of paved highways, after the U.S.

53.There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET,

38% of doctors in USA are Indians.

12% scientists in USA are Indians.

36% of NASA scientists are Indians.

34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.

28% of IBM employees are Indians.

17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.

13% of XEROX employees are! Indians.

54. The Golden Temple provides food to over one lakh people everyday.

55. India has more mosques than any other nation than the world.

So what do you think? Have additions? Does this list make you proud of India?