India
India has a varied and distinct geographical regions and a diverse population, it is home to more than one billion people.
It gained independence from Britain in 1947, and Hindi is the official language although English is widely spoken. 80% of the population is Hindu, and 14% Muslim, with the remainder Christian, Sikh, Buddhist or Jain.
Even though economic growth in India has been strong over the past decade it remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Significant disparities between class, caste, gender and geography remains, and 35% of the population live on less than $1 a day. Serious childhood illnesses such as polio and diarrhoea, along with widespread malnutrition, remain prevalent.
The national literacy rate is only 61% and this figure is far lower in the poorer areas where Plan is working. Girls’ access to education is particularly limited and the literacy rate for women, at just 48%, is well below the national average.
Some of the reasons why Plan works in India
- One in every eleven children die before reaching the age of five
- Nearly half of all children under five years suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition
- A quarter of girls do not go to primary school
- 70% of the population does not have access to adequate sanitation facilities
Soap opera tackles female foeticide
A third series of a Plan-supported Indian television soap opera, 'Atmajaa' - Born from the Soul - has been launched with the aim of spreading messages of equality, female empowerment and the consequences of female infanticide |
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Water returns to flooded areas
After a break in the annual monsoon, rains have again begun to fall, re-flooding homes and hampering relief efforts in North India |
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Tsunami 24 months after
Plan, as part of a major disaster-response programme in the areas affected by the tsunami, has moved beyond humanitarian relief to focus on long-haul efforts to rebuild shattered communities |
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A school project in Andhra Pradesh, India
Schools are in such a bad state in the Indian coastal district of Andhra Pradesh, India that when it rains children and teachers get drenched. With your help Plan can improve the quality of schools in this area. |
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Children have something to say
A group of young filmmakers from India have been awarded the much coveted Special Achievement Award at the One World Media Awards, presented by Jon Snow in London. |
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Child prostitution in Nepal/India
Every year, thousands of Nepalese girls, some as young as 11 are sent to or procured for brothels in the big Indian cities, like Bombay or Calcutta. Click on the title above to read more. |
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