People and Society of India

Nationality

noun: Indian(s) adjective: Indian

Ethnic Groups

Indo-Aryan 72%, Dravidian 25%, and other 3%

Population

1,173,108,018

Population (Male / Female)

male: 725,784,825 female: 683,343,471

Population Distribution

with the notable exception of the deserts in the northwest, including the Thar Desert, and the mountain fringe in the north, a very high population density exists throughout most of the country; the core of the population is in the north along the banks of the Ganges, with other river valleys and southern coastal areas also having large population concentrations

Urban Population

urban population: 36.4% of total population rate of urbanization: 2.33% annual rate of change

Population in Major Urban Areas

32.941 million NEW DELHI (capital), 21.297 million Mumbai, 15.333 million Kolkata, 13.608 million Bangalore, 11.776 million Chennai, 10.801 million Hyderabad

Age Structure

0-14 years: 24.5% (male 181,115,052/female 163,647,028) 15-64 years: 68.7% (male 500,568,593/female 467,593,781) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 44,101,180/female 52,102,662)

Median Age

total: 29.8 years male: 29.1 years female: 30.5 years

Sex Ratio at Birth

at birth: 1.1 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female

The quality of medical care in India varies considerably. Medical care in the major population centers approaches and occasionally meets Western standards, but adequate medical care is usually very limited or unavailable in rural areas. If you are arriving in India from Sub-Saharan Africa or other yellow-fever areas, Indian health regulations require that you present evidence of vaccination against yellow fever. If you do not have such proof, you could be subjected to immediate deportation or a six-day detention in the yellow-fever quarantine center. If you transit through any part of sub-Saharan Africa, even for one day, you are advised to carry proof of yellow fever immunization. Good information on vaccinations and other health precautions are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or by calling the hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747). Some vaccines such as Typhoid, Influenza, and Hepatitis A are recommended for all travelers, and other vaccines such as Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, and Rabies are recommended for high-risk travelers. A high risk of rabies transmission exists in most of India with dogs and bats posing the most common threat. Vaccination is recommended for all prolonged stays with a priority for young children and travelers in rural areas. It is also recommended for shorter stays that involve occupational exposure; locations more than 24 hours' travel from a reliable source of human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine for post-exposure treatment; adventure travelers, hikers, cave explorers, and backpackers. Monkeys also can transmit rabies and herpes B, among other diseases, to human victims. Avoid feeding monkeys. If bitten, you should immediately soak and scrub the bite for at least 15 minutes and seek urgent medical attention. Influenza is transmitted from November to April in areas north of the Tropic of Cancer, and from June through November (the rainy season) in areas south of the Tropic of Cancer, with a smaller peak from February through April; off-season transmission can also occur. All travelers are at increased risk. The influenza vaccine is recommended for all travelers during the flu season. Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (H5N1 virus) occur intermittently in eastern India, including West Bengal, Manipur, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh, and Assam. For further information on avian influenza (bird flu), please refer to the Department of State's Avian Influenza Fact Sheet. Malaria prophylaxis depends on the time of year and area the traveler is visiting. Please consult the CDC website for more information. Dengue fever presents a significant risk in urban and rural areas. The highest number of cases is reported from July to December, with cases peaking from September to October. Daytime insect precautions are recommended. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO website also contains additional health information for travelers, including detailed country-specific health information. These websites provide useful information, such as suggested vaccinations for visitors to India, safe food and water precautions, appropriate measures to avoid contraction of mosquito-borne diseases (such as malaria and Japanese B encephalitis), suggestions to avoid altitude sickness, etc. Further, these sites provide information on disease outbreaks that may arise from time to time. Outbreaks of mosquito-borne viral diseases such as dengue fever and chikungunya occur in various parts of India each year. You should check these sites shortly before traveling to India. Further health information for travelers is available from the WHO. Tuberculosis is an increasingly serious health concern in India. For further information, please consult the CDC’s Travel Notice on TB. For emergency services, dial 112 from a cell phone; from a landline, dial 100 for police, 102 for an ambulance (108 in parts of South India), and 101 for fire. Ambulances are not equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment, and traffic does not yield to emergency vehicles. Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for an ambulance. Most hospitals require advance payment or confirmation of insurance prior to treatment. Payment practices vary and credit cards are not routinely accepted for medical care. Medical tourism is a rapidly growing industry. Companies offering vacation packages bundled with medical consultations and financing options provide direct-to-consumer advertising over the internet. Such medical packages often claim to provide high-quality care, but the quality of health care in India is highly variable. People seeking health care in India should understand that medical systems operate differently from those in the United States and are not subject to the same rules and regulations. Anyone interested in traveling for medical purposes should consult with their local physician before traveling and refer to the information from the CDC. Persons traveling to India for medical purposes require the proper “medical” visa. Please check with the nearest Indian Embassy or consulate for more information. Despite reports of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals, travelers should generally not delay or avoid treatment for urgent or emergent medical situations. However, health tourists and other travelers who may be contemplating elective procedures in this country should carefully research individual hospital infection control practices. Rh-negative blood may be difficult to obtain as it is not common in Asia. Commercial surrogacy, a growing industry in India, remains unregulated, operating solely under non-binding government guidelines. There are concerns that the interests and rights of commissioning parents, surrogates, egg donors, and the resulting children may not always be adequately protected. In order for a child born of surrogacy to acquire U.S. citizenship and obtain a U.S. passport, sufficient proof must be submitted showing a genetic relationship between the newborn child and a U.S.-citizen parent. This is best accomplished through DNA testing. Newborns found not to have acquired U.S. citizenship at birth risk being stateless persons unable to obtain travel documents as Indian law prohibits the issuance of Indian passports to children born of surrogacy. With no right to other citizenship, infants may find themselves stranded in India. If you are considering traveling to India for assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures, please contact the Embassy or one of the Consulates General well in advance and review the available information to learn if your child born from ART could be documented as a U.S. citizen. After the birth of your child, you should count on staying in India for at least two weeks to complete the Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (CRBA) and passport application and to obtain an Indian exit visa. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in India maintain lists of local doctors and hospitals, all of which are published on their respective websites under "U.S. Citizen Services." We cannot endorse or recommend any specific medical provider or clinic.

Life Expectancy at Birth

total population: 68.2 years male: 66.5 years female: 70.1 years

Infant Mortality Rate

total: 30.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 30 deaths/1,000 live births female: 30.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Major Infectious Diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Japanese encephalitis, and malaria water contact diseases: leptospirosis animal contact diseases: rabies

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 96.9% of population rural: 94.7% of population total: 95.5% of population unimproved: urban: 3.1% of population rural: 5.3% of population total: 4.5% of population

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 98.6% of population rural: 75.2% of population total: 83.4% of population unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population rural: 24.8% of population total: 16.6% of population

Tobacco Use

total: 27.2% male: 41.3% female: 13%

Alcohol Consumption

total: 3.09 liters of pure alcohol beer: 0.23 liters of pure alcohol wine: 0 liters of pure alcohol spirits: 2.85 liters of pure alcohol other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Total School Life Expectancy

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 12 years

• Hindu81.0%
• Muslim12.0%
• Other3.0%
• Christian2.0%
• Sikh2.0%

Hindi 41%, Bengali 8.1%, Telugu 7.2%, Marathi 7%, Tamil 5.9%, Urdu 5%, Gujarati 4.5%, Kannada 3.7%, Malayalam 3.2%, Oriya 3.2%, Punjabi 2.8%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.2%, other 5.9% Note: English enjoys the status of a subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; Hindi is the most widely spoken language and primary tongue of 41% of the people; there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6%; note - English enjoys the status of subsidiary official language but is the most important language for national, political, and commercial communication; there are 22 other officially recognized languages: Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Konkani, Maithili, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Odia, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Santali, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout northern India but is not an official language

• Bangla
• Bengali
• Gujarati
• Hindi
• Kannada
• Kashmiri
• Punjabi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu

• Ravi Shankar

  Composer

  Ravi Shankar, Indian sitarist and composer, was born in Varanasi, India.

• Rabindranath Tagore

  Author

  Rabindranath Tagore, Indian poet, was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, British India. [now India]

• Mumtaz Mahal

  The Queen in whose memory Taj Mahal was made by Shah Jahan and who ruled in the hearts of her people

• Akbar

  The Emperor with the famous Nine Jewels of his Court, was the most brave Emperor of Modern India

• Jawaharlal Nehru

  The first Prime Minister of India and the architect of Five Year Plans, he is also known as Chacha Nehru

• Kishore Kumar

  It was Kishore Kumar who successfully became Hindi cinema’s comic hero whose popularity relied primarily on his comic talents. Add to that his phenomenal acting talent and amazing singing voice and you have a performer who bordered on the genius. Kishore Kumar was born on 4th August 1929 in a middle class home at Khandwa. He was the youngest in the family.

• Indira Gandhi

  was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad, the only child of Jawaharlal Nehru, later the first prime minister of India

• Rabindranath Tagore

  Greatest writer in modern Indian literature, Bengali poet, novelist, educator, and an early advocate of Independence for India is the introduction to Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta into a wealthy and prominent Brahman family.

• Emperor Ashoka

  The great Indian emperor, Ashoka, was born in 265 B.C. The grandson of the great Changragupta Maurya, Ashoka ruled over an empire that covered two-thirds of the Indian continent. He was the most famous of the Mauryan kings and was one of the greatest Hindu rulers of India, who later got embraced Buddhism. The capital of the Ashoka’s Empire was located in the city of Pataliputra (now known as Patna, the capital of Bihar in the eastern region of India). A very brave ruler and a good administrator, Emperor Ashoka was the younger son of the King Bindusara and was given the throne soon after the kings death because he was loved and respected by his subjects and by his ministers. His grandfather, Chandragupta, had set out to conquer the weaker kingdoms around his kingdom to expand the territory of his people in 324 BCE, and was the first to rule over a unified India. Ashoka’s father, Bindusara, established a reign much the same as his father’s, controlling a larger kingdom than ever before known. It was in 268 BCE, when Ashoka was crowned the king of Magadha

• Mahatma Gandhi

  1869

  Early Years "Mahatma" means "Great Soul"; and Mohandas Gandhi, born in 1869, was certainly one of history’s most extraordinarily great men. As an undersized infant from a large household in the seaside town of Porbandar, India, the studious boy showed no early indication of leadership. School friends poked fun at his shyness and frailty, and laughed at the big ears that protruded from the sides of his thin face. Mohandas learned piety from his mother, Putlibai, who rigorously followed Hindu customs and vows. Though she was illiterate, her character, common sense and vigorous speech impressed the boy. The Gandhis belonged to the social caste of tradesmen; Gandhi means "grocer" in the Gujarati dialect. Mohandas’ father, already an elderly man at the time of his last son’s birth, arranged for the boy to marry the daughter of a merchant at age thirteen. Many years later, Mohandas criticized arranged marriage as a "preposterous" practice, though through his adult life it gave him the support and love of a wife and four children. Mohandas had a profound experience in his mid-teens. He and his father attended a play called Harischandra, about an ancient king who sacrifices everything he owns in order to seek truth. Mohandas was troubled for months by the vivid drama. He finally asked himself why all men did not set the finding of truth as their supreme goal. He did not feel that final truth was to be found within the confines of any religion; rather, through mutal respect among people. Mohandas began to concentrate on the plight of his people, who were treated as inferior by their British sovereigns. The spiritual youth, however, did have bouts of rebelliousness: eating meat with a Muslim friend, smoking cigarettes, and stealing. With each infraction his guilt increased - until after a painful confession to his dying father, he felt suddenly absolved. The calm tears of the dying man radiated love, forgiveness, and a new respect for the truthfulness of his son. Chosen from among his brothers to fill his dead father’s position as chief political aide to the tiny state government, Mohandas entered the nearest institute for higher learning, but returned in low spirits after only one term. Then a family friend suggested that he go to England to earn his degree in law. Pawning his wife’s marriage jewels for money, and with his brothers’ help, he left, after telling his friends quietly, "I hope that some of you will follow in my footsteps, and that after you return from England, you will work for big reforms in India." The Indian youth worked hard to fit in with his British peers, though he felt some discrimination. His work with the non-sectarian Vegetarian Society gave Mohandas his first taste of organizing for group action. Then, when the Society asked him to help edit a translated version of the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu holy book, he was reawakened through the epic poems and wisdom of his Hindu heritage, to his own religious nature. A Christian Bible, purchased from a vendor, also became part of Mohandas’ studies. One particular passage of Jesus’ teachings went straight to his heart: "But I say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Both Hinduism, with its emphasis on rising above bodily enjoyments, and Christianity, with its "Blessed are the meek" idealogies, thus came to profoundly influence Gandhi’s life - even though he acknowledged excesses in both religious doctrines. Completing his exams in 1891, Mohandas embarked for home with a deep, unified philosophy of selflessness. Gandhi’s Contributions to Peace As a young lawyer with little opportunity for material success, Gandhi grew more and more resigned to an impoverished life spent writing legal documents. Then, in 1893, he was asked to work in British-controlled South Africa for one year. There, as an Indian claiming the rights of a British subject, he was immediately scorned. He also saw native blacks and South African Indians crippled by official discrimination. Gandhi’s one-year term in South Africa implanted him with a lifelong "magnificent obsession" for Indian rights. To test the effectiveness of his strategies for nonviolent protest, he initiated civil disobedience campaigns, organized numerous strikes and mass meetings, composed petitions, and spoke out for human rights. Enlarging upon this nonviolent philosophy of living the simple, humble life, which he called "satyagraha," Gandhi realized several reforms. He edited a weekly newspaper, the Indian Opinion and was arrested many times for subversion. But the humble, frail, yet courageous man also stood up for the British cause on those occasions when he thought it correct, and was decorated by the British for his efforts during both the Boer War and the Zulu Rebellion. After a 21-year crusade for human rights in South Africa, in 1915 Gandhi returned to India and became the leader of the Indian Nationalist movement, which advocated Home Rule ("Swaraj"). Alarmed, the British government enacted bills to outlaw opposition movements. But "satyagraha" protests soon nullified the impact of these bills. "I had to disobey the British law because I was acting in obedience with a higher law, with the voice of my conscience," Gandhi declared. At one point, however, when rioting broke out, he halted the campaign and fasted to impress upon his people the need for civility: "Hatred can be overcome only by love." Next, Gandhi recommended one- or two-day work stoppages ("hartal," or in English "shoplock"), to be spent in prayer and fasting. Hartal must be observed without even one brick being thrown, he cautioned; though the Indians could not physically defeat their oppressors, they could appeal to their higher human instincts. Though not always ideally peaceful, Hartal was an amazing success. The repeated city-wide shutdowns left the British in a complete quandary. In 1919, almost four hundred Indians were massacred when a British general ordered his men to fire on an unarmed crowd of protesters. This only made Gandhi more determined to gain independence by cultivating satyagraha. Satyagraha included the belief that personal discipline was far more important than achievements; that outward progress followed inner refinement. "To prepare for home-rule, individuals must cultivate the spirit of service, renunciation, truth, nonviolence, self-restraint, patience." Fear must also be overcome, as even violence was preferable to cowardice. He preached, however: "Let us fear God and we shall cease to fear man." Gandhi engendered a nationwide program for hand spinning and weaving, which aided the cause of independence both by making Indians more economically self-sufficient and by preparing them for self-government, challenging the British-owned textiles industry. In 1930, as a protest against the new "Salt Acts" stipulating that all salt must be purchased from the government, Gandhi led 200 followers on a march to the sea, where they made salt from seawater. Pictures of the little loin-clothed Indian wading into the water to extract the first crystal of salt, raised the consciousness of people all over the world. Though Gandhi was arrested, twenty-five hundred "Satyagrahis" marched on, row by row, without him, to demonstrate at the Dharsana Salt Works - and four hundred police awaited them, armed with steel clubs. A United Press reporter described the horror to the Western world: "Not one of the marchers even raised an arm to fend off the blows.... From where I stood I heard the sickening whack of the clubs on unprotected skulls." Jails overflowed. The country ground to a halt. The marches and boycotts were taking such an economic toll that the British government began to face the issue of Indian independence. But, over the next several years, as new British viceroys instigated more controlling policies, Gandhi’s civil disobedience protests reappeared, along with a crusade for dismantling the caste system: "Caste has nothing to do with religion.... It is a sin to believe anyone else is inferior or superior to ourselves." Gandhi made it clear now that many of his fasts were not directed at the British, but rather at the hearts of his fellow Hindus. The fasts inspired the doors of Hindu temples to open to all worshippers - Brahman and outcast alike. One six-day fast had as its objective the reform of the discriminatory British election system. Sensing bloodshed would be imminent, the British certainly feared the death of the sixty-two-year-old Gandhi. When he was finally read conciliatory provisions, the nation sighed in relief as the old man whispered, "Excellent." Gandhi’s wife, also in prison at the time, was brought to his beside where she gently chided her husband: "Again the same story, eh?" Altogether, Gandhi spent seven years in prison for his political beliefs; it was his honor to go to jail for a good cause. Nevertheless, he carried a private burden of guilt over the lack of attention he was able to give his children. Torn with sadness, he would proclaim, "All India is my family." For years, Gandhi had been struggling to unite Hindus and Muslims. Despite their dissimilar beliefs and customs, Mahatma emphatically trusted that they could live in peace as one nation. When Great Britain granted India its freedom in 1947, Gandhi was heartbroken as India was partitioned into two nations: predominantly Hindu India and Moslem Pakistan. He spent Independence day alone, in prayer. Even Gandhi could not halt the fighting that soon broke out between Hindus and Moslems, and between the various Hindu sects. At age 78, Gandhi entered into his last fast in hopes of ending the bloodshed. And five days later, the factious leaders did pledge to cease fighting. Then, just ten days later, on his way to a prayer service open to followers of any religion, the Mahatma was gunned down by a high-ranking Indian Brahman who feared Gandhi’s tolerant teachings and programs. The entire country mourned, without any further violence, until the body had burned to ashes in its funeral pyre beside the holy river. Mohandas Gandhi’s life was guided by a search for truth, founded upon great respect and concern for one’s fellow beings. His autobiography, My Experiments with Truth, outlines his principles of satyagraha. Though slight in build and humble in demeanor, Gandhi possessed limitless physical energy, moral wisdom and courage of conviction. Before Gandhi’s death, the Indian poet Tagore wrote of the "Great Soul": "Perhaps he will not succeed. Perhaps he will fail as Christ failed to wean men from their iniquities, but he will always be remembered as one who made his life a lesson for all ages to come."

Crime Information

Petty crime, especially theft of personal property (including U.S. passports), is common, particularly on trains or buses, at airports, and in major tourist areas. Pickpockets can be very adept and women have reported having their bags snatched, purse straps cut, or the bottom of their purses slit without their knowledge. If you are traveling by train, lock your sleeping compartments and take your valuables with you when leaving your berth. If you travel by air, be careful with your bags in the arrival and departure areas outside airports. Violent crime, especially directed against foreigners, has traditionally been uncommon, although in recent years there has been a modest increase. Be cautious about displaying cash or expensive items to reduce the chance of being a target for robbery or other crimes, and be aware of your surroundings when you use ATMs. ATM card scams have been used to clone credit card details to withdraw money. Gangs and criminal elements operate in major cities and have sometimes targeted unsuspecting business travelers and their family members for kidnapping or extortion. Sexual Assault: Travelers should be aware that there have been reported cases of sexual assault, including rape, of U.S. citizens traveling throughout India. U.S. citizens, particularly women, are cautioned not to travel alone in India. Western women, especially those of African descent, continue to report incidents of verbal and physical harassment by groups of men. Known locally as “Eve-teasing,” these incidents of sexual harassment can be quite frightening. Sexual harassment can occur anytime or anywhere, but most frequently has happened in crowded areas such as in marketplaces, train stations, buses, and public streets. The harassment can range from sexually suggestive or lewd comments to catcalls to outright groping. If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect local dress and customs. While reported incidences of sexual assault have been isolated, Indian authorities report rape as one of the fastest-growing crimes in India. Among large cities, Delhi experienced the highest number of crimes against women. Although most victims have been local residents, recent sexual attacks against female visitors in tourist areas underline the fact that foreign women are at risk and should exercise vigilance. Women should observe stringent security precautions, including avoiding the use of public transport after dark without the company of known and trustworthy companions, restricting evening entertainment to well-known venues, and avoiding isolated areas when alone at any time of day. If you are a woman traveling in India, you are advised to respect conservative local dress and customs. Keep your hotel room number confidential and make sure hotel room doors have chains, deadlocks, and spy holes. In addition, only hire reliable cars and drivers and avoid traveling alone in hired taxis, especially at night. Use taxis from hotels and pre-paid taxis at airports rather than hailing them on the street. If you encounter threatening situations, call “100” for police assistance (“112” from mobile phones). Scams: Major airports, train stations, popular restaurants, and tourist sites are often used by scam artists looking to prey on visitors, often by creating a distraction. Beware of taxi drivers and others, including train porters, who solicit travelers with "come-on" offers of cheap transportation and/or hotels. Travelers accepting such offers have frequently found themselves the victims of scams, including offers to assist with "necessary" transfers to the domestic airport, disproportionately expensive hotel rooms, unwanted "tours," unwelcome "purchases," extended cab rides, substandard hotel rooms at overly expensive rates and even threats when the tourists decline to pay. There have been reports of tourists being lured, held hostage, and extorted for money in the face of threats of violence against the traveler and his/her family members. You should exercise care when hiring transportation and/or guides and use only well-known travel agents to book trips. Some scam artists have lured travelers by displaying their names on a sign when they leave the airport. Another popular scam is to drop money or to squirt something on the clothing of an unsuspecting traveler and use the distraction to rob them of their valuables. Tourists have also been given drugged drinks or tainted food to make them more vulnerable to theft, particularly at train stations. Even food or drink purchased in front of the traveler from a canteen or vendor could be tainted. Some vendors sell carpets, jewelry, gemstones, or other expensive items that may not be of the quality promised. Deal only with reputable businesses and do not hand over your credit cards or money unless you are certain that the goods being shipped are the goods you purchased. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it is best avoided. Most Indian states have official tourism bureaus set up to handle complaints. There have been a number of other scams perpetrated against foreign travelers, particularly in Goa, Jaipur, and Agra that target younger travelers and involve suggestions that money can be made by privately transporting gems or gold (both of which can result in arrest) or by taking delivery abroad of expensive carpets, supposedly while avoiding customs duties. The scam artists describe profits that can be made upon delivery of the goods and require the traveler to pay a "deposit" as part of the transaction. Cybercrime is on the rise in India. Over 1,200 phishing attacks every month makes India the fifth most targeted country. The city of Bangalore alone has recorded a significant statistical increase in the past four years. U.S. citizens have had problems with business partners, usually involving property investments. You may wish to seek professional legal advice in reviewing any contracts for business or services offered in India. A list of attorneys is available on the Embassy and Consulates General websites. In another common scam, family members in the United States, particularly older people, are approached for funds to help callers claiming to be grandchildren or relatives who have been arrested or are without money to return home. Do not send money without contacting the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General to confirm the caller’s situation. You can also call our Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747 (from overseas: 202-501-4444). Review our information on Emergency Assistance to Americans Abroad. Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootlegs illegal in the United States, but if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in another country, you are subject to its laws even though you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own. In some places, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places, driving under the influence of alcohol could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country. If you do something illegal in your host country, your U.S. passport won’t help. It is very important to know what is legal and what is not where you are going. It is also important to note that there are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States. For example, you can be prosecuted in the United States if you buy pirated goods, engage in sexual conduct with children, or use or disseminate child pornography in a foreign country even if those activities are not illegal in that country. Each of India’s states has independent regulations concerning alcohol purchase and consumption. Legal drinking ages range from 18 to 25 and can vary by beverage type. Some states permit alcohol use for medicinal purposes only, others require you to hold a permit to buy, transport, or consume alcohol. Penalties for violation can be harsh, so travelers are advised to check with Indian authorities in the states they plan to visit. While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested, that might not always be the case. To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.