MISCELLANEOUS INDIA INFO

Growth rate  1.1%    1981  

Majority still live in the villages. 

death rate reduced with compulsory vaccinations 

McDonalds - serves no beef, pork. Only veggie, lamb and chicken burgers. Haven’t gone in one yet. 

Taxes:  I still can’t quite figure out how India pays for all this socialism. Education,health, food is available for everyone. Some, like the gypsies, don’t choose to benefit from it.

The laws have changed in the past 10 years to favor women. A man is exempt from taxes if he makes 180,000 rupees/annum (or about $3000) or below. A woman’s exemption is 210,000/annum (or about $3500). Anyone over 60 has an exemption of 240,000 rupees/annum or about $4000. 60 or 65 is the compulsory retirement age for government employees (biggest employer). 

Then every 100,000 Rps is taxed at 10%; the 2nd 200,000 at 20%; and above that at 30%. There are all kinds of service, Fed. Get. and service taxes added on to everything - like when we bought beer in the hotels. 40% of the people support the rest of the country. There are more than 1 million billionaires here. There is a 1-2% education tax. Inflation is 8-10% and the government always runs at a deficit. The main exports are rice, textiles, leather and sugar. 

Daisy said India runs on “jugar” which means makeshift - like that farm wagon we rode on at the camp which was pieced together from parts from everywhere! Nothing seems to be junked or wasted here, just reused! 

Controversial Indian movies:  Earth - about the partition; Fire - about lesbian relationships here; and Water (I saw this one) - about widows and what happens to them - young girl was 9 when moved to this house of widows (this took place back in Gandhi’s time as he is featured right at the end of the movie). Supposedly these widow houses are no more. 

Hinduism very practical. Abortion not allowed. But if needed, first trimester. 

All kinds of birth control available. 

Marriage:  seem to be still arranged, consulting each family, sometimes with a marriage broker, consulting each parties horoscope, and should be within the same “caste.”  Even though the caste system has been outlawed, especially any reference to the lowest caste as “untouchable.”  But out in the countryside, it’s still very much in place. It does very much seem that families tend to have the same handed-down profession - musician, tapper, fisherman, etc. 

 VJ said he had been contacted about women maybe 7 or 8 times before he agreed to his chosen wife. She, only once. He is 7 years older; they’ve been married for 8 years and have two girls. His wife used to work in accounting but now is a stay-at-home mom. 

In Hinduism only 1 wife is allowed. In Islam up to 4 wives. So far gay marriages are not allowed. Consensual sex by same sex had been okay up until a few years ago and then it became controversial. Now they must make a constitutional amendment in order for it to be okay. Doesn’t look like that will happen, so it is hidden. Curiously, it is common and perfectly acceptable for young men to walk around with their arms around each other; young women usually are walking holding hands. But it’s a friendship thing and okay. You don’t see any PDA anywhere. 

Gran Circle Foundation supported school. $10 of every trip goes towards the foundation to support the school. 

3.5 years sponsored.

Washrooms, power backup, new classrooms, teachers supported - increased salaries. Students very grateful for support of GC. We are influencing their lives - very impactful. 

Hindi language has 56 letters in their alphabet. Daisy learned English alphabet first when she started in private school. 

ITT (India Institutes of Technology) based on MIT is 60 years old here in India. There are several around the country and it is very competitive to get in. Millions of students apply and only 50-60 students get accepted in each department. 

AIMS - is All Indian Institute for Medical Sciences.  10 years ago 1 million students applied. Only 70-80 students are accepted every year. It’s easier to get into Harvard Medical School!

People got displaced when Ranthambhore Park was set aside as a tiger sanctuary. People were angry. NGO started rehabilitated tigers. Convinced people it was to their advantage.  Women become empowered by money for crafts go directly into their own back account. Patriarchal society who would control the money. 

Alcohol:  Apparently it’s a big problem here in Kerala state. So Sunday and the 1st Monday of every month are “dry” days. But on Sunday as we drove from the airport to our houseboat, we passed at least 2 liquor stores where men were lined up 50 deep! to buy. I guess it means you can’t buy it in a restaurant or little shop, only have it personally, so they were lined up!! 

Kerala has had in the past a Communist leadership. They have been out of power but a new election is coming up and VJ thinks they will be back in. He apparently thinks they have done good things for his state. You see their flag, red with hammer and sickle, flying around town to advertise the upcoming election. The main political party is the Congress party. I’m assuming that’s what the current Prime Minister Mr. Modi is but not sure.