DASNR
International
Student of the Week
Home Country:
India
Above: Naulakha Temple in Jharkhand State*
India , officially the Republic of India, is a sovereign country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the east, India has a coastline of over 7500 kilometers. It borders Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Indonesia.
Home to the Indus Valley civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism originated here, while Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism arrived in the first millennium CE and shaped the region's variegated culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early eighteenth century and colonised by the United Kingdom from the mid-nineteenth century, India became a modern nation-state in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by widespread use of nonviolent resistance as a means of social protest.
India has a labour force of 509.3 million, 60% of which is employed in agriculture and related industries. Major agricultural crops include rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, jute, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes. The agricultural sector accounts for 28% of GDP.
Facts about Ranchi:
While on the one hand beautiful and exciting waterfalls are scattered around this town, on the other hand huge industries are also to be seen there, which do attract visitors. There are many scenic attractions in and around Ranchi that hold tourists for days together. It is also an important place for the study of tribal ways; of life it offers an ideal opportunity to those interested in Anthropology. Bihar Tribal Research Institute and museum is well worth a visit for those seeking to know more about the tribes of Bihar. One can consider some of above all it is the central point of Chotanagpur, which one cannot miss to visit. Due to its good climate, lot of people come here for health sake too. It gets 1530 mm rain annually.
Sources: Wikipedia and Everything about India.
* (copyright kunalchak@flickr)
Sadique Akhtar
March 24, 2009
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From the Department of Agricultural Economics...
This week’s international student of the week is Sadique Akhtar. He is a second year Masters degree student in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Sadique is from Ranchi, the Capital City of Jharkhand State in India, and he speaks Hindi and English. Sadique has been involved in different organizations with a strong altruistic focus; he is a member of a Non-governmental Organization named Self Reliant Initiative through Joint Action (SRIJAN). Sadique has also worked for small and medium non-government organizations that focus on rural development and poverty alleviation projects.
In his free time Sadique likes to listening to music, reading development articles, and watching television. Sadique comes from a family of seven children; he has three brothers and three sisters. Sadique’s father is a retired Government Official, and his mother is a house wife. Sadique’s family members are in the Ranchi District of Jharkhand.
Sadique came to the United States to pursue a Masters in Agricultural Economics. He chose OSU because of the good reputation of the department, and he is focusing on agribusiness. After completion of the Masters, Sadique is planning to work in an agricultural based rural development and poverty alleviation project in India, particularly in tribal and poverty ridden villages. Sadique's advice for studnets: "There is not a substitute for hard work." Advisor: Dr. Shida Henneberry
Interview by: Sandra Rodríguez
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