Their total world population probably does not exceed 130,000. With the exception of some 10,000 in Iran , almost all of them live in India , the vast majority concentrated in Mumbai. The Parsees excel in industry and commerce, and contribute richly to the

intellectual and artistic life of the nation. 

Judaism : Jewish contact with the Malabar Coast in Kerala, dates back to 973 BC when King Solomon's merchant fleet began trading for spices and other fabled treasures. Scholars say that the Jews first settled in Cranganore, soon after the Babylonian conquest of Judea in 586 BC. The immigrants were well received and a Hindu king granted to Joseph Rabban, a Jewish leader, a title and a principality.

ART AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

A CONTINUING TRADITION

The cultural policy of the Government has three objectives - to preserve the cultural heritage, inculcate art consciousness among the people and promote high standards in the performing and creative arts. Eminent persons from the field of fine arts are nominated by the President to the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. 

PAINTING

India has very strong but ancient traditions in painting. The evidence lies in the frescoes of Ajanta and Ellora, the Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts and the Jain texts. Religion had a great influence on the early Indian paintings. There are several series depicting the life of Lord Krishna. The Islamic period saw many schools bearing Persian and Indian influence, produce miniatures in tempera on paper. The Ragini paintings, depicting the musical modes, are unique in the world. Some of the well-known Indian painting schools are the Rajput, Deccan , Kangra and Moghul. 

The Bengal renaissance and modern art, influenced by Europe , also made their mark. The doyen of Indian modern art, Abanindranath Tagore, used Japanese and Chinese techniques in his paintings and drawings. The Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, was an accomplished painter. His contemporaries, Nandalal Bose, Samarendranath Gupta and A.K. Haldar among them, laid the foundation of modern Indian painting. Jamini Roy was another founder of modern Indian painting and graphic art. Amrita Shergill, half Hungarian, represents the best among the European style painters of early 20th century. The art scene in India is enriched today by artists like M.F. Hussain, J. Swaminathan, N.S. Bendre, Krishen Khanna, Vivan Sundaram, Bhupen Khakar, Ghulam Shaikh and many others. 

DANCE

The origin of classical dance in India goes back to 2BC when the ancient treatise on dance, Natya Shastra, was compiled. Dance in India is guided by the elaborate codes in the Natya Shastra and by mythology, legend and classical literature. Both classical and fold form of dances are performed in India . Classical dance forms have rigid rules for presentation. Among the leading forms of classical dance are Bharat Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kuchipudi and Mohini Attam. Bharat Natyam, originating in Tamil Nadu, has movements of pure rhythm, rendering a story dramatically in different moods. Kathakali, the dance drama from Kerala, requires the artist to wear an elaborate mask. The principal classical dance of north India , Kathak, originated as a religious performance but later developed as a court dance under the Moghuls. The lyrical style of dance, Manipuri, comes from the eastern State of Manipur . It described the games of Krishna and the "Gopis". Odissi was once a temple dance in Orissa. Kuchipudi, the dance-drama from Andhra Pradesh, is based on themes from the epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata. In addition, there are numerous forms of folk and tribal dance in India . 

THEATRE

The classical theatre survives only in a few cities. But the folk theatre thrives in almost every linguistic region. Its themes are becoming modern. The professional theatre is largely confined to big urban centres. It draws on the work of modern playwrights and also likes to experiment with various forms including folk theatre. The plays are performed in Indian languages as well as English. The rich tradition of puppet theatre also survives in many parts of the country. The National School of Drama not only trains students, but also conducts research in classical, traditional and modern drama. 

FILMS

The country leads the world in the output of movie films, with more than 900 produced annually. They command an enormous domestic market and have become increasingly popular abroad, particularly in Asia, Africa and West Asia . The major production centres are Mumbai, Madras and Calcutta . Movies are the most popular medium of entertainment. Much of the commercial cinema revolves around social dramas and thrillers with many songs and dance sequences thrown in. But an art cinema which takes a serious look at Indian society is becoming increasingly popular. There has been widespread recognition of Indian artistes and directors at film festivals in different parts of the world. The late Satyajit Ray was awarded many prestigious international awards including the Oscar in 1992 for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema. 

MUSIC

The ancient Indians believed in the divine origin of music. The purest form of sound was considered equal to cosmic energy. As a result, music and religion were always closely intertwined. Classical music tradition was probably evolved from the religious poems and chants of the Vedic period. It was later codified by Bharata Muni. 

At present, there are two schools of classical music-the Hindustani style of the North and the Carnatic of the South. All classical music is set to the raga arrangements of musical notes that have a characteristic mood and are repeated in any composition. Musicians, however, have considerable freedom to improvise within the framework, and performances are judged very often by the brilliance of the improvisation. 

As in dance, music has a rich and vigorous folk tradition and music is inextricably woven into the fabric of rural India . 

SPORTS

Hockey, in which India has an impressive record with eight Olympic gold medals, is officially the national sport. Other popular games are football, cricket, basketball, volleyball and badminton. Cricket has become a very popular game and India , once one-day cricket champions, staged the World Cup in 1987 and again in 1996. Sunil Gavaskar's aggregate of 10,122 test runs and 34 test hundreds remain unbeaten world records. 

In games like tennis and billiards, which are played by a very small percentage of the population, Indians have nevertheless made a mark in the international arena. At the young age of 17 Vishwanath Anand became an international chess grandmaster. Geet Sethi has won the both the World Amateur and Professional Billiard Championships, while in 1990 Leander Paes became the third Indian Wimbledon Junior Champion. 

After the IX Asian Games in New Delhi in 1982, the capital city now boasts of some very modern sports facilities. Such facilities are also being developed in other parts of the country. With the introduction of new equipment and techniques of coaching and training, there is hope that India will show a marked improvement in various disciplines of sports. 

Besides the sports and games which are included in the international sporting agenda, there are many which have developed indigenously and are played by people in the villages. Among these is wrestling, a sport which has developed many local styles and schools. It is taught for the most part in traditional gymnasia with packed mud floors. There are also several indigenous systems of martial arts. 

Among the indigenously developed games, the most popular are kabaddi and kho-kho. National competitions are held in these two games. Among equestrian sports, tent-pegging has a uniquely Indian flavour. Camel races and elephant races are also uniquely Indian. Among the indigenous water sports, the snake-boat race which takes place in the backwaters of Kerala during the Onam festival has now become an international tourist attraction

Economy, Industry & Trade
The new Economic Order & Industrial growth, Globalising of Trade & Telecommunications

A NEW ERA

Though agriculture has been the main preoccupation of the bulk of the Indian population, the founding fathers saw India becoming a prosperous and Modern State with a good industrial base. Programs were formulated to build an adequate infrastructure for rapid industrialization.

Since independence, India has achieved a good measure of self-sufficiency in manufacturing a variety of basic and capital goods. The output of the major industries includes aircraft, ships, cars, locomotives, heavy electrical machinery, construction equipment, power generation and transmission equipment, chemicals, precision instruments, communication equipment and computers. Early planners in free India had to keep in mind two aims: all-round development and generation of large-scale job opportunities. Economic development strategies were evolved with an eye on these twin objectives.

New International Economic Order

As a responsible and progressive member of the international community, India is continuing her untiring efforts to bring about a constructive dialogue between the developed and developing countries in their quest for a cooperative approach towards a new International Economic Order. India is convinced that the establishment of an equitable International Economic Order involving structural and other, changes is the only answer to the various economic ills and problems of development confronting the world today.

Economic Restructuring

The international confidence in India 's economy has been fully restored.

The reforms launched have made India an attractive place for investment. Duties have been lowered, repatriation of profit made liberal and levels of foreign equity raised considerably, 100% in case of export oriented industry.

While several multinational companies have entered the Indian market, some Indian companies have also begun to gain international recognition. In the field of computer software, India is among the major exporting nations with an overflow of scientists in the field.

With the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations, India decided to join the new World Trade Organization, successor to GATT. India hopes that developing countries will not suffer on account of any protectionism.

On its part, India has opened several sectors hitherto restricted to the public sector. The rupee is convertible on the trade account. In 1994, exports grew by 17%. Figures for 1995-96 show that exports grew at a rate of 28.8%. About 90% of India 's import are financed by export earnings. The Non-Resident Indian (NRI) enjoys special incentives to invest in India like tax exemption and higher interest rates on deposits.

NRIs

The government acknowledges the great role that the vast number of Indians living and working abroad, the Non-Resident Indians, can play in accelerating the pace of development in the country. In the 1980s, the NRIs contribution through their remittances was instrumental to a large extent in stabilizing the balance of payment situation. Several initiatives have been taken to attract NRI investments - in industry, shares and debentures. The NRIs are allowed 100% investment in 34 priority and infrastructure facilities on non-repatriation basis. Approval is given automatically on investment in certain technical collaborations. They can buy Indian Development Bonds and acquire or transfer any property in India without waiting for government approval. The Foreign Exchange Regulation Act has been amended to permit NRIs to deal in foreign currency and they can also bring in five kg of gold. There are programs to utilize the scientific and technical talents of the NRIs with the help of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Infrastructure

In view of their crucial importance, power, transport and other infrastructure industries are owned by the State. As a result of special attention given to the area in recent years, the infrastructure industries have been growing at the rate of 9 to 10 per cent annually.

Power: The generation of power has increased impressively in recent years. In 1990-51, India generated 6.6 billion-kilowatt hour of electricity, in 1995-96 the figure was 380.1 billion-kilowatt hour. The installed capacity, which was 1400 MW at Independence in 1947, has crossed 83,288 MW The policy of inviting private sector has been well received; about 140 offers that can generate over 60,000 MW of power have came in.
  Coal: Coal is the primary source for power generation in India. The country has huge reserves of coal approximately 197 billion tons. A sufficient amount of lignite (brown coal used in thermal power stations) is also available.

India produced about 270 million tons of coal in 1995-96. The government now welcomes private investment in the coal sector, allowing companies to operate captive mines.

Petroleum and Natural Gas: The recent exploration and production activities in the country have led to a dramatic increase in the output of oil. The country currently produces 35 million tons of crude oil, two thirds of which is from offshore areas, and imports another 27 million tons. Refinery production in terms of crude throughput of the existing refineries is about 54 million tons.

Natural gas production has also increased substantially in recent years, with the country producing over 22,000 million cubic meters. Natural gas is rapidly becoming an important source of energy and feedstock for major industries. By the end of the Eighth Five-Year Plan, production was likely to reach 30 billion cubic meters.

Railways: With a total route length of 63,000 Kin and a fleet of 7000 passenger and 4000 goods trains, the Indian Railways is the second largest network in the world. It carries more than 4000 million passengers per year and transports over 382 million tons of freight every year. It is well equipped to meet its demands for locomotives, coaches and other components.

Lately, the Railways have launched a massive gauge conversion drive as about a third of the track is meter or narrow gauge. With improvement in tracks, plans are afoot to introduce faster trains. Very soon, certain prestigious long distance trains will be running at 160 Kin per hour.

The Railways have also started a scheme to privatize several services that will include maintenance of railway stations, meals, drinking water and cleaning of trains.

Road Transport: The roadways have grown rapidly in independent India . Ranging from the cross-country link of the national highways to the roads in the deepest interiors, the country has a road network of
  2.1 million-km. India also manufactures most of its motorized vehicles -cars, jeeps, trucks, vans, buses and a wide range of two-wheelers of various capacities. While Indian scooters have established a good foreign market, the car industry is also looking up with several foreign companies setting up plants in India .

Shipping: The natural advantage of a vast coastline requires India to use sea transport for the bulk of cargo transport. Following the policy of liberalization, the Indian shipping industry, major ports, as also national highways and water transport have been throw open to the private sector.

Shipping activity is buoyant and the number of ships registered under the Indian flag has reached 471. The average age of the shipping fleet in India is 13 years, compared to 17 years of the international shipping fleet. India is also among the few countries that offer fair and free competition to all shipping companies for obtaining cargo. There is no cargo reservation policy in India .

Aviation: India has an aviation infrastructure, which caters to every aspect of this industry. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is India 's gigantic aeronautical organization and one of the major aerospace complexes in the world.

India 's international carrier, Air India , is well known for its quality service spanning the world. Within the country, five international airports and more than 88 other airports are linked by Indian Airlines. Vayudoot, an intermediate feeder airline, already links more than 80 stations with its fleet of turboprop aircraft and it plans to build and expand its network to over 140 airports in the far-flung and remote areas of the country. Pawan Hans, a helicopter service, provides services in difficult terrain.

The Government has adopted a liberal civil aviation policy with a view to improving domestic services. Many private airlines are already operating in the country.

Pipelines: Oil and natural gas pipelines form an important transportation network in the country. The country completed recently, on schedule, one of its most ambitious projects, the 1700 km Hazira-Bijaipu Jagdishpur pipeline. Costing nearly Rs. 17 billion, the pipeline transports liquid gas from the South Bassein offshore field off Mumbai to Jagdishpur and Aonla, deep in the mainland in Uttar Pradesh. Besides, India has nearly 7,000 km of pipeline mainly for the transportation of crude oil and its products.

Telecommunications: With rapid advances in technology, India now uses digital technology in telecommunications, which derives advantage from its ability to interface with computers. The present strategy focuses on a balanced growth of the network rapid modernization, a quantum jump in key technologies, increased productivity, and innovation in organization and management. Moving towards self-reliance, besides establishing indigenous R&D in digital technology, India has established manufacturing capabilities in both the Government and private sectors.

The private sector is expected to play a major role in the future growth of telephone services in India after the opening of the economy. The recent growth in telecommunications has also been impressive. Till September 1996, the number of telephone connections had reached 126.1 lakh (12.6 million). Soon every village panchayat will have a telephone. By 1997, cellular services in most major urban areas were functional, and telephone connections were available on demand. India is linked to most parts of the world by E-mail and the Internet.

Key Industries

Steel: The iron and steel industry in India is over 122 years old. However, a concerted effort to increase the steel output was made only in the early years of planning. Three integrated steel plants were set up at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela . Later two more steel plants, at Bokaro and Vishakhapatanam, were set up. Private sector plants, of which the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) is the biggest, have been allowed to raise their capacity. The Steel Authority of India (SAIL), which manages the public sector plants, has undertaken a Rs. 40,500 crore program to modernize them. During 1995,96, production of salable steel in the country was about 21.4 million tons. The five SAIL plants accounted for over half of this: The export of iron and steel jumped from 9.10 lakh tons in 1992-93 (valued at Rs.'708 crore) to over 20 lakh tons (Rs. 1940 crore).

TISCO and a large number of mini steel plants in the country contribute about 40% of the steel production in the country. The Government has given a push to sponge iron plants to meet the secondary sector's requirement of steel scrap.

Engineering and Machine Tools: Among the Third World countries, India is a major exporter of heavy and light engineering goods, producing a wide range of items. The bulk of capital goods required for power projects, fertilizer, cement, steel and petrochemical plants and mining equipment are made in India . The country also makes construction machinery, equipment for irrigation projects, diesel engines, tractors, transport vehicles, cotton textile and sugar mill machinery. The engineering industry has shown its capacity to manufacture large-size plants and equipment for various sectors like power, fertilizer and cement. Lately, air pollution control equipment is also being made in the country. The heavy electrical industry meets the entire domestic demand.

Electronics: The electronics industry in India has made rapid strides in recent years. The country produces electronics items worth over Rs. 200 billion annually. Exports are also rising; in 1995-96 they reached Rs. 4.5 billion. The software export during the same year reached Rs 2.5 billion. Compared to 1994-95, the software export growth in 1995-96 rose by an impressive 70%. The Software Technology Park scheme for attracting investments has proved successful. The relative low cost of production in India makes items made in India competitive in the world market.

Some of the major items manufactured in India are computers, communication equipment, broadcasting and strategic electronics, television sets, microwave ovens and washing machines.

The compound growth of the computer industry has been 50% during the last five years. Almost the entire demand for floppy disk drives, dot matrix printers, CRT terminals, keyboards, line printers and plotters is met from indigenous production. With the availability of trained technical manpower, computers have been identified as a major thrust area. Special emphasis has been given to software export.

The Indian software industry has developed skill and expertise in areas like design and implementation of management information and decision support systems, banking, insurance and financial applications, artificial intelligence and fifth generation systems.

Recognition for the Indian computer software industry has been global. Indian software enterprises have completed projects for reputed international organizations in 43 countries.

Textiles: Textiles, the largest industry in the country employing about 20 million people, account for one third of India 's total exports. During 1995-96, textile exports were estimated at Rs. 35,504.6 crore which was 13.3% more than the 1994-95 figure. In recent years, several controls have been removed and in October 1996, a new long-term Quota policy was announced to boost exports over the next three years, till 1999.

Public Sector: The public sector contributed to the initial development of infrastructure and diversification of industrial base. It is now being exposed to competition. Part equity of some units is being disinvested. But many core and strategic areas, important for economy and self-reliance, will remain in the public sector.

Research and Development

Research and Development activities are supported by the governments at the Center and the states as well as by public and private sector undertakings. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research recognizes over 1200 in-house R & D units. About 200 research laboratories exist in government departments and agencies. The benefits of the R & D works are reaching various fields like industry, agriculture and commerce.

Planning for Development

The Planning Commission headed by the Prime Minister, draws up five-year plans under the guidance of the National Development Council to ensure growth, self-reliance, modernization and social justice. Its role has been redefined in the eighth plan document: from a centralized planning system, India is moving towards indicative planning which will outline the priorities and encourage a higher growth rate. The Rs. 4,000 billion eighth plan envisaged a growth rate of 5.6%.

Traditional Industry

Indian handicrafts have withstood competition from machines over the years. The skills are passed on from one generation to the next. The handicraft and handloom sector is a major source of rural employment and earns substantial foreign exchange. Traditional textiles are as popular abroad as they are within the country. The major export items include hand-knotted carpets, art metalware, hand-printed textiles and leather, wood and cane wares

Science & Technology
Atomic Energy, Space, Oceanography, Bio-Technology & Electronics

A NEW FRONTIER

The tradition of Science and Technology (S & T) in India is over 5000 years old. A renaissance was witnessed in the first half of the 20th century. The S&T infrastructure has grown up from about Rs. 10 million at the time of independence in 1947 to Rs. 30 billion. Significant achievements have been made in the areas of nuclear and space science, electronics and defense. The government is committed to making S&T an integral part of the socio-economic development of the country.

" Param", the parallel super computer developed by India

India has the third largest scientific and technical manpower in the world; 162 universities award 4,000 doctorates and 35,000 post-graduate degrees and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research runs 40 research laboratories which have made some significant achievements.

In the field of missile launch technology, India is among the five top nations of the world.

Science and technology, however, is used as an effective instrument of growth and change. It is being brought into the mainstream of economic planning in the sectors of agriculture, industry and services. The country's resources are used to derive the maximum output for the benefit of society and improvement in the quality of life. About 85 per cent of the funds for S&T come directly or indirectly from the Government. The S&T infrastructure in the country accounts for more than one per cent of the GNP. S&T in India is entering a new frontier.

Atomic Energy

The prime objective of India 's nuclear energy program is the development and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes such as power generation, applications in agriculture, medicine, industry, research and other areas.

India is today recognized as one of the countries most advanced in nuclear technology including production of source materials. The country is self-reliant and has mastered the expertise covering the complete nuclear cycle - from exploration and mining to power generation and waste management. Accelerators and research and power reactors are now designed and built indigenously. The sophisticated variable energy cyclotron at Calcutta and a medium energy heavy ion accelerator 'pelletron' set up recently at Mumbai are national research facilities in the frontier areas of science.

As part of its program of peaceful uses of atomic energy, India has also embarked on a program of nuclear power generation. Currently eight nuclear stations are producing 8 billion kilowatt of electricity. Four more nuclear power stations are planned. The new nuclear reactors are designed in India . The peaceful nuclear program also includes producing radioisotopes for use in agriculture, medicine, industry and research.

Space

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), under the Department of Space (DOS), is responsible for research, development and operationalisation of space systems in the areas of satellite communications, remote sensing for resource survey, environmental monitoring, meteorological services etc. DOS is also the nodal agency for the Physical Research Laboratory which conducts research in the areas of space science, and the National Remote Sensing Agency which deploys modern remote sensing techniques for natural resource surveys and provides operational services to user agencies. India is the only third world country to develop its own remote sensing satellite.

India joined a select group of six nations on October 15, 1994, when the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully accomplished its mission of placing the 800-Kg remote sensing satellite, IRS-P2, in the intended orbit. Earlier in May, the fourth developmental flight of the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) achieved its mission by placing the 113 Kg SROSS-C2 scientific satellite in a near-earth orbit. India is well on its way to developing a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) capable of putting 2000 Kg satellites into space. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is currently trying to develop an indigenous cryogenic engine GSLV. A GSLV model has already been tested in wind tunnel. The INSAT series of satellite launched earlier are performing well and provide vital services for telecommunications, television, meteorology, disaster warning and distress detection. The latest INSAT series will include new features like Ku-band transponders and mobile satellite services transponders. The remote-sensing satellites, launched in 1988 and 1991, have already become the mainstay of the natural resource management system of the country. The projected launch of advanced remote sensing satellite will not only enhances the scope of their application, but will also offer commercial service to other countries.

The Indian achievement in the application of space-based remote sensing technology has led a US company to enter into an agreement for marketing the data from Indian satellites globally. India 's progress in space technology has attracted worldwide attention and demand, with leasing agreements for marketing of IRS data and supply of space hardware and services. India also believes in cooperation in space with agencies all over the world. A high-level UN team selected India for setting up a UN Center for Space Science and Technology Education. India is on the threshold of achieving self-reliance in the launch capability. It will be a befitting tribute to the father of the Indian space program, Dr. Vikararn Sarabhai, whose 80th birth anniversary was observed in August 1996. Electronics The Department of Electronics plays the promotional role for the development and use of electronics for socio-economic development. Many initiatives have been taken for a balanced growth of the electronics industry. The basic thrust has been towards a general rationalization of the licensing policy with an emphasis on promotion rather than regulation, besides achieving economy of scale with up to date technology. A multi-pronged approach has been evolved for result-oriented R&D with special emphasis on micro- electronics, telematics, and high performance computing and software development. Application of electronics in areas such as agriculture, health and service sectors has also been receiving special attention. For upgrading the quality of indigenously manufactured products, a series of test and development centers and regional laboratories have been set up. These centers for electronic design and technology help small and medium electronics units. A number of R&D projects have been initiated to meet the growing requirements of the industry. Oceanography India has a coastline of more than 7,600km and 1,250 islands, with its Exclusive Economic Zone covering over 2 million sq. km and continental shelf extending up to 350 nautical miles. The Department of Ocean Development was established in 1981 to ensure optimum utilization of living resources, exploitation of non-living resources such as hydrocarbons and minerals, and to harness ocean energy. Two research vessels, ORV Sagar Kanya and FROV Sagar Sampada, are assessing and evaluating the resource potential. Survey and exploration efforts have been directed to assess seabed topography, and concentration and quality of mineral nodules. In August 1987, India was allotted a mine site of 150,000 sq. km in the central Indian Ocean for further exploration and development of resources. India is the only developing country to have qualified for Pioneer Status by the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1982, and it is the first country in the world to have secured registration of a mine site. India has sent 13 scientific research expeditions to Antarctica since 1981, and has established a permanently manned base, Dakshin Gangotri. A second permanent station, an entirely indigenous effort, was completed by the eighth expedition. The objective is to study the ozone layer and other important constituents, optical aurora, geomagnetic pulsation and related phenomena. By virtue of its scientific research activities, India acquired Consultative Membership of the Antarctic Treaty in 1983 and acceded to the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources in July 1985. India is also a member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, and has played a significant role in adopting a Minerals Regime for Antarctica in June 1988. A National Institute of Ocean Technology was set up for the development of ocean -related technologies. It is also responsible for harnessing resources of the coastal belts and islands. Biotechnology India has been the forerunner among the developing countries in promoting multi-disciplinary activities in this area, recognizing the practically unlimited possibility of their applications in increasing agricultural and industrial production, and in improving human and animal life. The nucleus of research in this area is the National Biotechnology Board, constituted in 1982. A Department of Biotechnology was created in 1986. Recently, the Biotechnology Consortium India Lt. was set up. It will play the role of catalyst in bridging the gap between Research and Development, Industrial and Financial Institutions. Some of the new initiatives taken include developing techniques for gene mapping, conservation of biodiversity and bioindicators research, special biotechnology programs for the benefit of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and activities in the area of plantation crops. The areas, which have been receiving attention, are cattle herd improvement through embryo transfer technology, in vitro propagation of disease resistant plant varieties for obtaining higher yields, and development of vaccines for various diseases. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) CSIR was established in 1942, and is today the premier institution for scientific and industrial research. It has a network of 40 laboratories, two cooperative industrial research institutions and more than 100 extension and field centers. The Council's research programs are directed towards effective utilization of the country's natural resources and development of new processes and products for economic progress. It is now playing a leading role in the fulfillment of the technology missions evolved by the Government