Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0171/01710.txt

Text File | 1991-06-25 | 9KB | 174 lines

$Unique_ID{COW01710}
$Pretitle{221}
$Title{India
Glossary}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Melinda W. Cooke}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{rs
countries
international
ibrd
value
word
congress
gnp
loans
per}
$Date{1985}
$Log{}
Country:     India
Book:        India, A Country Study
Author:      Melinda W. Cooke
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1985

Glossary

     dharma-Conformance to duty and obligations of life as determined by karma
(q.v.) and divine will.

     fiscal year (FY)-Begins April 1 and ends March 31. Fiscal year 1984-85,
for example, is designated FY 1984.

     GDP (gross domestic product)-A value measure of the flow of domestic
goods and services produced by an economy over a period of time, such as a
year. Only output values of goods for final consumption and investment are
included because the values of primary and intermediate production are assumed
to be included in final prices. GDP is sometimes aggregated and shown at
market prices, meaning that indirect taxes and subsidies are included; when
these have been eliminated, the result is GDP at factor cost. The word gross
indicates that deductions for depreciation of physical assets have not been
made. See also GNP.

     GNP (gross national product)-GDP (q.v.) plus the net income or loss
stemming from transactions with foreign countries. For India, GNP in the early
1980s was very close to GDP. GNP is the broadest measurement of the output of
goods and services by an economy. It can be calculated at market prices, which
include indirect taxes and subsidies. Because indirect taxes and subsidies are
only transfer payments, GNP is often calculated at factor cost by removing
indirect taxes and subsidies.

     guru-In Sikh faith, one of 10 spiritual leaders and teachers, first
of whom was Nanak Dev, last Gobind Singh. In Hinduism, religious teacher or
guide.

     harijans-Term introduced by Mahatma Gandhi for untouchables. Literal
meaning is children of God.

     imam-A word used in several senses. In general use and lower-cased, it
means the leader of congregational prayers; as such it implies no ordination
or special spiritual powers beyond sufficient education to carry out this
function. It is also used figuratively by many Sunni Muslims to mean the
leader of the Islamic community. Among Shiites the word takes on many
complex and controversial meanings; in general, however, it indicates that
particular descendant of the House of Ali who is believed to have been God's
designated repository of the spiritual authority inherent in that line. The
identity of this individual and the means of ascertaining his identity have
been the major issues causing diversions among Shiites.

     Indian National Congress-Founded in 1885 and subsequently known popularly
as Congress. Major force in independence movement. Congress dominant in
Parliament and formed governments from 1947 to 1977 and 1980 to 1985, at
which time it enjoyed largest ever legislative majority. In 1969 Congress
split, and and the ruling party became known as Congress (R) for Ruling;
in 1978 it became Congress (I) for Indira, name still used in early 1985
(see fig. 18).

     International Monetary Fund (IMF)-Established along with the World
Bank (q.v.) in 1945, the IMF is a specialized agency affiliated with the
United Nations and is responsible for stabilizing international exchange rates
and payments. The main business of the IMF is the provision of loans to its
members (including industrialized and developing countries) when they
experience balance of payments difficulties. These loans frequently carry
conditions that require substantial internal economic adjustments by the
recipients, most of which are developing countries.

     jagirdars-Individuals who possessed a jagir, which means a grant from
the government to collect revenues, rents, and other valuables from land for
a specified period.

     jati-Basic endogamous unit of the caste system. There are perhaps 3,000
jatis in contemporary society.

     karma-Spiritual merit or demerit that a being acquired in previous
incarnation and is acquiring in present existence.

     Mughals-Descendants of Mongol, Turkish, Persian, and Afghan invaders of
South Asia who conquered and for a time ruled much of the Indian subcontinent.
Sometimes written as Mogul, Moghul, or Mogol.

     panchayat-A council of five or more. Found both in villages and in jatis
(q.v.).

     pandit-Honorific for erudite individual, sometimes taken as personal or
family name. Various Brahmans (as family of Jawaharlal Nehru) known as
pandits.

     panth-Literally, road or path, but used to designate system of religious
practice and belief.

     Punjab-State in India (and a province in adjacent Pakistan). Term the
Punjab usually refers to either the prepartition state of British India or the
geographic region centered on the five major rivers, whence its name, panch
ab, meaning five waters, or rivers.

     rupee (Rs)-National currency unit consisting of 100 paise. From September
1949 to June 1966 the official value of the rupee was Rs 4.7 per US $1.
Average conversion value per US $1 in 1966 was Rs 6.36. From 1967 through 1971
the annual average value was Rs 7.50 per US $1. Average value per US $1 was Rs
7.59 in 1972, Rs 7.74 in 1973, Rs 8.10 in 1974, Rs 8.38 in 1975, Rs 8.96 in
1976, Rs8.74 in 1977, Rs 8.19 in 1978, Rs 8.13 in 1979, Rs 7.86 in 1980, Rs
8.66 in 1981, Rs 9.45 in 1982, and Rs 10.10 in 1983. In 1984 value of the
rupee in terms of dollars continued to fall, reaching Rs 11.57 per US $1 in
August.

     Sanskritization-When used in the context of language, the word means the
introduction of Sanskrit words and phrases into a contemporary language. When
used in the context of social change, the word refers to the adoption by a
jati (q.v.) of the rituals and practices of a higher, usually twice-born
(q.v.) jati as a form of upward mobility for the caste.

     satyagraha-Method employed by Mahatma Gandhi and his followers to secure
sociopolitical reform by nonviolent, passive resistance and noncooperation.
Individual following method is called satyagrahi.

     Scheduled Castes-The Constitution includes a schedule (list) of castes
(and tribes) that are economically and socially disadvantaged and are
therefore entitled to specified benefits. Untouchables (harijans-q.v.)
constitute the bulk of the Scheduled Castes.

     swadeshi-Literally of one's own country. It was related to the
independence movement, its adjunct being the boycott, but it also was a
movement to further the use of Indian-made items, particularly cottage
industry products, e.g., hand-loomed cloth.

     swaraj-Independence; literally, self-rule.

     tribal-In addition to its use as an adjective-tribal land or tribal
customs, as examples-the word is also used in noun form as a synonym for
tribesperson, tribesman, or tribeswomen.

     twice-born-Referring to jatis (q.v.) claiming membership in one of the
three upper varnas (q.v.), i.e., Brahman, Kshatriya, and Vaishya.

     varna-Literally, color. One of the four mythical caste groups
(Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Sudra) from which most modern jatis (q.v.)
are believed to derive.

     World Bank-Informal name used to designate a group of three affiliated
international institutions: the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (IBRD), the International Development Association (IDA), and the
International Finance Corporation (IFC). The IBRD, established in 1945, has
the primary purpose of providing loans to developing countries for productive
projects. The IDA, a legally separate loan fund but administered by the staff
of the IBRD, was set up in 1960 to furnish credits to the poorest developing
countries on much easier terms than those of conventional IBRD loans. The IFC,
founded in 1956, supplements the activities of the IBRD through loans and
assistance designed specifically to encourage the growth of productive private
enterprises in the less develop