The Countdown Continues - Wednesday Sept 25th 2013

10 things you might not know about India

For many the mere mention of India conjures up thoughts of Delhi belly, lengthy traffic jams, bureaucracy, corruption and yoga retreats.

Here are 10 other observations.

1. Hardly anyone pays income tax

Only 3% of Indians pay income tax, in a population of 1.2bn. One explanation for this is that agriculture is exempt and two-thirds of Indians live in rural areas. A large chunk of the economy is also informal, unorganised labour, for which it's harder to collect taxes.

2. The rise of the 'wedding detective'

A friend of mine told me that, before his arranged marriage, he had a hunch his prospective in-laws had hired a private detective to check whether he'd had a girlfriend in the past. The answer was that he had, but the snoop (thankfully for my friend) failed to find out, and the wedding went ahead. "It's not spying," says one woman who'd used the service to check out a prospective bridegroom for her sister. "He told us he was from a good family, but we needed to ensure he was telling the truth."

3. Read all about it

While Western countries are mourning the demise of the newspaper, India's print industry is in fact booming. A growing literacy rate, relatively low internet use, and the large number of languages in the country, mean more people want to pick up their daily rag.

What's also remarkable is the market in second-hand newspapers and magazines. You can sell your magazines to a man at a roadside stall, who will buy them off you and sell them again - there are people who are more than happy to read a year old copy of the Economist, if it's more affordable than the current issue.

4. Horn noise  

Painted on the back of almost all lorries and trucks are the words "Horn OK, please". Honking is encouraged in India for drivers who are coming up behind another vehicle. The problem is that they're not used sparingly. One rickshaw driver told me he honked his horn at least 150 times a day, a fairly conservative estimate, given that in heavy traffic they can be sounded at least once every 30 seconds.

5. It's a young country

 

India is a young nation. More than half of its 1.2 billion people is aged below 25, and two-thirds below 35. Many young Indians are feeling a sense of self confidence about their nation, no longer looking to the West. Mumbai has a hipster scene to rival Brooklyn's and home grown musical talent is flourishing, with many more shunning traditional professions and taking up a career in the arts. A

6. Everywhere you go, you see plastic chairs

 7. They're piling on the pounds

"Oh you've put on weight," said my bank manager with a smile on her face. Initially aghast, I eventually got used to the fact that gaining a few pounds is considered a compliment, a sign that you're looking healthy. But what surprised me was that India is now on the brink of an obesity epidemic, (not just with humans but animals too). Stop at any service station and you'll see queues of Indians gorging on McDonalds or other processed foods.

  8. The scourge of spit

 "We cannot believe that people don't spit. It (spitting) is an inherent character of our   people"  Quote Justice PB Majmudar High Court judge, Mumbai

Mumbai has introduced a "spit inspector" to fine those who share their saliva in public. Many people spit after they've had paan (a mix of betel nut and areca, and sometimes tobacco - which is chewed but not swallowed). This produces a reddish stain which can be seen on the side of many white walls. It's common to see "do not spit" signs in taxis, on the back of rickshaws and on the front of buildings.

9. Roadside ear cleaners

 

Anyone who has been to India, even for a few days, will be well acquainted with the street-side economy which is a dominant part of life the country. The inventiveness and resourcefulness of people in the country is like no other - there are people who will sell or serve you in all kinds of ways. Broken an umbrella? There's a man who'll fix it. Need your shoes re-heeled? There's a man who will come to your house to do it or get your ears cleaned at the side of a road or even a fracture reset or your bunions sorted. 

10) Don’t Wear New Clothes on a Saturday and treat your new car to flowers

 India might be home to some of the world's best scientists and engineers, but a lot of that rational thinking can go straight out of the window when it comes to observing ancient superstitions. Different people observe different things, such as - don't wear new clothes on a Saturday, don't clean the house at night for fear of scaring the Goddess Lakshmi away, it's bad luck to give or accept anything with your left hand. For so many in India - rich and poor - observing these customs is still part of today's society. Brand new cars have a floral garland hanging on the bonnet because it's considered good luck to get your new vehicle blessed before you drive it.