India

SAFETY: fair
The sheer size of the country, its high population density and the complexity of the ethnic and religious situation occasionally give rise to serious incidents (attacks or street clashes).  Overall, however, the danger is concentrated in the regions bordering Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as in Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.  Petty crime is on the rise, but it mostly takes the form of scams and swindles rather than theft and robbery.

TRANSPORT SYSTEM: poor
The country’s biggest problem is the dreadful state of its road network, less than 50% of which is paved. The result is one gigantic, never-ending traffic jam that gets markedly worse during the rainy season. Accidents are frequent and driving is exhausting, so hiring a vehicle with a local driver is recommended. Domestic air links are good, as are some stretches of railway.

Main airports: Agra (Kheria), Bangalore (Hindustan), Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi (Gandhi), Goa (Dabolim), Jaipur (Sanganer), Madras (Meenambakkam), Varanasi (Babatpur).
Main ports: Chennai, Haldia, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kandla, Kolkata,  Mumbai,  New Mangalore, Visakhapatnam.

ACCOMMODATION: good
There is a wide and varied range of accommodation on offer; it is advisable to stick to the higher categories, as the lower ones are not always able to offer acceptable standards.

COUNTRY FACTS: Full name: Republic of India  – Location: South Asia (Indian subcontinent). Borders:  Bhutan, China, Nepal and Pakistan to the north, Myanmar and Bangladesh to the east, Pakistan to the west, the Arabian Sea to the south-west and the Bay of Bengal to the south-east -  Time zone: UTC +5:30, i.e. +4:30 compared with Italy, +3:30 during daylight saving time – Area: 3,288,000 sq km – Capital: New Delhi – Population: 1,129,866,000 – Religion: 80.5%  Hindu, 13.4% Muslim, 2.3% Christian, 1.9% Sikh, 1.9% other religions – Languages: English  (in political, business and diplomatic circles), Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Sanskrit, Hindustani.-  Measurements: metric system, with imperial measures in some cases.

CURRENCY: Indian rupee (INR). Amounts over  USD 5,000 in cash or USD 10,000 in traveller’s cheques must be declared on entry  – Credit cards: the major cards (VISA above all) are accepted in hotels and shops in the main cities - Exchange: bring euros;  changing money is easy.

ELECTRICITY: 230 V, 50 Hz  – Sockets:  types C and D (bring an adaptor).

DOCUMENTS: passport with at least 6 months’ remaining validity, plus an e-Visa to be applied for online following these instructions (it cannot be obtained at the airport).
-  Driving: international driving permit; driving is on the left – Car: third-party insurance is compulsory and must be taken out at the border.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TELEPHONES: International dialling code: 0091 – GSM: coverage available across almost the whole country. Standard: GSM 900/1800 (as in Italy). -  Internet: fairly widely available – Web domain: .in .

RULES, LAWS AND CUSTOMS: drug offences carry severe penalties of up to 10 years in prison: no distinction is made between soft and hard drugs, or between use and dealing, and in extreme cases the death penalty may apply. Offences against public morals and the abuse of minors are severely punished (including with life imprisonment). Homosexuality is regarded as a crime, although it is increasingly tolerated in the big cities.

HEALTH: no compulsory vaccinations are required. Malaria, dengue and chikungunya are endemic, particularly in the south and east of the country and above all during and just after the monsoon season. Cholera, polio and AIDS are also endemic. There is a high risk of gastroenteritis, meningitis and Japanese encephalitis (monsoon season). Local public health facilities are inadequate, although the major cities do have a number of good, if expensive, private clinics.

 
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 26 January: Republic Day;  January: Pongal, Vasant Panchami; February: Holi, Shivaratri; 21 March: Jamshed Navroz; March-April: Mahavir Jayanti, Ramanavami, Good Friday, Gangaur, Easter;  April-May: Id-ul-Fitr, Vaisakhi; May-June: Buddha Jayanti; June-July: Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival), Teej, Jagannath Festival; July-August: Naag Panchami, Raksha Bandhan,  Muharram; August: Drukpa Tshechi; 15 August: Independence Day; August-September: Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Shravan Purnima, Onam; September-October: Dussehra, Gandhi Jayanti; October-November: Diwali, Govardhan Puja; November-December: Nanak Jayanti.

OPENING HOURS:Post offices:  Mon-Fri 10.00-17.00, Sat 10.00-12.00.  Banks: Mon-Fri 10.00-14.00, Sat  10.00-12.00.   Shops: Mon-Sat 9.00-17.00  

CLIMATE:  monsoon climate, with regional variations. There are three main seasons: winter (November-March), summer (April-June) and the monsoon season (June/July – September/October). During the hot season the plains record very high temperatures, which in May are joined by the monsoon rains. In the hill areas, in the Himalayan foothills and on the Deccan plateau, temperatures are much lower. From early June until October, first in the south and then in the north, the monsoon season sets in, bringing a sharp rise in humidity and daily rain. Around December and January temperatures drop in the north and snow falls in the mountains, while the south still enjoys a mild climate. In summer high temperatures are recorded across the whole country, especially on the great northern plains. During the monsoon both temperatures and humidity remain high.

Table of monthly min/max temperatures (in °C)

Rainy days (at least 1 mm of rain)/mm of rainfall

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN ITALY
Embassy and Consulate of India
Via XX Settembre 5 – 00187 Rome – Tel. 06/4884642
Web: www.indianembassyrome.in – E-mail: gen.email@indianembassy.it

Consulate General
Via Larga 16 – 20122 Milan – Tel. 02/8057691
E-mail: cgi.milan@consolatoindia.com

Indiatourism
Via A.Albricci 9 – 20122 Milan – Tel. 02/804952
Web: www.indiatourismmilan.com – E-mail: info@indiatourismmilan.com

USEFUL ADDRESSES IN INDIA

Italian Embassy
50 Chandra Gupta Marg Chanakyapuri – 110021 New Delhi – Tel. 0091/11/26114355
Web: ambnewdelhi.esteri.it – E-mail: ambasciata.newdelhi@esteri.it

Consulates General
3 Raja Santosh Road – 700027 Calcutta – Tel. 0091/33/24792414
Web: conscalcutta.esteri.it – E-mail: consolato generale.calcutta@esteri.it

Kanchanjunga Building, 72 G. Deshmukh Road – 400026 Mumbai – Tel. 0091/22/23804071
Web: consmumbai.esteri.it