Climate: varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north.
Terrain: upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north.
Environment Issues: deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources; preservation and quality of forests; biodiversity loss.
Languages: Hindi 43.6%, Bengali 8%, Marathi 6.9%, Telugu 6.7%, Tamil 5.7%, Gujarati 4.6%, Urdu 4.2%, Kannada 3.6%, Odia 3.1%, Malayalam 2.9%, Punjabi 2.7%, Assamese 1.3%, Maithili 1.1%, other 5.6% (2011 est.)
Government Type: federal parliamentary republic
URGENT is engaged in the following activities within India:
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Church Planting
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Resources
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Training
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Humanitarian Efforts
India is growing more restrictive as “anti-conversion” laws are being adopted in multiple states. Hindu extremists envision a nation where only Hinduism is practiced and Christians and Muslims are removed from their homeland. Christians among the Dalit caste are particularly vulnerable to persecution. (Source: Open Doors)
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Pray for direction and boldness for Christian leaders as they care for their churches.
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Pray for Christians who have converted from Hinduism to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and to boldly proclaim the gospel to their families.
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Pray for Christian converts to find community with other believers so that they can be encouraged in their new-found faith.
