The economic resurgence during the last decade with investments pouring in from all corners of the world has today enabled India to occupy a pre eminent position in the comity of nations of the world. One has to look back into the 5000 years of history to understand the ethos that runs through the Indian people. From the Himalayas, one of the largest chains of mountains in the world with some of the highest peaks, in the North, to the arid peninsula of the South and from the vast deserts of the West to the deltas of the East, India is inhabited by people with diverse cultures, dance and music. People speak different languages, follow different religions with vast variations in eating habits. Perhaps it is this very diversity and complexity that has made India one of the most tolerant societies of the world.

In the making of nations six decades is not a long period. India achieved freedom from the British rule in 1947 and chose the path of democracy based on adult franchise and equal rights to all without any distinction of caste, color or creed. Confronted by massive poverty, illiteracy, hunger and impoverishment the founding fathers of the nation embarked upon the gigantic task of economic and social resurrection. It is on the very edifice of their vision that modern India today boasts of extraordinary skills in as diverse fields as information technology and medicine. With economy poised at 8-10 percent growth annually, it has been forecast that India will catch up with the most advanced nations of the world by the year 2040.

Other than the burgeoning economy, its modernity and over a billion population, India is a show case to the world of its long history. Dotted with historical sites, ancient mosques and temples, its vast shimmering beaches, jungles abounding in wild life, flora and fauna, India is a virtual tourist’s paradise. A vast network of transportation system – air, road and rail allows a visitor to travel from one end of the country to another either leisurely savoring all the delights and sounds that this country has to offer or rapidly if the time is short. New Delhi, the Congress venue is the capital city of India where one truly feels the pulse of a nation on the move.