New Delhi

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  ?New Delhi
National Capital Territory of Delhi • India
Presidential Palace
Presidential Palace
Map indicating the location of New Delhi
Location of New Delhi
Coordinates: 28°36′49.7″N 77°12′31.8″E / 28.613806, 77.208833
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area
• Elevation		 42.7 km² (16 sq mi)
• 216 m (709 ft)
District(s) New Delhi
Population
• Density		 321,883 [1] (2006)
• 9,294 /km² (24,071 /sq mi)
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit
Codes
• Pincode
• Telephone
• Vehicle
• 110 xxx
• +011
• DL-0?
Website: www.ndmc.gov.in

Coordinates: 28°36′49.7″N 77°12′31.8″E / 28.613806, 77.208833

This article is about the capital city of India. For the metropolis, see Delhi.

New Delhi (Hindi: नई दिल्ली, Punjabi: ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ, Urdu: نئی دلی) is the capital city of India. With a total area of 42.7 km2, New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi and serves as the seat of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT).

Planned by Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century British architect, New Delhi is known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards and houses numerous national institutions and landmarks as well. Officially, the term New Delhi refers to one of the nine districts of Delhi and has its own municipality corporation, known as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). However, in common usage, most of the metropolis of Delhi which lies west of river Yamuna is incorrectly known as New Delhi.

Contents

[edit] History

Main article: History of Delhi

Calcutta was the capital of India until the December of 1911 during the British Raj. However, Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of ancient and medieval India, most notably of the Mughal Empire which was part of Punjab Region from 1799 to 1849. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi. Unlike Calcutta, which was located on the eastern coast of India, Delhi was located in northern India and the Government of British India felt that it would be easier to administer India from Delhi rather than from Calcutta. George V, the then Emperor of India, made the announcement the capital of the Raj was to be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.[1]

The India Gate commemorates Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and the Afghan Wars
The India Gate commemorates Indian soldiers who lost their lives in World War I and the Afghan Wars

New Delhi was laid out to the south of the Old City which was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. However, New Delhi overlays the site of seven ancient cities and hence includes many historic monuments like the Jantar Mantar and the Lodhi Gardens.

Much of New Delhi was planned by Edwin Lutyens and contracted to Sir Sobha Singh, a leading 20th century British architect and it has been dubbed "Lutyens' Delhi". Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial pretensions. At the heart of the city was the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhawan (then known as Viceroy's House) which sat atop Raisina Hill, formerly Raisina Pind a sikh village. The Rajpath, also known as King's Way, stretched from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Secretariat which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanked out of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Parliament House, designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath.

After India gained independence in 1947, a limited autonomy was conferred to New Delhi and was administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India. In 1956, Delhi was converted into a union territory and eventually the Chief Commissioner was replaced by a Lieutenant Governor. The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi.[2] A system of diarchy was introduced under which the elected Government was given wide powers, excluding law and order which remained with the Central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993.

[edit] Geography and climate

The Lodhi Gardens is a prominent site located near the southern border of New Delhi
The Lodhi Gardens is a prominent site located near the southern border of New Delhi
New Delhi is situated in the center of NCT
New Delhi is situated in the center of NCT
See also: Climate of Delhi

With a total area of 42.7 km2, New Delhi forms a small part of Delhi metropolitan area[3] and is located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain because of which there is little difference in the city's altitude. New Delhi and surrounding areas were once a part of the Aravali Range, but all that is left now is the Delhi ridge. The second feature is the Yamuna floodplains; New Delhi lies west of the Yamuna river, although for the most part, New Delhi is a landlocked city. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara. New Delhi falls under the seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes.[4]

New Delhi and its vicinity have a somewhat exaggerated continental climate due to its distance from the coasts and location with respect to mountain ranges. The temperature varies from 40 degrees Celsius in summers to around 4 degrees Celsius in winters.[5] Delhi has a semi-arid climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to October, with the monsoon season in between. Winter starts in November and peaks in January. The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 °C to 33 °C (58 °F to 92 °F).[6] The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.[7]


Weather averages for New Delhi, India
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average high °C 18 23 28 36 39 37 34 33 33 31 27 21
Average low °C 7 11 15 22 26 27 27 26 24 19 19 8
Average high °F 65 73 83 96 102 99 94 91 91 88 80 69
Average low °F 44 51 59 72 79 81 80 79 76 67 56 47
Source: www.wunderground.com[8] 2008-09-24

[edit] Government

As of 2005, the government structure of the New Delhi Municipal Council includes a chairperson, three members of New Delhi's Legislative Assembly, two members nominated by the Chief Minister of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and five members nominated by the central government. The current Chief Minister of the NCT is Sheila Dikshit. According to the Indian constitution, if a law passed by Delhi's legislative assembly is repugnant to any law passed by the Parliament of India, then the law enacted the parliament shall prevail over the law enacted by the assembly.[9]

New Delhi is governed by its own municipal government, known as the New Delhi Municipal Council. Other urban areas of the metropolis of Delhi are administered by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and are hence not considered a part of the capital city. However, the entire metropolis of Delhi is commonly known as New Delhi in contrast to Old Delhi.

[edit] Urban structure

Street map of New Delhi
Street map of New Delhi

Much of New Delhi was planned by Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century British architect and has been dubbed "Lutyens' Delhi". Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial pretensions. New Delhi is structured around two central promenades called the Rajpath and the Janpath. The Rajpath, or King's Way, stretches from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate. The Janpath, formerly Queen's Way, begins at Connaught Circus and cuts the Shantipath at right angles. 19 foreign embassies are located on Shantipath (Hindi: "Path of Peace"), making it the largest diplomatic enclave in India.[10]

At the heart of the city is the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan (formerly known as Viceroy's House) which sits atop Raisina Hill. The Secretariat, which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanks out of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The Parliament House, designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath. The Connaught Place is a large, circular commercial area in New Delhi, modeled after the Royal Crescent in England. Twelve separate roads lead out of the outer ring of Connaught Place, one of them being the Janpath.

[edit] Transport

Main article: Transport in Delhi
The Delhi metro's Central Secretariat station in New Delhi
The Delhi metro's Central Secretariat station in New Delhi

Being a planned city, New Delhi has numerous arterial roads, some of which have an iconic status associated with them such as Rajpath, Janpath and Akbar Road. In 2005, private vehicles accounted for 30% of total transportation demand for the Delhi metropolitan area.[11] However, this figure could be higher for New Delhi because bus service is restricted in most parts of the capital city due to security concerns. Road construction and maintenance is primarily the responsibility of NDMC's Civil Engineering Department.[12] Underground subways are a common feature across New Delhi. As of 2008, 15 subways were operational.[13] In 1971, the administrative responsibility of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was transferred from Municipal Corporation of Delhi to Government of India following which DTC extended its operations to New Delhi. In 2007, there were 2700 bus stops in New Delhi, of which 200 were built and maintained by NDMC and the rest by DTC.[14]

The Delhi Metro, constructed and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), connects the city with the rest of the metropolis of Delhi. Under an agreement with NDMC, DMRC can acquire land for the construction of metro rail and stations in New Delhi without any financial implications.[15] NDMC is also constructing multi-level parking systems in collaboration with DMRC at various Delhi metro stations across New Delhi to increase parking space.[16]

[edit] Demographics

The Laxminarayan Temple, located on Mandir Marg, is a famous Vaishnavite temple in New Delhi
The Laxminarayan Temple, located on Mandir Marg, is a famous Vaishnavite temple in New Delhi

In 2001, New Delhi had a population of 295,000 while the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) had a population of 9.81 million.[17], making it the second largest metropolitan area in India after Mumbai.[18] There are 925 women per 1000 men in NCT, and the literacy rate is 81.67%.[19]

Hinduism is the religion of 82% of Delhi's population, of which New Delhi is a part. There are also large communities of Muslims (11.7%), Sikhs (4.0%), Jains (1.1%) and Christians (0.9%) in Delhi[20]. Other minorities include Parsis, Buddhists and Jews.[21]

Hindi is the principal spoken and written language of the city. Other languages commonly spoken in the city are English, Punjabi and Urdu. Linguistic groups from all over India are well represented in the city; among them are Maithili, Haryanvi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi and Tamil.

[edit] Culture

The Teen Murti memorial near the Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi. The city's numerous political and historic landmarks play a crucial role on its cultural climate
The Teen Murti memorial near the Teen Murti Bhavan in New Delhi. The city's numerous political and historic landmarks play a crucial role on its cultural climate

New Delhi is a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the vast Indian bureaucracy and political system. The city's capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi's birthday) are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and the rest of India. On India's Independence Day (15 August) the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which are considered a symbol of freedom.[22] The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military might.[23][24]

Religious festivals include Divali (the festival of light), Durga Puja, Holi, Lohri, Maha Shivaratri, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Christmas and Buddha Jayanti.[24] The Qutub Festival is a cultural event during which performances of musicians and dancers from all over India are showcased at night, with the Qutub Minar as the chosen backdrop of the event.[25] Other events such as Kite Flying Festival, International Mango Festival and Vasant Panchami (the Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi.

The city held its first gay pride parade on June 30, 2008.[26]

[edit] Economy

Life Insurance Corporation of India's headquarters near Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi
Life Insurance Corporation of India's headquarters near Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi

Rajiv Chowk, formerly known as Connaught Place, one of northern India's largest commercial and financial centres, is located in the heart of New Delhi. Adjoining areas such as Barakhamba Road and Chankyapuri are also major commercial centers. Government and quasi government sector was the primary employer in New Delhi. The city's service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi does not release any economic figures specifically for New Delhi but publishes an official economic report on the whole of Delhi annually. According to the Economic Survey of Delhi, the metropolis has has a net State Domestic Product (SDP) of Rs. 83,085 crores (for the year 2004–05)[27] and a per capita income of Rs. 53,976.[27] The tertiary sector contributes 78.4% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 20.2% and 1.4% contribution respectively.[27]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Hall, P (2002). Cities of Tomorrow. Blackwell Publishing, pp.198-206. ISBN 0631232524. 
  2. ^ "THE CONSTITUTION (SIXTY-NINTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1991". THE CONSTITUTION (AMENDMENT) ACTS, THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA. National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. Retrieved on 2007-01-08.
  3. ^ http://www.ndmc.gov.in/AboutNDMC/NNDMCAct.aspx
  4. ^ "Hazard profiles of Indian districts" (PDF). National Capacity Building Project in Disaster Management. UNDP. Archived from the original on 2006-05-16. Retrieved on 2006-08-23.
  5. ^ "Delhi Tourism - Climate". Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  6. ^ "Weatherbase entry for Delhi". Canty and Associates LLC. Retrieved on 2007-01-16.
  7. ^ "Chapter 1: Introduction" (PDF). Economic Survey of Delhi, 2005–2006 pp1–7. Planning Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
  8. ^ "New Delhi weather" (in English). Retrieved on 2008-09-27.
  9. ^ http://indiacode.nic.in/coiweb/amend/amend69.htm
  10. ^ http://delhionline.in/TouristPlaces/Embassies/
  11. ^ http://delhiplanning.nic.in/Economic%20Survey/ES%202005-06/Chpt/12.pdf
  12. ^ http://www.ndmc.gov.in/Departments/Civil/Dept_CivilEng_Road.aspx?KEY=01?Key=1
  13. ^ http://www.ndmc.gov.in/Departments/Civil/Dept_CivilEng_Subway.aspx
  14. ^ http://cities.expressindia.com/local-news/archivefullstory.php?newsid=237852&creation_date=2007-05-25
  15. ^ http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:6DhdlpoNvg8J:www.ndmc.gov.in/Resolutions%25202007/CIVIL/civil%2520engineering%252018.07.07/ITEM%2520NO.%252030%2520(A-27).doc+NDMC+DMRC+delhi&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a
  16. ^ http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/26/stories/2007072655710400.htm
  17. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=5ZBaVhmRvCkC&pg=PA436&lpg=PA436&dq=new+delhi+295,000&source=web&ots=2xyvTNerag&sig=O8LPSYYheYo8yEEyPNBhdI1nkFs&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result
  18. ^ "World Urbanization Prospects The 2003 Revision." ([PDF) p7. United Nations. Retrieved on 2006-04-29.
  19. ^ National Literacy Missions Report,
    "Economic Survey of India, Chapter 15 Education" (PDF) p1. Retrieved on 2007-12-25.
  20. ^ Indian Census
  21. ^ "Data on Religion" 1. Census of India 2001. Retrieved on 2006-05-16.
  22. ^ "Independence Day". 123independenceday.com. Compare Infobase Limited. Retrieved on 2007-01-04.
  23. ^ Ray Choudhury, Ray Choudhury (January 28, 2002). "R-Day parade, an anachronism?". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
  24. ^ a b "Fairs & Festivals of Delhi". Delhi Travel. India Tourism.org. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
  25. ^ Tankha, Madhur (15 December 2005). "It's Sufi and rock at Qutub Fest", New Delhi, The Hindu. Retrieved on 2007-01-13. 
  26. ^ Gay pride march debuts in Delhi, BBC news, June 30, 3008
  27. ^ a b c "Chapter 2: State Income" (PDF). Economic Survey of Delhi, 2005–2006 pp8–16. Planning Department, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. Retrieved on 2006-12-21.

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