Uttar Pradesh U.P.
Location of Uttar Pradesh in India
Map of Uttar Pradesh
Coordinates (Lucknow): 26°51′N 80°55′E / 26.85°N 80.91°E / 26.85; 80.91Coordinates: 26°51′N 80°55′E / 26.85°N 80.91°E / 26.85; 80.91
Country	India
Region	Awadh, Baghelkhand, Braj, Bundelkhand, Purvanchal, RohilKhand, Indo-Gangetic Plain
Established	Modern : 1805 (as Ceded and Conquered Provinces. )
History	Summary  1805  : Ceded and Conquered Provinces. 14 Nov 1834 : Presidency of Agra. 1 Jan 1836 : North-Western Provinces. 3 Apr 1858 : Oudh taken under British control, Delhi taken away from NWP & merged into Punjab. 1 Apr 1871 : Ajmer, Merwara & Kekri made separate commissioner ship. 15 Feb 1877 : Oudh added to North-Western Provinces. 22 Mar 1902 : Renamed United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. 3 Jan 1921 : Renamed United Provinces of British India. 1 Apr 1937 : Renamed United Provinces 1 Apr 1946 : Self rule granted. 15 Aug 1947 : Part of independent India. 26 Jan 1950 : Renamed Uttar Pradesh 9 Nov 2000 : Uttaranchal state created from part of Uttar Pradesh.
Capital	Lucknow
Largest City	Kanpur
Districts	75 total
Government
• Body	Government of India, Government of Uttar Pradesh
• Governor	Banwari Lal Joshi
• Chief Minister	Akhilesh Yadav (SP)
• Legislature	Bicameral (404 + 108 seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	80
• High Court	Allahabad High Court
Area
• Total	243,286 km2 (93,933 sq mi)
Area rank	5th
Population (2011)[1][2]
• Total	199,581,000
• Rank	1st
• Density	820/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Demonym	Uttarpradeshi, UPite, UPian, North Indian, Uttar Bhartiya
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
UN/LOCODE	INUP
Vehicle registration	UP XX XXXX
HDI	0.490 (medium)
HDI rank	32nd (2005)
Literacy	69.72% (29th) 79.24% (male) 59.26% (female)
Official language	Hindi, Urdu
Website	upgov.nic.in

Uttar Pradesh /ˌʌtər prəˈdɛʃ/, abbreviation U.P. ("Northern Province"; formerly: United Provinces), is a state located in the north western part of India. With a population of over 200 million people,^[2] it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity. Were it a nation in its own right, Uttar Pradesh would be the world's fifth most populous country, ahead of Brazil (a country thirty-five times larger in territorial area than Uttar Pradesh).^[3][4] On 9 November 2000, the Himalayan portion of the state, comprising the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions and Haridwar district, was formed into a new state 'Uttaranchal', now called Uttarakhand, meaning the 'Northern Segment' state.

Uttar Pradesh is the second largest state-economy in India, with a GDP of $103.5 billion in 2009. The annual per capita GDP of the state was $1586 in 2009, on purchasing power parity basis.^[5] It contributed 8.34% to India's total GDP in the financial year 2010.^[6] Agriculture is a significant part of UP's economy. The state was India's sixth largest producer of fruits, and became the largest producer of vegetables in 2010.^[7] With an area of 93,933 sq mi (243,290 km²), Uttar Pradesh covers a large part of the highly fertile and densely populated upper Gangetic plain. It shares an international border with Nepal to the north. Other states along Uttar Pradesh's border include Uttarakhand, Haryana and Delhi to the north and northwest; Rajasthan on the west; Madhya Pradesh on the south; Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand on the south east; and Bihar on the east.

Uttar Pradesh has been one of the cultural hubs of India. The state has several religiously significant sites, both to Hinduism and Buddhism. It has served as a melting pot of Indo-Islamic syncretic culture of the medieval period. The state is home to many historical and culturally important cities. Throughout its history, the region of Uttar Pradesh was sometimes divided between smaller kingdoms and at other times formed an important part of larger empires that arose on its east or west, including the Magadha, Nanda, Mauryan, Sunga, Kushan, Gupta, Gurjara, Rashtrakuta, Pala and Mughal empires. In modern times, the state has shown a strong tradition for a secular democracy, electing people from different religions, minorities and castes to its highest offices. Since 1950, the state has elected, on four occasions, a chief minister from the minority, Dalit community.^[8][9]

History[link]

Evolution of the state[link]

The area has undergone several name changes and territorial demarcations since the early 19th century, i.e., after the British East India Company had established its supremacy in the Gangetic plains. In 1833 the then Bengal Presidency of the Company was divided into two parts, one of which became Presidency of Agra; in 1836 the Agra area was named North-Western Provinces and placed under a Lieutenant Governor by the Company. In 1877, the two provinces of Agra and Oudh (Oudh was occupied by the Company in 1858), were placed under one Colonial administrator of the British Crown; he was called Lieutenant Governor of the North-Western Provinces and Chief Commissioner of Oudh. In 1902 the name was changed to United Provinces of Agra and Oudh with Lieutenant Governor of the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh as administrator; in 1921 Lieutenant Governorship was elevated to Governorship and the name of the province was changed to United Provinces of British India. On 1 April 1937, the name was shortened to United Provinces. On independence from the British colonial rule in 1947, the princely states of Rampur, Benares and Tehri-Garwal were merged into the United Provinces. In 1950, the name of United Provinces was changed to Uttar Pradesh.

Prehistory, legends and ancient period[link]

Archeological finds in Uttar Pradesh confirm presence of Stone Age Homo sapiens hunter-gatherers in Chhatarpalia, Mahugarh, Parisdhia, Lalitpur, Nihi and Gopipur,^{[10][11][12][13]} between 85±11 and 72±8 kyr (thousand years ago) before present (BP); Middle Paleolithic and later the Upper Paleolithic artefacts dated at 21–31 kyr BP;^[14] Mesolithic/Microlithic hunter-gatherer's settlement, near Pratapgarh, around 10550–9550 BCE;^[15] villages, domesticated cattle, sheep or goats and evidence of plants and agriculture as early as 6000 BCE – although, most dates range between c. 4000 and 1500 BCE – thus initiating a sequence which extends into the Iron Age,^[16][17][18] beginning from Indus Valley Civilization and Harappa Culture finds in the Saharanpur division through the Vedic period.

Ancient cities of Indian Subcontinent.

The ancient Mahajanapada era kingdom of Kosala in Ayodhya – where, according to Hindu legend, the divine king Rama of the Ramayana epic reigned – was located here. Krishna – another divine king of Hindu legend, who plays a key role in the Mahabharata epic and is revered as the eighth reincarnation (Avatar) of Hindu god Vishnu – is believed to be born in the city of Mathura. The aftermath of Mahabharata war is believed to have taken place in the area between the Doab region of Western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, (in what was Kuru Mahajanapada), during the reign of the Pandava king Yudhishtira. The kingdom of the Kurus^[19] corresponds to the Black and Red Ware and Painted Gray Ware culture and the beginning of the Iron Age in Northwestern India, around 1000 BCE. The revered Swaminarayan – mentioned in the Brahma Purana and Vishwaksena Samhita as the manifestation of God – was born in the village of Chhapaiya.

Most of the empire building invasions of North India, from the east as well as the west, passed through the vast swathe of Gangetic plains of what today is Uttar Pradesh. Control over this region was of vital importance to the power and stability of all of India's major empires, including the Mauryan (320–200 BCE), Kushan (100–250 CE) and Gupta (350–600 CE) Gurjara-Pratihara (650–1036 CE) empires.

Mathura in Uttar Pradesh served as the capital of the Kushan Empire.

Following the Hun invasions that broke Guptas' empire, the Ganges-Yamuna Doab saw the rise of Kannauj. During the reign of Harshavardhana (590–647 CE), the Kannauj empire was at its zenith; spanning from Punjab and Gujarat to Bengal and Orissa – and parts of central India, north of the Narmada River – it encompassed the entire Indo-Gangetic plain. A patron of Buddhism and the University at Nalanda, Harsha organised theological debates and also patronised art and literature. A noted author on his own merit, he wrote three Sanskrit plays. Many communities in various parts of India boast of being descendants of migrants from Kannauj, reflecting its glory in the past.^[20] Soon after Harshavardhana's death, his empire disintegrated into many kingdoms, to be invaded and ruled mostly by Gurjar Pratiharass, who also challenged Bengal's mighty Pala Empire's control of the region.

Medieval[link]

Agra and Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh were the capital cities of Akbar the Great.

The fall of the post-Harshavardhana Gurjar Pratihara Empire of north India came when the Turko-Afghan Muslim rulers moved into present day Uttar Pradesh. Much of the state formed part of the various Indo-Islamic empires (Sultanates) after 1000 CE and was ruled from their capital, Delhi.

Later, in Mughal times, U.P. became the heartland of their vast empire; they called the place Hindustan, which is used to this day as the name for India in several languages. Mughal rulers Babur and Humanyun had their capital in Delhi. In 1540 an Afghan, Sher Shah Suri, took the reigns of U.P. after defeating Humanyun, the Mughal king, who ran away to Kabul. Sher Shah's son, Islam Shah, ruled Uttar Pradesh from their capital at Gwalior. After the death of Islam Shah, his prime minister Hemu became the de facto ruler of U.P., Bihar, MP and western parts of Bengal. Hemu had won in all 22 battles spanning entire North India. He defeated Emperor Akbar's forces at Agra and Delhi and established Hindu Raj (which lasted one month) in U.P. on 7 October 1556. He was bestowed the title of Vikramaditya at his coronation or Rajyabhishake at Purana Quila in Delhi and was titled as Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya. Hemu died in the Second Battle of Panipat, and U.P. came under Emperor Akbar's rule. Agra and Fatehpur Sikri were the capitals of Emperor Akbar. At its zenith, the Mughal Empire covered almost the entire Indian subcontinent (including present day Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh), which was ruled at different times from Delhi, Agra and Allahabad.

When the Mughal Empire disintegrated, their last territory remained confined to the Doab region of Hindustan and Delhi. Other areas of Hindustan (U.P.) were now ruled by different rulers: Awadh was ruled by the Nawabs of Awadh, The Marathas were requested by Safdarjung, the Nawab of Oudh, in 1752 to help him defeat Afghani Rohilla. The Maratha force left Poona and defeated Afghan Rohilla in 1752, capturing the whole of Rohilkhand (present-day northwestern Uttar Pradesh).^[21][22] A treaty signed in 1752 made Marathas the protector of the Mughal throne at Delhi.^[23] In 1803, during the Second Anglo-Maratha War, the forces of British East India Company defeated the Maratha forces in the Battle of Delhi, ending the Maratha rule over UP.^[24]

Modern-colonial[link]

Starting from Bengal in the later half of the 18th century, a series of battles for North Indian lands finally gave the British East India Company accession over this state's territories. Following the British victory in Second Anglo-Maratha War, Daulat Rao Sindhia of the Maratha Empire, signed the Treaty of Surji-Anjangaon with the British and ceded to the British, the Ganges-Jumna Doab, the Delhi-Agra region, parts of Bundelkhand, Broach, etc. When the Company included Ajmer and Jaipur kingdoms in this northern territory, they named it the "North-Western Provinces" (of Agra). Today, the area may seem large compared to several of the Republic of India's present 'mini-states' – no more than the size of earlier 'divisions' of the British era – but at the time it was one of the smallest British provinces. Its capital shifted twice between Agra and Allahabad.

Due to dissatisfaction with British rule, a serious rebellion erupted in various parts of North India; Meerut cantonment's sepoy, Mangal Pandey, is widely credited as its starting point. It came to be known as the Indian Rebellion of 1857. After the revolt failed the British attempted to divide the most rebellious regions by reorganising the administrative boundaries of the region, splitting the Delhi region from ‘NWFP of Agra’ and merging it with Punjab, while the Ajmer- Marwar region was merged with Rajputana and Oudh was incorporated into the state. The new state was called the 'North Western Provinces of Agra and Oudh', which in 1902 was renamed as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh. It was commonly referred to as the United Provinces or its acronym UP.

United Provinces of Agra and Oudh in 1903

In 1920, the capital of the province was shifted from Allahabad to Lucknow. The high court continued to be at Allahabad, but a bench was established at Lucknow. Allahabad continues to be an important administrative base of today's Uttar Pradesh and has several administrative headquarters.

Uttar Pradesh continued to be central to Indian politics and was especially important in modern Indian history as a hotbed of both the Indian Independence Movement and the Pakistan Movement. Nationally known figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru were among the leaders of the movement in UP. The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was formed at the Lucknow session of the Indian National Congress on 11 April 1936 with the legendary nationalist Swami Sahajanand Saraswati elected as its first President,^[25] in order to address the long standing grievances of the peasantry and mobilise them against the zamindari landlords' attacks on their occupancy rights, thus sparking the Farmers' movements in India.^[26][27]

During the Quit India Movement of 1942, Ballia district overthrew the colonial authority and installed an independent administration under Chittu Pandey. Ballia became known then as Baghi Ballia (Rebel Ballia) for this significant contribution in India's freedom movement.

Post-independence[link]

After independence, the state was renamed Uttar Pradesh ("northern province") by its first chief minister, Govind Ballabh Pant. Pant was well acquainted with and close to Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of free India) and was also popular in the Congress Party. He established such a good reputation in Lucknow that Nehru called him to Delhi, the capital and seat of Central Government of the country, to make him Home Minister of India in 27 December 1954. He was succeeded by Dr. Sampoornanand, a classicist Sanskrit scholar. Following a political crisis in Uttar Pradesh, initiated by Kamlapati Tripathi and C.B.Gupta, Sampurnanand was asked to resign as CM in 1960 and sent to Rajasthan as the Governor of Rajasthan, paving the way for Gupta and Tripathi to become Chief Ministers.

Sucheta Kripalani served as India's first woman chief minister from October 1963 until March 1967, when a two-month long strike by state employees caused her to step down. After her, Chandra Bhanu Gupta assumed the office of Chief Minister with Laxmi Raman Acharya as Finance Minister, but the government lasted for only two years due to the confusion and chaos which ended only with the defection of Charan Singh from the Congress with a small set of legislators. He set up a party called the Jana Congress, which formed the first non-Congress government in U.P. and ruled for over a year.

Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna was chief minister for Congress Party government for part of the 1970s. He was dismissed by the Central Government headed by Indira Gandhi, along with several other non-Congress chief ministers, shortly after the imposition of the widely unpopular Emergency, when Narain Dutt Tewari – later chief minister of Uttarakhand – became chief minister. The Congress Party lost heavily in 1977 elections, following the lifting of the Emergency, but romped back to power in 1980, when Mrs. Gandhi handpicked the man who would later become her son's principal opposition, V.P. Singh, to become Chief Minister.

Proposal to split into smaller states[link]

After the split of Uttarakhand in 2000, numerous groups have proposed that the state of Uttar Pradesh be further split into smaller states. Those who support this reorganisation argue this as a bid to improve governance of one of the poorest states in India. With a population greater than Brazil, and divergent needs of the population across the state, it is difficult to propose, agree on and then deliver on public policies necessary for inclusive growth of its citizens. The complicated federal structure of India, wherein many locally pressing development projects proposed by states such as Uttar Pradesh require central government approval, complicates matters and causes bureaucratic delays running into years.

Splitting the state into smaller states, these supporters claim, would foster development, decentralisation of power, and accountability. Those who oppose this initiative argue that the split is motivated by political needs.^[28][29][30]

In November 2011, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati announced she would table the proposal to divide UP into four smaller states in the winter session of the state assembly starting 21 November. Her cabinet approved the proposal, and thereafter the democratically elected representatives of the state assembly approved the proposal to split the state into four smaller states.

The four parts will be Paschim Pradesh, Awadh Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal. The proposed new states are currently western UP, central UP, southwestern UP and eastern UP, respectively.^[31]

Geography[link]

Uttar Pradesh shares an international boundary with Nepal and is bordered by the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. The state can be divided into two distinct hypsographical (altitude) regions. The larger Gangetic Plain region is in the north; it includes the Ganges-Yamuna Doab, the Ghaghra plains, the Ganges plains and the Terai. It has fertile alluvial soil and a flat topography (with a slope of 2 m/km) broken by numerous ponds, lakes and rivers. The smaller Vindhya Hills and plateau region is in the south. It is characterised by hard rock strata and a varied topography of hills, plains, valleys and plateaus; limited availability of water makes the region relatively arid. State has more than 32 large and small rivers; of them, the Ganges, Yamuna, Sarayu, Betwa and Ghaghara are larger and of religious importance in Hinduism.

Flora and fauna[link]

Uttar Pradesh has 2.34^{[clarification needed]} of its land under forest cover. In spite of rapid deforestation and the poaching of wild-life, a diverse flora and fauna exists. Several species of trees, large and small mammals, reptiles and insects are found in the belt of temperate upper mountainous forests; medicinal plants are also found wild, or are grown on plantations. The Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands support cattle. Moist deciduous trees grow in the upper Gangetic plain, including along its riverbanks. This plain supports a wide variety of plants and animals. The Ganges and its tributaries are the habitat of large and small reptiles, amphibians, fresh-water fish and crabs. Scrubland trees such as the babool and animals such as the chinkara are found in the arid Vindhyas.^[32][33] The state’s important plants and animals include:

• Trees: pine, rhododendrons, silver fir, deodar, saal, oak, teak, sheesham, mango, neem, banyan, peepal, imli, jamun, mahua, semal, gular and dhak.
• Medicinal plants: hingan,^[34] Dhak,^[35] rauwolfia, sepentina, hexandrum and podophyllum.
• Large vertebrates: elephant, tiger, bear, neelgai, wild pig, deer, wolf, jackal, fox, langoor and porcupine. The swamp deer (Barasingha) is the state animal of Uttar Pradesh.
• Birds: peacock, grey quail, pigeon, swallow, maina, Indian parakeet, crow and duck. The saras (crane) is the state bird of Uttar Pradesh.
• Reptiles: crocodile, gharial, goh, snakes, chameleon and other lizards.
• Fish: Rohu, catla, khusa, parhan, patra, moi, korouch and singhi.

According to Hindu legend, Lord Rama’s warrior devotee Hanuman brought life-saving Sanjivani herbs from a mountain in Dronagiri (Dunagiri), Uttarakhand.

Climate[link]

The climate of Uttar Pradesh is predominantly subtropical; however, weather conditions change significantly with location and season:

• Temperature: Depending on the elevation, the average temperatures vary from between 12.5–17.5 °C (55–64 °F) in January to 27.5–32.5 °C (82–91 °F) in May and June. The highest temperature recorded in the state was 49.9 °C (121.8 °F) at Gonda on 8 May 1958.
• Rainfall: Rainfall in the state ranges from between 1,000–2,000 mm (39–79 in) in the east to 600–1,000 mm (24–39 in) in the west. About 90 percent of the rainfall occurs during the southwest monsoon, lasting from approximately June to September. With most of the rainfall concentrated during this four-month period, floods are a recurring problem and cause heavy damage to crops, life and property (particularly in the eastern part of the state, where the Himalayan-origin rivers flow with a very low north-south gradient).
• Droughts: The periodic failure of the monsoon results in drought conditions and crop failure.

[edit] Regions and Cities

Regions[link]

Regions of Uttar Pradesh

The state comprises several regions:

• The Doab region, which runs along UP’s western border from north to south. This region is divided into three zones:
  • The Upper Doab in the northwest
  • The Middle Doab in the west, including the Braj-bhumi in the trans-Yamuna area
  • The Lower Doab in the southwest
• The Rohilkhand region in the north
• The Awadh (or Oudh), the historic country of Kosalas in the centre
• The northern parts of Bundelkhand in the south
• The northern parts of Bagelkhand in the southeast
• The southeastern part of the state, commonly called Purvanchal ("Eastern Province"), which is adjacent to the Bhojpur district of Bihar

Administrative divisions[link]

The state of Uttar Pradesh consists of 75 districts, which are grouped into eighteen divisions: Agra, Aligarh, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Bareilly, Basti, Chitrakoot, Devipatan, Faizabad, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Saharanpur and Varanasi.

Cities[link]

This Indian state has more metropolitan cities than any other state in India. The absolute urban population of the state is 44.4 million, which constitutes the second largest share of urban population of India (11.8%).^[36] As per 2011 census, there are 15 urban agglomerations with a population greater than 5 lakhs. There are 14 municipal corporations, while Noida is especially administered by a statuary authority. The cities covered under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission are: Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Agra, Meerut and Mathura.

Many cities are developing at avery high rate, Specially administrated Noida, Municipal Corporations of Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Meerut, Bareilly and Moradabad and Municipal Councils of Mathura, Muzaffarnagar, Budaun, Raebareli and Rampur have shown a great increment in their populations in last decade.

Demographics[link]

Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in India, with a population of 199,581,477 million people as of 1 March 2011. If it were a separate country Uttar Pradesh would be the world's fifth-most-populous nation, trailing only China, India, the United States of America and Indonesia. As of the 2001 Indian census about 80 percent of Uttar Pradesh population is Hindu, while Muslims make up around 18.5 percent of the population. The remainder consists of Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians and Jains.^[38]

The peripheral regions of Uttar Pradesh are home to a number of tribal communities such as the Agaria, Baiga, Bhar, Bhoksa, Bind, Chero, Gond, Kol and Korwa. Five of these tribal communities have been recognised by the Government of India as disadvantaged scheduled tribes: the Tharus, Boksas, Bhotia, Jaunsari people and Raji people.^[39]

Politics[link]

UP Assembly election results since 1989

The electoral constituencies. Uttar Pradesh is one of India's bellwether states with a population of 200 million, similar to that of Brazil. Uttar Pradesh is often regarded as India's under-achiever; it has provided India with eight prime ministers, but remains a poor and backward state.

[edit] 2007 state elections

In this election Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party achieved unexpected majority status, leading to her emergence as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. This was the first time since the 1991 majority victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that a single party has won an absolute majority. Former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party stood second with 97 seats.

Mayawati (having won 206 seats) took the oath of secrecy for the post of UP's next chief minister on 13 May 2007, becoming CM for the fourth time. Along with her 19 cabinet rank ministers, 21 ministers of state holding independent charge were also sworn in by Governor T. V. Rajeswar. Her cabinet colleagues included: Awadhpal Singh yadav, Badshah Singh, Nasimuddin Siddiqui, Rakesh Dhar Tripathi, Ratanlal Ahirwar and Sudhir Goyal.

[edit] 2012 state elections

On 6 March 2012 the results for sixteenth legislative assembly elections were declared showing a clear majority to Samajwadi Party which won 224 seats of total 403 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Incumbent Bahujan Samaj Party was routed with 80 seats. BJP and INC managed 47 and 28 seats respectively.^[40]

Political leadership[link]

The state has a record of providing national leadership. Eight of India's fourteen Prime Ministers are from Uttar Pradesh:

• Jawaharlal Nehru
• Lal Bahadur Shastri
• Indira Gandhi
• Rajiv Gandhi
• Choudhary Charan Singh
• Vishwanath Pratap Singh
• Chandra Shekhar
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee

At the lowest tier of the political pyramid the state has a large number of village councils (panchayats), which are similar to those found in other Indian states.

Education[link]

Uttar Pradesh has a long tradition of learning, although it was primarily confined to the elite class and religious schools. Sanskrit-based education (learning from the Vedic to the Gupta periods), coupled with the later Pali body of knowledge and a store of ancient-to-medieval learning in Persian and Arabic, had formed the core of Hindu-Buddhist-Muslim education until the rise of British power. The present schools-to-university system of education owes its inception and development in the state (as in the rest of the country) to foreign Christian missionaries and the British colonial administration.

IIT-BHU known as IT-BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is a Central University in Varanasi.^[41] It evolved from the Central Hindu College of Varanasi, envisioned as a Hindu university in April 1911 by Annie Wood Besant and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya. BHU began on 1 October 1917, with the Central Hindu College as its first constituent college. Most of the money for the university came from Hindu princes, and its present 1,350-acre (5.5 km²) campus was built on land donated by the Kashi Naresh. Regarded as one of the largest residential universities in Asia,^[42] it has more than 128 independent teaching departments; several of its colleges—including science, linguistics, law, engineering (IT-BHU) and medicine (IMS-BHU)—are ranked amongst the best in India.^[43] The university's total enrolment stands at just over 15,000 (including international students). It is the only university in India hosting one of the IITs on its premises (IT-BHU), since 2010.^[44]

PK Kelkar Library, IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (established in 1959 in the industrial city of Kanpur, and now known as IIT-Kanpur or IITK) is one of the internationally respected Indian Institutes of Technology; it is primarily focused on undergraduate education in engineering and related science and technology, and research in these fields. It is among the few institutions which enjoys the status of an Institute of National Importance. IITK was the first college in India to offer education in computer science.

The Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology (RGIPT) in Jais, Raebareli was established by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOP&NG) of the Government of India through an act of Parliament. RGIPT has been designated an Institute of National Importance, along with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Management (IIM). With deemed university status, the institute awards degrees in its own right. RGIPT is co-sponsored as an energy-domain-specific institute by six oil public-sector units (ONGC, IOCL, OIL, GAIL, BPCL and HPCL), in association with the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB). The institute is associated with international universities and institutions specialising in petroleum technology.

IIM Lucknow

The Indian Institute of Management Lucknow is among the premier management schools in the country. IIM Lucknow was established in 1984 by the government of India. It was the fourth Indian Institute of Management to be established in India, after IIM Calcutta, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore. IIM Lucknow's 185-acre (75 ha) main campus is in Prabandh Nagar, about 21 kilometres (13 mi) from Lucknow railway station and 31 kilometres (19 mi) from Lucknow Airport. A second campus, focusing on executive programs, was established in Noida. According to the institute's website, IIM Lucknow is the first IIM in the country to establish a second campus.

The Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad (MNNIT) was formerly Motilal Nehru Regional Engineering College, Allahabad. It is among one of the leading institutes in the country, established in 1961 as a joint enterprise of the governments of India and Uttar Pradesh in accordance with the plan to establish regional engineering colleges. On 26 June 2002 the college became a deemed university and is now known as an Institute of National Importance. MNNIT was the first college in India to grant a Bachelor of Technology degree in computer science and engineering, and among the very few colleges in India to have a PARAM supercomputer.

Allahabad University

Allahabad University (Hindi: इलाहाबाद विश्वविद्यालय) is a premier Central University located in Allahabad. Its origins lie in Muir Central College, named after Lt. Governor of North-Western Provinces Sir William Muir in 1876; Muir suggested a Central University at Allahabad, which later evolved into the present institution. At one point it was called the "Oxford of the East", and on 24 June 2005 its Central University status was restored through the University Allahabad Act, 2005 of the Parliament of India. It is the fourth-oldest university in the country.

The Aligarh Muslim University is a residential academic institution. This university is spread over an area of 1.5 square kilometres (370 acres). Modeled on the University of Cambridge, it was established by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in 1875 as Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College and was granted the status of a Central University by an Act of Parliament in 1920. Located in the city of Aligarh, it was among the first institutions of higher learning established during the British Raj.

The Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad was established in 1999 by the government of India. The institute was conferred deemed-university status in 2000, empowering it to award degrees following the setting of its own examinations. The new campus has been developed on 100 acres (0.40 km²) of land at Deoghat, Jhalwa, on the outskirts of Allahabad. The campus and other buildings have been styled on patterns developed by mathematics professor Roger Penrose. IIITA offers a B.Tech degree in both Information Technology and Electronics and Communications Engineering. Admission is through the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE). Foreign students are accepted based on SAT II scores. IIITA has an extension campus at Amethi, Sultanpur District (the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Information Technology).

The Gautam Buddha Technical University is a well-known technical university, formerly known as Uttar Pradesh Technical University. It provides technical education, research and training in such programs as engineering, technology, architecture, town planning, pharmacy and applied arts and crafts which the central government decrees in consultation with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). There are five government engineering colleges of GBTU:

• Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur
• Madan Mohan Malaviya Engineering College, Gorakhpur
• Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow
• Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology, Sultanpur
• Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology, Janshi

Other schools in the state capital, Lucknow, include Colvin Taluqdars' College, St. Francis' College, Lucknow and La Martinière College. Secondary schools include the Loreto Convent, St Agnes' Loreto High School and City Montessori School.

A Government Degree College was set up by the government of Uttar Pradesh for providing higher education. At present, 137^[45] Government Degree Colleges have been established by the state government. The UP government^[46] administers, manages and controls these colleges through Department of Higher Education, Uttar Pradesh,^[47] and follows the norms and regulations of the University Grants Commission, New Delhi.^[48]

The Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow is one of the youngest central universities in the country. The jurisdiction of this residential university is over the entire state of Uttar Pradesh. The campus Vidya Vihar is located off Rae Bareli Road, about 10 km south of the Charbagh railway station in Lucknow. All courses offered by the university are postgraduate, innovative and non-traditional.

M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, established in 1975, has produced a large number of scholars and technocrats in various fields of the arts, science and technology; it has departments of management, engineering, the arts, science, law, education and technology. The university's Institute of Engineering and Technology was established in 1995, and it has a successful job-placement bureau throughout India for graduating students.

Economy[link]

Uttar Pradesh is the second largest state-economy in India, contributing 8.34 percent of India's total GDP. Uttar Pradesh had been developing at a very slow rate; however, during the 11th five-year plan (2007–2012) the state registered a 7.28 percent GDP growth rate (compared with a target of 6.10 percent) and was one of five states exceeding their growth-rate targets.^[49] The rising GDP growth rate in UP is the result of the Mayawati government, which took power in 2007 and made significant changes to economic policy.^[50] The government decided to promote Lucknow Metropolital Region as an IT destination similar to Noida. Some IT companies (such as Tata Consultancy Services, Aegis, Xerox, Wipro and many more) have located in Lucknow since 2008–2009.

The major economic activity in the state is agriculture; in 1991, 73 percent of the population was engaged in agriculture, and 46 percent of state income was provided by agriculture. UP has retained its preeminent position in the country as a food-surplus state.^{[citation needed]}

Uttar Pradesh is home to the largest number of small-scale industrial units in the country, with 12 percent of over 2.3 million units.^[51] However, industrial output has been adversely affected by erratic power supply from the UP State Electricity Board and remains below its full production capacity. The unavailability of raw materials at competitive prices is another problem. As in most parts of India, traders and middlemen make most of the profits while the working class lives at a subsistence level. Nevertheless, labour efficiency is higher in UP (at an index of 26) than the national average of 25.^[51]

With a solid GDP of US$22 billion, Kanpur is the largest economic hub of Uttar Pradesh. Kanpur is also the economic capital also of Uttar Pradesh, and is the only city if the state listed as one of the "Top 10 Indian cities". Some of the important industrial hubs in the state are:

• Lucknow: World famous chikan/zardozi dress-manufacturing centre in the country, with strong auto-mobiles, engineering, chemical and other industries
• Kanpur: Largest shoe-manufacturing centre in the country, with strong leather and Gutkha paan masala industries, Packaging Industry, Plastic Industry, Textile Industry, Chemical Industry.
• NOIDA: Among the top IT (information technology) destinations of the country; Lucknow is an emerging one
• Meerut: A manufacturing centre of sporting goods, tools and gold ornaments, it is regularly listed among the top tax-paying cities in the country.^[52]
• Mirzapur and Bhadohi: Manufacturing centres and worldwide exporters of carpets and cotton dhurries
• Moradabad: Production centre of traditional Moradabadi metalware; producer and exporter of stainless-steel utensils
• Aligarh: Manufacturing hub of brass, zinc, aluminium, iron door fittings and padlocks, which are exported worldwide
• Agra: Visited by more than 8 million domestic and 825,000 foreign tourists in 2006 (followed by Varanasi, Lucknow, Allahabad, Vrindaban, Budaun and Mathura. Agra is also known for its handicrafts, gold jewellery and small-scale industries.

Sonebhadra, a district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has large-scale industries; its southern region, known as the "Energy Capital Of India", has more than a dozen power plants of UPRVUNL and NTPC around the Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar which produce more than 10,000 MW of electricity (the largest in India, after Dadri in western Uttar Pradesh. NCL has its headquarters in this region and is planning to build two power plants, each with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW. The region has a private airport at Muirpur owned by Hindalco, a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group.

The economy is gearing itself to cater to contemporary Western tastes and the lifestyle of upper-class Uttar Pradeshis; shopping malls are being built in large cities to satisfy their needs. The economy also benefits from the state's tourist industry.

Transportation[link]

The state has a large, multimodal transportation system:

• Air: The state has four major airports and 23 airstrips. Cities are nationally well-connected. Amausi International Airport in Lucknow is the state's main airport. Other domestic airports are Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Agra, Allahabad and Varanasi.

• Railways: Almost all major (as well as smaller) cities of the state are linked by rail. The state has largest railway network in the country, with a total length of 8,546 km (as of 2006) and the sixth-largest railway density. The railway stations of Lucknow NR, Kanpur Central, Varanasi JN, Agra Cant and Mathura JN are included in the list of 50 world-class railway stations by Indian Railways in its annual budget.
• Roads: The state has the largest road network in the country after Maharashtra. It boasts 31 National Highways (NH), with a total length of 4,942 km (8.5 percent of the total NH length in India). All cities are connected to state highways, the most important of which are SH33, SH29 and SH51. Budaun city is the hub of these roads. Uttar Pradesh has the seventh-highest road density in India, (1,027 km per 1000 km² as of 2002) and the largest surfaced urban-road network in the country (50,721 km as of 2002). Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Allahabad, Varanasi, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Agra and Ghazipur are connected to National Highways. The National Golden Quadrilateral of India is passes through Jhansi, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi. With an existing expressway between Lucknow and Kanpur, new expressways are being built between Agra and Noida and between Noida and Ballia (through Badaun-Kanpur). The state government’s road-transport company Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) serves nationalised routes in the state for intrastate and interstate transport. The state has established the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority to develop seven new expressways.
• Waterways: A stretch of the Ganges – from Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) to Haldia (West Bengal) – has been declared as National Waterway (NW)-I; 600 km of NW-I flows through Uttar Pradesh.

Although the state has a large and diversified transportation network, its condition and functioning require improvement.

Panoramic view of Charbagh Railway Station at Lucknow

Sports[link]

Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida

K. D. Singh Babu Stadium Lucknow

Presently, common sports of Uttar Pradesh are of two distinct genre: the Traditional Sports and the modern sports of mainly European origin.

Traditional sports, now played mostly as a past time, include wrestling, swimming, kabaddi and track- or water-sports played according to local traditional rules and without use of modern gears; some times, display of martial skills using a sword or ‘Pata’ (stick) etc. form the basis of sports. Due to lack of organised patronage and requisite facilities, these sports are surviving mostly as individuals' hobbies or local competitive events, e.g. in interested schools.

Modern sports – the indoor, field and track games – are popular, especially among the educated class, but the State has yet to attain all-round national standing in most of them. Field hockey is very popular and Uttar Pradesh has produced some of the finest players in India.

Olympic hockey player Dhyan Chand was born on 29 August 1905, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. Adolf Hitler, the Chancellor of Germany, was so impressed by Dhyan Chand's performance in the Berlin Olympic hockey finals that he offered to elevate 'Lance Naik' Dhyan Chand to the rank of a Colonel if he migrated to Germany; Chand had declined the offer.^{[citation needed]}

Cricket has become more popular than field hockey. U.P. won its first Ranji Trophy tournament in February 2006, beating Bengal in the final. It can also boast of its 3 or 4 players normally finding a place in the national side. Green Park Stadium, Kanpur is the only one internationally recognised cricket stadium in Uttar Pradesh.

Green Park Stadium in Kanpur is one of the oldest cricket venues in India and has witnessed some of India's most famous victories. Greater Noida possess India's first formula-one track named Buddh International Circuit a venue for Indian Grand Prix and an state of the art international cricket stadium known as Greater Noida Cricket Stadium^[53] is being built along with the Buddh International Circuit. It will seat 40,000 spectators initially, but will gradually be increased to 100,000.^{[citation needed]} Faizabad Sports Complex^[54] is another sports venue in Uttar Pradesh which includes Faizabad International Sports Stadium.

Tourism[link]

A panoramic view of Taj Mahal, Agra

Uttar Pradesh attracts large number of visitors, both national and international; with more than 71 million domestic tourists (in 2003) and almost 25% of the All-India foreign tourists visiting Uttar Pradesh, it is one of the top tourist destinations in India.^[51] There are two regions in the state where a majority of the tourists go, viz. the Agra circuit and the Hindu pilgrimage circuit.

Fatehpur Sikri Palace, the transient capital of Hindustan made by Akbar.

The city of Agra, gives access to three World Heritage Sites: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri. Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". Agra Fort is about 2.5 km northwest of its much more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled palatial city. Fatehpur Sikri was the world famous 16th century capital city near Agra, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great, whose mausoleum in Agra is also worth a visit. Dayal Bagh in Agra is a modern day temple and popular tourist sight. Its lifelike sculptures in marble are unique in India. Agra's dubious modern attractions include Asia's largest Spa as well as Asia's second 6D theatre.

The pilgrimage circuit includes the holiest of the Hindu holy cities on the banks of sacred rivers Ganges and the Yamuna: Varanasi (also considered world's oldest city), Ayodhya (birth place of Lord Rama), Mathura (birth place of Lord Krishna), Vrindavan (the village where Lord Krishna spent his childhood), and Allahabad (the confluence or 'holy-sangam' of the sacred Ganges-Yamuna rivers).

Varanasi is widely considered to be one of the oldest cities in the world. It is famous for its ghats (bathing steps along the river), full of pilgrims year round who come to bathe in the sacred Ganges River.

A view of the Ghat of Varanasi from the River Ganges

Mathura is world-famous for its colourful celebrations of the Holi festival, which attracts many tourists also – thanks partly to the hype, which the Indian film industry has given to this highly entertaining socio-religious festival.^{[citation needed]}

Thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the Magh Mela festival, which is held on the banks of the Ganges. This festival is organised on a larger scale every 12th year and is called the Kumbha Mela, where over 10 million Hindu pilgrims congregate – proclaimed as one of the largest gathering of human beings in the world.

Budaun is also a city which attracts thousands of tourists annually. Its religious city with many historical monuments and tombs of many famous people.

The historically important towns of Sarnath and Kushinagar are located not far from Varanasi. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath after his enlightenment and died at Kushinagar; both are important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Pillars of Ashoka and the Lion Capital of Ashoka, both important archaeological artefacts with national significance. At a distance of 80 km from Varanasi, Ghazipur is famous not only for its Ganges Ghats but also for the Tomb of British potentate Lord Cornwallis, maintained by the Archeological Survey of India.

Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has several beautiful historical monuments such as Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara. It has also preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored.

Some of the main natural protected areas in Uttar Pradesh are:-

• Dudhwa National Park is one of the best tiger reserves in the country.
• Pilibhit Tiger Reserve – home to the Tiger Reserve.
• Sandi Bird Sanctuary – houses about 20,000 migratory birds annually.
• Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary – the most concentrated sanctuary in India with a large population of tigers as well as leopards – situated in Bahraich and bordering Nepal is also worth a visit.

Some areas require a special permit for non-Indians to visit.

Panoramic view of a part of the Fatehpur Sikri Palace

Gallery[link]

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  Kumbh Mela, at Allahabad (Prayagraj)is the largest gathering anywhere in the world.

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  Taj Mahal, Agra

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  Madan Mohan temple in Brindavan.

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  The Tomb of Salim Chisti

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  Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb at Agra

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  Amar Singh Gate at Agra Fort

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  The five-storey Panch Mahal at Fatehpur Sikri

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  The historical Atala Masjid built by 'Sultan Ibrahim', Sultan of Jaunpur.

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  Buland Darwaza (Great Gate), Fatehpur Sikri

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  Roomi Darwaza, Lucknow

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  Tomb Queen Bride in Faizabad.

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  Mausoleum of Nawab Shuja-ud-Daula in Faizabad.

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  JK Temple (RadhaKrishna Temple), Kanpur

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  Tomb of Akbar the Great, Agra

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  Gateway to Bara Imambara, Lucknow

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  The Chhota Imambara, Lucknow

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  The Bhool Bhulaiyya Front View, Lucknow

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  Bahu Begum ka Maqbara, Faizabad.

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  The Dhamekh Stupa is located in Sarnath where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma

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  Kushinagar is a town where Gautama Buddha died

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  Gandhakuti (Buddha's hut) in Jetavana, Sravasti.

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  Kakrala is town where Sufi Hazrat Shah Sharafat Miyan was Born.

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  Ancient Buddhist monasteries near Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath.

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  The ancient excavated Buddha inside the Parinirvana Temple, Kushinagar.