Ranchi

Ranchi (राँची)
—  capital  —
View of Ranchi
Ranchi (राँची)
Location of Ranchi (राँची)
in Jharkhand and India
Coordinates
Country  India
State Jharkhand
Population 946,455(census 2,001);(2,009 approx:1.29 million)
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area

• Elevation

• 629 metres (2,064 ft)

Ranchi pronunciation (Hindi: राँची) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Jharkhand accounts for 40% of the mineral resources of India. Ranchi accounts for 50% mineral production of the state, nearing about 18% of nation's mineral production. For this reason Ranchi is also called the Manchester of the East. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement[1] for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Orissa, Western West Bengal and the present eastern Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand State was formed on 15 November 2000 by carving the Bihar divisions of Chota Nagpur and Santhal Parganas.

The name Ranchi comes from the name of a local bird. Up to 1927, the place was known as Rachi.

Contents

History

Ranchi is the headquarters of Ranchi district. Earlier the name of the district was Lohardaga. The old district had come into existence after the creation of the non-regulation South – West frontier as a result of the Kol rising in 1831-32. The name of the district was changed in 1899 from Lohardaga to Ranchi after the name of a small village now comprised within the headquarters station. The name comes from a local bird named "RINCHI" which was mostly found in the "pahadi mandir premise" the bird was considered as to be a sacred bird.

Geography

Ranchi is located at .[2] The total area covered by the Ranchi municipal area is about 141 square kilometres and the average elevation of the city is 629 m above sea level.

Ranchi is located on the southern part of the Chota Nagpur plateau which forms the eastern edge of the Deccan plateau. Ranchi is referred to as the “City of Waterfalls”, the most popular waterfalls are Dasham, Hundru, Jonha Falls, Hirni and Panchghat.

The Subarnarekha river and its tributaries constitute the local river system. Dams in Kanke, Rukka and Hatia have been built over these channels to cater to the water requirements of the population.

Ranchi has a hilly topography and its combination with dense tropical forests ensures that it enjoys a comparatively moderate climate compared to the rest of the state.

Climate

Ranchi
Climate chart ()
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
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average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: IMD

Ranchi has a humid subtropical climate. However, due to its position and the forests around the city, it is known for its pleasant climate. Its climate is the primary reason why Ranchi was once the summer capital of the undivided State of Bihar. Temperature ranges from maximum 42 to 20°C during summer, and from 25 to 5°C during winter. The annual rainfall is about 1430 mm (56.34 inches). From June to September the rainfall is about 1,100 mm.

Demographics

In the 2001 India census,[3] Ranchi had a population of 846,454. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Ranchi has an average literacy rate of 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 80%, and female literacy is 68%. In Ranchi, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age. The city witnessed a sudden surge in population after the declaration of the new state of Jharkhand in 2000. Owing to the rising employment opportunities and opening of numerous regional and state level offices, banks, and marketing companies, the city witnessed the influx of migrants.

Education

Primary and Secondary Schools Ranchi is a hub for Pre-school, primary and secondary schools. Major schools include Bishop Westcott Boys' School,Namkum; Bishop Westcott Girls' School,Namkum; Bishop's School, Bahu Bazar; Jawahar Vidya Mandir Shyamali,DAV Hehal,DPS Satellite Colony,Sacred Heart Convent, Loreto Convent, St. John's High School, Ranchi]], LEBB High School, SS Doranda Girl's High School, Chotanagpur Girl's School, Balika Siksha Bhawan, Surendranath Centenary School, Oxford Public School, Kairali School, Guru Nanak HR School, St Anthony's School, St Xaviers, St. John's High School, St Thomas School Dhurwa, St Francis, DAV Kapil Dev, DAV Bariatu, DAV gandhinagar, 4 Kendriya Vidyalayas, Bethesada Girl's School, Zila School, St Paul's School, Yogoda Satsanga Vidyalaya, Vivekananda Vidya Mandir.

Ranchi is also marking its presence globally by inception of country's famous and trustworthy management brand INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT RANCHI (IIM Ranchi). Getting started from july 2010, this institute will surely add new values and recognition to this place.

Other educational organisations are: CIP Central Institute of Psychiatry, BIT Birla Institute of Technology, RIMS Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences and NIFFT National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology IILM- Indian Institute of Legal Metrology. Most of the government-run schools in Ranchi are affiliated to Jharkhand Academic Council, while most of the private schools are affiliated to ICSE, CBSE or NIOS boards. A number of Christian Schools are convents or are run by the Jesuit missionaries of the Roman Catholic, Gossner, Evangelical, and Lutheran Churches and the [[Churches of North India

The most rated colleges in Ranchi are BIT MESRA and National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology.They are in the top 10 engineering colleges in India. Most of the other colleges and institutions of higher education of Ranchi are under the jurisdiction of Ranchi University. There are also agicultural and veterinary colleges, which are part of the Birsa Agricultural University located at Kanke and ICFAI University.

Other institutions are:St. Xavier's College, Yogoda Satsang College, Marwari Boys' College, Birla Institute of Technology, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Central Institute of Psychiatry, National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Gossner College and Doranda College.

In 2009 the Central University of Jharkhand was established by the government of India. The State Government of Jharkhand has allotted a 40 acre campus at Brambe, some 25 km away from Ranchi, the State capital, till the permanent campus is ready. The university offers courses in pure sciences amongst others.

Admission is done by all India admission test "Central Universities Common Entrance Test."

A new Indian Institute of Management at Ranchi which was proposed in 2008 has become functional in academic session 2010 with over 60 students. It is being mentored by IIM Calcutta. The Jharkhand government has allotted 214 acres of land for construction of the institute at Kanke. The Centre has agreed to provide financial support of Rs 250 crore for the institute, which will become functional by 2010.

Transport

Road

The State Bus Terminus is located near the Ranchi Railway station. Khad Garaha and Ratu Road are private bus agencies.

A ring around the city has been proposed by the government to ease the traffic chaos in the city. The first phase of the work has already started and it covers almost one quarter of the complete ring (23 km). In the first stage, the state government will connect the state capital’s outskirts — Kathi Tand (near Ratu on Ranchi-Daltonganj highway) and Karma (on Ranchi-Ramgarh road). It would help reduce the pressure of heavy vehicles on the streets of the state capital, as the buses and trucks plying on Ranchi-Daltonganj, Ranchi-Gumla and Ranchi-Ramgarh routes would not enter the city. A new city bus service has been launched under JNUURM to connect various parts of the city for the benefit of commuters, and has been very popular with everyone.

In the specifications, two flyovers were proposed at Kathi Tand (which comes under NH-75 on Ranchi-Daltonganj stretch) and at Karma (NH-33). The state government can undertake the flyover project only after getting clearance from the Union ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The length of the complete ring road is about 85 km.

Rail

Ranchi has frequent connections with Indian cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jabalpur, Patna, Bhubaneshwar, Bangalore, Allepey, Jammu Tavi etc. The city lacks direct connectivity with Bhopal, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow, and other prominent state capitals.

The railway stations in the city are: Tatisilwai, Namkum, Ranchi Junction, Argora and Hatia.

Air

Ranchi's domestic airport - Birsa Munda Airport (Code: IXR) is managed by the Airports Authority of India. The airport terminal is situated in Hinoo approximately 7 km south of the city center. The single runway airport is 8900 ft x 150 ft in length x width and supports navigation/traffic control systems such as HIRL and PAPI, ASPL and apron flood lights. Airlines include Indian Airlines, JetLite, Kingfisher Red, Air Deccan and MDLR Airlines. Ranchi is connected with all major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Patna, Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Pune, Hydrabad, Bangalore, Ahmedabad and Chennai by air.

Trade, commerce, and industry

As an important administrative and military base of the eastern India during the British Raj, Ranchi developed as an important centre of trade and commerce, including a traditional base for sericulture and manufacture of shellac. Villages around Ranchi has been described as the 'vegetable bowl' of Jharkhand and truckloads of green vegetables are transported from the city to Jharkhand, Bihar, and Kolkata.

After India gained independence, Ranchi continued to grow and a number of industrial facilities were located in and around the city. Along with other two industrial townships of Jamshedpur and Bokaro, it completes the industrial structure of Jharkhand. Industrial facilities of Ranchi include the Heavy Engineering Corporation, MECON which is associated with expansion and modernisation of most of the steel plants, CCL, CMPDI and Shipping Corporation of India

The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) founded its research and development center locally in 1974 and today it is the largest steel research centre of the country, employing over 350 scientists and addressing the R&D needs of SAIL while also providing scientific services to other organizations.

Ranchi also houses Usha Martin Limited, a pioneer in the manufacturing of steel wires and wire ropes, located in Tatisilwai, approx 15 km from the main city.

Health care facilities and hospitals

The city is the medical centre for the region of about 400 km in radius. Many hospitals, both private and public, dot the city.

  1. Central Institute of Psychiatry, Kanke
  2. RINPAS, Kanke

Tourist attractions

Temples

Jonha Falls - this is a tourist destination situated 40 km from the City.

Hirini Falls are one Of the famous falls of Ranchi (Jharkhand)

There are also falls like Hundru, Hirni, Dasam, Panchghagh, Jonha.

Festivals

Ranchi is home to people of many castes, creeds and sects. All festivals are celebrated with pomp, glory and in harmony.

Parks and resorts

Other than these recognized parks (most of which have entry fee), there are many open playgrounds which are vanishing fast as the government/administration has initiated massive constructions on available government lands.

Media

The city has several newspapers, the oldest one is Ranchi Express and the most circulated (?) being Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Prabhat Khabar and Aaj Daily and Ranchi Express etc. Amongst English dailies The Times of India, Hindustan Times , The Hindu and The Pioneer are widely circulated in the city, and Bengali Dailies like Anandabazar Patrika and Bartaman.

There are also some local news channels delivered through the cable TV network, Jharkhand News 24, PBL Nazar and Jharkhand TV. Besides these local channels, ETV Bihar/Jharkhand and Sahara Samay Bihar/Jharkhand are two regional channels for the state run by Indian news networks.

Besides the AIR (All India Radio) run Vividh Bharti 103.3 FM, radio station, there are private FM Channels as well. Radiomantra 91.9 FM...(life ka mantra) is owned by the Dainik Jagran Media house. Big 92.7 FM which a joint venture by Anil Dhirubhai Ambani and Adlabs, 104.8 Radio Dhoom owned by Prabhat Khabar has recently been launched and the B.A.G group's venture 106.4 FM Radio Dhamaal comprises the Fm channel network in Ranchi.

Sports

Cricket is a popular sport in Ranchi. MS Dhoni, the captain of Indian Test, One Day and T20 Squad, was born and brought up in Ranchi.

The city has one of the best field hockey facilities, with a newly constructed astroturf stadium. Quite a number of players, specially women, from Jharkhand have represented India. Jaipal Singh Munda was the captain of the Indian Hockey team during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, though he did not lead the team in the final.

- Akash Ghosal, Indian trapeze artist, was born here. He has worked with people such as Theo Dumothier, French trapeze artist and Adam Elkhadem of Egypt.

Gallery

GEL Church Complex

Albert Ekka Chowk

Mecon Colony Stadium

Shahid Ajay Singh Chowk

References

  1. ↑ "Jharkhand Movement". Country Studies. http://country-studies.com/india/jharkhand-movement.htmll. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
  2. ↑ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Ranchi
  3. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

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