New Delhi
Capital city of India
New Delhi (; , ) is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Sansad Bhavan, and the Supreme Court. New Delhi is a municipality within the NCT, administered by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which covers mostly Lutyens' Delhi and a few adjacent areas. The municipal area is part of a larger administrative district, the New Delhi district.
Although colloquially "Delhi" and "New Delhi" are used interchangeably to refer to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, both are distinct entities, with the municipality and the New Delhi district forming a relatively small part within the megacity of Delhi. The National Capital Region is an even larger entity, comprising the entire NCT along with adjoining districts in the two neighbouring states forming a continuously built-up area with it, including Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Meerut, YEIDA City, Gurgaon, and Faridabad.
The foundation stone of New Delhi, south of central Delhi, was laid by George V during the Delhi Durbar of 1911. It was designed by British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. The new capital was inaugurated on 13 February 1931, by Viceroy and Governor-General Irwin.
History.
Establishment.
Until December 1911, Calcutta was the capital of India during the British Rule. However, it had become the centre of the nationalist movements since the late nineteenth century, which led to the Partition of Bengal by Viceroy Curzon. This created massive political and religious upsurge including political assassinations of British officials in Calcutta. The anti-colonial sentiments among the public led to a complete boycott of British goods, which forced the colonial government to reunite Bengal and immediately shift the capital to New Delhi.
Old Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of medieval India and the Delhi Sultanate, most notably of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857. During the early 1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the British Indian Empire, as India was officially named, from Calcutta on the east coast, to Delhi. The Government of British India felt that it would be logistically easier to administer India from Delhi, which is in the centre of northern India. The land for building the new city of Delhi was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act 1894.
During the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, George V while laying the foundation stone for the viceroy's residence in the Coronation Park, Kingsway Camp, declared that the capital of the Raj would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. Three days later, George V and his consort, Mary, laid the foundation stone of New Delhi at Kingsway Camp. Large parts of New Delhi were planned by Edwin Lutyens, who first visited Delhi in 1912, and Herbert Baker, both leading 20th-century British architects. The contract was given to Sobha Singh. The original plan called for its construction in Tughlaqabad, inside the Tughlaqabad Fort, but this was given up because of the Delhi-Calcutta trunk line that passed through the fort. Construction really began after World War I and was completed by 1931. The gardening and planning of plantations was led by A.E.P. Griessen, and later William Mustoe. The city that was later dubbed "Lutyens' Delhi" was inaugurated in ceremonies beginning on 10 February 1931 by Viceroy Irwin. Lutyens designed the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial aspirations.
Soon Lutyens started considering other places. Indeed, the Delhi Town Planning Committee, set up to plan the new imperial capital, with George Swinton as chairman, and John A. Brodie and Lutyens as members, submitted reports for both north and south sites. However, it was rejected by the Viceroy when the cost of acquiring the necessary properties was found to be too high. The central axis of New Delhi, which today faces east at India Gate, was previously meant to be a north–south axis linking the Viceroy's House at one end with Paharganj at the other. Eventually, owing to space constraints and the presence of a large number of heritage sites on the north side, the committee settled on the south site. A site atop the Raisina Hill, formerly Raisina Village, a Meo village, was chosen for the Rashtrapati Bhawan, then known as the Viceroy's House. The reason for this choice was that the hill lay directly opposite the Dinapanah citadel, which was also considered the site of Indraprastha, the ancient region of Delhi. Subsequently, the foundation stone was shifted from the site of Delhi Durbar of 1911–1912, where the Coronation Pillar stood, and embedded in the walls of the forecourt of the Secretariat. The Rajpath, also known as King's Way, stretched from the India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Secretariat building, the two blocks of which flank the Rashtrapati Bhawan and houses ministries of the government of India, and the Parliament House, both designed by Baker, are located at the Sansad Marg and run parallel to the Rajpath.
In the south, land up to Safdarjung's Tomb was acquired to create what is today known as Lutyens' Bungalow Zone. Before construction could begin on the rocky ridge of Raisina Hill, a circular railway line around the Council House (now Parliament House), called the "Imperial Delhi Railway", was built to transport construction material and workers for the next twenty years. The last stumbling block was the Agra-Delhi railway line that cut right through the site earmarked for the hexagonal All-India War Memorial (India Gate) and Kingsway (Rajpath), which was a problem because the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city at that time. The line was shifted to run along the Yamuna River, and it began operating in 1924. The New Delhi Railway Station opened in 1926, with a single platform at Ajmeri Gate near Paharganj, and was completed in time for the city's inauguration in 1931. As construction of the Viceroy's House (the present Rashtrapati Bhavan), Central Secretariat, Parliament House, and All-India War Memorial (India Gate) was winding down, the building of a shopping district and a new plaza, Connaught Place, began in 1929, and was completed by 1933. Named after Prince Arthur, 1st Duke of Connaught (1850–1942), it was designed by Robert Tor Russell, chief architect to the Public Works Department (PWD).
After the capital of India moved to Delhi, a temporary secretariat building was constructed in a few months in 1912 in North Delhi. Most of the government offices of the new capital moved here from the 'Old secretariat' in Old Delhi (the building now houses the Delhi Legislative Assembly), a decade before the new capital was inaugurated in 1931. Many employees were brought into the new capital from distant parts of India, including the Bengal Presidency and Madras Presidency. Subsequently, housing for them has developed around Gole Market area in the 1920s. Built in the 1940s, to house government employees, with bungalows for senior officials in the nearby Lodi Estate area, Lodi Colony near historic Lodi Gardens, was the last residential areas built by the British Raj.
Post-independence.
After India gained independence in 1947, limited autonomy was conferred to New Delhi and was administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the Government of India. In 1966, 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 the National Capital Territory of Delhi. A system 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.
The first major extension of New Delhi outside of Lutyens' Delhi came in the 1950s when the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) developed a large area of land southwest of Lutyens' Delhi to create the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, where land was allotted for embassies, chanceries, high commissions and residences of ambassadors, around a wide central vista, "Shanti Path".
Geography.
With a total area of , the municipality of New Delhi forms a small part of the Delhi metropolitan area. Since the city is located on the Indo-Gangetic Plain, there is little difference in elevation across the city. New Delhi and surrounding areas were once a part of the Aravali Range; all that is left of those mountains is the Delhi Ridge, which is also called the Lungs of Delhi. While New Delhi lies on the floodplains of the Yamuna River, it is essentially a landlocked city. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara.
Seismology.
New Delhi falls under the seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to earthquakes. It lies on several fault lines and thus experiences frequent earthquakes, most of them of mild intensity. There was a spike in the number of earthquakes between 2011 and 2015, most notable being a 5.4 magnitude earthquake in 2015 with its epicentre in Nepal, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake on 25 November 2007, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake on 7 September 2011, a 5.2-magnitude earthquake on 5 March 2012, and a swarm of twelve earthquakes, including four of magnitudes 2.5, 2.8, 3.1, and 3.3, on 12 November 2013.
Climate.
The climate of New Delhi is a dry-winter humid subtropical climate (Köppen "Cwa") bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen "BSh") with high variation between summer and winter in terms of both temperature and rainfall. The temperature varies from in summers to around in winters. The area's version of a humid subtropical climate is noticeably different from many other cities with this climate classification in that it features long and extremely hot summers with dust storms, relatively dry and mild winters with wildfire haze, and a monsoonal period. Summers are long, extending from early April to October, with the monsoon season occurring in the middle of the summer. Winter starts in November and peaks in January. Winters are very mild. The annual mean temperature is around ; monthly daily mean temperatures range from approximately . New Delhi's highest temperature ever recorded is on 28 May 2024 at Met Delhi Mungeshpur while the lowest temperature ever recorded is on 11 January 1967 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (formerly known as Palam Airport). The average annual rainfall is and monsoon rainfall from June to September is about , most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.
Air quality.
In Mercer's 2015 annual quality-of-living survey, New Delhi ranks at number 154 out of 230 cities due to bad air quality and pollution. The World Health Organization ranked New Delhi as the world's worst polluted city in 2014 among about 1,600 cities the organisation tracked around the world. In 2016, United States Environmental Protection Agency listed New Delhi as the most polluted city on Earth and IQAir listed New Delhi as the world's most polluted capital city for the second straight year in year 2019.
In an attempt to lessen air pollution in New Delhi, which gets worse during the winter, a temporary alternate-day travel scheme for cars using the odd- and even-numbered licence plates system was announced by Delhi government in December 2015. In addition, trucks were to be allowed to enter India's capital only after 11 pm, two hours later than the existing restriction. The driving restriction scheme was planned to be implemented as a trial from 1 January 2016 for an initial period of 15 days. The restriction was in force between 8 am and 8 pm, and traffic was not restricted on Sundays. Public transportation service was increased during the restriction period.
On 16 December 2015, the Supreme Court of India mandated several restrictions on Delhi's transportation system to curb pollution. Among the measures, the court ordered to stop registrations of diesel cars and sport utility vehicles with an engine capacity of 2,000 cc and over until 31 March 2016. The court also ordered all taxis in the Delhi region to switch to compressed natural gas by 1 March 2016. Transportation vehicles that are more than 10 years old were banned from entering the capital.
Analysing real-time vehicle speed data from Uber Delhi revealed that during the odd-even program, average speeds went up by a statistically significant 5.4 per cent (2.8 standard deviations from normal). This means vehicles have less idling time in traffic and vehicle engines would run closer to minimum fuel consumption. In bordering areas, PM 2.5 levels were recorded more than 400 (ug/m3) while in inner areas in Delhi, they were recorded between 150 and 210 on an average. However, the sub-city of Dwarka, located in the southwest district, has a substantially low level of air pollution. At the NSIT University campus, located in sector 3 Dwarka, pollution levels were as low as 93 PPM.
On 7 November 2017, the Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency due to high pollution levels. The highest being in the Punjabi Bagh district with an air quality index of 999 and in the RK Puram district with an index of 852. The lowest index recorded was in the Anand Vihar district with an index of 319. Levels of PM2.5 were recorded at 710 μg/m3, more than 11 times the World Health Organization's safe limit.
In a 2018 study, New Delhi was found to be the most polluted capital out of 61 capital cities around the world. In December 2019, IIT Bombay, in partnership with the McKelvey School of Engineering of Washington University in St. Louis, launched the Aerosol and Air Quality Research Facility to study air pollution in New Delhi, among other Indian cities. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India, the water quality of the Yamuna and Ganges river basins have improved as industries are closed due to the lockdown. The air quality has also significantly improved during the lockdown. On 5 November 2020, New Delhi recorded its most toxic day in a year, as the concentration of poisonous PM2.5 particles was recorded at 14 times the WHO's safe limit.
Demographics.
As of 2011, the New Delhi Municipal Council area has a population of 249,998. Hindi is the most widely spoken language in New Delhi and the lingua franca of the city. English is primarily used as the formal language by business and government institutes. New Delhi has a literacy rate of 89.38% according to 2011 census, which is the highest in Delhi.
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Religion.
According to 2011 census, Hinduism is the religion of 89.8% of New Delhi's population. There are also communities of Muslims (4.5%), Christians (2.9%), Sikhs (2.0%), Jains (0.4%). Other religious groups include Parsis, Buddhists, and Jews.
Government.
The national capital of India, New Delhi is jointly administered by both the Central Government of India and the local Government of Delhi, it is also the capital of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.
New Delhi is administered through a municipal government, known as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The other urban areas of the metropolis of Delhi are administered by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and Delhi Cantonment Board. As of 2015[ [update]], 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 the NCT of Delhi and five members nominated by the central government.
The districts of the NCT were redrawn in 2012 and include a district called New Delhi, albeit with different borders than the municipality. The New Delhi district includes not only the area of the municipality of the same name but also encompasses the Delhi Cantonment and parts of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi area.
Economy.
New Delhi is the largest commercial city in northern India. It has an estimated net State Domestic Product (FY 2010) of () in nominal terms and ~ () in PPP terms. As of 2013[ [update]], the per capita income of Delhi was Rs. 230000, second highest in India after Goa. GSDP in Delhi at the prices for 2012–13 is estimated at Rs 3.88 trillion (short scale) against Rs 3.11 trillion (short scale) in 2011–12.
Connaught Place, one of North India's largest commercial and financial centres, is located in the northern part of New Delhi. Adjoining areas such as Barakhamba Road, ITO are also major commercial centres. The 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 2011 World Wealth Report ranks economic activity in New Delhi at 39, but overall the capital is ranked at 37, above cities like Jakarta and Johannesburg. New Delhi, with Beijing, shares the top position as the most targeted emerging markets retail destination among Asia-Pacific markets.
The government of the 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 a net State Domestic Product (SDP) of Rs. 830.85 billion (for the year 2004–05) and a per capita income of Rs. 53,976 ($1,200). In the year 2008–09 New Delhi had a per capita Income of Rs. ($2,595). It grew by 16.2% to reach Rs. ($3,018) in 2009–10 fiscal. New Delhi's per capita GDP (at PPP) was at $6,860 during 2009–10 fiscal, making it one of the richest cities in India. 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.
The gross state domestic product (GSDP) of Delhi at prices for the year 2011–12 has been estimated at Rs 3.13 trillion (short scale), which is an increase of 18.7 per cent over the previous fiscal.
Culture.
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. The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military might.
Religious festivals include Diwali (the festival of light), Maha Shivaratri, Teej, Durga Puja, Chhath Puja, Mahavir Jayanti, Guru Nanak Jayanti, Holi, Lohri, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Easter, Raksha Bandhan, and Christmas. 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. Other events such as Kite Flying Festival, International Mango Festival and "Vasant Panchami" (the Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi.
In 2007, the Japanese Buddhist organisation Nipponzan Myohoji decided to build a Peace Pagoda in the city containing Buddha relics. It was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama.
Historic sites, museums and gardens.
New Delhi is home to several historic sites and museums. The National Museum, which began with an exhibition of Indian art and artefacts at the Royal Academy in London in the winter of 1947–48, was later at the end was shown at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in 1949. Later it was to form a permanent National Museum. On 15 August 1949, the National Museum was formally inaugurated and has 200,000 works of art, both of Indian and foreign origin, covering over 5,000 years.
The India Gate, which was built in 1931, was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is the national monument of India commemorating the 90,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died while fighting for the British Raj in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. The monument is barricaded now with entry to the inside arch restricted.
The Rajpath, which was built similar to the Champs-Élysées in Paris, is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India, located in New Delhi. The annual Republic Day parade takes place here on 26 January. The Beating retreat takes place here two days later.
Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi is the location where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last 144 days of his life and was assassinated on 30 January 1948. Rajghat is the place where Gandhi was cremated on 31 January 1948 after his assassination and his ashes were buried and make it a final resting place beside the sanctity of the Yamuna River. The Raj Ghat in the shape of the large square platform with black marble was designed by architect Vanu Bhuta.
Jantar Mantar located in Connaught Place was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. It consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets.
New Delhi is home to Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, National Museum of Natural History, National Rail Museum, National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum, National Philatelic Museum, Nehru Planetarium, Shankar's International Dolls Museum. and Supreme Court of India Museum,
In the coming years, a new National War Memorial and Museum will be constructed in New Delhi for million ().
New Delhi is particularly renowned for its beautifully landscaped gardens that can look quite stunning in spring. The largest of these include Buddha Jayanti Park and the historic Lodi Gardens. In addition, there are the gardens in the Presidential Estate, the gardens along the Rajpath and India Gate, the gardens along Shanti Path, the Rose Garden, Nehru Park and the Railway Garden in Chanakya Puri. Also of note is the garden adjacent to the Jangpura Metro Station near the Defence Colony Flyover, as are the roundabout and neighbourhood gardens throughout the city.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area was declared the cleanest in North India, based on solid waste management, access to sanitation and other parameters of cleanliness, under the zone-wise Swachh Survekshan 2017.
Cityscape.
Much of New Delhi, planned by the leading 20th-century British architect Edwin Lutyens, was laid out to be the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's imperial ambitions. 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 Rajpath at right angles. Nineteen foreign embassies are located on the nearby Shantipath (), making it the largest diplomatic enclave in India.
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 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. Connaught Place is a large, circular commercial area in New Delhi, modelled after the Royal Crescent in England. Twelve separate roads lead out of the outer ring of Connaught Place, one of them being the Janpath.
Architecture.
The New Delhi town plan, like its architecture, was chosen with one single chief consideration: to be a symbol of British power and supremacy. All other decisions were subordinate to this, and it was this framework that dictated the choice and application of symbology and influences from both Hindu and Islamic architecture.
It took about 20 years to build the city from 1911. Many elements of New Delhi architecture borrow from indigenous sources; however, they fit into a British Classical/Palladian tradition. The fact that there were any indigenous features in the design was due to the persistence and urging of both the Viceroy Hardinge and historians like E.B. Havell.
In the year 2019, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Government of India introduced the Central Vista redevelopment project proposing the redevelopment of over , costing ₹ crore ().
Transport.
Air.
Indira Gandhi International Airport, situated to the southwest of Delhi, is the main gateway for the city's domestic and international civilian air traffic. In 2012–13, the airport was used by more than 35 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in South Asia. Terminal 3, which cost () to construct between 2007 and 2010, handles an additional 37 million passengers annually.
The Delhi Flying Club, established in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth aircraft named "Delhi" and "Roshanara", was based at "Safdarjung Airport" which started operations in 1929, when it was the Delhi's only airport and the second in India. The airport functioned until 2001; however, in January 2002 the government closed the airport for flying activities because of security concerns following the New York attacks in September 2001. Since then, the club only carries out aircraft maintenance courses, and is used for helicopter rides to Indira Gandhi International Airport for VIP including the president and the prime minister.
In 2010, Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was conferred the fourth best airport award in the world in the 15–25 million category, and "Best Improved Airport" in the Asia-Pacific Region by Airports Council International. The airport was rated as the "Best airport in the world" in the 25–40 million passengers category in 2015, by Airports Council International. Delhi Airport also bags two awards for "The Best Airport in Central Asia/India" and "Best Airport Staff in Central Asia/India" at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015.
A second airport, Noida International Airport, is currently being built in Jewar.
Road.
New Delhi has one of India's largest bus transport systems. Buses are operated by the state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), which owns the largest fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled buses in the world and Delhi Transit. Personal vehicles especially cars also form a major chunk of vehicles plying on New Delhi roads. New Delhi has the highest number of registered cars compared to any other metropolitan city in India. Taxis and Auto Rickshaws also ply on New Delhi roads in large numbers. New Delhi has one of the highest road density in India and average vehicle speed is around in peak hours in the city.
Some roads and expressways serve as important pillars of New Delhi's road infrastructure:
National Highways.
New Delhi is connected by road to the rest of India through National highways:
Railway.
New Delhi is a major junction in the Indian railway network and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. The five main railway stations are New Delhi railway station, Delhi Junction, Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, Anand Vihar Terminal and Sarai Rohilla. The Delhi Ring Railway, a circular railway network in Delhi that runs parallel to the Ring Road, is a part of Delhi's suburban railway services.
Metro.
The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Noida in the National Capital Region of India. Delhi Metro is the world's 12th largest metro system in terms of length. Delhi Metro was India's first modern public transportation system, which had revolutionised travel by providing a fast, reliable, safe, and comfortable means of transport. Presently, the network consists of 10 colour-coded lines serving 255 stations with a total length of . The network has now crossed the boundaries of Delhi to reach Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh, and Faridabad and Gurgaon in Haryana. All stations have escalators, elevators, and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains. It has a combination of elevated, at-grade, and underground lines, and uses both broad gauge and standard gauge rolling stock. Four types of rolling stock are used: Mitsubishi-ROTEM Broad gauge, Bombardier MOVIA, Mitsubishi-ROTEM Standard gauge, and CAF Beasain Standard gauge. According to a study, Delhi Metro has helped in removing about 390,000 vehicles from the streets of Delhi.
Delhi Metro is being built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), a state-owned company with equal equity participation from the Government of India and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. However, the organisation is under administrative control of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Besides the construction and operation of the Delhi metro, DMRC is also involved in the planning and implementation of metro rail, monorail and high-speed rail projects in India and providing consultancy services to other metro projects in the country as well as abroad. The Delhi Metro project was spearheaded by E. Sreedharan, the managing director of DMRC and popularly known as the "Metro Man" of India. He famously resigned from DMRC, taking moral responsibility for a metro bridge collapse which took five lives. Sreedharan was awarded with the Legion of Honour by the French government for his contribution to Delhi Metro.
Sports.
The city hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games and annually hosts Delhi Half Marathon foot-race. The city has previously hosted the 1951 Asian Games and the 1982 Asian Games. New Delhi was interested in bidding for the 2019 Asian Games but was turned down by the government on 2 August 2010 amid allegations of corruption in 2010 Commonwealth Games. The city also had a bid to host the 1992 Summer Olympics, but withdrew in March 1986, seven months before the host selection.
Major sporting venues in New Delhi include the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Ambedkar Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium, R.K. Khanna Tennis Complex, Dhyan Chand National Stadium and Siri Fort Sports Complex.
International relations and organisations.
The city is home to numerous international organisations. The Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology of the UNESCAP servicing the Asia-Pacific region is headquartered in New Delhi. New Delhi is home to most UN regional offices in India namely the UNDP, UNODC, UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP, UNV, UNCTAD, FAO, UNFPA, WHO, World Bank, ILO, IMF, UNIFEM, IFC and UNAIDS. UNHCR Representation in India is also located in the city.
New Delhi hosts 145 foreign embassies and high commissions.
Summits, conferences and conventions.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development hosted its second meeting conference in the year 1968 at New Delhi.
New Delhi hosted the 7th NAM Summit in 1983, 4th BRICS Summit in 2012, IBSA Summit in 2015, and 5th Global Conference on CyberSpace in 2017. India has also host the G20 summit in 2023 in New Delhi.
References.
Citations.
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Ankit Sharma (footballer)
Ankit Sharma (born on 30 July 1991, in New Delhi) is an Indian professional football player who play as Midfielder and Striker. He has played for Delhi Football Team, Youth Indian National teams, HAL Bangalore and in the Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol in the Community of Madrid, Spain. He is the first Indian to sign a professional contract with a Spanish Club and the fifth Indian to play overseas in the history of Indian Football.
Club career.
HAL.
Ankit's professional career began at the young age of 19 with HAL in the I-league, 2010-11 season.
Sharma got injured in the Dr. B.C Roy Trophy Semi-Final match and had a six-month outing, but he recovered well and came back after recovering from a knee injury.
He appeared in all the matches post-signing for Hindustan Aeronautics Limited S.C. in 2010–11 season
He had one of the rarest and saddest experiences while playing his trade at his first club. HAL goalkeeper Arun Kumar collided with Ankit in a training session just before the match against Pune FC, fracturing his right shin bone and injuring Ankit's right knee, which kept him out of training for a week's rest.
San Cristobal.
Ankit Sharma became the first Indian to sign a professional contract with a Spanish Club in 2011-12 and the fifth Indian to play overseas in the history of Indian Football. He signed for Spanish club in the Divisiones Regionales de Fútbol in the Community of Madrid after a successful season with HAL in I-league 2010-11 season.
Bhawanipore.
For 2012-13, he signed a contract with IInd Division I-League and Calcutta Football League outfit Bhawanipore FC.
Honours.
India U-19
HAL
References.
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Ankit Sharma (cricketer)
Indian cricketer (born 1991)
Ankit Nagendra Sharma (born 20 April 1991) is an Indian cricketer who plays for Puducherry in domestic cricket. He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left-arm orthodox bowler.
In the 2015–16 season of Ranji Trophy, Ankit was the second-highest wicket-taker for Madhya Pradesh, picking up 33 wickets in 9 matches. Ankit also took his career-best bowling figures of 7 for 91 against Andhra Pradesh in that season, helping his team to quarter-final stage.
He scored his first century (104 runs) playing for Madhya Pradesh at Indore against Baroda during Ranji Trophy 2017-18 session.
In January 2018, he was bought by the Rajasthan Royals in the 2018 IPL auction.
References.
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Ankit Gera
Indian television actor (born 1987)
Ankit Gera (born 1 September 1987) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi television dramas. He was a contestant on "Bigg Boss 9


Brantley Gilbert
American country rock singer (born 1985)
Brantley Keith Gilbert (born January 20, 1985) is an American country rock singer, songwriter and record producer from Jefferson, Georgia. He was originally signed to Colt Ford's label, Average Joes Entertainment, where he released "Modern Day Prodigal Son" and "Halfway to Heaven". He is now signed to the Valory division of Big Machine Records where he has released six studio albums—a deluxe edition of "Halfway to Heaven", "Just as I Am", "The Devil Don't Sleep", "Fire & Brimstone", "So Help Me God", "Tattoos", and 14 country chart entries, four of which have gone to number one. He also co-wrote (with Colt Ford) and originally recorded Jason Aldean's singles "My Kinda Party" and "Dirt Road Anthem".
Career.
2007–2013: "A Modern Day Prodigal Son" and "Halfway to Heaven".
Brantley Gilbert went to Nashville as a songwriter, where he signed to Warner Chappell Publishing. He continued performing at local venues. In 2009, he released his debut album, "A Modern Day Prodigal Son", under independent label Average Joes Entertainment. He followed with "Halfway to Heaven" in 2010.
In 2011, he signed with Valory Music Co., a division of Big Machine Records, who released a deluxe edition of "Halfway to Heaven". The album was produced by Dann Huff. Its first two singles, "Country Must Be Country Wide" and "You Don't Know Her Like I Do", both went to number one on the Hot Country Songs chart. After them, "Kick It in the Sticks" peaked at number 34, and "More Than Miles" at number 7 on Country Airplay. He won the ACM New Male Artist award in 2013.
2014–2017: "Just as I Am" and "The Devil Don't Sleep".
Gilbert's second Valory album (third overall), "Just as I Am", was released in May 2014. Its lead single, "Bottoms Up", also reached number one. The second single, "Small Town Throwdown", featured guest vocals from labelmates Thomas Rhett and Justin Moore. The third single, "One Hell of an Amen", became Brantley's fourth number one hit in 2015. The album's fourth single was "Stone Cold Sober", released with the album's platinum edition.
Ahead of his fourth album, "The Devil Don't Sleep", Gilbert released the single "The Weekend" as the album's lead single. Also included on the album is "The Ones That Like Me".
A deluxe edition of "The Devil Don't Sleep" includes ten bonus tracks: five demos, and five tracks cut from a live performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
2018–2023: "Fire & Brimstone" and "So Help Me God".
In December 2018, Gilbert released a duet with Lindsay Ell, "What Happens in a Small Town", as the lead single from his fifth studio album, "Fire & Brimstone". The album was released in October 2019. "Fire't Up" was released as the second single off the album.
In June 2020, Gilbert released the single "Hard Days". The song was later included on a deluxe edition of "Fire & Brimstone".
In June 2021, Gilbert released the single "The Worst Country Song of All Time", featuring Hardy and Toby Keith, and followed it up with the promotional single "Gone But Not Forgotten" in September 2021. The second promotional single, "How to Talk to Girls", was released on November 19, 2021. In March 2022, Gilbert and Jason Aldean released the third promotional single, "Rolex on a Redneck". In June 2022, Gilbert and Jelly Roll released the fourth promotional single, "Son of the Dirty South", which charted on multiple "Billboard" charts.
Gilbert released his sixth studio album "So Help Me God" on November 10, 2022 and released "Heaven by Then", featuring Blake Shelton and Vince Gill, as the album's second single. He opened for Five Finger Death Punch on their late 2022 headlining tour along with Cory Marks in the United States. He released a deluxe edition of "So Help Me God" on April 21, 2023, containing five new tracks, including the promotional single "Bury Me Upside Down". Gilbert joined Nickelback's "Get Rollin' Tour" in summer 2023 in North America as an opening act alongside fellow country artist Josh Ross.
2024–present: "Tattoos".
On March 8, 2024, Gilbert released "Off The Rails", as the lead promotional single from his seventh studio album. The album's first official single "Over When We're Sober", featuring Ashley Cooke, was released on June 20, 2024.
In July 2024, Gilbert announced his seventh studio album "Tattoos," which was released on September 13, 2024. He released the songs "Me and My House", featuring Struggle Jennings and Demun Jones, and "Dirty Money", featuring Justin Moore, as the album's third and fourth promotional singles, respectively.
Songwriting.
In addition to his original work, Gilbert has written songs that Colt Ford and Jason Aldean have recorded. The songs "Dirt Road Anthem" (co-written and originally recorded by him and Colt Ford) and "My Kinda Party" were released on Aldean's 2010 album "My Kinda Party". "My Kinda Party" was originally recorded by Gilbert on "Modern Day Prodigal Son", while "Dirt Road Anthem" was on "Halfway to Heaven". Aldean has also covered Gilbert's "The Best of Me", available on the iTunes release of his 2009 album "Wide Open". Gilbert has also co-written the tracks "The Same Way" on Aldean's album "9" and "Small Town Small" on his album "Macon, Georgia".
Personal life.
In 2013, Gilbert embarked on an eight-day USO tour to entertain American service members stationed in Italy and Kuwait.
Brantley Gilbert was in a near-fatal truck accident when he was 19. Gilbert is an active Christian, and his song "My Faith In You", from his album "Just as I Am", speaks of his faith. In May 2015, Gilbert got a tattoo showing his support of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Gilbert headlined the NRA's Country Concert in February 2023.
In April 2023, Gilbert smashed a can of Bud Light on stage after saying "Yeah, fuck that". Bud Light had recently become the focus of a boycott from conservatives because of a sponsored Instagram post by transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Relationships.
It was announced in September 2012 that Brantley Gilbert was dating country music singer and actress Jana Kramer. They were engaged on January 20, 2013, his 28th birthday, but split in August 2013.
In October 2014, Gilbert got engaged to Amber Cochran, a teacher, after reconnecting as they first dated in high school. The couple were married in June 2015, and have three children.
References.
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Country Must Be Country Wide
"Country Must Be Country Wide" is a song co-written and recorded by American country rock singer Brantley Gilbert. It was released in April 2011 as the first single from the deluxe edition of his 2010 album "Halfway to Heaven".
Content.
In the song, Gilbert sings about the country music fanbase, saying that it is not limited to the Southern United States. Gilbert told "Taste of Country" that he wrote the song while on tour with country rap artist Colt Ford and Mike Dekle. Ford told "Country Weekly" that, while touring through Ohio, he realized that "there are rednecks everywhere[…]I was like, 'those people are all just like us, but they just sound different.'" Gilbert added that while in Ohio, he saw a man exit a truck while dressed in a cowboy hat and boots, which inspired the first verse of the song.
Critical reception.
Dan MacIntosh of "Country Standard Time" thought that the song "lives up to that 'up to 11' promise" that he thought was established in the songs that Gilbert wrote for Jason Aldean ("Dirt Road Anthem" and "My Kinda Party"). Kevin John Coyne of "Country Universe" gave the single a less favorable review, juxtaposing the song to Neal McCoy's "The City Put the Country Back in Me" and writing that "This song is about as country as "Wanted Dead or Alive" anyway.
Music video.
The music video was directed by Shane Drake.
Commercial performance.
The song debuted on the Hot Country Songs chart at No. 44 for the chart date April 23, 2011, and eventually reached No. 1 on that chart on December 3, 2011. It debuted on the "Billboard" Hot 100 at No. 100 on July 9, 2011, eventually reaching No. 50 the same week it reach No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The song was certified Platinum by the RIAA on March 25, 2014, and reached its million sales mark in the U.S. in June 2014.
References.
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Home birth
Childbirth in a non-clinical setting
A home birth is a birth that takes place in a residence rather than in a hospital or a birthing center. They may be attended by a midwife, or lay attendant with experience in managing home births. Home birth was, until the advent of modern medicine, the de facto method of delivery. The term was coined in the middle of the 19th century as births began to take place in hospitals.
Multiple studies have been performed concerning the safety of home births for both the child and the mother. Standard practices, licensing requirements and access to emergency hospital care differ between regions making it difficult to compare studies across national borders. A 2014 US survey of medical studies found that perinatal mortality rates were triple that of hospital births, and a US nationwide study of over 13 million births on a 3-year span (2007–2010) found that births at home were roughly 10 times as likely to be stillborn (14 times in first-born babies) and almost four times as likely to have neonatal seizures or serious neurological dysfunction when compared to babies born in hospitals. Alternatively, there is research coming out that suggests that there is actually no significant difference in perinatal mortality rates between home and hospital birth and some even suggest that there are benefits such as less complications and fewer interventions. Higher maternal and infant mortality rates are associated with the inability to offer timely assistance to mothers with emergency procedures in case of complications during labour, as well as with widely varying licensing and training standards for birth attendants between different states and countries.
Etymology.
The word combination "home birth" arose some time in the middle of the 19th century and coincided with the rise of births that took place in lying-in hospitals. Since women around the world left homes to give birth in clinics and hospitals as the 20th century progressed, the term "home birth" came to refer to giving birth, intentionally or otherwise, in a residence as opposed to a hospital.
History and philosophy.
Although the fact humans give birth is universal, the social nature of birth is not. Where, with whom, how, and when someone gives birth is socially and culturally determined. Historically, birth has been a social event. For the most of humankind history of birth is equivalent to history of home birth. The hypothesis exists that birth was transformed from a solitary to social event early in human evolution. Traditionally and historically, other women assisted women in childbirth. A special term evolved in the English language around 1300 to name women who made assistance in childbirth their vocation – "midwife", literally meaning "with woman". However, midwife was a description of a social role of a woman who was "with woman" in childbirth to mediate social arrangements for woman's bodily experience of birth.
Birthing on country.
Birthing on country is a traditional birthing practice that constitutes giving birth on the land where the mother was born as well as her ancestors. It is a culturally appropriate practice that coincides with spiritual tradition. It offers support to women and their families by continuing the birthing process in the community among the women and children. It is largely practiced by aboriginal women, in countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. The belief is that if a child is not born on country they lose their connection to the land and their community.
Birthing on country can happen in rural areas as well as birthing in cities.
In the United States.
There was an increase in the percentage of home births from 2004 to 2009. Since 2009, Montana had the largest increase when it comes to home births with a percentage of 2.55 percent. Oregon and Vermont was close together when it comes to home births with percentages of 1.96 percent and 1.91 percent. The other five additional states which are Idaho, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin, they all had an increase of home births with a percent of 1.50 and above.
When it comes to the Southeastern states which are Texas, North Carolina, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and West Virginia, they all experienced a lower percentage of home births with only a percentage of 0.50 percent.
Since the percentage of home birth increased from 2004 to 2009, it went to widespread which involved states regions, and countries. While two areas saw significant decreases, 31 states saw rapid increases when it comes to home births.
In Australia.
In the Northern Territory of Australia, the prescribed steps advocated by the government is that, in rural areas, a woman at 37 weeks gestation must leave "country" and fly to the nearest city. If an adult, she flies alone with no family members. She will wait in accommodations until she goes into labour. After birth she and the baby are flown back to "country".
Types.
Home births are either attended or unattended, planned or unplanned. Women are attended when they are assisted through labor and birth by a professional, usually a midwife, and rarely a general practitioner. Women who are unassisted or only attended by a lay person, perhaps a doula, their spouse, family, friend, or a non-professional birth attendant, are sometimes called freebirths. A "planned" home birth is a birth that occurs at home by intention. An "unplanned" home birth is one that occurs at home by necessity but not with intention. Reasons for unplanned home births include inability to travel to the hospital or birthing center due to conditions outside the control of the mother such as weather or road blockages or speed of birth progression.
Factors.
Many women choose home birth because delivering a baby in familiar surroundings is important to them. Others choose home birth because they dislike a hospital or birthing center environment, do not like a medically centered birthing experience, are concerned about exposing the infant to hospital-borne pathogens, or dislike the presence of strangers at the birth. Others prefer home birth because they feel it is more natural and less stressful. In a study published in the "Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health", women were asked why they chose a home birth; the top five reasons given were safety, avoidance of unnecessary medical interventions common in hospital births, previous negative hospital experiences, more control, and a comfortable and familiar environment. One study found that women experience pain inherent in birth differently, and less negatively, in a home setting.
Cost is also a factor. The estimated average cost of a home birth in the United States in 2021 was $4,650, compared with $13,562 for a vaginal hospital birth. In developing countries, where women may not be able to afford medical care or it may not be accessible to them, a home birth may be the only option available, and the woman may or may not be assisted by a professional attendant of any kind.
Some women may not be able to have a safe birth at home, even with highly trained midwives. There are some medical conditions that can prevent a woman from qualifying for a home birth. These often include heart disease, renal disease, diabetes, preeclampsia, placenta previa, placenta abruption, antepartum hemorrhage after 20 weeks gestation, and active genital herpes. Prior caesarean deliveries can sometimes prevent a woman from qualifying for a home birth, though not always. It is important that a woman and her health care provider discuss the individual health risks prior to planning a home birth.
Trends.
Home birth was, until the advent of modern medicine, the "de facto" method of delivery. In many developed countries, home birth declined rapidly over the 20th century. In the United States there was a large shift towards hospital births beginning around 1900, when close to 100% of births were at home. Rates of home births fell to 50% in 1938 and to fewer than 1% in 1955. However, between 2004 and 2009, the number of home births in the United States rose by 41%. In the United Kingdom a similar but slower trend happened with approximately 80% of births occurring at home in the 1920s and only 1% in 1991. In Japan the change in birth location happened much later, but much faster: home birth was at 95% in 1950, but only 1.2% in 1975. In countries such as the Netherlands, where home births have been a regular part of the maternity system, the rate for home births is 20% in 2014. Over a similar time period, maternal mortality during childbirth fell during 1900 to 1997 from 6–9 deaths per thousand to 0.077 deaths per thousand, while the infant mortality rate dropped between 1915 and 1997 from around 100 deaths per thousand births to 7.2 deaths per thousand.
One doctor described birth in a working-class home in the 1920s:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />You find a bed that has been slept on by the husband, wife and one or two children; it has frequently been soaked with urine, the sheets are dirty, and the patient's garments are soiled, she has not had a bath. Instead of sterile dressings you have a few old rags or the discharges are allowed to soak into a nightdress which is not changed for days.
This experience is contrasted with a 1920s hospital birth by Adolf Weber:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />The mother lies in a well-aired disinfected room, light and sunlight stream unhindered through a high window and you can make it light as day electrically too. She is well bathed and freshly clothed on linen sheets of blinding whiteness... You have a staff of assistants who respond to every signal... Only those who have to repair a perineum in a cottar's house in a cottar's bed with the poor light and help at hand can realize the joy.
Midwifery, the practice supporting a natural approach to birth, enjoyed a revival in the United States during the 1970s. Ina May Gaskin, for example, sometimes called "the mother of authentic midwifery" helped open The Farm Midwifery Center in Summertown, Tennessee, in 1971, which is still in operation. A movement termed 'pushing for midwives' intensified during the 1990s and early 2000s in the United States, when the public organized to request legislation that would formally legalize midwifery a consumable service. However, although there was a steep increase in midwife-attended births between 1975 and 2002 (from less than 1.0% to 8.1%), most of these births occurred in the hospital. The US rate of out-of-hospital birth has remained steady at 1% of all births since 1989, with data from 2007 showing that 27.3% of the home births since 1989 took place in a free-standing birth center and 65.4% in a residence. Hence, the actual rate of home birth in the United States remained low (0.65%) over the twenty years prior to 2007.
Home birth in the United Kingdom has also received some press since 2000. There was a movement, most notably in Wales, to increase home birth rates to 10% by 2007. Between 2005 and 2006, there was an increase of 16% of home birth rates in Wales, but by 2007 the total home birth rate was still 3% even in Wales (double the national rate). A 2001 report noted that there was a wide range of home birth rates in the UK, with some regions around 1% and others over 20%. In Australia, birth at home has fallen steadily over the years and was 0.3% as of 2008, ranging from nearly 1% in the Northern Territory to 0.1% in Queensland. In 2004, the New Zealand rate for births at home was nearly three times Australia's with a rate of 2.5% and increasing.
In the Netherlands, the trend has been somewhat different from other industrialized countries: while in 1965, two-thirds of Dutch births took place at home, that figure has dropped to about 20% in 2013, which is still more than in other industrialized countries. Less than 1% of South Korean infants are born at home.
Research on safety.
In 2019, a meta-analysis examined perinatal and neonatal mortality of planned home birth among low-risk women in well-resourced countries, with research eligible for inclusion encompassing approximately 500,000 intended home births. The study concluded that the risk of perinatal or neonatal mortality was not different when birth was intended at home or in hospital.
In 2014, a comprehensive review in the "Journal of Medical Ethics" of 12 previously published studies encompassing 500,000 planned home births in low-risk women found that neonatal mortality rates for home births were triple those of hospital births. This finding echoes that of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Due to a greater risk of perinatal death, the college advises women who are postterm (greater than 42 weeks gestation), carrying twins, or have a breech presentation not to attempt home birth. The "Journal of Medical Ethics" review additionally found that several studies concluded that home births had a higher risk of failing Apgar scores in newborns, as well as a delay in diagnosing hypoxia, acidosis and asphyxia. This contradicts a 2007 UK review study by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), a British governmental organization devoted to creating guidelines for coverage throughout the UK, which expressed concern for the lack of quality evidence in studies comparing the potential risks and benefits of home and hospital birthing environments in the UK. Their report noted that intrapartum-related perinatal mortality was low in all settings in the UK, but that in cases of unanticipated obstetric complications, the mortality rate was higher for home births due to the time needed to transfer the mother to an obstetric unit.
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A 2002 study of planned home births in the state of Washington found that home births had shorter labors than hospital births. In North America, a 2005 study found that about 12 percent of women intending to give birth at home needed to be transferred to the hospital for reasons such as a difficult labor or pain relief. A 2014 survey of American home births between 2004 and 2010 found the percent of women transferred to a hospital from a planned home birth after beginning labor to be 10.9%.
Both the "Journal of Medical Ethics" and NICE report noted that usage of caesarean sections were lower for women who give birth at home, and both noted a prior study that determined that women who had a planned home birth had greater satisfaction from the experience when compared with women who had a planned birth in a hospital.
In 2009 a study of 500,000 low-risk planned home and hospital births in the Netherlands, where midwives have a strong licensing requirement, was reported in the "British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology". The study concluded that for low-risk women there was no increase in perinatal mortality, provided that the midwives were well-trained and there was easy and quick access to hospitals. Further, the study noted there was evidence that "low risk women with a planned home birth are less likely to experience referral to secondary care and subsequent obstetric interventions than those with a planned hospital birth." The study has been criticised on several grounds, including that some data might be missing and that the findings may not be representative of other populations.
In 2012, Oregon performed a study of all births in the state during the year as a part of discussing a bill regarding licensing requirements for midwives in the state. They found that the rate of intrapartum infant mortality was 0.6 deaths per thousand births for planned hospital births, and 4.8 deaths per thousand for planned home births. They further found that the death rate for planned home births attended by direct-entry midwives was 5.6 per thousand. The study noted that the statistics for Oregon were different for other areas, such as British Columbia, which had different licensing requirements. Oregon was noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as having the second-highest rate of home births in the nation in 2009, at 1.96% compared to the national average of 0.72%. A 2014 survey of nearly 17,000 voluntarily reported home births in the United States between 2004 and 2010 found an intrapartum infant mortality rate of 1.30 per thousand; early neonatal and late neonatal mortality rates were a further 0.41 and 0.35 per thousand. The survey excluded congenital anomaly-related deaths, as well as births where the mother was transferred to a hospital prior to beginning labor.
In October 2013 the largest study of this kind was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and included data on more than 13 million births in the United States, assessing deliveries by physicians and midwives in and out of the hospital from 2007 to 2010. The study indicated that babies born at home are roughly 10 times as likely to have an Apgar score of 0 after 5 minutes and almost four times as likely to have neonatal seizures or serious neurological dysfunction when compared to babies born in hospitals. The study findings showed that the risk of Apgar scores of 0 is even greater in first-born babies—14 times the risk of hospital births. The study results were confirmed by analyzing birth certificate files from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Statistics. Given the study's findings, Dr. Amos Grunebaum, professor of clinical obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medical College and lead author of the study, stated that the magnitude of risk associated with home delivery is so alarming that necessitates the need for the parents-to-be to know the risk factors. Another author, Dr. Frank Chervenak, added that the study underplayed the risks of home births, as the data used counted home births where the mother was transferred to a hospital during labor as a hospital birth.
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />A 2022 study, which examined the introduction of maternity wards in Sweden, found that the wards substantially reduced home deliveries and early neonatal mortality, as well as positive long-term effects on labour income, unemployment, health-related disability and schooling for individuals born in maternity wards.
Study design.
Randomized controlled trials are the "gold standard" of research methodology with respect to applying findings to populations; however, such a study design is not feasible or ethical for location of birth. The studies that do exist, therefore, are cohort studies conducted retrospectively by selecting hospital records and midwife records. by matched pairs (by pairing study participants based on their background characteristics), In February 2011 the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identified several factors that make quality research on home birth difficult. These include "lack of randomization; reliance on birth certificate data with inherent ascertainment problems; ascertainment of relying on voluntary submission of data or self-reporting; a limited ability to distinguish between planned and unplanned birth; variation in the skill, training, and certification of the birth attendant; and an inability to account for and accurately attribute adverse outcomes associated with transfers". Quality studies, therefore, need to take steps in their design to mitigate these problems in order to produce meaningful results.
The data available on the safety of home birth in developed countries is often difficult to interpret due to issues such as differing home-birth standards between different countries, and difficult to compare with other studies because of varying definitions of perinatal mortality. Additionally, it is difficult to compare home and hospital births because only the risk profiles are different between the two groups, according to the CDC: people who choose to give birth at home are more likely to be healthy and at low risk for complications. There are also unquantifiable differences in home birth patients, such as maternal attitudes towards medical involvement in birth.
Methods of scientific inquiry.
Modern scientific inquiry into home birth takes place in the fields of anthropology, epistemology, ethnology, history, jurisprudence, medicine, midwifery, public health, sociology, and women's studies. Research of home birth is complicated by ancient and modern biases about the nature of women and birth, manifested in the language and ideas that are used to refer to women, women's bodies, and what women do. It has been demonstrated that reports of research of physiological phenomena, such as conception, transmit deep-seated biased cultural notions of women and women's bodies. Most 20th- and 21st-century researchers of home birth view the phenomenon through two broad perspectives that are closely tied to the ideas and perceptions of birth itself – social and biomedical.
Insurance and licensing issues.
While a woman in developed countries may choose to deliver her child at home, in a birthing center, or at hospital, health coverage and legal issues influence available options.
Australia.
In April 2007, the Western Australian Government expanded coverage for birth at home across the State. Other state governments in Australia, including the Northern Territory, New South Wales and South Australia, also provide government funding for independent, private home birth.
The 2009 Federal Budget provided additional funds to Medicare to allow more midwives to work as private practitioners, allow midwives to prescribe medication under the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and assist them with medical indemnity insurance. However, this plan only covers hospital births. There are no current plans to extend Medicare and PBS funding to home birth services in Australia.
As of July 2012[ [update]], all health professionals must show proof of liability insurance.
In March 2016, the Coroners Court of Victoria found against midwife Gaye Demanuel in the case of the death of Caroline Lovell. "Coroner White also called for a review of the regulation of midwives caring for women during home births, and for the government and health authorities to consider an offence banning unregistered health practitioners from taking money for attending home births."
Canada.
Public health coverage of home birth services varies in Canada from province to province, as does the availability of doctors and midwives providing home birth services. The Provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, and Quebec currently cover home birth services.
United Kingdom.
There are few legal issues with a home birth in the UK. Woman cannot be forced to go to a hospital. The support of the various Health Authorities of the National Health Service may vary, but in general the NHS will cover home births – the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, Lord Hunt of King's Heath has stated that "As I understand it, although the NHS has a legal duty to provide a maternity service, there is not a similar legal duty to provide a home birth service to every woman who requests one. However, I certainly hope that when a woman wants a home birth, and it is clinically appropriate, the NHS will do all it can to support that woman in her choice of a home birth."
United States.
27 states license or regulate in some manner direct-entry midwife, or certified professional midwife (CPM). In the other 23 states there are no licensing laws, and practicing midwives can be arrested for practicing medicine without a license. It is legal in all 50 states to hire a certified nurse midwife, or CNM, who are trained nurses, though most CNMs work in hospitals.
References.
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Childbirth in Mexico
In its early history, Mexico was occupied by a large number of indigenous tribes such as the Mayans and Aztecs. In the 16th century, Spain colonized New Spain and took over the land from the indigenous peoples. Though it is now an independent nation, Mexico retains much of the cultural influence of Spain, including its official religion of Catholicism, the Spanish language, and the importance of machismo - the belief that men are superior to women. Mexico also retains much of the traditional beliefs of the indigenous peoples who first occupied the country. Besides Spanish, there are over one hundred different languages spoken in the country today. As a result, the current medical system involves a mix of traditional and Western medicinal techniques.
Traditional beliefs such as Susto, also known as fear of illness, is thought to occur when the soul leaves the body and wanders. It is believed that women experience this more often than men. Empacho, or the dislocation of body functions is often associated with morning sickness in pregnancy because it is believed that the baby is bringing increased energy to the digestive process. Mal de Ojo is another important perceived cause of illness which relates to birth. It is believed that if someone is looked upon with admiration or jealousy that they will become ill themselves.
In Mexico, approximately 46.2% are below the poverty line, the average life expectancy is 76.7 years, 73.9 years in males, and 79.6 years in females. 95.8% of the population is literate. In the country, the Infant mortality rate is low, compared to other countries, Mexico is 127 with 10.7 deaths to 1,000 births, the maternal mortality rate is also low, occupying number 108 compared to other countries with a ratio of 33 deaths to 100,000 live births. The contraceptive use rate in the country is about 66.9% a little high compared to other countries.
Pregnancy.
Mexico contains a variety of indigenous groups, cultural influences, and socioeconomic situations which all affect health outcomes. However, amongst all groups, pregnancy is welcome. The majority of the unintended pregnancies end up in an abortion. Furthermore, there is little information on the sex education received by women from different socioeconomic classes and geographic regions, which may influence pregnancy behaviors and beliefs. Traditional culture believes that pregnancy is a sacred event. This belief carries over into the post-Colombian Catholic culture that is very prevalent in Mexico today. The traditional birth culture is shaped by the beliefs of a hot-cold balance within the body. This balance must be maintained throughout the pregnancy and delivery process. To ensure the balance, women will avoid "hot" foods during their pregnancy as the gestation is considered a "hot" event. Furthermore, women attempting to become pregnant are advised to avoid cold surfaces, like medical examination tables, as they are thought to promote sterility or infertility.
The main differentiator of pregnancy behaviors is socioeconomic status. This will influence a woman's outlook on pregnancy, her level of care received during pregnancy and the lifestyle