In 2013, in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, violence between Hindus and Muslims left more than 40 people dead, at least a dozen women and girls raped, and upwards of 50,000 displaced, many of whom still have not returned to their homes. The country has experienced periodic outbreaks of large-scale communal violence against religious minorities, including in Uttar Pradesh in 2013, Odisha in 2007-2008, Gujarat in 2002, and Delhi in 1984. Despite these positive characteristics, however, the Indian government has long struggled to maintain religious and communal harmony, protect minority communities from abuses, and provide justice when crimes occur. India is a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural country and a secular democracy. Nearly 80 percent of the population is Hindu (nearly one billion adherents) more than 14 percent is Muslim (roughly 172 million adherents, the third largest Muslim population in the world) 2.3 percent is Christian (over 25 million adherents) 1.7 percent is Sikh (20 million adherents) less than one percent is Buddhist (eight million adherents) less than one percent is Jain (five million adherents) and about one percent adhere to other faiths or profess no religion (eight million people). India is the world's largest democracy with about 1.26 billion people, or about a one-sixth of the total world population. State Department for designation as a "country of particular concern," or CPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) for systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom. USCIRF will continue to monitor the situation closely during the year ahead to determine if India should be recommended to the U.S. However, USCIRF notes that India is on a negative trajectory in terms of religious freedom. Based on these concerns, USCIRF again places India on Tier 2, where it has been since 2009. Moreover, an Indian constitutional provision deeming Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jains to be Hindus contradicts international standards of freedom of religion or belief. Additionally, the national government or state governments applied several laws to restrict religious conversion, cow slaughter, and foreign funding of NGOs. In the last year, "higher caste" individuals and local political leaders also prevented Hindus considered part of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Dalits) from entering religious temples. These issues, combined with longstanding problems of police bias and judicial inadequacies, have created a pervasive climate of impunity, where religious minority communities feel increasingly insecure, with no recourse when religiously-motivated crimes occur. Members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tacitly supported these groups and used religiously-divisive language to further inflame tensions. Minority communities, especially Christians, Muslims, and Sikhs, experienced numerous incidents of intimidation, harassment, and violence, largely at the hands of Hindu nationalist groups. In 2015, religious tolerance deteriorated and religious freedom violations increased in India. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, USCIRF Annual Report 2016 - Tier 2 countries - India, , available at: United States Commission on International Religious Freedom