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Here are some of the main points in my manifesto:(1) Income tax and corporate tax will be completely abolished. This would promote investments, growth, industries and employment. A large number of MNCs are expected to shift manufacturing / service industry base to India to save taxes. More industries and more businesses are the only ways to increase employment in India. For this to happen, other necessary infrastructure improvements will also be made. GST will be rationalised (with less number of rates) with strict implementation through technologies. This will also help in reduction of black money and corruption. [Please see one of my earlier replies on this issue for some more details.](2) All currency notes of ₹ 100 and above will be demonetised with no option to exchange them. There will however be six months’ period given before implementing this decision. This will make it possible to all to adjust to the new system and deposit all their high denomination notes in the banks (they would be checked for fake notes). All transactions above the value of ₹ 20,000 shall be compulsorily required to be in the form of crossed cheques / drafts / digital currency / online payments. RuPay Card will be taken over by the Government / RBI which will have ZERO transaction costs for all values for everybody, whether it is traders or customers (or, else, if needed, a new simple card will be launched for this purpose). UPI / BHIM app payments will also be made FREE for traders as well as customers for all values. These payment methods will be made universal and easier. The cost incurred on these will be borne by the Government, which will be much less than the cost incurred on printing / distribution of currency notes. If needed, smart card currency (somewhat similar to Delhi Metro smart card) with innovative features will be introduced. All small denomination currency notes of ₹ 50 and below will continue to be in operation (for the near future and medium term, at least) so that poor and less-educated citizens are not inconvenienced. These measures will help in reduction of black money and corruption.(3) The strength of judiciary will be increased at least by 500%, i.e., 5 times (or more, if needed), along with sufficient supporting staff. This will ensure that instead of litigants waiting for the cases to be heard, the judges will have to wait for newer cases to come up, i.e., the judges should be able to sit idle and most cases will be decided in matter of days, or at the most in months (and, not in decades as at present). Likewise, strength of police forces will also be hiked by 5 times. This will ensure that police should be able to reach the spot in about 2 minutes (in cities) and about 15 minutes (in villages) on the report of a crime occurring. This will ensure better prevention and detection of crime. These measures will ensure that ALL LAWS are respected, unlike today when most laws are broken with impunity. Mere enactment of laws is not sufficient, they also need to be enforced. This will ensure discipline. This will also provide some employment opportunities.(4) A permanent ban on future increases in reservation will be made effective. Creamy layer concept with strict guidelines will be enforced on all reserved categories (maximum of one benefit per person, and limited number of benefits per family). This will ensure that the real deserving sections of the reserved categories get the benefit unlike the present system where the same people get the benefit again and again at the cost of the most needy. At the same time, the existing reservation will be reduced by 5% for each category on pro rata basis every year (for example, for SC category, 15% reservation will be reduced by 0.75% every year), so that in 20 years the reservation could be ended completely. This will ensure that merit is given its due place after 20 years, while ensuring equality for everybody. A slow and long-term withdrawal of reservations will help ease tensions in the concerned communities. At the same time, due to heavily increased employment opportunities in private sector (due to zero-tax effect) and decreasing importance of government sector, reduction of reservations will be less painful for the concerned communities. Also, scholarships and financial help to poor and needy students of all communities will be given liberally. Drastic increase in educational institutions of repute (see next point) will help students of all communities to get better education opportunities even without reservations.(5) Top 100 universities / educational institutes of the world (such as Harvard, MIT, etc.) will be given not only permission, but also incentives, to set up their institutes in India, wherever they want. They would be encouraged to open more and more such institutes in India in order to provide world-class education to Indian students within India. Instead of the “Not for Profit” concept in education, the concept of “For Profit” education will also be allowed. There is no free lunch, after all. A free lunch cannot be a good lunch. At the same time, drastically increased number of scholarships and cheaper / easier educational loans would be provided to students. It will be ensured that if a student can get admission on merit in a reputed top level institute, he does not have to forego his admission due to want of financial resources. This system will enhance the standards of existing Indian institutes also (something similar when industries, such as auto industry was opened up for foreign competition). What is of priority would be giving best education to Indians, it is immaterial whether it is given by foreign institutes (in India) or the Indian institutes. The priority is not the welfare of Indian institutes but the welfare of the Indian students and the education. [For some more details on this issue, please see my previous answer on a related topic.](6) No country can be strong, if its defence forces are weak. Consider the examples of UK and USA at their respective prime times. Now, look at China. So, best technologies would be made available to defence forces. 100% FDI will be allowed in Defence sector without restrictions, with freedom to export their defence products (in order to incentivize them). In addition, incentives will be given to those who bring best / latest technologies in India. A transparent / fixed price-advantage will be given for defence products manufactured in India (even if by foreign companies) vis-à-vis imported ones, OTHER THINGS remaining the same; however, this does not mean that quality of products would be compromised; wherever, latest technology is not available in India, firstly efforts will be made to get that in India, otherwise such products can still be imported so as to ensure that our defence forces get the latest and best weapons and equipment. To remove chances of corruption and to avoid delays in defence acquisitions, transparent acquisition committees will be formed which will also have leaders of 3 largest opposition parties (in that order) in the Lok Sabha, and some prominent defence / technology experts who will be selected jointly by the government / opposition members.(7) Irrigation (including drip-irrigation) will be greatly enhanced. Best agricultural technologies will be introduced, if needed, by importing them. MSP based system will be abolished to avoid distorted crop pattern. Instead of that, if needed, a fixed amount per acre will be given as help to marginal farmers. Farmers will be given advance information about pattern of crops being currently sowed in India (using satellite and other technologies) so that they can take informed decision about which crops are going to be more beneficial to them. Artificial restrictions on movement of crops out of a state will be removed and farmers will be free to sell their crops anywhere in India (as is allowed to industries and traders). Exports of agricultural produce will be freely allowed (without restrictions) to help farmers achieve better incomes wherever possible. If necessary, the Government may store minimum crucial stocks of some important crops to protect consumers, but it will be at the cost of the Government and not at the cost of the farmers. Main problem of farmers is small farm size (sometimes, one acre or even less). Cooperative farming, contract farming, and even corporate farming (with sufficient safeguards) will be allowed to willing farmers on voluntary basis. Crop insurance will be enhanced drastically to secure farmers’ income. Agriculture and farm-based / cottage industries will be encouraged to take care of employment of persons in presently over-employed agriculture sector. Water management technologies (such as those used in Israel) will be used. All other technologies and methods would be used (with OPEN MIND) that help farmers increase their income, making them self-independent instead of making them dependent on loan waivers, freebies, etc. The emphasis is on asset-creation that can have long-term use, instead of freebies which are of short term use. Teach a person how to earn, instead of giving him food free for one or two times.(8) All transactions with Government will be made digital (except where it is impossible). No new law / rule / circular / guidelines, etc., will be allowed to be issued, unless it has first been uploaded online. All applications from citizens will be allowed online. Citizens will be allowed to interact with officers through video-conferencing (instead of personal meets) which shall be recorded. Such centres will be set up at designated places, if needed. Red tape breeds corruption, and all efforts would be made to reduce delays in delivery of services. Time-bound services will be ensured for all government functions. All government information shall be deemed to be open to all, and if any information is to be marked “confidential” or “secret” etc., that can be done only on some well-established guidelines and not at the whims of the officers. These and various other transparency measures will make better governance possible, with reduced corruption.(9) All PSUs will be privatized (not mere disinvestment of part-equity), barring in space and nuclear energy. But, even in space and nuclear energy, private sector will also be permitted (such as, those similar to, SpaceX of Elon Musk, or Areva and Westinghouse). Government has no business to be in business. Banks, Railways, etc., will also be privatised in phases, but within specified limited time period. For example, operations of railways can be privatized initially (starting with some trains), construction and upkeep of some tracks can be privatised (like some national highways), goods trains can be completely privatised. This can also raise money for initial years to take care of temporary effects of abolition of income tax and corporate tax.(10) All new technologies, such as solar power, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, genetic science, 5G, etc., will be sufficiently encouraged, incentivized and promoted. India will be made the hub of the fourth industrial revolution by taking all steps necessary to promote innovation by facilitating research. A proper ecosystem will be put in place for this purpose that can self-propel innovation and research in all sectors, without any unnecessary government intervention. In fact, experience shows that the government only restricts growth by its intervention in newer technologies. So, there would not be any unnecessary intervention from Government. On the other hand, DARPA model of US, of giving special grants for high-tech and cutting-edge innovations by universities, private industries, research institutes, etc., will be followed.(11) Governance will be made visible everywhere, while Government will be made invisible. This means, minimum Government, maximum Governance. A rule-based transparent governance, helped by technology, not by discretion of human beings. With less and less human interface, and more and more technology-interface.Well, I can go on and on. I have at least 100 more points for my manifesto, and each of the above points can also be expanded with more details. But, I thought I should stop at 11.Yes, I know, this manifesto may not perhaps win votes. But, it can help India grow. In fact, I feel that it can win votes too, if properly followed and explained to people.I know it is an academic exercise. But, it may create some awareness. And, after all, every big idea has a small origin.[Edit: I have answered this question only as an academic exercise. This is an imaginary question. I have no intention to create any political party. I am writing this Edit, since some friends have perhaps thought that I may be floating any party. Not at all. My answer was just to create awareness about the issues that should be in national interest. That’s all. Thanks.]

Simply put, the banks in the US lent money to people to buy houses they could not afford. In an ironic turn of phrase, the banks went bankrupt. A bank’s loan to you is an asset for the bank, which they finance with by using your deposits and issuing their own debt (their liabilities). The difference between the two is the bank’s equity (net worth). Their equity went negative.A nation’s banking system going bankrupt is a dangerous thing. Imagine yourself right now as you read this - how much cash do you have on you? Well, if the banks went kaput, that’s pretty much all you’d have… unless…. the government somehow insured your account in those banks. And it does, to an extent. At the time, this meant that everyone’s account up to $100,000 was insured by the Federal government. This done by the FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corp). (Aside - If you want to be safe(r), make sure your account has this coverage - even today - and check your bank’s charter, especially the online ones at the FDIC website). One issue was that a lot of people had MORE than $100K in their banks. Now, if you are unsure about the fate of your bank, you and pretty much EVERYONE else will run to the bank and try and take all your money out. This is called, rather appropriately, a run on the bank.No bank, anywhere in the world, has all its account holders’ deposit balance available in cash. That’s how banks work. They take your money, keep a little bit (a reserve), and lend the rest out. They earn an interest on what they lend out, they pay you a smaller interest on your deposits. The difference is called the Net Interest Margin. If everyone wants their money back all at once, it not only causes a panic at that bank, but pretty much at all other banks as people assume that since banks, like their namesake bankers, all seem the same, look the same, behave the same, invest the same, and thus what’s happening to one must be happening to others. And usually that’s a safe assumption to make. When a run occurs, customers run to the bank and then impatiently queue as TV reporters film them fret. You’ll see long queues of anxious, angry people waiting in line outside a troubled bank that’s suddenly closed for business on a regular work day, and maybe even see an intrepid reporter interviewing an old couple who have all their life savings at the bank, wondering how all this just suddenly came to pass.In a situation like this, people cannot get their money, and neither can businesses (which also have bank accounts). When your employer cannot meet payroll, or pay their suppliers or their obligations… well, you can see… a chain reaction starts.. and the proverbial shit basically hits the metaphorical fan. People get anxious and angry. Angry people riot and demand action from the government.The first thing the US government did to attempt to prevent this whole contagion was to try and stop banks from going under in the first place… by forcing smaller troublesome banks to be shotgun married to larger more stable banks, at least banks perceived to be more stable. But that also did not work, as pretty much ALL the banks were so levered (had way to much debt) supported by assets that were way too suspect. Leverage ratios of 50x or even 60x to 1 were not uncommon. That means for every $60 in loans the bank has made, they had $59 of debt and liabilities. So you can imagine that if an asset that’s worth $60 suddenly becomes worth $50, the bank is now $9 in the hole ($50-$59). Recall how quickly and how much house prices went down - for the worst hit areas declines over 50% were pretty common. Depending on the bank’s holdings, its safe to say, their overall assets went down by far more than 10% for pretty much all the banks, way more than the 2%–3% decline they could withstand with those ratios.The main thing the government did that turned things around was basically buy the bad assets from the banks and also take equity positions in the banks themselves. This allowed the banks to get rid of their bad loans by selling them to the Federal govt. (in this case, the FEDeral Reserve, which as the bank of last resort, basically temporarily “printed” money and just bought the bad debt from the bad banks. I say print in “” because technically only the US Mint can print money, but the Fed basically created a temporary line of credit to buy this bad debt from the banks AND, a little later also started buying US govt. debt to try and lower longer term interest rates (Quantitative Easing).This combined equity investment and liquidity injection restored confidence in the banking system. Quantitative easing made the price of US bonds go up (since the Fed was buying them), thus lowering their yields (you get a fixed amount back for every bond that is purchased - so if you pay more for the bond, your return drops as your payback is fixed). This lowering of the bond yields made stocks a more attractive place to invest and thus the stock market also started going up, further restoring confidence and allowing companies to attract capital with a lower hurdle rate.For ordinary people, the government raised the FDIC limit from $100K to $250K (where it currently remains), and for those laid off (sacked), they extended unemployment insurance benefits and created programs to allow people to get some relief from their mortgages. Again, the goal was to inject liquidity into the economy and try and give people enough money to be able to carry on and keep spending. They also gave everyone a huge tax rebate, spent money on infrastructure projects and also indirectly supported other sectors in the economy like automobiles (remember the cash for clunkers program?).This is what saved the US economy from falling off a cliff. For those that say the government can never do anything right, well, in this case, not doing anything would have caused a lot more pain than we experienced. The Europeans and Japanese and pretty much every major central bank around the world did the same thing. Quantitative easing they call it (i.e. printing money), along with fiscal stimulus (spending it).The price for the program hasn’t really been paid yet - we’re just starting. The Fed basically “printed” about $5 trillion undertaking these activities. Towards the end of last year, the Fed stopped pumping money into the markets and now is slowly letting its balance sheet roll off (i.e. not going out and buying more debt as the debt it has already bought matures, i.e gets paid back). It has also started reducing its balance sheet by selling the debt and securities it bought, though in measured amounts. Ever fearful of inflation, some would say, hyperbolically so, and the Fed has also started to raise the short term interest rates in an attempt to get back to normal, so they say. This is a big reason for the market volatility and rise of interest rates. Right now the Fed’s actions look almost certain to end the bull market in stocks and bonds that’s been going since we bottomed in 2009.In addition, the recent GOP (mainly corporate) tax cuts, passed by the conservative fiscally minded Republicans, ie the guys who rail against the deficit increasing and yet are loathe to cut spending despite controlling all branches of government, and giddily pass any tax break they can muster, those tax breaks are now projected to bring forward trillion dollar deficits as soon as 2020 - in about a 18 months. And that’s assuming the 3% GDP growth that was promised during the time of passage, something already deemed impossible. So that trillion will become probably close to $1.5 trillion. Another reason the markets are cringing now is that the govt will have to sell $1.5 trillion of bonds in the next 18 months to finance the shortfall from tax revenues and increased spending (mainly for the defense sector - see the GOP budget for more details).Ultimately, the price paid for all these shenanigans will be the decline in the stock market, your IRAs and overall net worth, unless a number of things happen. If the Fed doesn’t change its tune soon, or Trump doesn’t cease his attempts to impose tariffs on whatever he thinks is “foreign made”, or gets impeached, it will likely cause a recession next year. How severe? Who knows.We’ll see how this whole experiment goes and what the ultimate price is - most of it depends on what the central bankers end up doing and how this whole Trump/Trade/Tariff/Tax/Budget issue turns out. Better hope Jerome Powell is a smart man.EDIT:Some comments and messages try and point out the big driver for the crisis was actually fraud or gas prices and the whole episode was a scheme to deprive poor people of housing. Yes, there was fraud. So called NINJA loans were common (No Income, No Job Applications). There were several documented cases of loan officers simply stamping out approvals without reviewing documents. The main reason for this was that originators simply sold off the loans as soon as they were approved and eventually these loans made their way into complex MBS (mortgage backed securities), which were further levered by CDOs (collateralized debt obligations) and other derivatives, and sold all across the world. Whatever the reasons, the net result was that the banks were over-levered to the point where a decline in their asset values could not be weathered by their available capital.The real problem wasn’t poor people not having the opportunity to own a home - the problem was too many poor people owning homes they couldn’t afford, especially after the initial teaser period with very low or zero interest on ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) mortgages passed, especially in the face of the FED raising rates and rising gas prices. When faced with the prospect of having a low monthly payment suddenly jump many fold after the introductory period expired, coupled with rising rates, coupled with increasing gas expenditures (recall that oil went from $60/bbl in early 2007 to nearly $140 in the summer of 2008), a lot of consumers simply defaulted because either they couldn’t afford to pay the mortgage or simply chose not to. A lot of them correctly made a calculated decision that due to the sheer number of households in a similar situation, the backlog of cases would be so huge that it would take years for the banks to repossess the houses by going through the courts - and they were right, basically enabling them to live in large houses for free for a number of years.

I wouldn’t say strangest but these were very different compared to what I am used to in India.Water Fountains - People in the USA drinking water from fountains; when my wife told me that she noticed it in O’Hare airport I didn’t believe her for weeks till I saw with my own eyes.Edit: Since so many are asking about what’s wrong with the drinking water fountain in comments I am adding this to clarify.There is nothing wrong with drinking from the fountain and it is well maintained and hygienic as well. Just that I didn’t think drinking directly from the water source would be in practice in USA.As a note I didn’t know how to drink from it during the initial days; I thought there is a proximity sensor that would sense my presence and dispense the water. :-)2. Traffic - The absence of traffic in most suburbs and roads being virtually free when compared to India.3. Extremes in fitness - The average American is either extremely fit and exercises every day or overweight and trying or not trying to get the excess weight off.4. Reserved Parking - I was surprised that every parking lot has slots reserved for the differently abled; it’s a good thing though.5. Cost of Healthcare - Healthcare without insurance burns a hole in your pocket and even the premiums are expensive; it could range from $400 to $1000 per month depending on coverage level, types of benefits, etc6. Vast Empty Spaces - There are vast empty spaces along side highways, suburbs, villages and virtually everywhere.7. Parks/Play Areas - There are parks/play areas in every 2 or 3 miles and it includes playground/slides/swimming pools/ping pong tables/etc.8. Huge Parking Lots - Every mall/shopping centers have huge parking lots and nearly 50% of them are empty unless it is a very busy place. you don’t have to pay a dime in most places for parking.9. Lack of public transport - Public transport is practically non existent compared to India. There are very few buses in suburban areas and public transportation is aplenty only in huge cities like Chicago, New York, etc. Taxis are expensive and one typically pays $3 to $5 a mile in most places. Owning a car is a necessity rather than a comfort. Given below are some pics of the Chicago Union Station which is akin to Chennai Central/ Chatrapati Shivaji/etc in India.10. Limited Veggie options - You have to stick to McD, Burger King, Olive Garden, Subway, etc and few restaurants that offer veggie options during trips. There are just a couple or just a handful of options in most restaurants. In India the veggie food and cuisine changes even between two cities in the same state and there are thousands of cuisines/dishes that I am not even aware of; let alone taste. Also India has more restaurants that offer veggie rather than non veggie.Edit1: I am a veggie and travelled to just Buffalo, New York and Chicago (I live in Chicago suburbs). I didn't get any decent veggie options in a few minutes I took to search. There could be more veggie options if I had the time to explore. If you eat non veg then it's heaven and you will have a blast.Edit 2: Few have suggested me Find Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurants Near You - HappyCow to find veggie food near me; will definitely try that. Adding it to the answer so that fellow veggies are aware of it.11. Junk Food - Pizza/Burger/Fries/etc are available virtually everywhere and I am shocked to see this food being given to even Toddlers.12. Obsession with Soda - You see everyone carrying a cup of soda anywhere; malls/movies/restaurant/car/etc. Even toddlers consume lots of soda which is just sugar, carbonated water and flavour. Soda comes with 50% of the cup filled with ice unless you ask for soda without ice.13. Carrying coffee/soda to restrooms - Restrooms are among the filthiest places and I can’t imagine/understand why one would carry a cup of coffee/soda in to one. Ewww!!!14. Diapers and wipes in most restrooms - If you forgot the diaper/wipes for the baby and even if you need a quick replacement you can just check in the restrooms and you can get one if you pay $0.5 or $1. This is a very good thing in emergencies; you don’t have to run to a store to buy a diaper pack.15. Large Food Portions/Soda - Most food items come in large portions and we usually pack the leftover food and have it for the next breakfast/dinner. Soda also comes in huge sizes; AMC theatre has 40 oz cup for soda!!! The medium size is 32 oz and the small is 16 oz.16. Availability of Indian stuff - You are likely to get varieties of Indian vegetables, spices and other groceries in one place in many states in the USA rather than a market or departmental store in India.17. Availability of frozen Indian food - I got introduced to many Gujarati food items like Patra, Mathia, etc albeit frozen which I haven't even heard of when in India.18. Cool Water - Water from the fountain is really cool and one cannot drink more than two sips at a time unless used to it. Water in certain restaurants are also cool since they add ice to water and if you don't need it have to specifically ask for it.19. Cheaper Fruits - Fruits like Apple and strawberry are cheaper at peak seasons compared to India. A pound is sold for as low as $0.50 for apples and $0.33 for strawberries. Even if you convert it to INR then it's cheaper than in India; I guess because most of these are imported in to India.20. Strawberry/Apple picking - Anyone can pay a price and get in to fields to pick their own strawberries and apples. Such a thing doesn't happen in India and it has come to my notice that this is picking up steam in India as well. This helps farmers as well as consumers since it reduces cost of picking and transportation and let's consumers enjoy fresh fruits.Edit: Few have mentioned in comments that fruit picking has started in India too; happy to hear that. Hopefully I can pick some fruits when I return to India but it is not prevalent as in the USA.21. Easy to get Credit Card/Loan - It’s pretty easy to get credit cards/vehicle loans when you have a SSN. Just a month after being here one can get credit cards or loan but the interest rates will be higher and won’t get many 0% APR offers but that changes after a year or so. Too many credit card offers flood the mailbox. America is more of a spending economy and it seems to be reflected in credit cards/loans. In India it’s a nightmare if you have more than a couple of credit cards and you are on the look out for a loan; no.of. credit card accounts reduce your credit score adversely.22. Minimal Savings - Many Americans cannot manage expenses if they miss a paycheck because they already in to monthly payments due to credit cards/loans.The Secret Shame of Middle-Class Americans Living Paycheck to PaycheckMost Americans can't handle a $500 surprise bill23. Costly prepaid plans -It’s costly compared to India in that the prepaid plans require payment every month rather than giving a fixed talktime and validity for the money paid. In India you can pay 250 INR (about $4) and you will get talktime worth 250 INR (approx 1000 mins of calls) and validity of three to four months to use up the talktime. Data is separate you would need to shell out $2 to $5 depending on 2G/3G/4G/LTE and is valid for a month. I imagined these would be cheaper in USA since it’s a developed country.24. Costly Broadband - You need shell out anywhere between $25 and $50 per month for broadband and the speeds are high compared to India. But you are stuck with Comcast in most parts of the country and don’t have any options; not to mention their infamous customer service. :-)25. Pay bills online - Almost 99% of the bills could be paid online and it is free of charge in most banks.26. Signup bonus - Many banks offer sign up bonus between $50 and $300 for opening new checking accounts and credit cards; this is unheard of in India. they do offer some discounts and cashbacks but sign up bonus isn’t common.27. Low interest rates - Savings account get very less interest rates around 1% to 2% or even lesser; while it is around 5% to 6% in India.Savings Account: Compare & Open Savings Account Online28. Steep Discounts - Products like Macbook, iPhone get either discounts or gift cards ranging from $100 to $300 at third party retailers like BestBuy which is not the norm in India.29. Large number of phones sold by network carriers - Every one buys phones from carriers by way of contracts/paying in full/discounts, etc in loads. In India retailers are the ones that sell most numbers; carriers have a minimal share. Most phones are bought unlocked and paid in full; so many don’t buy expensive phones which they cannot afford to pay immediately.30. Timeliness - Everyone is on time for work/meetings/etc. They would arrive early rather than arrive late. If the agreed upon time is 10 AM then it is 10 AM; not 10:05 AM or 10:10 AM.31. Secure doors in apartments - Doors to apartment buildings are secured through security codes and cannot unlock without it. Package delivery teams also don’t have access to security codes and deliver at mailbox or apartment management office or place it near the door. Even the fire department personnel don’t have access to it; I had assisted them once when they couldn’t open the door to the apartment with the keys. :-)32. Fall Colors - There is no season that can be clearly termed as Autumn in India and the trees retain most of the leaves during the season and remain evergreen. In the USA you see enormous amounts of colors even while driving/walking in the streets.33. Need permission to burst crackers - You have to take permission from officials/communities to burst crackers whereas in India we take it for granted and burst as much as we can. All we do now is just burst some sparklers and get to temple to see the real fireworks. Fireworks are on display during July 4, New Year, etc but never the same as in India.34. Certain places have same names - For example there is a Geneva, IL - Official Website in Illinois which might confuse some who are aware of the popular Geneva - Wikipedia in Switzerland. There is a Prospect Heights, Illinois - Wikipedia in Illinois as well as one Prospect Heights, Brooklyn - Wikipedia in Brooklyn.35. USA is very big and vast - This can be illustrated with the fact that United States uses nine standard time zones. From east to west they are Atlantic Standard Time (AST), Eastern Standard Time (EST), Central Standard Time (CST), Mountain Standard Time (MST), Pacific Standard Time (PST), Alaskan Standard Time (AKST), Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time (HST), Samoa standard time (UTC-11) and Chamorro Standard Time (UTC+10).Time Zone36. Roads are silent - No one honks unless a person blocks the way or does something dangerous/stupid on the road. It’s very silent except for the engine sound and cars passing by on most roads.37. Buying and driving car is easy - Buying a car is like buying a cycle in India. You can get loans from a bank for the car’s entire value (including registration, etc) and you needn’t a single penny upfront. All you need to do is sign the papers and pay the monthly dues. Driving is also easy since most follow traffic rules and most cars have automatic transmission and don’’t have to worry about shifting to the correct gear.38. Driving over Speed limit - Many drive over the speed limit; when I say over it doesn’t mean by 2–4 mph it’s usually above 10 mph. It’s a nightmare to change lanes in freeways in Illinois when adhering to the speed limit; you have to be above the speed limit to change lanes unless the freeway doesn’t have much traffic. Traffic tickets cost a lot but doesn’t seem to prevent many from driving over the limit.39. Gun Culture - This is always in the news and every weekend sees a dozen gunshots fired in/around Chicago wounding few and killing few. It’s really scary when you see the news and you remember you were at the same spot just a week ago.40. Cinemas - AMC offers tickets for $5 - $6 during Tuesdays and morning shows on weekends. The tickets are really cheap when you compare against a popcorn or fry costing $5 - $10. The movie experience is good nevertheless.41. Tipping Culture - Workers in restaurant/taxi/pizza delivery/etc business are usually underpaid and customers are expected to tip at least 15% to make up for low wages. It’s a necessity and not extra money like in India. If you don’t tip it’s considered as rude or that service was poor and some might even ask you why there was no tip.42. Free refills/discounts - Many restaurants offer free refills on their large size sodas for $0.25/$0.5 or for free. AMC theatres has a large cup which is reported to be 54 oz for soda and offers free refill as well; I am not sure if anyone refilled the large cup. Also you get free refill for the Large popcorn bags at AMC.AMC also offers discounts/rewards for members based on the money spent in AMC; its around 10% i.e., if you spend $50 you get back $5 that can be used for tickets/snacks/etc.Disclaimer: I am not endorsing AMC; just gave it as an example.43. Imperial System in practice - I was surprised to see weight specified in pounds and fluid in ounces; I thought these were done away with till I came here.44. Everyone is courteous and polite - Most people are courteous/polite and greet you in roads/malls/shops/etc which doesn’t happen in India. We usually greet only known persons in India; otherwise you get weird looks. But the courteousness/politeness seems to disappear when driving a car.45. World Cuisine - You can get any food ranging from Chinese to Mexican (I mean all types of food across the world) and if you eat non veg then you are in heaven. Cheese is of entirely different quality from that used in India. I fell in love with Pizza and Pasta and I am not sure if I can get Pizza/Pasta that tastes so good any where in India.46. Variety of Fruits - You get variety of fruits ranging from Apple (I don’t know how many varieties are there.. I have eaten Gala, Red Delicious,Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Braeburn, Empire, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, JonaGold, Fuji and there are many more I haven’t tried yet), Cherry, Strawberry, Durian, Mangosteen, Jackfruit, Mango, etc. I bought Durian once and will never eat it again; it’s gooey like beaten/heated Cheese and the smell is awful.45. Education cost - School education is virtually free; the few hundred dollars fee per year wouldn’t even be enough to maintain schools whereas in India I would have to spend few hundred dollars for a quarter in most schools. Cost of college education is ridiculously high and almost every student is in huge financial burden irrespective of the part time jobs.46. Drive in - I couldn’t imagine a drive in before I came to the USA. Drive in ATMs and fast food is convenient but don’t understand why many don’t sit down and have a quick bite rather than eating in the car. I am still used to it and usually park the car and walk in even if I need a coffee.47. Hot water in taps/baths - To get hot water all you need to do is open the tap. We are used to turning the heater ON and waiting for 5/10/any minutes for getting hot water for bath and other purposes.48. No water in the poo-poo area - Western toilets are widespread in India these days but they do have a tap/water source from which one can clean up and dry yourself with paper after the business but in the USA you have to get used to just the paper.49. Concept of City - City in India means a well developed/urbanized area that can sprawl up to thousands of square kilometers but in USA it would mean a small area running up to a maximum in hundreds of square miles.50. Relatively quiet and queue-less banks - Banks are often overcrowded and need to wait for at least an hour to make deposit money or do any other banking activity. There are numerous ATMs where you can make deposits as well but many prefer to make it in person in the branch. In comparison banks in USA are relatively empty most of the time and you can walk out within few minutes and no tokens needed for any activity; you just head to the counter.51. Bank account can be opened online - Sure there are online applications in India too but you need to visit the branch to submit the form and proofs, make the initial deposit and get the account activated. Even these can be done online in the USA from the comfort of your home; all you need is scanned copies of the proofs.52. Coffee/Comfortable seats in Banks- Most banks in USA have candy/coffee for the customers and the waiting seats are among the most comfy ones I have sat in. You can wait in those comfy seats while the banking officer gets ready for your request. India has seats too for waiting but nowhere near to these and its not possible when there are huge crowds.53. Double Fees for using other ATMs - One can do up to 4 transactions in a month at other bank ATMs for free in India whereas in USA you maybe charged by the bank that issued the card and also by the bank that owns the ATM.54. Different apparels in different seasons - Most regions in India are hot throughout the year and there isn’t a need to have different clothes by season; most dresses will do good throughout the year. Due to the extremes in weather in summer/winter different types of clothes are needed in the USA; I knew about this even before entering the USA but never imagined the scale of the new product launches during the different seasons.55. Dark Coffee/Tea - Most in the USA consume dark coffee/tea without adding cream/milk but this is unthinkable for an average Indian. The way coffee/tea is made is way different where in the milk is in abundance and then the coffee/tea is added for taste.I will keep adding as and when I remember…I had written an answer for a similar question; please refer link below for more details.Balaji Viswanathan's answer to What is it like to be an Indian living in a foreign country? Does it affect the way you live? Do you still carry on with Indian rituals? Is it difficult to be an Indian person in another country?