{"id":7008,"count":1,"description":"Christianity is India's\u00a0third most followed religion<\/a>\u00a0according to the\u00a0census of 2011<\/a>, with approximately 28 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population.[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0It is traditionally believed that Christianity was introduced to India by\u00a0Thomas the Apostle<\/a>, who supposedly landed in Kerala in 52 AD. There is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was definitely established in India by the 6th century AD. including some communities who used\u00a0Syriac<\/a>\u00a0liturgies, and it is possible that the religion's existence extends as far back as the purported time of St.Thomas's arrival.[n 1]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nChristians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of\u00a0South India<\/a>\u00a0and the south shore, the\u00a0Konkan Coast<\/a>, and\u00a0Northeast India<\/a>. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are well represented in various spheres of national life. They include former and current\u00a0chief ministers<\/a>,\u00a0governors<\/a>\u00a0and chief election commissioners.[5]<\/a><\/sup>[6]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Indian Christians have the highest ratio of women to men among the various religious communities in India.[7]<\/a><\/sup>[8]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0Christians are the second most educated religious group in India after\u00a0Jains<\/a>.[9]<\/a><\/sup>\r\n\r\nChristianity in India<\/b>\u00a0has different denominations. The state of Kerala is home to the\u00a0Saint Thomas Christian<\/a>\u00a0community, an ancient body of Christians, who are now divided into several different churches and traditions. They are\u00a0East Syriac<\/a>\u00a0Saint Thomas Christian churches<\/a>: the\u00a0Syro-Malabar Catholic Church<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0Chaldean Syrian Church<\/a>. The\u00a0Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church<\/a>,\u00a0Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church<\/a>,\u00a0Mar Thoma Syrian Church<\/a>,\u00a0Syro-Malankara Catholic Church<\/a>, and the\u00a0Malabar Independent Syrian Church<\/a>\u00a0are\u00a0West Syriac<\/a>\u00a0Saint Thomas Christian Churches<\/a>. Since the 19th century\u00a0Protestant<\/a>\u00a0churches have also been present; major denominations include\u00a0The Pentecostal Mission<\/a>\u00a0(formerly\u00a0Ceylon Pentecostal Mission<\/a>), the\u00a0Baptists<\/a>,\u00a0Church of South India<\/a>\u00a0(CSI),\u00a0Evangelical Church of India<\/a>\u00a0(ECI),\u00a0St. Thomas Evangelical Church of India<\/a>,\u00a0Believers Eastern Church<\/a>, the\u00a0Church of North India<\/a>\u00a0(CNI), the\u00a0Presbyterian Church of India<\/a>,\u00a0Pentecostal Church<\/a>, Apostolics,\u00a0Lutherans<\/a>,\u00a0Traditional Anglicans<\/a>\u00a0and other\u00a0evangelical<\/a>\u00a0groups. The Christian Church runs thousands of educational institutions and hospitals which have contributed significantly to the development of the nation.