Game Design and Development

People might talk all about passion and hard-work, but some other things that matter are getting real. Other answers have advice on what language to learn or what book to read, but I will give you some real world advice.
There are three most common pathways to enter the game industry: as a programmer, as an artist, or as a tester. I wouldn't really recommend the third route.
1. Get a degree
The first step is to get a four-year degree. If you're interested in programming, get a Computer Science Engineering degree. If you're interested in art, get a degree in Fine Arts. If you are into writing, get a degree in English / Literature. (Some other distant options are starting out as a game writer, for which a degree in mass media / journalism can help. ). Do not go for diplomas / degrees in animation / game design. They are usually expensive and generally not worth the money that you put in.
2. Intern during summers
The best way to learn fast is by joining a small game studio or company that is looking for interns. It can be a great experience. Or do your own game project during the summer. Gather up some teammates brainstorm and start prototyping an idea. Or go solo and build a game during a weekend.
3. Connect with people & attend conferences
The best way you can socialize with people in the gaming community is by being a part of gaming related forums on the internet and attending conferences. Watch out for local game dev meetups in your city. Announcements for such meetups are usually made NASSCOM Gaming Forum. Some conferences that will be of interest are:
NASSCOM Game Developers Conference (Pune, November each year)
Casual Connect Asia (Singapore, May each year).

Game designing is the process of designing a game which includes the levels, characters, sprites, background, vector images, etc. Whereas game programming includes writing the actual codes which will make the game work and perform certain tasks. Both of the tasks are very important for creating a successful game. You should pick one which interests you, if you are good in creativity, animation, etc. Then go for designing and if you are good in coding then game programming. If you want to learn programming which are used in Unity Game Engine, then you should learn C# which is the official language which is used in Unity to create games. For learning C# from beginning you may follow this app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=technark.cforbeginners