TIMELINE: INDIAN HISTORY

7500 BC: Civilization at Gulf of Khambar

2500-1500 BC: Indus Valley Civilisation.

2000-1500: Aryans arrive from central Asia.

1500-1000: The Early Vedic Age – Rigveda.

1000-500: Later Vedic Period - Samaveda,Yajurveda and Atharvaveda,Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Samhitas,

early Upanishads and Sutras.

563-483: Gautama Buddha – born at Lumbini(Nepal); attainment of knowledge –Bodh Gaya (Bihar); first

sermon –Sarnath, near Varanasi (UP); Nirvana –Kusinagar (Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh).

540-468: Mahavira – born at Kundagrama near Vaishali (Bihar) and nirvana at Pavapuri (Patna, Bihar).

492-460: Rule of Ajatasatru, son of Bimbisara, king of Magadha.

364-321: Rule of Nandas of Magadha

326: Invasion of India by Alexander Battle of Hydaspes.

322-298: Reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty.

273-232: Reign of Ashoka , son of Bindusara

261: Kalinga war.

257: Asoka's conversion to Budhism by Upagupta.

250: Third Buddhist council at Pataliputra

90: Sakas invade India.

58: The Vikrama Samvat (vikram era) introduced by King Vikramaditya of Ujjain.

20-46 AD: Gondophernes, the king of IndoParthians.

78: Accession of Kanishka, The Saka era begins.

100-300:The Sangam Age in south India.

50 BC-250 AD : Satavahana dynasty in the Deccan.

320-335: Reign of Chandragupta-I.

335-380: Reign of Samudragupta known as Indian Napoleon.

380-414: Reign of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya).

405-411: The visit of the Chinese pilgrim Fa-hien to India.

500-527: Rule of Huns over North India.

606-647: Harsha Vardhana of Kanauj. Hiuen-Tsang visited India (AD 630-644).

500-757: First Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi

630: Harsha's clash with PulakesinII

973-1190: Chalukya dynasty of Kalyani

760-1142: Palas of Eastern India.

985-1014: Reign of Rajaraja, the Great. Starts a great land survey (AD 1000).

1014-1044 : Reign of Rajendra Chola. Naval campaign against Sri Vijaya kingdom.

788-820: Sankaracharya and his philosophy of Advaita.

712: Arabs occupy Sindh.

871-1173: Imperial cholas of Tanjore.

916-1203: Construction of Khajuraho Temples.

1000-1027: Invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni.

1191: Prithviraj III, defeated Muhammad Ghori in the first battle of Tarain .

1192: Mohammad Ghori defeated Prithviraj in theSecond Battle of Tarain in 1192.

1206: Foundation of the Sultanate of Delhi by Qutub-ud-din Aibak.

1210: Death of Qutub-ud-din Aibak.

1210-1236: Reign of Iltutmish.

1221: Mongol invasion under Chenghis Khan.

1231: Iltumish completed the construction of Qutub Minar at Delhi.

1236-1240: Reign of Empress Raziya, daughter of Iltutmish, the first and last woman ruler of Medieval

India.

1266-1287: Reign of Sultan Balban.

1288-1293: Visit of Marco Polo in India.

1290-1296: Sultan Jalal-ud-din Firuz Khalji, founder of the Khalji dynasty.

1296: Alauddin Khalji invades Devagiri.

1296-1316: Reign of Sultan Alauddin Khalji.

1309-1311: Malik Kafur's expedition into South India.

1320-1325: Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (Ghazi Malik),founder of the Tughlaq dynasty.

1325-1351: Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. Transferred the capital from Delhi to Daulatabad-

1327. Issue of token currency – 1329.

1333: Ibn Batuta arrives in India.

1351-1388: Sultan Firuz Tughlaq.

1398: Invasion of Timur during the reign of Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud

1414-1451: Reign of Sayyid dynasty.

1420: Visit of Nicolo Conti.

1451-1526: Bahlul Lodhi (1451-89), Sikandar Lodhi

(1489-1517), and Ibrahim Lodhi (1517-26)

1526: The first Battle of Panipat (1526) Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodhi.

1336: Foundation of the empire of Vijayanagar by Harihara and Bukka

1438-1468: Reign of Rana kumbha in Mewar.

1509-1530: Reign of Krishnadeva Raya, the greatest king of Vijayanagar.

1565: Battle of Talikota, decline of the empire of Vijayanagar.

1346: Foundation of the Bahmani kingdom by Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahman Shah (1347-1358).

1498: Vasco da Gama arrives at Calicut

1505: De Almeida, the first Viceroy of Portuguese in India

1510: Conquest of Goa from the Adilshahi Sultan of Bijapur – 1510.

1526: Babur defeats Ibrahim Lodhi at the first battle of Panipat. Formation of Mughal empire.

1527: Battle of Khanwa. Babur defeats Rana Sanga of Mewar.

1530: Accession of Humayun.

1538: Death of Guru Nanak.

1539 : Sher Shah defeats Humayun at Chausa and assumes sovereignty.

1540: Humayun’s defeat near Kanauj.

1542: Birth of Akbar.

1545: Battle of Kalinjar.

1545: Death of Sher Shah.

1555: Battle of Sirhind. Sikandur Suri was defeated by Humayun, Humayun recovers the throne of Delhi.

1556: Death of Humayun and accession of Akbar. Second Battle of Panipat.

1556-1605: Akbar's reign.

1564: Abolition of Jezyah.

1565: Battle of Talikota Vijayanagar destroyed.

1571: Foundation of Fatehpur Sikri.

1576: Battle of Haldighati and defeat of Maharana Pratap.

1579: Infalliability decree issued by Akbar.

1581 : Din-i-Ilahi promulgated by Akbar.

1600: Deccan expedition and siege of Ahmadnagar

: Charter to British East India company.

1605: Death of Akbar and accession of Jahangir.

1605-1627: Reign of Jahangir.

1609: William Hawking visited Jahangir.

1615: Sir Thomas Roe in the court of Jahangir.

1627: Death of Jahangir.

1628: Shah Jahan proclaimed Emperor.

1631: Death of Mumtaz Mahal.

1636: Treaties with Bijapur and Golcunda.

1658: Coronation of Aurangzeb.

1659: Murder of Afzal Khan by Shivaji.

1663: Death of Mir Jumla.

: Attack on Poona by Shivaji.

: Shaista Khan appointed Governor of Bengal.

1665: Conclusion of the treaty of Purandhar signed between Sivaji and Jai Singh.

1666: Death of Shah Jahan.

1674: Sivaji's Coronation and assumption of the title of Chatrapati.

1675: Execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

1679: Jeziah imposed on the Hindus by Aurangzeb.

1680: Death of Sivaji.

1686: Conquest of Bijapur by Aurangzeb.

1687: Golconda annexed to the Mughal empire.

1707: Death of Aurangzeb at Ahmadnagar.

1739: Invasion of Nadirshah.

1740-1761: Peshwaship of Balaji Baji Rao (Nana Saheb).

1746-48: First Carnatic war.

1748-54: Second Carnatic war.

1756-63: Third Carnatic war.

1757: Battle of Plassey.

1760: Battle of Wandiwash.

1761: Third Battle of Panipat: The Marathas defeated by the combined troops of Ahmad Shah Abdali;

the Mughals, and other Muslim chiefs of India.

1764: Battle of Buxar. The English defeat Shah Alam, Shuja-ud-daulah and Mir Qasim.

1765: Grant of the ‘Diwani’ of Bengal, Biharand Orissa to the East India Company by Shah Alam II under

Treaty of Allahabad.

: Clive, Company’s Governor in Bengal.

1765-72: Dual Government of Bengal.

1767-69: The First Anglo Mysore War.

1770: The Great Bengal Famine.

1771: Marathas occupy Delhi and restore Shah Alam who was till then under English protection at

Allahabad.

1772-73: Warren Hastings as Governor of Bengal.

: Abolition of Dual Government of Bengal(1772)

1773: The Regulating Act was passed, bringing the company partially under Parliament’s control and the  

Presidencies under Calcutta’s control.

1773-85: Warren Hastings Governor-General.

: Establishment of Supreme Court,Calcutta.

1775-82: The First Anglo-Maratha War.

1776: Treaty of Purandar

1780-84: Second Mysore War.

1783: Fox’s India Bills give more powers to Parliament and to the Governor-General.

1784: Treaty of Mangalore between Tipu and the English.

: Pitt’s Act passed, Setting up Board of Control for East India Company.

: Asiatic Society of Bengal founded by Sir William Jones.

1786-93: Lord Cornwalis, Governor-General.

1790-92: Third Mysore War.

1792: Treaty of Srirangapatnam signed between Tipu and English.

1793-98: Sir John Shore, Governor-General.

1793: The Permanent Zamindari Settlement of Bengal.

1798: Lord Wellesley as Governor-General and brought subsidiary alliance.

1799: Fourth Mysore War. Fall of Srirangapatnam. Death of Tipu.

1800: Establishment of the College of Fort William.

1802: The Treaty of Bassein between Peshwa and English.

1803: Occupation of Delhi by Lord Lake.

1803-05: Second Anglo-Maratha War.

1807-13: Lord Minto as Governor-General.

1809: Treaty of Amritsar-Ranjit Singh and British sign treaty of perpetual amity.

1813-23: Lord Hastings as Governor-General.

1814-16: Anglo-Gurkha War.

1817-18: Pindari War – Peshwa defeated at Kirkee.

1818-19: Last Anglo-Maratha War.

1823-28: Lord Amherst Governor-General.

1824-26: First Burmese War.

1828-35: Lord William Bentinck as Governor General.

1829: Prohibition of Sati.

1829-37: Suppression of Thuggee.

1833: Renewal of Company’s charter. Abolition  of the Company’s trading rights.

1835-36: Sir Charles Metcalf Governor-General.

1835 : Macaulay’s Education Resolution. English made official language instead of Persian.

1835: Foundation of Calcutta Medical College.

1836-1842: Lord Auckland as Governor-General.

1839: Death of Ranjit Singh.

1842-44: Lord Ellenborough as Governor-General.

1844-48: Lord Hardinge as Governor-General.

1845-46: First Anglo-Sikh War. Treaty of Lahore.

1848-49: Second Anglo-Sikh War. Defeat of Sikhs and annexation of the Punjab.

: Opening of a Hindu Girls’ School in Calcutta by Bethune.

1848-56: Lord Dalhousie as Governor-General.

1852: Second Anglo-Burmese War.

1853: Railway opened from Bombay to Thana. Telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra.

1854: Charles Wood’s despatch on Education.

1855: Santhal insurrection in Bihar.

1856: Annexation of Awadh. Indian University Act. Hindu Widow’s Remarriage Act.

1856-58: Lord Canning – Governor-General.

1857-58: Revolt of 1857. Revolt at Meerut begins on May 10, 1857.

1858: British India placed under the direct government of the Crown. Queen Victoria’s Proclamation.

1858-62: Lord Canning as Viceroy.

1861: Indian Councils Act.

: Archaeological Survey of India set up.

: Indian Civil Service Act.

: Introduction of the Penal code.

1862-63: Lord Elgin as Viceroy.

1864-69: Sir John Lawrence Viceroy.

1865: Telegraphic communication with Europe opened.

1869-72: Lord Mayo as Viceroy.

1875: Visit of the Prince of Wales.

: Arya Samaj founded by Swami Dayananda.

1877 : Lord Lytton held Durbar at Delhi where Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India.

1878: Vernacular Press Act.

1879: Theosophical Society at Adayar, (was set up) Madras.

1880-84: Lord Ripon as Viceroy.

1881: Factory Act.

1883: Indian National Conference held in Calcutta.

1883-84: Ilbert Bill controversy.

1884-88: Lord Dufferin Viceroy.

1885: First session of the Indian National Congress held at Bombay.

1887: Queen Victoria's Jubilee.

1888-93: Lord Landsdowne Viceroy.

1892: Indian Councils Act.

1894-99: Lord Elgin II Viceroy.

1896: Ramakrishna Mission founded.

1899-1905: Lord Curzon Viceroy.

1905: Partition of Bengal.

1905-10: Lord Minto II Viceroy.

1906: Muslim League formed at Dacca.

1907: Surat Congress, moderates-extremists clash.

1908 : Newspapers Act. Tilak convicted of sedition.

1909: Morley-Minto Reforms.

: Indian Councils Act passed.

1910-16: Lord Hardinge II Viceroy.

1911: Delhi Durbar.

: Partition of Bengal annulled. Census of India.

: Transfer of Capital to Delhi announced

1914: Gandhi arrives in India.

1916: Lucknow Pact of Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League.

: Foundation of Women’s University at Poona.

: The Home Rule League founded.

1916-21: Lord Chelmsford as Viceroy.

1919: Montague-Chelmsford Reforms.

: Rowlatt Act passed.

: Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar (April 13).

1920: Khilafat Movement and Non Co-operation Movement.

1921: Moplah Rebellion and Wagon Tragedy.

1921-26: Lord Reading Viceroy.

1921: Harappa excavations begin.

1922: Mohenjodaro excavations begin.

: Chauri Chaura incident.

1923: Swarajists in Indian Councils.

1926-31: Lord Irwin Viceroy.

1927: Appointment of Simon Commission.

1928: Simon Commission comes to India.

: Death of Lala Lajpat Rai following police assault. Nehru Report.

1929: Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt drops bombs in the Legislative Assembly.

: Congress on December 31 at Lahore declaring its objective of Poora Swaraj for India.

1930: Gandhiji’s Dandi March. Civil Disobedience Movement.

1930-31: First Round Table Conference.

1931 : Gandhi-Irwin Pact signed.

: Second Round Table Conference.

1931-36: Lord Wellingdon Viceroy.

1932: Third Round Table Conference.

: Communal Award announced.

: Poona Pact signed.

1934: Civil Disobedience Movement called off.

1935: Government of India Act, 1935 passed by British Parliament.

1936-44: Lord Linlithgow Viceroy.

1937: Inauguration of Provincial Autonomy. Congress Ministries formed in seven out of eleven

 provinces.

1938: Haripura session of the Congress.

1939: Second World War begins (September).

1940: Pakistan resolution passed by Muslim League at Lahore.

1941: Subhash Chandra Bose escapes from India.

1942: Cripps comes to India with his proposals in March.

: Congress rejects Cripps Proposal (11 April).

: “Quit India” resolution passed by Congress on August 8.

1944-47: Lord Wavell Viceroy.

1944: INA reaches Indian soil.

1945: Labour Government in Britain. INA surrenders to the British (May). First trial of INA men

(November 5).

1946: Cabinet Mission’s plans announced (June 16).

1947-48: Lord Mountbatten Viceroy.

1947: Announcement of Lord Mountbatten’s plan for Partition of India (June 3).

: Indian Independence Act passed (July).

: Creation of free India and Pakistan on midnight of August 14/15, 1947 as dominions.

1947-64: Jawaharlal Nehru Prime Minister of India.

1948: Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (January 30).

: Raja-gopalachari appointed first Indian Governor-General (June 21).

1949 : New Constitution of India adopted and signed (November 26).

1950: India become a Republic. New Constitution comes into force (January 26).

: Dr. Rajendra Prasad, first President of Indian Republic.

: Planning Commission was set up

1951: Inauguration of First Five Year Plan.

1952: First General Election in India

: National Development Council (NDC) set up.

: Family Planning is launched.

1953: Conquest of Mount Everest.

: University Grants Commission (UGC) is set up

: CBI is set up

: Formation of Andhra Pradesh on linquiestic basis

1954 : Chou En-lai, the Chinese Premier visits India.

: Panchashila signed between China and India.

1955: Hindu Marriage Act and Indian Citizenship Act.

1956: Reorganisation of Indian States on linguistic basis

: 2nd Five Year Plan launched.

: Nationalisation of insurance companies.

1957: Second General election. Introduction of decimal system of coinage.

: National Calender based on Saka era adopted.

1959: Dalai Lama reaches India for political asylum, Indo-Chinese relations worsen.

: Panchayat Raj introduced in Rajasthan.

1961: Goa, Daman and Diu liberated from Portuguese possession

        : Arjuna Award introduced

1962: Indo-China War.

1964: Death of Jawaharlal Nehru

: Lal Bahadur Shastri becomes Prime Minister.

1965: Indo-Pak War.

1966 : Tashkent Declaration

: Death of Lal Bahadur Shastri

: Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister.

1969: First Nationalisation of 14 Banks.

: First Dada Sahib Phalke Award was given to Davika Rani

1971: Indo-Pak War

: Birth of Bangladesh.

1972: Shimla Agreement between India and Pakistan.

1973: Project Tiger

1974: Underground nuclear explosion carried out at Pokhran (May 18).

1975: Emergency declared in the country.

: Aryabhatta goes to orbit.

1977: Janata Party comes to power.

: Vajpayee address UNO in Hindi.

1978: Denomination of high value notes of Rs. 1,000, Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000 demonetised.

1979: Morarji Desai resigns as Prime Minister.

: Charan Singh becomes Prime Minister.

: Death of Loknayak Jayprakash Narayan.

: Bhakara I launched

1980: Mother Theresa gets Bharat Ratna.

: Six more commercial banks nationalised.

1981: Apple was launched

: First Indian Antartic Expedition to Qusim. Dakshin Gangothri, India’s first permanent station at

Antartica was setup.

1983: Bharat Ratna posthumously awarded to Acharya Vinoba Bhave.

: INSAT-IB successfully launched.

1984 : Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma becomes first Indian cosmonaut to go into space.

: Bachendri Pal becomes first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest.

: Indira Gandhi assassinated

: Rajiv Gandhi sworn in as new Prime Minister.

: Bhopal Gas tragedy

1985: Centenary celebrations of Indian National Congress held.

: Dhronachary Award instituted

1986: Centre and Laldenga sign Mizo Accord.

1987: Frontier Gandhi, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan given Bharat Ratna. First foreigner to get Bharatratna.

1988: Bharat Ratna conferred on M.G.Ramachandran.

: Contingent of Indian Army flown to Maldives to help President Abdul Gayoom.

: Lok Sabha passes Constitutional Amendment Bill reducing voting age from 21 to 18 years.

1989: V.P. Singh sworn in as seventh Prime Minister with Devi Lal as his Deputy.

1990 : Nelson Mandela honoured with Bharat Ratna.

: V.P. Singh resigns after losing vote of confidence in Lok Sabha.

: Chandra Shekhar is sworn as New Prime Minister.

1991: Rajiv Gandhi is assassinated at Sriperum budur in Tamil Nadu.

: Bharat Ratna is conferred on Morarji Desai.Rajiv Gandhi and Sardar Patel are awarded

Bharat Ratna posthumously.

1992: Maulana Azad posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna.

: Kar Sevaks demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya

1993: Battle tank “Arjun” inducted into Indian Army.

: Job Quota for OBC’s becomes operative.

: Earth quake at Lathur, Maharashtra

1994: Panchayati Raj Act becomes operational.

1995: Morarji Desai, dies. Bombay becomes mumbai.

1996: Atal Behari Vajpayee becomes PrimeMinister on May 16 and resigns on May 28

. : H.D. Deve Gowda becomes Prime Min- ister on June 1. Madras becomes Chennai.

1997 : Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C1) is launched from Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).

: Arundhati Roy bagged the 29th Booker Prize,

: Kalpana Chawla became the first Indianborn US woman to go into space.

1998: India’s second (May 11) and third (May 13) nuclear explosion at Pokhran.

: M.S. Subhalekshmi and Jaya Prakash Narayan win Bharat Ratna.

: Vajpayee becomes 12 Prime Minister of India.

: Param 10000 India’s new super computer unveailed.

: Konkan Railway (760 km) inaugurated.

1999: INSAT 2E was launched on April 3

: PSLV-C2 launched IRS P4.

: India becomes leading producer of milk in the world.

: Amarthya Sen wins Bharat Ratna.

: India launched Operation Vijay to repel the Pak intruders from Kargil.

2000: Bill Clinton visits India.

: Lara Dutta of India becomes Miss Universe.

: Formation of the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal.

: Karnam Malleswary wins bronze medal in Sydney olympics.

: Priyanka Chopra of India becomes Miss world.

2001: GSLV D1 launches GSAT. Indian parliament attacked.

2002 : Ms. Poornima Advani is appointed Chairperson of the National Commission for women.

: Former Indian Air Force Chief, Arjan Singh, is made the first ever marshal of the IAF.

: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 11th President

: Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is sworn in the 12th Vice-President.

: The first exclusive 1,060 kg. meteorological satellite (METSAT) is successfully launched from the

Sriharikotta by PSLV.

: Justice V.N. Khare is sworn in Chief Justice of India.

2003: L.K. Advani is appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

: INSAT 3E, was launched (September 28)

 Air Marshal T.M. Asthana is named the first Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces

Command.

: The Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee Christens METSAT, Kalpana I after Kalpana Chawla.

: Mehbooba Mufti takes over as president of the Peoples Democratic Party thus becoming the

first woman to head a political party in J and K.

: INS Talwar the Navy’s first stealth warship is inducted into western fleet.

: G. Madhavan Nair assumes office as Chairman, Space Commission and ISRO

: The government constitutes the 17^th Law Commission with Justice M. Jayannatha Rao as

Chairman.

: The LokSabha passes the POTA Amendment Bill, 2003, providing for safeguard against misuse.

: Rajya Sabha passes dual citizenship bill.

2004 : India becomes the first developing country to import LNG.

: India wins its first ever test series in Pakistan.

: Major Rajya Vardhan Singh Rathore gets the silver medal for India in shooting  (double trap

category) at the OlympicGames.

: EDUSAT - India’s first exclusive satellite for educational services, placed in orbit.

: Tata Motors becomes the first company in the Indian engineering sector to list its securities on

the New York Stock Exchange.

: Kerala’s Palakkad district collectorate is  the first in India to be totally computerised.

: The Mahatma Gandhi International Peace Award to the former Botswana President Sir Ketimile

Masire.

: Over 80,000 people are killed following  an undersea earthquake off Sumatra in Indonesia, over

19,000 people are killed in India.

: ‘Lakshya’ pilotless target aircraft, test flown.

2005 : Cabinet decided to offer dual citizenship for all overseas Indians who migrated after January 26,

                1950.

: President’s rule was imposed on Goa and the Assembly kept under suspended animation, even

after the Pratapsingh  Rane Government wins the trust vote.

: Tamil writer D. Jayakanthan is selected  for the 38th Jnanapith Award for 2002. He is the  

second Tamil author after P.V. Akhilandan to receive the honour.

: Dandi March route (384 km) is declared  a heritage path and the Prime Minister, Manmohan

Singh, announces a Rs 10 crore package for Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram renovation, on the 75^th

anniversary day of the breaking of the salt act by Mahatma Gandhi.

: India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLVC-6 is launched from the spaceport in Sriharikota,

and it injects two satellites CARTOSAT - 1 and HAMSAT into their orbits.

: The Lok Sabha passes the Right to information Bill.

: The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, launches the National Knowledge Commission.

: The Government comes out with the first ever Outcome Budget.

: The trial-run, of the first Amritsar- Lahore service begins linking the two cities for the first time

nearly six decades.

2006 : India’s first rubber dam is installed across the Janjhavati river in Andhra Pradesh’s Vizianagaram

                district.

: Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy is awarded the 2005 Sahitya Akademi Award for English for

her book of essays The Algebra of Infinite Justice.

: The first-ever-Lahore- Amritsar bus service begins.

: The world’s longest rail is flagged off from Bhilai steel plant.

: The President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, returns the Office of Profit Bill for reconsideration

: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam becomes the first President to make a sortie in a combat aircraft after flying

in a Sukhoi-30 MKT after take off from Lahegaon airbase, Pune.

: N. Gopalaswami takes over as the new Chief Election Commissioner.

: The GSLV - FO2 launch from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh ends in failure after the vehicle  

crashes into the Bay of Bengal.

: Social activist Arvind Kajriwal is elected for the 2006 Ramon Magsaysay Award in the Emergent

Leadership category.

: The President A.P.J Abdul Kalam, confers the 39th Jnanapith Award on Marathi writer Vinda  

arandikar.

: Actor Shabana Azmi is chosen for the Gandhi International Peace Prize 2006.

: The protection of women from Domestic Violence Act 2006 comes into effect.

: The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, presents the 21st Indira Gandhi Prize for National

Integration to  lyricist Javed Akhtar.

: Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurates the three – day first Asian Mayor’s meet

in Dehra Dun.