India will be stepping into the 77th year of Independence on 15th August 2023. The Independence Day of India is a historical one in its history when the country attained emancipation from 190 years long British rule.
Since its independence, Indians have witnessed many important historical events in India today. India has faced many challenges due to illiteracy and a high population. At the same time, it achieved many feats and scientific achievements and witnessed many events that shaped India today.
On this Independence Day, let us take a detailed look at important historical events in India today after Independence.
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1. Railway Network Nationalization (1951)
Indian Railway is a statutory body under the Ministry of the Railways and has many records to its credit.
- It is the 8th largest global employer with 1.254 million employees. Besides, it has a track length of 11,5000 Km over a route of 67,312 Km with more than 8000 stations.
- Indian Railway is the 4th largest global railway network.
- It is also the second-largest network to be operated under the management of Central since its nationalization in 1951.
Thus, Railway Network Nationalization is one of the important historical events in India after Independence.
2. First-ever Asian Games (1951)
India hosted the first Asian Games in Delhi from 4th – 11th March 1951. It was named First Asiad. Delhi became the first city to host the Asian Games.
Around 489 athletes from 11 Asian National Olympic Committees across 57 events from eight sports disciplines participated in this event which changed India’s sports caliber.
It is one of the major sports events that shaped India and showcased its capability to organize an international sports event.
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3. Asia’s first-ever nuclear reactor (1956)
Apsara is the first nuclear reactor of India. It is also Asia’s first and marks significance among science events that shaped India.
It was launched on August 4, 1956. It was built inside the 100 x 50 x 70 building by Bhabha Atomic Research Center(BARC) with support from the United Kingdom and a generation capacity of 1MW of thermal power.
4. First movie nominated for Oscar (1958)
“Mother India” is the first Indian Hindi movie nominated for Oscar awards. This film made it to the final round only to lose to Night of Cabiria by a single vote. Nevertheless, this is one of the important events in Indian history that showcased the excellence of Indian Cinema to the world.
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5. Green Revolution (1960)
The green revolution came to India to transform the agricultural system practiced earlier than the 1960s. It was first adopted in the state of Punjab under the leadership of scientist M.S.Swaminathan to leverage research and technology to increase agricultural yield.
Green revolution included using high-yielding seeds, tractors, irrigation facilities, fertilizers, and Pesticides to revolutionize agriculture methods. The Green Revolution resulted in the greater yield of cereal grains in India. Even today, the Green Revolution is fondly remembered as one of the historical events in India after Independence.
6. India-China War (1962)
India-China had a friendly bilateral relationship which was popularly known among both nations by the slogan, “Hindi-Chinni-Bhai-Bhai ”. But it was only until 1962. Later the difference between the two nations escalated and led to the India-China war. The cause behind the war was the disputed land of Aksai Chin (part of Ladakh in India and Xinjiang in China) to which both nations claimed as their possession.
The war lasted for a month and took place at an altitude of 4000 meters. This war was a defense event that shaped India and revealed the prowess of India’s defense mechanism to the world. There still exists a bone of contention in the Pangong Lake area between India and China. Due to the impact it made, the Indo-China war is one of the India events after 1960 that made a notable difference in its political arena.
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7. Nationalization of Banks (1969)
The then Indian Government under the leadership of Mrs. Indira Gandhi nationalized 14 Banks on July 19, 1969. The reason behind this was alarming bankruptcy and the rising economic crisis. Many banks were merged and eventually led to the formation of the Imperial Bank of India. Later it was named as Reserve Bank of India. Thus, the Nationalization of banks remains in Indian history as one of the groundbreaking India events after 1960.
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8. White Revolution (1970)
White Revolution was the brainchild of Dr. Verghese Kurien, fondly known as the Father of the White Revolution. It began to promote milk production and to make India one of the largest producers of milk. Also known as Operation Flood, this is one of the historical events in India after Independence that resulted in the bulk production of milk in a short time.
9. Liberation of Bangladesh(1971)
The Liberation War of Bangladesh war started on March 26, 1971. It ended on December 16, 1971, with the liberation of Bangladesh. The cause that led to the war was religion and the increasing difference between East and West Pakistan. The armed battle put an end to all the alleged relations between the two parts of Pakistan. This event remains a distinct one of India events after 1960.
10. India-Pakistan War (1971)
India-Pakistan never had a friendly bilateral relation, even when they are the two neighboring countries post Independence in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan. Even today, Pakistani infiltrates keep flinging attacks in the Indian terrain. In 1971, India-Pakistan War took place. The war started on December 3, 1971, when Pakistan launched tactical aerial strikes on Indian Air Force stations in North India. It is also considered the shortest war in Indian history and one of the important historical events of India after Independence.
11. Chipko Movement (1973)
Chipko Movement, also called Chipko Andolan, was started by environmental activist Sundarlal Bahugana. This movement was mainly for the preservation of trees and forests. The Chipko movement started in 1973 in Uttar Pradesh, and later it spread to Uttarakhand.
The participants were mainly women where they ensembled around trees and hugged them to prevent them from cutting. Chipko Movement is one of the historical events in India after Independence as it put the country at the forefront of the global fight for environmental conservation. India lost this Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahugana during the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
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12. Pokhran 1 (1974)
India’s first successful nuclear bomb test was executed in the Pokhran Test Range at Pokhran in Rajasthan on May 18, 1974. The official name of the operation was Operation Smiling Buddha. The Pokhran test remains one of the important historical events in India today. Because it was for the first time on Indian soil, the Indians detonated a plutonium implosion device. Thus, Pokhran remains a landmark moment in the history of Indian nuclear activities.
13. First Indian Satellite, Aryabhatta (1975)
Aryabhatta was the first Indian experimental setup built by ISRO and launched by Soviet Intercosmos in Kapustin Yar Rocket on April 19, 1975. This is notable among India events after 1960 in the field of Science. It experimented in areas of X-ray astronomy, Solar Physics, and Aeronomy. The launch of Aryabhatta kickstarted the Indian space journey.
In the following years, India launched various satellites one such to Mars. Thus Aryabhatt forever remains the foremost of historical events in India after Independence.
14. Mass Sterilization(1976)
As per Indian lead demographer R.A. GopalSwami’s report on India’s population growth rate, the country’s population increased by 5,00,000 people every year. As a population control measure, the Indian government launched a Family Planning program and introduced Mass Sterilization.
The whole process involves minor surgery with local anesthesia without the need for any hospitalization. As a record maker, in 1976, the Indian Government sterilized 6.2 million men. Thus, India became the first nation to adopt mass sterilization, making this event one of the historical events in India after Independence.
15. Emergency (1975-77)
The Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared an Emergency across the country. It lasted 21 months from June 25, 1975, to 21st March 1977. The cause behind it was the mass agitation against the price rise and to fight the drought situations leading to the internal threat to the Government. According to experts, this is one of the most controversial India events after 1960.
16. Mandal Commission Formed (1979)
The Socially and Educationally Backward Commission (SEBC) was formed on 1st January 1979. It was popularly known as the Mandal Commission as it was led by B.P.Mandal. Morarji Desai, the then Prime Minister of India, set up this to identify socially and educationally backward classes. The setup of the Mandal Commission is one of the crucial events in Indian history that was designated towards uplifting the Indian economy.
17. India won the first world cup in cricket (1983)
It was a glorious moment for all Indians when Indian Team Captain Mr. Kapil Dev lifted the trophy showing the remarkable feat achieved by the Indian Cricket Team for the very first time in Indian sports history. It is one of the historical events in India after Independence that placed India in such a coveted position on the world stage. India entered the World Cup with the least expectation by defying all odds. It created a landmark victory that remains etched in the hearts of every Indian.
18. First Indian to reach Space (1984)
Wing Commander Mr. Rakesh Sharma was the first and only Indian citizen of Indian origin to reach Space in 1974. He is an Indian cosmonaut who boarded Soyuz T11 with Soviet Intercosmos Rocket. Upon his return, he was conferred with the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the prestigious Ashoka Chakra – the highest peacetime gallantry award. It is one of the important events in Indian history that showcases Indian space caliber.
19. Bhopal Gas Tragedy ( 1984)
The Bhopal Gas leakage Tragedy is the biggest disaster in global industrial accidents. On December 3, 1984, 45 tons of the toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from an insecticide plant owned by the Indian subsidiary of the American firm Union Carbide Corporation. With 3000 fatalities and more than 5,58,125 non-fatal injuries, this disaster is one of the Indian events after 1960 that the country will never forget.
20. Anti-Sikh Riot (1984)
Anti-Sikh riots started in India to humiliate the Sikh community. It took place after the slaying of the then Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi by two of her Sikh bodyguards. 3000 Sikhs were killed in New Delhi alone and more than 8000 Sikhs all over the country were murdered. It is one of the unfortunate historical events in India after Independence that portrayed its communal difference in front of the world.
21. India hosts world cup (1987)
The 4th Cricket World Cup 1987 is a memorable India event after 1960. It is also known as Reliance World Cup 1987 due to its sponsorship by Reliance Industries.
For the first time, India hosted the World Cup on its grounds along with a few matches on Pakistan soil from October 9 to November 8, 1987. India could showcase its world-class infrastructure to host an international level of Sport. Australia won its first World Cup in the tournament on Indian soil.
22. Globalization of Trade or economy (1991)
India experienced full-fledged globalization in 1991 under the finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh who designed the economic liberalization proposal. Since then, India has been progressive on the global front and has emerged as one of the leaders in the global economy.
This is one of the important events in Indian history that led to the advent of globalization. The phenomena that followed globalization were the increase in employment, purchasing power, and better living standards.
23. Babri Masjid demolition (1992)
The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on 6th December 1992 by Hindu protests after a rally of Hindu Vishva Parishad and allied organizations went berserk. The dispute was that Ayodhya is a holy place for Hindus and the Masjid stands on the Ram Janmabhoomi site.
India being a democratic country, the communal conflicts on the grounds of religion grabbed global attention for all the wrong reasons. The case finally ended on 9 November 2019. The Supreme Court of India ordered the disputed land to be handed over to a trust to build the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.
This Ram Janmabhoomi – Babri Masjid case remains forever on the list of historical events in India after Independence.
24. Harshad Mehta security stock market scam (1992)
Harshad Mehta infamously rose to prominence when a scam on his name was uncovered when hefty money was found missing from the government securities market. He was a registered and well-known broker in 1992.
Along with his aides, he manipulated the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) exploiting the loopholes in the system. In total, he duped the banks of almost 4000 crores. This is one of the important events in Indian history and a scam that affected the Indian Stock Market swindling investors over one million USD.
25. The Advent of Cable TV (1992)
Television viewership was more of the government’s mouthpiece before cable TV entered India. The year 1992 hosts one of the historical events in India after Independence as it witnessed a massive surge in viewership with the launch of ZEE TV and STAR TV.
SUN TV also came up in South India in 1992 and succeeded the entire South India to hook to their television screens. The private cable TVs changed the way people preferred to entertain themselves. Undoubtedly, the launch of cable TV is one of the important historical events in India after Independence in the entertainment sector.
26. Mumbai Blasts (1993)
India was shaken when a series of 13 bombs exploded in Mumbai on 12 March 1993. The blasts caused 317 mortalities leaving 14000 injured.
The bombing activity mastermind was believed to be Mr. Dawood Ibrahim, the leader of Mumbai-based International organized crime syndicate D-Company. It took lives and destroyed various properties, thus remaining one of the unfortunate India events after 1960.
27. Plague in Surat and Latur Earthquake (1994)
Surat experienced a massive outbreak of the Plague in August 1994. It resulted from the ecological disturbances due to the earthquake in Latur and Beed of Maharashtra. Due to the earthquake, people left their homes, leaving behind their belongings. The rats got infected after consuming the leftover grains and then passed them on to human beings. Some people from Latur and Beed attended a religious ceremony in Surat, Gujarat which led to the spread of the plague.
As a result, a total of 876 cases and 54 deaths occurred. The plague in Gujarat was fast spreading through the air as it was a pneumatic type. The way India handled this epidemic proved to the world the country’s responsiveness and medical readiness to handle such events. This plague is one of the historical events in India after Independence in the medical sector.
28. Pokhran -II (1998)
Pokhran II is another of India’s events after 1960, wherein a series of 5 nuclear bomb explosions piloted by India on its Pokhran test range on May 11, 1998. The first bomb was fusion and the rest were fission bombs.
The NPT(non-proliferation Treaty)and CTBT(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) deadline pushed India to go for a nuclear test to show the world about India’s nuclear activities with no further delay. Pokhran II resulted in the grant of various sanctions from countries like Japan and the USA.
29. Kargil war (1999)
Kargil War is also known as “Operation Vijay”. This Indo-Pak war lasted from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control (LoC). The Kargil war is an accomplished India event after 1960 as it eliminated Pakistani infiltrates from the disputed land of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir.
Kargil War started on 3rd May 1999 and ended on 26th July 1999. It is said that the Kargil war was formulated by the Military General of Pakistan Mr. Pervez Musharaf, without the knowledge of Pakistan Prime minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif, when Pakistani infiltrates and terrorists had occupied strategic locations across LOC. Indian military force with the help of local shepherds targeted them and forced them out of the Indian LOC and on 26th July 1999 hoisted the Indian flag. And from that day onwards, this day of 26th July is remembered as Kargil Vijay Diwas.
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30. IC-814 hijack (1999)
Indian Airlines flight, known as IC 814, carrying 178 passengers and 11 crew members took off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was destined to reach Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on December 24, 1999.
The flight was deliberately hijacked by Pakistani-based terrorists and taken to different places before finally landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan. On December 31st, 1991, the passengers were released when India agreed to free its prisoners.
31. Match-fixing scandal (2000)
In India, cricket is a religion. People worship cricket players as Gods. But the match-fixing scandal of 2000 brought to the front the black practices followed by so-called cricket Gods to win or lose the game. It came to the lore when Delhi police got hold of the recordings of a conversation between Chawla and Hansie Cronje, South African cricket captain in April 2000 in which the latter accepted that he had taken money to lose in the game.
The match-fixing brought shame to India and gave a hard blow to the cricketing fraternity of the world. It is one of the important historical events in India after Independence that brought to the limelight the malpractices involved in sports.
32. New States Creation (2000)
In 2000, Indian state boundaries were redrawn for the first time since its Independence. On 1st, 9th, and 15th November 2000, 3 states – Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal( Renamed as Uttarakhand in 2007), and Jharkhand were formed. Chhattisgarh from eastern Madhya Pradesh, Uttaranchal from northwest Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand from southern districts of Bihar.
It increased the count of states in India from 25 to 28. The reason behind the formation of the states was socio-political. At present in 2021, India has 28 states and 8 union territories. Thus, the creation of the states, which is the first ever after Independence, remains forever as an important historical event in India after Independence.
33. Golden Quadrilateral Project (2001)
Golden Quadrilateral Superhighway is an ambitious project of the NDA government of India. It was a plan to connect the four major metro cities of India – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata as they form a golden quadrilateral as per their position in the India Map. The total distance to be covered to connect all these 4 cities is 5846 Km.
This project was a part of the National Highway Development Project(NHDP). It is the largest highway project in India and 5th largest highway project in the World. The project started in 2001, and by 2010, 98% of the project was done. It is one of the important events in Indian history that boosted the country’s infrastructure and economy.
34. Tsunami (2004)
On December 26, 2004, a Tsunami hit various countries lying along the Indian Ocean causing immense damage to life and property. India was also the victim of this tsunami. The Indian mainland got severely hit in the two states- Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Besides, the world had witnessed the deadliest cyclone in history which killed 2,30,000 people in different countries. In India, the death toll was above 18000. The massive earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 was recorded on the Richter Scale. It was an undersea megathrust earthquake. Thus, the tsunami of 2004 remains an unfortunate and unforgettable event among historical events of India after Independence.
35. MGNREGA Act(2005)
The Indian Government passed this MGNREGA Act in 2005. According to this, any person who applies for the same should be given work for at least 100 days within 15 days of registration. If it does not happen, then they are eligible for an unemployment allowance. No 3rd party or contractor is involved. The union government has granted Rs.72000/- crores to the MGNREGA scheme in 2020-21.
36. Chandrayaan 1 (2008)
Chandrayaan -1 was India’s first Moon mission and was successfully launched on October 22, 2008, from SDSC, Sriharikota. The lunar launch had a lunar orbiter and an impactor. PSLV-XL rocket was used to launch the Chandrayaan-I.
The satellite made more than 3400 orbits around the Moon and was concluded when the ISRO lost its communication with it on August 29, 2009. Chandrayaan – 1 solved some of the moon’s mysteries regarding origin, evolution, mineral, and fuel resources. Chandrayan is thus an important event in Indian history that changed Indian space success.
37. First gold medal in Olympics (2008)
Abhinav Bindra was the first Indian to win the Olympic gold medal in the Beijing Olympics 2008 in shooting Men’s 10M air rifle in an individual group. India got its first gold medal in the Olympics in 1928 when 14 members of the Indian Hockey Team won the gold medal in the Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Besides India’s first gold, India scored well in the medals tally with medals coming in wrestling, boxing, and shooting. It was by far the best performance by Indian sportspersons in the Olympics up till then.
38. Mumbai Terror attacks (2008)
Various places in Mumbai were attacked by the terrorists between Nov.26-28, 2008. On Nov.26, 2008, the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai was attacked followed by a series of attacks by almost 10 armed men who are said to be connected to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
A total of 174 were killed and more than 300 people were injured. In the words of experts, it was a professional commando operation by the Pakistan military and ISI. Mohamed Ajmal Kasab was caught and was held captive till he was hanged on 22.11.2012 in Yerawada Central Prison.
39. Right to Education Act (2009)
Right to Education Act is an act approved by the Union Cabinet for the right of children to free and compulsory education for the age group 6 -14 years under Article 21(A) of the Indian Constitution.
With this, the right to education became a fundamental right. And, India joined the list of 135 countries that had done it. This act explains the importance of primary education for children. This Right to Education is a significant event in Indian history that changed the future of India.
40. First Indigenous Submarine Launched (2009)
Arihant class Submarines are the first indigenously built submarines in India and a nuclear-powered Ballistic Missile. It was launched on July 26, 2009, after several sea trials and it was commissioned in August 2016.
INS Arihant is equipped with four K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles with a range of 3500 Km. It can also be armed with 12K-15 missiles with a 750 Km range. With Arihant Submarines, India is well-equipped with its Nuclear triads – Army, Navy, and Air Force. With this India has entered into a privileged group of countries such as Russia, China, the USA, the UK, and France. Thus, Arihant is a milestone in India events after 1960.
41. Mars mission (2013)
Mars Orbiter Mission(MOM) was launched by the coveted organization ISRO on 5th November 2013 by PSLV-C-25. It was mounted on Mars orbit on September 24, 2014, in its first attempt.
Mars Orbiter Mission is also called Mission Mangalyaan. It achieved the remarkable feat of completing 1000 Earth days in its orbits on June 19, 2017, much beyond its expected lifetime of six months of its mounting on Mars orbit.
MOM is capable of capturing about 715 photos of Mars so far which is vital for R&D. MOM has won appreciation for being cost-effective, having a short period of realization, and for immense data and information, it could provide. Mission Mangalyaan thus is a feather in the cap of Indian Space Research and an important event in India’s history.
42. Polio Eradication (2014)
India is now a Polio-free nation. It is one of the India historical events and the result of sheer dedication, commitment, and a double dose of immunization drive in 2014. The World Health Organization certified India as Polio-free on March 27, 2014, when even after 3 years from the last case diagnosed, there is no new case seen. The last polio case was in 2011. It was a challenge for the Indian government given its vast population and the other conditions. It was a great achievement when India was having more than 60% of the world’s polio cases in 2009.
43. Telangana Statehood (2014)
Telangana separated from Andhra Pradesh and obtained a separate statehood on June 2, 2014. It has a total of 33 districts headed by district collectors.
The Telangana leaders were apprehensive that the Andhra govt. was not doing anything for infrastructure development of the Telangana area and also no job employment was created for their people and went unheeded with their demand of statehood for Telangana. India’s internal boundaries were redrawn time and again after this historical event in Indian history.
44. India’s very own GPS System (2014)
India became the 4th country to have its navigation System when it released NavIC signals for evaluation in September 2014. NavIC is an acronym for Navigation with Indian Constellation and is an autonomous regional navigation system that provides real-time positioning and timing details. It applies to all parts of India and 1500 km beyond India at present and with future extensions. It is a constellation of 7 satellites and 2 satellites on the ground. NavIC tracking is now compulsory in Indian vehicles.
45. Rise of BJP (2014)
The year 2014 welcomed a new dawn in Indian Politics with BJP Govt. under the charismatic leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi swept across the 20 Indian states either solely on its own or with allies. The countrywide words “ Ache Din” resonated. With Modi Govt. in power, India, and the World witnessed many things for the first time in India. With the unmatched leadership skills of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, the world at present has a hopeful and new perspective towards India.
46. Swachh Bharat Mission (2014)
Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan started on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on 2nd October 2014.,to lay importance on universal and safe sanitation. It was a nationwide campaign to make a cleaner India. One of the main objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission is to make Indian villages open defecation-free (ODF). Ever since the launch, the number of ODF villages has been on the rise.
47. India set up its first space laboratory Astrosat (2015)
ISRO created history by creating ASTROSAT on 28 September 2015. It is the first-ever multi-wavelength space telescope of India and was launched on PSLV-XL along with six other customer satellites. After injection into orbit, the two solar panels of Astrosat were installed in quick succession.
ISRO monitors the activities of ASTROSAT in its mission life. The multi-wavelength ASTROSAT has a life of five years and was supposed to study celestial objects 650 km (404 miles) above the earth. The Indian Space Research Organisation mentioned that ASTROSAT carried four X-ray payloads, a UV telescope, and a charge particle monitor.
48. Indian Bank Notes Demonetization (2016)
8th November 2016 is one of those days etched in every Indian’s mind when the demonetization of Indian notes. The usual notes of Rs 500/- and Rs 1000/- were legally not usable anymore.
Instead, the government circulated new currency notes of denomination Rs 500/- and Rs 2000/-. The objective behind this drive of the government was to curb the black money kept in foreign banks. Govt. had its strategy and allowed 2 months to deposit the notes of such denominations in any bank, but in the whole process, the daily wage earners and people of lower strata suffered the most. Whatever is the outcome of this act, demonetization is one of the historical events of India after Independence every Indian remembers.
49. GST (2017)
GST stands for Goods and Services Tax levied by the Indian Govt. on goods and services. It came into effect on 1st July 2017 and is one of the India historical events. It was a single indirect tax replacing the other types of indirect taxes for the entire nation. Under GST, tax is imposed on every point of sale. In the case of intra-state sales, Central GST and State GST both are imposed. All the inter-state sales are chargeable to the Integrated GST.
50. Triple Talaq Strike Down Act (2017)
The Supreme Court of India laid down a historical judgment by striking down Triple Talaq and declared it unconstitutional on August 22, 2017. It is seen as a breakthrough towards Muslim women’s human rights and was welcomed by every community from the entire country. It laid down a stepping stone towards a progressive nation.
51. Legalization of Gay Sex in India (2018)
The legalization of Gay Sex in India came as a landmark ruling of the Supreme Court, talking about India’s historical events. According to this, gay sex is no more a criminal offense. This law overturns a 2013 judgment that upholds the colonial-era law. The law reinforces that discrimination based on sexual orientation is a violation of the fundamental rights of the individual.
52. Mission Shakti (2019)
Mission Shakti was a joint venture by DRDO and ISRO and was launched on March 27, 2019. It is an anti-satellite weapon aimed to destroy the live satellite which had been decommissioned.
The ASAT test used a modified anti-ballistic missile interceptor code-named Prithvi Defence Vehicle Mark-II which was developed under Project XSV-1. The Indian Anti Satellite weapon’s successful demonstration of the ASAT capability signifies its ability to seize an intercontinental ballistic missile.
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53. Article 370 Abolition (2019)
India woke up to the news of the annulation of Article 370 on the state of J&K. Jammu and Kashmir was freed from the special zone consideration and the state status was altered to the Union Territory status. Ladakh emanated as a separate Union Territory even though it had only 2 districts of Leh and Kargil.
Revocation of Article 370 will imply more financial investments in J&K, job flows, and eventually would lead the union territory towards economic growth and hence was welcomed by the citizens of J&K. According to the govt. an increased job flow would reduce the terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
54. Citizenship Amendment Act (2019)
Talking about India historical events, the Citizenship Amendment Act of the govt. came into existence on 12th December 2019. This Act conferred on the people of the origin: Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain who have migrated from the then undivided India like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before 31st December 2014 can stay in India. They cannot be labeled as “Illegal Migrant” and they can apply for citizenship in India. Govt. was being more benevolent reflecting the ancient culture of India.
55. First Corona Case ( 2020)
Coronavirus pandemic is undoubtedly one of the major events in India since 2000. The year 2020 will be remembered in world history as the year of the onset of Covid 19. India had its first faceoff with the deadly virus in a medical student from Wuhan – Kerala state resident.
India was a witness to many new happenings like shutdown, lockdown, Isolation, and work from home. The industrial sectors except for the food and essential services sector had a massive blow.
In the tough situation, India managed well to reduce the casualties by adopting timely measures and could make an impact on the world scenario when every nation was expecting some respite from this deadly virus. The Corona crisis is thus not only a global event, but also one of the important events in India after Independence.
56. TEJAS – India’s indigenously built light combat aircraft inducted into IAF (2020)
To support the Make in India drive in the defense sector, the Indian Air Force (IAF) planned to have Light Combat Aircraft(LCA) in its pan India operation known as “GaganSakhti”.
It has been deployed into 45 Squadron Operation in the initial phase on 27th May 2020 and will be considered for operational use in the future. This a big development in the indigenously built Aircraft’s projects and a big thrust on them.
57. Atmanirbhar Bharat (2020)
Atmanirbhar Bharat was the new phrase by the Indian Government to push the citizens to rely on themselves. When the world outside is facing the threat from the pandemic, then India walked the path of building a self-reliant India or better known as Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan led to the birth of slogans like “ Vocal for Local” and various manufacturing units were set up to feed the Indian demands locally and then supply the excess to the world. The world saw the way India molded the pandemic situation to emerge as a self-reliant India besides supporting the world.
58. Shree RamJanmabhoomi Kshetra (2020)
Ram Janma Bhoomi’s verdict is one of the major events in India since 2000. On 9th November 2019, the Supreme Court laid a landmark verdict that 2.77 acres of disputed land in Ayodhya be handed over to Ram Lalla deity and urged the center and state govt. of Uttar Pradesh to grant 5 acres of land in any other place for the construction of Mosque.
It has asked the state govt. of Uttar Pradesh to set up a trust within 3 months for the construction of a massive Ram Mandir and urged the Nirmohi Akhara to select their representative to be a member of the trust as against the plea of Nirmohi Akhara to take full control of the Ram Mandir. On 5th August 2020, the first stone for the construction of the Ram Mandir was laid down in a religious ceremony of Bhoomi Puja.
59. Vaccination Drive (2021)
With the coming of 2021, India was all set to vaccinate its citizens against coronavirus. The central govt. strategized the drive and vaccination were administered in a phase-by-phase manner. The first doses were given to the health care professionals and it started from 16th January 2021, followed by other corona warriors, and then in the next phase, senior citizens were given the preference. After senior citizens above 45 years who have comorbidities were given vaccination and then the normal citizens above 45 years were the chosen ones for the vaccination. COVID Vaccination Drive has been one of the major events in India since 2000.
The massive vaccination drive for the 18-44 years age group was open on 1st May 2021. The world is poised to see how India with such a huge population is conducting a smooth vaccination drive in this trying time. Indian vaccines Covaxin, and Covishield are the most common vaccines in India to be administered to the public with more than 80% efficacy.
60. India secured a non-permanent seat in UNSC(United Nations Security Council) (2021- 2022)
India got a seat in the UNSC (United Nations Security Council) as a non-permanent candidate and it is the 8th time India to achieved a seat in the UNSC. India’s campaign to get a seat emphasized the fact that India could make a positive global impact if it gets a seat in the UNSC. The Indian govt. further said that in including India, the UNSC would be regarded as a credible global leader. India’s two-year tenure in UNSC started in January 2021 as India got elected unopposed to the UNSC’s non-permanent seat in 2020. No doubt, it is one of the major events in India since 2000 and the latest historical events of India today.
61. Chandrayaan-3 (2023)
In a historic event, India became the first country to land on the south pole of the Moon. After the unsuccessful attempt of Chandrayaan-2, India’s premier space research organization ISRO, accomplished its mission of landing on the moon through Chandrayaan-3.
62. Aditya L1 Solar Mission (2023)
The Aditya L1 solar mission marks India’s first foray into a dedicated sun-studying space observatory. Named after the eminent Indian astronomer Aditya, this spacecraft will be positioned in a halo orbit around the L1 Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system. Lagrange points are unique positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large orbiting bodies like the Sun and Earth interact to create equilibrium zones.
63. G20 Summit (2023)
The year 2023 is critical as countries grapple with the aftereffects of the pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, and monetary tightening in major economies. As India assumes the G20 presidency, it envisions using this platform to promote global solidarity and seek unity through teamwork across groupings like the Global South and Global North.
The extensive consultation process for the G20 summit India agenda setting spanning finance, agriculture, employment, digital economy, health, environment, tourism, etc., reflects a collaborative spirit. The Indian presidency plans to highlight solutions for shared global concerns like food and energy security, women empowerment, technological access, climate resilience, and humanitarian aid.
64. India’s New Parliament Building (2023)
In a historic move, in 2023, the Indian government under the leadership of Mr.Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, inaugurated the New Parliament Building of India. The building is a symbol of new energy and a futuristic vision of the nation. Read all about this new iconic Indian New Parliament Building.
65. Construction of Ayodhya Ram Mandir (2024)
The construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya is one of the most significant events in India after Independence. Spread over 2.7 acres, the new complex encapsulates the rich architectural Heritage of North India in its Nagara style. Sourced from the pink city of Jaipur, sandstones have been intricately engraved to adorn pillars, walls, and floors. Within the sanctum stands the 1.25-foot iconic silver throne of Ram Lalla, representing his divine infant form.
66. India’s Gaganyaan Mission (2024)
The Gaganyaan mission aim is not just national pride and prestige. Sending humans to space allows the study of long-term physiological changes and technology demonstrations not feasible with robotic spacecraft. Gaganyaan remains one of the historic achievements of India since Independence.