35 Moments that changed India

1.Accession of Kashmir to India - 1947

In a brave attempt to drive the Pakistani intruders out of Independent Kashmir, India successfully negotiated with Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir for the formal accession of the state to India. Hari Singh signed the Treaty of Accession with Indian Government, which was later accepted by Lord Mountbatten, the last Governor General of India on October 27, 1947. However, at least one-third of Kashmir still remains under Pakistan and is know as PoK (Pak-occupied Kashmir).
Kashmir has been the bone of contention between India and Pakistan for years and it turned out to be a never-ending conflict. None of the politicians in the past 60 years have been able to find a solution to resolve the Kashmir issue. It ultimately resulted in a rise in terrorism activities in the valley, which has claimed of hundreds of thousands of innocent of people. Young people, misguided and supported by Pakistan are creating havoc in various parts of India through terror attacks. India is having a tough time to fight the menace of terrorism that began with the accession of Kashmir in 1947.

2. Mahatma Gandhi's Assassination - 1948

The joy of freedom from the British rule and the despair of partition followed by the communal riots that killed thousands of people in both India and Pakistan, ended with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation on January 30, 1948. The entire nation and world plunged into grief, as Nathuram Godse's bullets into Gandhi's heart. With his untimely death, an era of freedom struggle and non-violent movement came to an end.

3. Birth of Indian Constitution - 1950

The Constitution of India came into force on January 26, 1950. A written Constitution was much needed, as India is the largest democracy in the world. The Constitution of India was framed after a careful study of number constitutions of other countries such as UK, USA, Germany, Russia, Switzerland and others. The draft of the constitution was prepared by a draft committee of 8 members. Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, was the Chairman of the Draft Committee. India celebrates the birth anniversary of the Constitution on January 26, as Republic Day.

4. Liberation of Goa - 1961

Goa, the most beautiful tourist destination in the country was the last frontier for India to conquer. Even after the British left India, Goa remained under the Portuguese rule until 1961. The Portuguese were not willing to give up their claim on Goa despite repeated requests from India. That led to a massive freedom struggle, which was supported by the Indian government.
When all diplomatic efforts failed, India finally resorted to use of force. Supported by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army finally entered Goa on December 19, 1961 and ended the Portuguese rule in Goa. Portuguese Governor, Manuel Anonia Vassalo De Silva, signed the surrender document and within a few months, he and all Portuguese troops and officials were repatriated to Portugal. Diplomatic relations between India and Portugal were strained for decades.

5.Anti-Hindi Movement - 1960s

The Anti-Hindi movement in Tamil Nadu in the 1960s, divided the people in South and North. The sentiment is still there. It was a language conflict, but almost threatened to divide the nation. The agitation that began by Periyar in 1937-38, took a dangerous shape on January 26, 1965, when the anti-Hindi DMK declared the Republic Day as a day of Mourning in the South. The agitators were protesting Indian Government's attempts to establish Hindi as the sole Official language of India. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C N Annadurai led the anti-Hindi movement in the 1960s.
To some extent, their agitation was justified. India always takes pride in unity in diversity. Every state or region has its own culture and language. But when it comes to national unity, they always show solidarity with each other. Imposition of Hindi as the official language was not the right step for the growth and unity of the country.
The agitation and anti-Hindi movement continued till 1965 and finally, there was a consensus. India ended up having 15 "Official Languages" and no sole "National Language". While English and Hindi remained two official languages of the Union, all states were allowed to have their own official language. As a result, many states have adopted their regional language and English as the official languages. Ironically, English was the major beneficiary in this conflict.

6. Nationalisation of Banks - 1969

Banking is integral part of India's monetary policy and without it Indian Economy won't be able to survive even for a day. The banking sector reforms in India began in 1949 with the enactment of the Banking Regulation Act. In 1955, India's largest bank, State Bank of India was nationalised. The subsidiaries of the SBI were nationalised in 1959. However, it was in 1969, the banking sector witnessed a great surge.
Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi brought drastical reforms in the banking sector, by nationalising 14 banks on July 19, 1969. These banks were mostly owned and managed by businessmen. In the year 1980, seven more banks were nationalised.

7. Indo-Pak War - 1971

India fought three bitter wars between 1947 and 1971. While it won the 1947 and 1965 wars against Pakistan, it had to suffer a humiliating defeat by China in 1962, when it lost its most sacred Kailash Mountains and Mansarovar Lake to China forever. However, Indian regained its lost glory after the Indo-Pak War in 1971.
A new country, Bangladesh took birth and India was proud to lead the 'War of Independence' in Bangladesh. The 1971 War not only ended Pakistan's rule in East Pakistan (Bangladesh), but also forced the country to sign a humiliating treaty to get its 200,000 prisoners released. It was a great victory for India and its people.

8. Pokhran Nuclear Test - 1974

With a clear aim of becoming self-reliant in terms of power, India conducted its first ever nuclear test in 1974. It took the world by surprise by carrying out a nuclear explosion at Pokhran deserts on May 18, 1974. The government had termed it as a peaceful nuclear explosion experiment and maintained that India had no intention of producing nuclear weapons. However, truth was something else. India continued to build its nuclear capability and even the active CIA agents had no clue about India's design.

9. India launched its first Satellite - 1975

India joined a few elite countries in the world, when it launched the first Indian Space Satellite, Aryabhata on April 19, 1975. It was launched by Russian launch vehicle Intercosmos. Aryabhata provided technological experience in building and operating a satellite system. After that, there was no looking back and the country has achieved tremendous success in space science. Now India has the capabilities to launch foreign satellites and uses GSLV launcher to tap into the global commercial launcher market.

10. General Emergency - 1975

The dark era of National Emergency, still haunts the political leaders and people of this country. It was a blot on India's democracy and changed the political landscape of the country forever. The three pillars of Indian Democracy, Constitution, Judiciary and Press were murdered by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who later was ousted by the office only to come back after less than 2 years.
The drama began when the Allahabad HC judgment on June 12, 1975, declared Indira's election void. But Indira hit back by proclaiming Emergency, which suspended fundamental rights of the citizens and deprived the judiciary of carrying out any functions. All opposition-ruled state governments were dismissed. The freedom of the Press was curbed and all opposition leaders and workers were detained and beaten up mercilessly. The police dictated their terms elsewhere in the country.
If that was not enough, Indira Gandhi's son Sanjay Gandhi ordered sterilization and vasectomy of people by force. There was a sense of horror in the country. However, the emergency mobilized the forces that had different ideologies, but single goal. When the Emergency was lifted in 1977 and General Elections were held, for the first time in Indian history, opposition parties stormed to power. Indira Gandhi had failed to win even the Parliamentary seat.

11. India's World Cup Cricket win - 1983

Cricket is considered as a religion in India today. But it never had that much craze before 1983. People's perspective towards the game of cricket, has been completely changed, with historic World Cup win at Lord's on June 25, 1983. Underdogs India turned the heat on mighty West Indies and defended a meager total of 183 to win the Prudential Cup Crown. Kapil Dev, who led Indian team to that famous victory, became a National Hero.

12. Rakesh Sharma in Space - 1984

Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma (Retd.) created history when he became the first Indian and 138th man to visit space. He achieved this milestone on April 02, 1984. Sharma spent 8 days in space aboard the Salyut 7 space station. He and two other Soviet cosmonauts had boarded Soyuz T-11 to reach the space. It was a historic moment for India. Unfortunately, India never sent any other cosmonauts to space then after.

13. Assassination of Indira Gandhi and Anti-Sikh riots - 1984

On the fateful day of October 31, 1984, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot dead by her Sikh bodyguards Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. They killed Mrs. Gandhi to avenge the "Operation Blue Star", in which armed troops entered the sacred Golden Temple at Amritsar, to flush out the Sikh militants. Over 1,000 people were killed in that operation.
The world was shocked at Indira's assassination. But his supporters took the law into their hands and it resulted in Anti-Sikh riots that killed more than 3,000 people in different parts of the country. Delhi was worst affected, as senior Congress leaders H.K.L. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and Dharam Dass Shastri allegedly led the carnage. The cases are still pending against them.
The carnage continued for 4 days and police and security personnel either remained mute spectators or abetted the crime. Sikh men were burnt alive, women were gang raped and there was no let up in the atrocities against innocent Sikhs. The violence receded only after the Army took the charge on November 03, 1984. In a shocking development, Indira Gandhi's son and newly appointed PM, Rajiv Gandhi had made an unfortunate statement to dismiss the pogrom that claimed more than 3,000 lives. He said, "When a big tree falls, the ground shakes".

14. Mandal Commission Report - (1990 - 1991)

The Mandal Commission Report, created a huge divide in Indian society, which will remain in place forever. The frequently occurred clashes between upper class and backward class people have been attributed to the seeds sown by Mandal Commission Report implemented by V P Singh government in 1990-1991.
The flawed report of the Mandal Commission, determined backwardness on the basis of caste. It benefited even the rich and influential people belonging to low caste people, while there was nothing for the poor people belonging to upper caste. The people who were responsible for dividing the society on the basis of caste were, V P Singh, Ram Vilas Paswan, Laloo Prasad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav and B.P. Mandal himself.
Although the report was submitted in 1980, it was not seriously taken into consideration until V P Singh assumed office in 1989. Under the 1950 Constitution of India, 15% of educational and civil service seats were reserved for "scheduled castes" and 7.5% for "scheduled tribes". But Mandal Commission suggested 27 per cent more reservation for the OBCs, which was accepted by V P Singh government. Even Justice Kuldip Singh has pointed out that identification of 3743 castes by the Mandal Commission was seriously flawed.
The report caused widespread protest in various parts of India. A large number of students committed self-immolation and there have been violent protests everywhere. Despite the opposition and intervention of the Judiciary, the report was finally implemented after some changes. The Supreme Court made it clear that under no circumstances, reservation should exceed 50 per cent (currently, it is 49.5%). It also introduced the creamy layer, which included the poor and backward sections of the society irrespective of their caste and creed.

15. Economic Reforms in India - 1991

If India takes pride in becoming a self-reliant nation and for being one of the strong economies in the world, the credit goes to former PM P V Narasimha Rao and then Finance Minister Manmohan Singh (who is now PM of India). Manmohan Singh is regarded as the Father of Economic Reforms in India.
The economic reforms programme in the country, got a major boost, when the Rao government announced a new industrial policy in the Parliament in July, 1991. There was no looking back after that. Despite criticism and opposition from various quarters, the government focused on liberalization, privatization and globalization and the process is still underway. Interestingly, people who criticized the economic reforms at that time are now following these policies with much enthusiasm.

16. The Securities Scam - 1992

While the Economic Reforms launched by the Rao government was going on full swing in the country, a huge scam was waiting to explode anytime. When the media reports in April, 1992 indicated that there was a shortfall in the Government Securities held by the State Bank of India, it was suspected that something was wrong there. But nobody imagined that such a huge scandal was already committed.
The Securities Scam, involved misappropriation of funds to the tune of over Rs. 3500 crores. Everyone including top executives of large nationalized banks, foreign banks and financial institutions, brokers, bureaucrats and politicians were in a state of shock. The functioning of money market and the stock market collapsed and there was a panic among investors and brokers. The stock prices fell by over 40%, causing a loss to the tune of Rs. 100,000 crores for the investors.
The big stockbroker Harshad Mehta, who engineered the stock market crash and was the mastermind of the scam, was arrested. He was later charged with 72 criminal offenses. More than 600 civil action suits were filed against Harshad. However, he could not cope with the pressure and died in 2002 under mysterious circumstances.

17. Babri Demolition - 1992

On the fateful day of December 6, 1992, the disputed Babri Mosque in Ayodhya was razed to the ground by thousands of Karsevaks who have ascended over the venue from different parts of India. The demolition took place in presence of senior BJP leaders L K Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and others. The demolition triggered violent clashes in India and abroad. 1993 Mumbai riots and Mumbai bomb blast were the repercussion of Babri Demolition.
Riding high on the issue of Babri Mosque issue, the BJP managed to polarize Hindu votes and got better day by day. However, it failed to keep its promise of building a Ram Temple at the disputed site, because of political compulsion. The matter is still sub judice. The Babri Demolition continued to haunt the BJP over the years. The party always looks divided on this issue.

18. Pokhran II Nuclear Explosion - 1998

24 years after India conducted its first nuclear test at Pokhran, Vajpayee government has shocked the world with series of nuclear tests on May 11 and May 13, 1998 at the same venue. The US intelligence authorities failed to anticipate the tests. The day May 11, 1998 coincided with Buddha Jayanti (Birth Anniversary of Lord Buddha). The Pokhran-II nuclear test was codenamed as "Operation Shakti".
The pioneer of this operation were Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam, Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and Head of the DRDO (who later became the President of India), Dr. R.Chidambaram, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Director of BARC.
Although the nuclear tests resulted in a variety of sanctions against India by countries such as USA, Australia, Japan and others, India managed to hold its self esteem and dignity on the global arena. A decade later today, the world recognizes its nuclear potential and appreciates India for its commitment towards 'no-first use of nuclear weapons' policy.

19. Introduction of Electronic Voting Machines - 1998

Elections in India have been largely controversial, because of the use of ballot papers. While miscreants used to snatch ballot papers and vote for their own candidates, some corrupt officials found rigging the elections in ruling party's favour. However, 1998 witnessed a revolution in Electoral Reforms. For the first time in India, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were used in some state elections.
The EVM consists of two units that are interlinked. The first one is a ballot unit which a voter uses to cast his vote, and the other is a control unit used by the polling officials. This unique system reduced the chances of rigging and tampering. Although there are still some concerns over the reliability of these machines, it has been a huge success, which streamlined the voting and counting process to a great extent. Earlier, the counting process used to take 24 - 72 hours. However, now we get the complete result in a few hours. In the 2004 Elections, EVMs were used all over the country.

20. The Kargil Conflict - 1999

After the success in three wars against Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971, India never expected that it would have a tough time during the Kargil Conflict in 1999. The militants (Mujahideens) supported by Pakistan Army and ISI caught Indian Intelligence authorities unaware and took control of many strategic locations inside the Indian Territory. When the Indian authorities came to know about this unprecedented development, it was too late.
The Kargil Operation was masterminded by then Pakistan Army General Pervez Musharraf (who later became the President of Pakistan). After initial shock, the Indian Army supported by IAF, launched massive operation against the infiltrators. There were heavy causalities on both sides. The "Operation Vijay" launched by India deployed over 200,000 troops. However, 30,000 troops took part in the war. There were around 5,000 infiltrators armed with heavy artillery and rocket launchers.
Since the militants were on higher altitude locations, Indian Army had a tough time to flush them out. Some locations were at 18,000 feet (5,500 m) with temperatures of as low as -11 degree C to -15 degree C. However, finally India managed to regain all areas that were occupied by the Mujahideens.
After the massive offensive by the Army and IAF, India readied its Navy to attack Pakistan Ports to cut off supply routes. Pakistan government had no option but to come to negotiating table. Diplomatic efforts involving Indian PM A B Vajpayee, Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif and US President Bill Clinton forced Pakistan to withdraw its troops and Mujahideens across the Line of Control (LoC) and restore the status quo.
Althought Pakistan President Nawaz Sharif agreed to withdraw Pakistani troops on July 4, 1999, a large number of militants were still holed up and they refused to budge. Finally, the Indian Army launched its final attacks and re-captured all locations held by the Jihadis. The "Operation Vijay" was completed on July 26, 1998. India celebrated the day as "Vijay Diwas".

21. Amrtya Sen receiving Nobel Prize - 1999

After Rabindra Nath Tagore and C V Raman, Amrtya Sen was the only Indian citizen to receive a Nobel Prize. Although people of Indian origin, Hargobind Khorana, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Amartya Sen and V S Naipul won nobel prizes, they had accepted foreign citizenships before receiving the coveted award.
Indian citizen Mother Teresa and resident citizen Dalai Lama too received the Nobel Prize, but they were of foreign origin. Here, we do not belittle the contribution of Mother Teresa to Indian society. She was the saviour of poor and downtrodden and we salute her. Although Amrtya Sen holds a dual citizenship, he is the only Indian-born citizen to win the Nobel Prize post-independence. Amartya Sen won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1999.

22. Kandahar Hijack (IC-814) - 1999

The hijacking of Indian Airlines IC-814 flight was an unfortunate incident that every Indian wants to forget. The flight, which was coming from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked by five dreaded terrorists on December 24, 1999 within Indian airspace. After a brief stay at Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai, the hijackers took the plane to Kandahar. The Taliban government refused to allow any commando operation to resuce the hostages, with their tacit support to the hijackers. The hijackers had stabbed 25-year old Rupen Katyal, who later succumbed to his injuries. Rupen who was traveling with his newly-wed wife, allegedly resisted the hijackers.
The hijacking was carried out by the hijackers with the support of Taliban and Al Qaeda. The Taliban encircled the plane with tanks and heavily armed guards to stop any forcible storming by Indian Special Forces. The Indian government tried to delay the negotiation process in a bid to frustrate the hijackers (it has been a global strategy). But media outcry and the relatives of the hostages, made things difficult for the government.
After eight days of hijack of the plane, then Indian Foregin Minister Jaswant Singh went to Kandahar to hand over the dreaded criminals Maulana Masood Azhar, Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar and Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to the hijackers to seek the release of the hostages.
It was a dark chapter in Indian history, as the entire episode further boosted the confidence of the militants. One of the hijackers was allegedly killed while taking part in the attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001. The released terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar later formed Jaish-e-Mohammad, which has been highly active in terror activities in India. The nation is still paying a price for that nightmarish episode.

23. Indian Women winning all three International Beauty Pageants - 2000

Never before, Indian women have achieved such a milestone in the fashion and beauty pageants. Impact of Westernization on Indian culture was clearly visible when Indian women began participating in world beauty contests and won the crowns.
In 1994, Sushmita Sen and Aishwarya Rai won Miss Universe and Miss World contests respectively. However, the year 2000 marked a great victory for the beauty and brain of Indian women. Three women who made the history were Lara Dutta, Priyanka Chopra and Diya Mirza. They won all three major International beauty pageants in the same year, something which never happened before.
While Lara Dutta won the Miss Universe crown, Priyanka Chopra had won the Miss World competition. Later, Diya Mirza went up to win Miss Asia Pacific Crown the complete a clean sweep for India. It was a great victory for Indian womanhood. Some people may not agree to this being included in top 25 significant events. But we have listed this, as it is associated with the Feminist movement in the country.

24. Militant Attack on Indian Parliament - 2001

Terrorism has already become a major concern in India, with its roots spreading to almost all states in the country. However, one incident that shook the foundation of Indian democracy was the 2001 Parliament attack. On December 13, 2001, a group of militants attacked the Indian Parliament, causing panic across the country. All five terrorists were gunned down in a 45-minute gun battle. The battle also claimed the lives of 8 people including 7 security personnel and a gardener. All militants belonged to Pakistan, but they were helped by some Indian nationals who had sympathy for the cause of terrorism.
It was for the bravery shown by the security personnel, a biggest tragedy was averted. They security personnel acted in time, sealed the Parliament gates and engaged the militants in a gun battle. They saved the lives of around 200 Ministers and MPs who were inside the Parliament Hall during that daring attack. It was reported that militants planned to take the Parliament and MPs into hostage. Several people were arrested and later tried in the Court. The mastermind Mohammad Afzal Guru was sentenced to death by the Supreme Court of India. However, his death sentence is put on hold by the UPA Government, as it feared a backlash from the minority vote bank.

25. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam as President of India - 2002

Dr. Abul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam or popularly known as Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam was the first non-political President of India. He assumed charge on July 25, 2002. During his tenure at the office, he opened the President House to public. As the pioneer of India's nuclear programme, Kalam had received highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna in 1997.
Dr. Kalam was a hero of the masses. He worked a lot for the growth and development of children. Dr. Kalam was referred as the People's President, who always received support from the public, but failed to win the trust of our corrupt politicians. When the entire nation favored a second term for Dr. Kalam, the political parties turned against him and refused to elect him for one more time.

26. Godhra Tragedy and Gujarat Riots - 2002

When Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, the massacre of innocent Sikhs continued for 4 days. However, the Gujarat Riots in 2002 crossed all limits. People played 'Holi' with innocent bloods. The bloodbath continued not for days, but for weeks and it claimed over 2,000 lives and displaced more than 150,000 people. It caused a sense of fear and trauma in the mind of minority people.
It all started when the coach of a train carrying mostly Hindu activists, was set on fire at Godhra station on February 27, 2002. At least 58 people, including 25 women and 15 children were burnt alive allegedly by miscreants belonging to minority community. That triggered the worst-ever communal riot in India, which divided the people of Gujarat on the basis of religion. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, his party BJP and the state administration were blamed for the riots. But Modi became the savior of Hindus and went on to win two consecutive state elections with the polarization of Hindu votes.
Modi, who has been condemned by world leaders, media, several organizations and activists, is unfazed. His clout in the party has increased manifold and today, it has become almost impossible to imagine BJP without Narendra Modi. He proved his detractors and all predictions wrong by winning the elections again in 2007. But the ghost of Gujarat Riots still haunts Modi and his soldiers. The Supreme Court has kept a close watch on the developments related to Gujarat riots cases and ordered the re-investigation of all major cases.

27. Low Airfare Flights launched by Air Deccan - 2003

India's private airline carrier, Air Deccan created history, when it launched the lowest airfare flights in the country. Air Deccan started a revolution in airline industry and fulfilled the dreams of millions of Indians. "We will be the Udupi hotels of the airline business," declared Captain Gopinath, founder promoter and CEO of the Air Deccan, on the eve of the launch of the low airfare flights on August 23, 2003. Since then, there was no looking back for his airlines.
Today, Air Deccan covers almost all important small and big cities in India. Cost of a ticket is not more than an IInd Class AC train fare, which is really amazing. Many other airlines such as Indigo and SpiceJet have followed suit and now offer cheap flight tickets. The competition between the airlines has benefited the passengers to a great extent. Traveling by Air no longer remains a dream for the middle class people in the country.

28. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore winning Olympics Silver Medal - 2004

A medal in Olympics still remains a dream for most Indian Athletes. India had won 8 golds, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals in Olympics men's hockey between 1928 and 1980. However, individuals had less success when it comes to win an Olympic medal. After Independence, India managed to win only three bronze medals in Olympic Games - K D Jadhav (1952), Leander Paes (1996) and Karnam Malleswari (2000). India's moment of glory came, when at the 2004 Athens Olympics, India's Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore created history by winning India's first individual silver medal. He achieved this milestone at the Men's Double Trap Shooting event.
Rathore is currently employed with the Indian Army. He received the Arjuna Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna for his spectacular performance. In addition, he received Padma Shri and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).

29.Infosys enters NASDAQ 100 - 2006

India's premier IT Company Infosys Technologies, created history by becoming the first Indian company to enter the elite group of Nasdaq 100. Some people may term it as individual company achievement. But in the era of globalization and economic reforms, it was a historic achievement for Indian Industry. Infosys set a good precedent for other Indian companies.

30. Taj Mahal as Numero Uno among New 7 Wonders of the World - 2007

It was not an official contest organized by any UN body. But it generated maximum curiosity, enthusiasm and participation across the globe. The event was organized by New 7 Wonders. The competition was tough and people had the option to select their favorite one through phone, SMS and online voting.
The Taj Mahal made it to the list, in style. It received the highest number of votes and left all other monuments behind. It was historic moment for India, Taj Mahal was declared Numer Uno at a gala function held in Lisbon on July 07, 2007.

31. Pratibha Patil became the fist Woman President of India - 2007

Despite the controversies and mud slinging, Dr. Pratibha Patil made history, when she was elected the President of India on July 21, 2007. She defeated NDA-backed independent candidate BS Shekhawat (former Vice President of India) by a huge margin of 306,810 votes. Pratibha Patil was the first woman President of India.
It was alleged that Pratibha Patil was hand-picked by Congress President Sonia Gandhi because of the infighting in the Congress over the Presidential candidate. However, Pratibha Patil silenced her critics forever, by wining the election by a huge margin. Even some opposition MPs and MLAs voted in her favor.

32. India's Twenty20 World Cup Victory - 2007

Millions of Indian cricket fans across the globe celebrated with grandeur, when India beat arch-rival Pakistan in a tense and exciting final in South Africa to win the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup. The victorious Indian team was given a grand welcome when they landed in India. Cash rewards, prizes and gifts were showered on them from various sources. It was a great victory that India would cherish for a long time.

33. BSE Sensex hit 20,000 Mark for the first time - 2007

The BSE Sensex at Dalal Street, Mumbai, has been symbol of India's economic growth and progress. Millions of investors and companies in the country always expect a bullish run at the Sensex. On the historic day of October 30, 2007, the BSE Sensex hit a new peak by crossing the 20,000 mark for the first time in its history of trading. Interestingly, it took only six sessions to reach 20,000 from 19,000.

34. India not qualifying for Olympics Hockey - 2008

It was a shameful day (March 10, 2008) for Indian hockey, as India failed to qualify for the Olympics Hockey for the first time since it started participating in Olympics in 1928. India failed to secure an Olympic berth, when they went down tamely to Great Britain in the Olympic Hockey qualifier final. The golden era of Indian hockey, when India won six consecutive Olympics gold medals from 1928 (Amsterdam) to 1956 (Melbourne) is history now.
Ironically, Hockey is the national game of our country. In Olympics history, India had won 8 gold, 1 silver and two bronze medals from 1928 to 1980. Be it the impact or cricket or the dictatorship of IHF President Mr. K P S Gill, Indian hockey is dying a premature death. It was perhaps the last shocking incident for people of India after Independence till date.

35. Launch of Tata Nano - 2008

The launch of Tata's Rs. 1 lakh car - Tata Nano is one of the most significant events in India. During a glittering function at Pragati Maidan on January 10, 2008, Ratan Tata unveiled the Rs. 1 lakh (US$ 2,500) Tata Nano. The car, touted as the world's cheapest car, will be available in Indian market in mid-October. Tata Nano will target the middle class people in India who can't afford the higher cost cars that start from the range of $5000.

Sunday, July 13, 2008