National Events in January 1999
Jan. 1
The Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes, says the sacked Naval Chief, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat had been displaying ``disturbing tendencies'' for over a year and even threatened his successor, Admiral Sushil Kumar, with court martial.
Jan. 4
The Gujarat Government launches crackdown on Sangh Parivar activists allegedly involved in attacks on Christians in the State.
Jan. 9
Union Cabinet approves Ninth Five Year Plan. Seven Ministers belonging to the Nyishi community resign from the Gegong Apang Ministry in Arunachal Pradesh.
Jan. 11
The National Commission for Minorities recommends that the Centre take ``immediate appropriate action under Articles 256 and 355 of the Constitution'' against the Gujarat Government for failing to check violence against minorities.
Four DRDO scientists and four pilots aboard an Avro plane on a research test flight are killed as the plane crashes after take-off from the Arakkonam INS Rajali Naval air base in Tamil Nadu.
Jan. 13
A Division Bench of the Madras High Court orders total ban on prize schemes.
Mr. Justice (retd.) Anshuman Singh, presently Governor of Gujarat, is appointed new Governor of Rajasthan.
Cabinet decides to allow six cash-rich public sector undertakings to disinvest either through the buyback route to sale of equity to another public sector company.
Jan. 14
At least 51 persons are killed and several injured in a stampede at a hilltop at Pampa, on the foothills of Sabarimala in Kerala.
Jan. 18
The office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India is ransacked allegedly by Shiv Sainiks protesting against the Pakistan team's tour of India. Shiv Sena denies hand in attack.
Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen is selected for Bharat Ratna.
Jan. 19
A sinister plan by Pakistan's Inter- Service Intelligence network to blow up the U.S. Consulate in Chennai and Calcutta, and to carry out explosions in New Delhi, during the Republic Day celebrations, is foiled with the arrest of a Bangladeshi mercenary, Sayed Abu Nasis.
Jan. 20
Renowned playwright Girish Karnad is selected for the 1998 Jnanpith Award.
Mr. G. Parthasarathy, India's envoy in Australia till now, is the new High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Jan. 21
The Shiv Sena chief, Mr. Bal Thackeray suspends his party's protest against the coming India-Pakistan cricket matches, after an urgent meeting with the Union Home Minister, in Mumbai.
Jan. 23
An Australian missionary, Graham Stewart Staines, and his two sons Philip and Timothy are burnt to death by miscreants near Manoharpur village in Orissa's Keonjhar district.
Jan. 24
The Orissa police arrest 47 persons in connection with the killing of the Australian missionary.
Jan. 25
Nuclear scientist, Dr. R. Chidambaram is among the 14 distinguished personalities chosen for Padma Vibhushan. Sachin Tendulkar and Ruskin Bond get Padma Shri.
Jan. 26
The Prime Minister deputes three senior Ministers to visit Orissa for a first-hand assessment of the burning of the Australian missionary and his two sons.
Twenty-one Dalits are gunned down by the Ranbit Sena in Jahanabad district in Bihar.
Jan. 28
The Centre decides to institute an inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court into the burning of the missionary.
Jan. 30
Mr. Madan Lal Khurana, Union Minister for Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs, quits Union Cabinet.
Pandit Ravi Shankar, sitar maestro and the noted freedom fighter from Assam, late Gopinath Bordoloi, are chosen for Bharat Ratna.
Jan. 31
India and the U.S. complete their eighth round of talks on post-nuclear test issues on an inconclusive but a positive note.