National Events in February 2000
Feb. 1:
The Government decides to form a panel to review Constitution.
The Centre decides to place almost all items under the automatic approval route for foreign direct investment and NRI and OCB investments.
Feb. 2:
The Government decides to appoint the former Chief Justice of India, Mr. M.N. Venkatachaliah as the Chairman of the National Commission to review the Constitution.
A Special Court in Chennai convicts the AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case and sentences her to one year RI and pay a fine of Rs. 1,000 for each of the two counts.
Three women undergraduates of the TNAU, Coimbatore burnt alive by AIADMK men in a bizarre incident of arson near Dharmapuri.
The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry clears Ms. Deepa Mehta's film ``Water'' after the director agreed to make some changes in the script.
The City Civil Sessions Court, Calcutta sentences Peter Bleach and five Latvians to rigorous imprisonment for life and slaps a fine of Rs. 25,000 each for their role in the Purulia arms drop case.
An estimated 15 lakh employees of over 200 Public Sector Units strike work across the country demanding payment of salaries and DA to the workers of the sick State-owned units, besides a five-year wage settlement period.
The Government increases the cap on FDI through the automatic route in eight sectors.
Feb. 3:
The RBI Governor, Dr. Bimal Jalan unveils a seven-point agenda for banking sector reforms.
Feb. 5:
The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee defends the Gujarat Government order lifting the ban on Government employees from participating in RSS activities.
Shooting of ``Water'' begins in Varanasi.
Feb. 6:
``Water'' shooting stopped following suicide by a Shiv Sena activist and director, Ms. Deepa Mehta asked to leave Varanasi.
Feb. 7:
Former APCC(I) president and four times Congress MP, Mr. Kamaluddin Ahmed joins the BJP.
Nod for Internet service providers to set up international gateways for carrying Internet traffic outside the country.
Feb. 8:
The Supreme Court drops contempt proceedings against the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna after he expresses ``sincere regrets'' over his statement on the Alamatti dam issue.
Feb. 9:The Madras High Court suspends the one-year jail sentence passed by a Special Court against the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha in the `Pleasant Stay Hotel Case'.
Feb. 12:
Seventeen persons, including 12 police personnel die as naxalites strike terror during the first phase of polling for the Bihar Assembly.
The highest French Civilian ward, Commandeur de la Legion Honneur for sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.
Feb. 13
The Government announces the setting up of an 11-member Constitution review commission to be chaired by Mr. Justice M.N. Venkatachaliah.
Feb. 14:
The Supreme Court stays the Karnataka High Court judgment quashing the State Government's Ashraya scheme for providing plots to the poor.
Feb. 15:
The Union Cabinet decides to freeze for 25 more years - from 2001 to 2026 - the number of representatives in the Lok Sabha on the basis of the 1971 census.
The President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan presents Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 1998 to Mr. B.R. Chopra for his contribution to Indian cinema.
Indian-origin Manoj Night Shyamalan's film The Sixth Sense, nominated for six Oscars.
The Union Cabinet approves SAIL restructuring and waives loans to the tune of over Rs. 5,400 crores.
Feb. 16:
An agreement to promote and protect mutual investments between India and Switzerland comes into effect.
Feb. 18:
Pandit Ravi Shankar, is selected for this year's Subbarami Reddy Kalapeetham Foundation Award, a life-time achievement award, for his contribution to Indian music.
Feb. 19:
Pakistan proposes to India a relaunch of the derailed peace process on the eve of the first anniversary of the Lahore summit. No talks until return of PoK, says the Prime Minister.
Eighteen people die following a fire on the Ferozepur-bound 2137-down Punjab Mail between Dushkeda and Savada stations near Bhusaval, about 433 km from Mumbai.
Doordarshan signs $ 43.75 million (Rs. 190 crores) pact with U.S.-based TransWorld-Stracon combine for global marketing rights for four-and-a-half years.
Feb. 20:
Naxalite landmine blast kills 22 policemen in Bastar district, Madhya Pradesh.
The Supreme Court stays the Karnataka High Court order quashing charges framed against the former Chief Minister, Mr. S. Bangarappa and directs the trial court to proceed in a corruption case.
Feb. 22:
India, China sign pact on WTO and for boosting bilateral trade.
Feb. 24:
The Subrahmanyam Committee report tabled in the Lok Sabha. The panel has concluded that the Pakistan intrusion in Kargil took the Indian security establishment by surprise.
Feb. 25:
Nineteen new trains; Ms.Mamata Banerjee spares passengers and hikes freight rates in her maiden Railway Budget.
The Supreme Court stays the Madras High Court order discharging the former Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo, Ms. Jayalalitha from the two TANSI deal cases.''
In an unprecedented order, a special court in Mumbai declares the absconding suspended judge, Mr. J.W. Singh, the underworld don Chota Shakeel and his associate `Pydhonie' as proclaimed offenders in a case of alleged extortion filed against them.
Feb. 27:
The Assam Minister for Forests and PWD, Mr. Nagen Sharma and four others die after ULFA militants blow up their vehicle by a remote- controlled IED at Nij Bahjani village in Nalbari district.
In the biggest ever deal in the Indian Corporate history, the Tata Tea Limited buys out all the brands of the Tetley Tea of the U.K. for œ 271 million (Rs. 1,870 crores).
Feb. 28:
The Supreme Court orders notice to the former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalitha, on a special leave petition filed by the State Government against the Madras High Court judgment upholding the trial Court's order discharging her in the ``coal import case.''