Events in January 2005
|
Jan. 3
|
The National Security Adviser, J. N. Dixit (67), passes away at his Safdarjang Lane residence in New Delhi following a massive cardiac arrest. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Madras High Court grants unconditional bail to the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswathi, in the Radhakrishnan assault case on Sept. 20, 2002. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India and Pakistan begin survey to demarcate their boundaries in the disputed Sir Creek area of the Rann of Kutch. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Anil Ambani quits as Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited Vice-Chairman. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 4
|
M. K. Narayanan, Special Adviser (Internal Security) to the Prime Minister, is asked to perform duties of the National Security Adviser. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Muslim League leader and Kerala Industries Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty, resigns from the UDF Ministry following a sexual harassment charge against him. |
|
|
|
The Union Cabinet approves the National Rural Health Mission. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 5
|
The Government announces the formation of a National Council on AIDS with the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, as its chairperson. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 6
|
The “.in” country code Internet domain name registry is launched by the Union Communications Minister, Dayanidhi Maran, in New Delhi. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The first-ever roundtable of Asian Oil Ministers in New Delhi agrees to endorse India’s proposal for the development of an Asian Oil market. Saudi Arabia is to host and Japan to co-host the second roundtable in 2007. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 7
|
The Prime Minster, Manmohan Singh, offers dual citizenship to all those who migrated from the country after it became a Republic on January 26, 1950 at the inaugural of the Third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, in Mumbai. All privileges of an Indian citizen for the beneficiaries sans voting rights. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Government proposes to bring judiciary within Lok Pal ambit and sets up a Group of Ministers to tighten provisions in the Bill. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India signs a pact with Iran to import 7.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas from 2009 under an oilfield-for-LNG deal. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, launches the Bombay Stock Exchange’s national trading platform, IndoNext, to create a new market for small and medium enterprises in Mumbai. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 8
|
It is a “national tragedy,” says the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, after visiting the tsunami-hit Andaman and Nicobar islands; announces Rs. 200-crore for immediate relief. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Security forces end the 26-hour gun battle at Al-Mansooreen, the IT department building in Srinagar following a suicide squad attack. (Both the militants are killed. However the building is gutted). |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 9
|
The Government decides to set up a National Disaster Management authority at an all-party meeting on the Tsunami. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Basdeo Panday; technocrat, Sam Pitroda; agriculture scientist, Sant Singh Virmani are among 11 persons presented with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards by the President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in Mumbai. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 10
|
The Supreme Court grants bail to the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, in the Sankararaman murder case. The Tamil Nadu Government arrests the Junior Acharya, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi at the Kanchi Mutt. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Noted film-maker, Mrinal Sen, is selected for the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2003. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Giridih court (in Ranchi), orders the framing of charges against the Union Coal Minister, Shibu Soren, in the 1974 Kurko massacre case. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Fifty seven persons are killed as a bus falls into the Alamatti dam canal at Nidagundi in Karnataka’s Bijapur district. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Ranjit Shekhar Mooshaharry takes over as the Director-General of the BSF, being the first IPS officer from the northeast to don the mantle. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Bombay Stock Exchange sensitive index goes into a tailspin ending 112 points down to nearly a one-month low at 6308.54 on late selling spree. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 11
|
The Kanchi Sankaracharya, Jayendra Saraswathi, is released on bail exactly two months after being arrested in Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 12
|
The Government withdraws the restrictive provisions of Press Note 18 (issued in 1998) for all future joint ventures between Indian and foreign companies. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Supreme Court bars convicted legislators from contesting polls. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, announces the setting up of a National Knowledge Commission, at the inaugural of the CII Partnership Summit, in Kolkata. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan 12
|
The Sensex nosedives 120 points in volatile trading. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 13
|
The Union Cabinet exempts Government doctors and paramedics from the purview of the May 2001 order on staff downsizing. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Tamil Nadu police freezes the bank accounts of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 14
|
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited launches its broadband service Dataone, simultaneously in Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The MTNL launches TriBand in Mumbai and Delhi. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The NSUI president, Ashok Tanwar, is appointed the Indian Youth Congress president. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 16
|
Security forces gun down two militants who had stormed the Passport Office ending a 26-hour standoff. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 17
|
The Godhra fire incident aboard the Sabarmati Express on Feb. 27, 2002 in which 59 persons died is purely “accidental,” rules the Justice U.C. Banerjee Committee in its interim report. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 18
|
The CPI (Maoist) and Janashkti, the two main naxalite groups in Andhra Pradesh withdraw from the three-month-old peace talks. |
|
|
|
Pakistan Army violates ceasefire in force since 2003 and opens fire across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. |
Full Story
|
|
|
A five-member Bench of the Supreme Court rejects the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa’s “curative petition” seeking a stay on the trial in the wealth cases and a direction to recall orders shifting them to a Bangalore court. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Canada and India agree to develop a tsunami early warning system after the visiting Prime Minister, Paul Martin, holds talks with his counterpart Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Finance Ministry revises all industry drawback rates factoring in the education cess. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 19
|
The Union Cabinet approves a Rs.2,731-crore relief and rehabilitation package for the tsunami victims, with Rs.2,262.25 crores going to Tamil Nadu. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India’s most sophisticated short range, surface-to-air missile, ‘Trishul,’ is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, 15 km from Balasore in Orissa. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Government decides to discontinue the year-old All India Master of Computer Applications Common Entrance Test (AIMCET) with immediate effect. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, unveils “White Paper” on value-added tax which spells out the roadmap for levy of a uniform state-level tax on over 500 items, in New Delhi. |
|
|
|
The Centre forms a three-member panel under N. N. Vohra on the J & K autonomy issue. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 20
|
Ravi Subramaniam, one of the prime accused in the Sankararaman murder case, turns approver. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India and Nepal sign a revised Extradition Treaty and a Treaty for Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters to check terrorism. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India, Chile sign a framework agreement for economic cooperation after talks between the Chilean President, Ricardo Lagos, and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi. |
Full Story
|
|
|
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court acquits all except the prime accused S.S. Dharmarajan in the 1996 Suryanelli (Idukki district) sex scandal case in which a minor girl was sexually assaulted by several men over a period of 40 days. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Srinivasachari (45), administrator of the Uttaradhi Sri Vaishnava Mutt, Kancheepuram branch is found murdered on the mutt premises. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Supreme Court acquits five of the six accused in the September 27, 1991 murder of Shankar Guha Niyogi, Bhilai’s most famous trade union leader. Paltan Mallah, the assailant, gets lifer. |
Full Story
|
|
|
States cannot levy luxury tax on goods, including tobacco products, rules the Supreme Court in an omnibus order. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 21
|
The Tamil Nadu Police Special Investigation Team files a 1,873-page chargesheet in the Sankararaman murder case listing the Kanchi Sankaracharya, Sri Jayendra Saraswathi, as Accused 1, and the junior acharya, Sri Vijayendra Saraswathi, as Accused 2. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Four Tamil Nadu doctors, Dr. V. Mohan, Dr. S. Thanikachalam, Dr. T.V. Devarajan and Dr. A. Murughanaathan, are awarded the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award for 2003. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 22
|
Have China as role model, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, tells industry leaders at the inaugural of the summit ‘Indian CEOs — Competencies for Success,’ in New Delhi and promises to remove all barriers to growth. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Kanchi Sankara Mutt manager, N. Sundaresa Iyer, and R. Raghu, brother of the junior Sankaracharya are detained under the Goondas Act. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Parveen Babi (50), glamorous heroine of yesteryear is found dead at her residence in Juhu, Mumbai. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 23
|
The loading of natural uranium fuel bundles in the first 540 MWe nuclear power reactor begins at Tarapur, about 110 km from Mumbai. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Five persons are run over by the Sampurna Kranti Express after being pushed out of the Farakka Express by Army jawans at Shikohabad station in Uttar Pradesh. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Shia clergy announces the setting up of an All India Shia Personal Law Board with Maulana Mirza Mohammad Athar as its Chairman, in Lucknow. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 24
|
India and China at their first-ever strategic dialogue, agree that the trend towards multipolarity is conducive to international peace and “should be encouraged.” |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Telugu Desam MLA, Paritala Ravi, representing Penugonda and two others are shot dead at the party office in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Supreme Court asks the Kerala Government to obey its order staying the State Rules banning lotteries of other States. |
Full Story
|
|
|
King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan arrives in New Delhi on a five-day State visit. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 25
|
Over 300 people, mostly women and children, are killed in a stampede on the narrow road leading to the 300-year-old Kalubai temple in Mandradevi, 18 km from Wai in Maharashtra’s Satara district. |
Full Story
|
|
|
M. K. Narayanan is formally designated the National Security Adviser. |
Full Story
|
|
|
P. K. Hormese Tharakan, the Kerala DGP, is appointed the Research and Analysis Wing chief. |
Full Story
|
|
|
J. N. Dixit, Karan Singh and R. K. Laxman are among 11 persons chosen for the Padma Vibushan awards. Azim Premji, Manna Dey, Mark Tully are among 30 Padma Bhushan awardees. Mammen Mathew, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, Gladys Staines, Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kumble and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, prominent among the 57 Padma Shri awardees. |
Full Story
|
|
|
India and Bhutan agree to explore railway link following talks between the visiting monarch King Jigme Singye Wanchuk and the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, in New Delhi. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Boya Geethanjalie (12) gets the Geeta Chopra award and Harsh Chaundhry (13), the Sanjay Chopra award. They are among 19 recipients of the National Bravery Awards 2004. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Kerala Government bans lotteries of all States. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 26
|
The nation celebrates its 56th Republic Day. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Veldurai, a prime accused in the former Tamil Nadu Law Minister Aladi Aruna’s murder, is held in Ahmedabad. Another accused, Benny alias Benedict commits suicide. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 27
|
The Centre decides to set up a National Investment Fund to which it plans to channelise revenues from the public sector disinvestment process. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The entire Congress party cannot be blamed for the incidents after Indira Gandhi’s assassination says the Justic Nanavati Commission probing the 1984 anti-sikh riots in New Delhi that left more than 3,000 dead. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 28
|
The Navy Chief, Admiral Arun Prakash, takes over as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The Bombay Stock Exchange Sensex vaults 180 points to cross the 6,400 mark. |
Full Story
|
|
|
Non-government provident funds are allowed to invest in shares and equity-oriented mutual funds. |
Full Story
|
|
|
A child born out of wedlock will inherit only the father’s caste, rules the Supreme Court. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 29
|
Three BJP MLAs resign reducing the Manohar Parrikar Government in Goa to a minority in the 40-member Assembly. |
Full Story
|
|
|
The ruling Congress - People’s Democratic Party coalition wins the first phase of J & K civic polls being held after 27 years. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 30
|
The chairman of Rajas group of educational institutions, S. Arul Raja is arrested in connection with the Aladi Aruna murder case. |
Full Story
|
|
Jan. 31
|
The Goa Tourism Minister and United Goans Democratic Party MLA, Matanhy Saldanha backs the Manohar Parrikar Government giving a jolt to the Congress and its allies to form a government. |
Full Story
|
|
|
General Joginder Jaswant Singh becomes the first Sikh officer to take over as the Chief of Army Staff. |
Full Story
|
|
|
E.S.L. Narasimhan takes charge as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau. |
Full Story
|
|
|
A general court martial dismisses Major Rehman Hussain but clears him of rape charges. He is an accused in the November 6, 2004 rape of a mother and daughter in Handwara, J & K. |
Full Story
|
Events 2005
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
|
