1999 in India
Encyclopedia
Events in the year 1999 in the Republic of India
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India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
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Incumbents
- President of IndiaPresident of IndiaThe President of India is the head of state and first citizen of India, as well as the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces. President of India is also the formal head of all the three branches of Indian Democracy - Legislature, Executive and Judiciary...
– K. R. NarayananK. R. NarayananKocheril Raman Narayanan , also known as K. R. Narayanan, was the tenth President of India. He was the first Dalit, and the first Malayali, to have been President.... - Prime Minister of IndiaPrime Minister of IndiaThe Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
– Atal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
January
- 1 January - Authorities detain 45 HinduHinduHindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
s in connection with attacks on ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s in the state of Gujarat. - 23 January - An AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Christian missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and his two sons are reportedly burnt to death by suspected Hindu fundamentalists. This aggravates a furore over attacks on churches and chapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
s and tarnishes the government's image within and outside the country. - 30 January - Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal KhuranaMadan Lal KhuranaMadan Lal Khurana is an Indian politician and former Chief Minister of Delhi. He has also served as the Governor of Rajasthan.-Early life:...
resigns from the cabinet over the recent violence against minority Christians. Khurana, a veteran Bharatiya Janata PartyBharatiya Janata PartyThe Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) leader, says he is concerned at the loss of image the party suffered following the attacks on Christians. There has been considerable speculation that Hindu hardliners allied with the BJP have been behind the attacks. - 30 January - MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
Chief MinisterChief MinisterA Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
Manohar JoshiManohar JoshiManohar Gajanan Joshi, is an Indian politician from the state of Maharashtra. He is one of the prominent leaders of the Shiv Sena political party. He was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1995–1999.-Background and family:...
resigns on orders from Bal ThackerayBal ThackerayBal Keshav Thackeray , popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray, is an Indian politician, founder and chief of the Shiv Sena, a right-wing Hindu nationalist, and Marathi ethnocentric party active mainly in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.Born in Pune, Thackeray began his professional career...
, the autocratic boss of the right-wing Hindu Shiv SenaShiv SenaShiv Sena , is a political party in India founded on 19 June 1966 by Balasaheb Thackeray. It is currently headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray...
party. It is speculated that Joshi may have been fired for failing to prevent the arrest of party activists who trashed a cricket board office in protest against the India-Pakistan series. Thackeray had launched a violent campaign to prevent the series, saying the two neighbours should not hold sports events while they continue to fight over the border state of KashmirKashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
. - 31 January - India and the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
end three days of talks on nuclear non-proliferation issues, declaring the meeting "productive" and promising to resume discussions before the middle of the year.
February
- 12 February - The chief minister of OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Janaki Ballabh PatnaikJanaki Ballabh PatnaikJanaki Ballabh Patnaik is an Indian politician who has been Governor of Assam since 2009. A leader of the Indian National Congress, he was Chief Minister of Orissa from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999, holding that post for the longest time on record....
, resigns after pressure within and outside his Congress Party over recent mob attacks on Christians in the state. On February 15 Giridhar Gomango is named to succeed him. - 12 February - Prime Minister Atal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari VajpayeeAtal Bihari Vajpayee is an Indian statesman who served as the tenth Prime Minister of India three times – first for a brief term of 13 days in 1996, and then for two terms from 1998 to 2004. After his first brief period as Prime Minister in 1996, Vajpayee headed a coalition government from...
sacks the government of Bihar, which is run by an opposition party, and imposes federal rule. - 20 February - Vajpayee makes a goodwill visit to PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
on the maiden trip of a cross-border bus service. - 23 February - At the end of a ground-breaking visit to Pakistan by Prime Minister Vajpayee, the two countries agree to work harder on their Kashmir dispute and announce steps to defuse tension and reduce risk of nuclear war.
- 27 February - Finance Minister Yashwant SinhaYashwant SinhaYashwant Sinha is an Indian politician and a former finance minister of India and foreign minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee's cabinet...
unveils a budget which promises to kickstart the infrastructure sector and boost stock markets.
March
- 8 March - The government reverses its decision on federal rule in Bihar to avert humiliation in a vote on the issue in the upper house.
April
- 3 April - The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra KazhagamAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra KazhagamAll India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is a state political party in the states of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, India. The party was founded by M. G. Ramachandran and is now headed by J. Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters is in Royapettah, Chennai, and was gifted to the party in 1986 by its...
(AIADMK) backs an opposition demand for a parliamentary inquiry into the sacking of the naval chief. - 5 April - The cabinet rejects an AIADMK demand for the dismissal of Defense Minister George FernandesGeorge FernandesGeorge Mathew Fernandes is an Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, agriculturist, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar. He is a key member of the Janata Dal , and was the founder of the Samata Party...
and the reinstatement of the navy chief. It says it is ready for a trial of strength in parliamentParliament of IndiaThe Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
. - 6 April - The AIADMK withdraws two of its representatives from the Council of Ministers.
- 11 April - India says it has successfully test-fired a longer-range model of its Agni ballistic missile.
- 13 April - Tercentenary celebrations of the creation of the SikhSikhA Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
, KhalsaKhalsa+YouWebImagesVideosMapsNewsMailMoreTranslateFrom: ArabicTo: EnglishEnglishHindiEnglishAllow phonetic typingHindiEnglishArabicAssumptionGoogle Translate for Business:Translator ToolkitWebsite TranslatorGlobal Market Finder...
. - 14 April - The AIADMK withdraws support from the ruling coalition. President K.R. Narayanan asks the government to seek a confidence vote in parliament.
- 17 April - India's 13-month-old BJP-led government falls after losing a confidence motion by just one vote.
- 26 April - India's parliament is dissolved and early elections are called.
- 28 April - At least 39 people die when a train rams a crowded bus in the state of Uttar PradeshUttar PradeshUttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
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May
- 11 May - India's Supreme CourtSupreme Court of IndiaThe Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
confirms death sentences for four of the 26 people convicted of conspiring to assassinate former prime ministerPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Rajiv GandhiRajiv GandhiRajiv Ratna Gandhi was the sixth Prime Minister of India . He took office after his mother's assassination on 31 October 1984; he himself was assassinated on 21 May 1991. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office at the age of 40.Rajiv Gandhi was the elder son of Indira...
in May 1991. - 17 May - Sonia GandhiSonia GandhiSonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
resigns as head of India's main opposition Congress party after criticism from three senior colleagues. Congress expels the three for six years on May 20. She withdraws the decision on May 24. - 26 May - India unleashes two waves of air strikes to flush out guerrillas on its side of a Kashmir ceasefire line, sharply raising temperatures in the region. The next day India confirms it has lost two fighter jets which Pakistan says they shot down.
- 28 May - In Kashmir, a stinger missileFIM-92 StingerThe FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile , which can be adapted to fire from ground vehicles and helicopters , developed in the United States and entered into service in 1981. Used by the militaries of the U.S...
brings down an Indian helicopter killing all on board.
June
- 7 June - India says it has forced guerrilla infiltratorInfiltratorInfiltrator is a 1986 video game published by U.S. Gold/Mindscape. It was developed for the Atari 8-bit family, Apple II, DOS, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System and ZX Spectrum by Chris Gray Enterprises....
s in Kashmir back towards the ceasefire line with Pakistan, and killed 221 Pakistani soldiers in the offensive. - 12 June - India and Pakistan hold "businesslike" talks over their Kashmir dispute but fail to resolve it; India says Pakistan tried to infiltrate the Turtuk Sector and puts the death toll at 267 Pakistanis and 86 Indians.
July
- 4 July - India says it has recaptured the strategic Tiger Hill on its side of a military line of control in Kashmir.
- 9 July - In Kashmir, the Indian army reports that it has all but ousted the infiltrators from the Batalik zone on India's side of the ceasefire line.
- 11 July - India recaptures KargilKargil DistrictKargil is a district of Ladakh, Kashmir, India. Kargil lies near the Line of Control facing Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Baltistan to the west, and Kashmir valley to the south. Zanskar is part of Kargil district along with Suru, Wakha and Dras valleys...
, forcing the PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Army to retreat. India announces victory ending the two-month conflict. - Mufti Mohammad Sayeed launches the People's Democratic PartyPeople's Democratic PartyPeople's Democratic Party could refer to:* People's Democratic Party * Eelam People's Democratic Party * Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party * People's Democratic Party * People's Democratic Party...
in Jammu and KashmirJammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
. - 17 July - India signals the end of the flare-up with Pakistan by announcing that all infiltrators have withdrawn from Indian-held Kashmir.
- 26 July - India says its troops have cleared all infiltrators from their side of the Line of Control that divides Kashmir.
August
- 2 August - Two crowded trains collide head-on at a railway station in eastern India, killing 286 people.
- 10 August - The Atlantique IncidentAtlantique IncidentThe Atlantique Incident was an event in which a Pakistan Navy's Naval Air Arm Breguet Atlantique patrol plane, carrying 16 people on board, was shot down by the Indian Air Force for alleged violation of airspace...
occurs as an intruding Pakistan NavyPakistan NavyThe Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
plane is shot down in the contested area the Rann of Kachchh dispute. The incident sparks tensions between the 2 nations, coming just a month after the end of the Kargil WarKargil WarThe Kargil War ,, also known as the Kargil conflict, was an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir and elsewhere along the Line of Control...
. - 15 August - India says Pakistan's aid to guerrillas in Kashmir is hindering peace talks between them.
September
- 4 September - Indian forces rescue five of the six men held hostage by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir; the other hostage was killed by the terrorists.
- 4 September, 11, 18, 25, and October 3 - Parliamentary elections are held, in which the National Democratic Alliance led by Prime Minister Vajpayee's BJP wins 298 seats, the Congress-led Alliance 134, and others 105.
October
- 6 October - A pro-independence Kashmiri group abandons plans to march into the Indian-ruled part of the Kashmir region.
- 8 October - India's Supreme Court turns down an appeal by four co-conspirators sentenced to die in the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
- 29 October - A "super-cyclone" slams into the state of OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
packing winds of 240 km/h and flattening houses across a wide area along the Bay of BengalBay of BengalThe Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
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November
- 7 November - Forty-two people die in the northern town of Sonepat after a fire in a market selling firecrackers.
- 11 November - A bomb explodes in the Delhi-bound Puja Express from Jammu at Kandrori station, killing 13 and injuring 50.
- 30 November - India says the death toll in cyclone-hit Orissa StateOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
is at least 9,885.
December
- 24 December - Heavily armed hijackersAircraft hijackingAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
take over an Indian Airlines AirbusAirbusAirbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....
carrying 189 people from Kathmandu (NepalNepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
) to New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. After a detour to the United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, it lands at KandaharKandaharKandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, on December 25. On December 28 the hijackers make three demands, including the release of 35 terrorists and a sum of $200 million. On December 31 the hijackers, who stabbed a man on the plane to death, free their hostages after reaching agreement with India for the release of three terrorists in Kashmir.
Births
- 21 January - Rubina AliRubina AliRubina Ali , also known as Rubina Qureshi, is an Indian child actress who played the child version of Latika in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire , for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award...
, actress - 16 March - Ivana Maria FurtadoIvana Maria FurtadoIvana Maria Furtado is a chess prodigy from Goa, India. She won the Under-8 World Youth Chess Championship twice in a row: 2006 and 2007 and she won second place in the 2009 Under-10. Her FIDE Elo rating as of November 2009 is 1859...
, chess prodigy - 22 May - Kumar Padmanabh SinghKumar Padmanabh Singh-References:...
- 15 December - Khushi DubeyKhushi DubeyKhushi Dubey has several Hindi serials to her credit. She plays the little daughter Angad & Kripa in Kaisa Yeh Pyar Hai. of She was in Ba, Bahu or Baby. She also played Nandini as a child in the Zee TV serial Rakhi, Atoot Rishtey Ki Dor...
, actress
Deaths
- 17 January - Mohammed EezaMohammed EezaMohammed Eeza was a south Indian scholar, writer and thinker of Islamic studies.He was a son of the social and religious reformer of Kerala Vakkom Moulavi. Eeza resumed the beliefs of his father which lay dormant after his death...
, scholar and writer (b.19291929 in India-Events:* 29 December - All India Congress in Lahore demands Indian independence.** The radical nationalists, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, push through the National Congress a resolution calling for virtual independence within a year....
). - 11 June - C. R. Kesavan VaidyarC. R. Kesavan VaidyarC. R. Kesavan Vaidyar was a social worker, industrialist and traditional Ayurvedic Vaidyar and follower of Sree Narayana Guru. He was born to Chulikat Raman and Kunjalichi of an ezhava family in Kondad Village, about 2.5 KM from Ramapuram Town Meenachil taluk in Kottayam District...
, social activist and industrialist (b.19041904 in India-Births:*28 March - Chittor V. Nagaiah, actor, composer, director, producer, writer and playback singer .*8 August - Tribhuvan Narain Singh, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh ....
). - 12 July - Rajendra KumarRajendra KumarRajendra Kumar was one of the most successful Indian Bollywood actors in the 1960s and 1970s. He also produced several films in the 1980s starring his son Kumar Gaurav....
, actor and producer (b.19291929 in India-Events:* 29 December - All India Congress in Lahore demands Indian independence.** The radical nationalists, led by Jawaharlal Nehru, push through the National Congress a resolution calling for virtual independence within a year....
). - 10 August - Baldev UpadhyayaBaldev UpadhyayaPandit Baldev Upadhyaya was a renowned Hindi, Sanskrit scholar, literary historian, essayist and critic. He penned numerous books, collections of essays and a historical outline of Sanskrit literature. He is noted for discussing Sanskrit literature in the Hindi language...
, SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
scholar, literary historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, essayist and criticCriticA critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
(b.18991899 in India-Births:*15 February — Mani Madhava Chakyar, master Chakyar Koothu and Koodiyattam artist .*10 October — Baldev Upadhyaya, Sanskrit scholar, literary historian, essayist and critic ....
).
Full date unknown
- Rappal Sangameswaraier KrishnanRappal Sangameswaraier KrishnanRappal Sangameswaraier Krishnan was an Indian scientist and researcher.Born in 1911 at Rappal,Thrissur District. Dr.R.S.Krishnan was one of the greatest Indian scientists. After obtaining M.A. and D.Sc. from the Madras University, he joined as a researcher at the Cavendish Laboratory of the...
, scientist and researcher (b.19111911 in IndiaEvents in the year 1911 in India.-Events:*18 February - Henry Piquet, flying a Humber biplane, carried mail from Allahabad to Naini junction which was the first flight in India....
).
See also
- Bollywood films of 1999Bollywood films of 1999A list of films produced by the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai in 1999:-Highest grossing:The top twenty grossing films at the Indian Box Office in 1999:-1999:-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...