Independent India is a sleeping giant. Although western media often shows modern images of India as that of poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Today's India is on the threshold of regaining its lost glory.
| Year |
Event |
| Oct 1947 |
Maharaja of Kashmir accedes to Indian Sovereignty |
| Jan 1948 |
Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi |
| Sep 1948 |
Troops of Government of India enter Hyderabad state |
| Jan 1949 |
UN monitored cease fire takes effect in Kashmir |
| Jan 1950 |
Constitution of India comes into force |
| Oct'51- Feb'52 |
First General Election in India |
| 1952 |
Atomic Energy establishment set up in Bombay; Chandernagar
incorporated with India |
| April 1954 |
India concludes treaty with China |
| 1959 |
ONGC set up; TV transmission introduced in New Delhi;
Indo-Portuguese dispute |
| Mar 1959 |
Dalai Lama flees from Tibet to India |
| Oct 1959 |
Military confrontation with China in Aksai Chin |
| 1960 |
Bombay Presidency bifurcated into Maharashtra and Gujarat
states |
| Dec 1961 |
Liberation of Goa |
| Oct 1962 |
Indo-China war |
| April 1965 |
Pakistan tanks penetrate India. India wins the war. |
| 1966 |
Tashkent Conference; Lal Bahadur Shastri dies; Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister. |
| Dec 1971 |
India-Pakistan War; Formation of
Bangladesh |
| 1972 |
Pakistan and India sign Simla Accord |
| May 1974 |
Underground nuclear explosion at
Pokhran |
| April 1975 |
Indian satellite Aryabhatta launched from a Soviet cosmodrome |
| May 1975 |
Sikkim joins India |
| June 1975 |
Emergency declared |
| June 1979 |
Bhaskara, India's second satellite, launched from a Soviet
cosmodrome |
| Dec 1982 |
The Ninth Asian games held in Delhi |
| June 1983 |
India wins the Cricket World Cup |
| Oct 1984 |
Indira Gandhi assassinated in Delhi;
Rajiv Gandhi sworn in as Prime Minister |
| July 1988 |
Insat-IC launched |
| Aug 1988 |
The Darjeeling Accord |
| May 1991 |
Rajiv Gandhi assassinated by LTTE |
| June'91 |
Liberalisation initiated by Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh |
| Dec 1992 |
Demolition of Babri Masjid |
| Jan 1996 |
Prithvi test-fired |
| Aug 1997 |
Nation celebrates 50 years of Independence |
| Mar 1998 |
Chess legend Vishwanathan Anand wins the Super Grand Master
Title |
| May 1998 |
India conducted three underground Nuclear tests at teh Pokhran
Range in Rajasthan |
| 1998 |
Tennis duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati ranked No. 1 in the
world |
| Feb 1999 |
The Lahore Bus Yatra |
| May 1999 |
Pakistan-aided militants and
Pakistan's security forces in disguise intruded the Indian territory in Kargil |
| 1999 |
Paes and Bhupati win three
grand slams and end the year with No. 1 seed in the world. |
| Mar 2000 |
President Clinton visits India. |
