2000 in India
Encyclopedia
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
- 3 January - A landmineLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
explodes in a busy vegetable market in the heart of Indian-ruled 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...
, killing 15 people; other border skirmishes with 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...
kill a further four. - 3 January - 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...
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...
accuses Pakistan of being behind the hijacking of an Indian plane and urges that Pakistan be declared a terrorist state. - 6 January - India arrests four Kashmiri terrorists in connection with the week-long hijacking in December.
February
- 24 February - A review of national security is ordered, after an expert committee's report on the incursion of Pakistani-backed forces into Kashmir in mid-1999 exposed serious shortcomings. The Subramanyam committee recommends a new "national security planning and decision-making structure for India in the nuclear age". Fresh clashes are reported in late February along the Line of Control between Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir.
- Late February - ParliamentaryParliament 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...
sessions are disrupted by protests led by the opposition Indian National CongressIndian National CongressThe Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
party, complaining that civil servants (who may not join political organizations) are being allowed to join the 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...
nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak SanghRashtriya Swayamsevak SanghRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
(RSS) in some states. Congress accuses the RSS of promoting intolerance and says the 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)-led government is pursuing a secret RSS-inspired agenda whereby India could cease to be a secular state. - Late February - The BJP-led government's first budget since its October 1999 election victory is criticized by foreign investors for failing to impose tighter curbs on state subsidies. Despite the rising government deficit, there is to be a big increase in military spending, reflecting tension with Pakistan. This will be financed in part by surcharges on income tax and corporation tax.
March
- 20 March - Pakistan agrees to the construction of the long-discussed gas pipeline which will transport natural gasNatural gasNatural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to India via Pakistan.
April
- 4 April - 532 AssamAssamAssam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
ese secessionist rebels surrender in a symbolic ceremony. Whilst Assam's chief minister hails this as a sign of failing public support for secession, the leader of the United Liberation Front of Assam denies that the "rebels" are active members of his or other organizations. - 23 April - Under criticism for doing "too little, too late" in response to a severe droughtDroughtA drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
in RajasthanRajasthanRājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and Gujarat in the northwest, Prime Minister Vajpayee appeals to the nation for charitable donations to help the region in a televised address. - Late April - The state government of Bihar agrees to support proposals to create a new state - unofficially named JharkhandJharkhandJharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
- from its southern districts.
May
- 25 May - The central bank intervenes on the foreign exchange markets and announces moves to stabilize the rupeeRupeeThe rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
after the currency hit a record low against the U.S. dollar. - Late May - Journalists lead national and international condemnation of a proposed law which will demand information from reporters concerning "terrorist" activities.
June
- Early June - Clashes between security forces and terrorists 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...
kill 17 people. Violence in the region has become a daily occurrence as it also has in the far-eastern state of TripuraTripuraTripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
where killings of Bengalis by Christian separatist rebels have prompted the deployment of an extra 3,000 paramilitary troops by the government. - Mid-June - Prime Minister Vajpayee approves a measure to provide 320,000 government employees with free telephones. India has only 26 phone lines per 1,000 people.
- 11 June - Rajesh PilotRajesh PilotRajesh Pilot was an Indian politician and a minister in the Government of India. He belonged to the Indian National Congress party and represented the Dausa constituency in Lok Sabha....
, a senior member of the opposition Congress party, dies in a car crash. Hundreds of supporters mourn outside the home of the popular politician who, analysts say, was an important figure of stability within the party and a likely successor to Congress leader 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...
. - Mid-June - Reliance IndustriesReliance IndustriesReliance Industries Limited is an Indian conglomerate company headquartered at Mumbai, India. The company operates through three business segments: petrochemicals, refining, and oil and gas, other segment of the company includes textile, retail business, special economic zone development and...
, the country's biggest private company, announces plans to enter into the information technology industry. A new subsidiary, Reliance Infocomm, will oversee the laying of fibre-optic cables to connect the top 115 cities to the InternetInternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. - Mid-June - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based human rights group Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
criticizes India, along with BangladeshBangladeshBangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and Pakistan, for insufficiently protecting the rights of women, who, it says, are subjected to negative bias in investigations of abuse. - 16 June - 34 lower-caste Hindus are killed in the northeastern state of Bihar; eight suspects are arrested two days later. The massacre is believed to be a revenge killing for 12 upper-caste Hindus who were killed a week before. The banned private army Ranvir SenaRanvir SenaRanvir Sena is a Right-wing upper-caste landlord militia mainly based in Bihar, India. This group is thought to be formed by Bhumihar landlords. It carries out actions against Dalits and other members of the scheduled caste community as well as the Naxalites. The Ranvir Sena have been connected to...
is believed to have been responsible for the latest killing and for 350 other deaths since 1994. - Mid-June - Archaeologists announce a significant discovery of treasure believed to be around 5,000 years old in the northern 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...
. The jewelry is thought to belong to a civilization from the Indus Valley not previously thought to have spread so far afield. - Late June - The government announces plans to subsidize health insurance for the "poorest of the poor".
- Late June - Eight executives from the independent television station Channel VChannel VChannel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
are arrested and charged with obscenity and indecency after screening a program in which two teenage girls were encouraged to strip on the streets of MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
for a small cash incentive. - 24 June - Almost 1 billion people worldwide reportedly tune in to watch the International Indian Film Awards held at the Millennium DomeMillennium DomeThe Millennium Dome, colloquially referred to simply as The Dome or even The O2 Arena, is the original name of a large dome-shaped building, originally used to house the Millennium Experience, a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millennium...
in London, England. The Indian film industry, known as Bollywood, has its second-largest following in the UK, mostly amongst the country's ethnic Indian population, but receives little attention from the British press. - 26 June - The state assembly of Jammu and Kashmir angers the federal government when it resolves to ask for a return of the region's autonomous status which was revoked in 1953. The government refuses to discuss the proposal in parliament in early July and rejects the calls outright.
- 27 June - The 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...
calls on the government to review its list of employees and remove "the indolent, infirm, and those of doubtful integrity, reputation, or utility". - 28 June - India joins a select group of six countries when it commences regular summits with the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. The other five countries which have regular consultations with the EU are CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
July
- Early July - The first passenger rail link between India and Bangladesh in 26 years is opened. The line between Benapole in Bangladesh and Petrapole in West Bengal was closed due to lack of commercial interest in 1974.
- Early July - Wildlife experts announce an investigation into the mysterious sudden deaths of 12 of the 56 rare Royal Bengal tigers in Nandankanan Zoo in Orissa. There are thought to be fewer than 4,000 tigers in the wild in India.
- Mid-July - The UN's Population Fund condemns the government for its lack of commitment to tackle the imbalance between numbers of males and females in the country which it is thought is largely due to the feticide and infanticide of baby girls. There are estimated to be 960 women to every 1,000 men.
- Mid-July - A landslide in Mumbai's slum district kills at least 60 people after torrential rain. A further 200 people are feared lost under the rubble.
- 15 July - Prime Minister Vajpayee announces that long-distance domestic phone lines will be fully deregulated from August 15 to help boost the country's information technology industry.
- 17 July - More than 50 people are killed when a Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
passenger plane crashes in a residential area of Patna. - July - Authorities in SikkimSikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
uphold complaints from local Buddhists and ban expeditions up the northeast face of the world's third highest mountain peak, Kanchenjunga, which is revered by local people as a deity. - 22 July - The government announces the launch of a National Population Stabilization Fund to help promote family planning programs in the country, especially in the northern states which contain half of all Indians. The population officially passed the 1 billion mark on May 11, although the UN believes that figure had already been reached on August 15, 1999.
- 23 July - Minister for Law Ram JethmalaniRam JethmalaniRam Jethmalani, : राम जेठ्मलानी,: رام جيٺملاڻي born 14 September 1923, in Shikharpur in Sindh, British India) is an Indian lawyer and politician. He has served in various posts such as Union Law Minister and Chairman of Bar Associations...
resigns from the cabinet blaming strained relations with Attorney General Soli SorabjeeSoli SorabjeeSoli Jehangir Sorabjee is an Indian jurist.-Biography:Soli Sorabjee was born on March 9, 1930 in Bombay, and after an education at Government Law College, Bombay, was admitted to the bar in 1953...
. - Late July - Bal Thackeray, leader of the far-right 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...
militant group, is released within hours of his arrest. The court claims that too much time has passed since his alleged crimes of promoting "communal enmity" to warrant prosecution. The Maharashtra state government, whose decision to press the charges had prompted threats from Shiv Sena supporters to disrupt commerce in Mumbai, says it will appeal against the ruling. - Late July - Thousands of police officers in the crime-plagued eastern state of Bihar go on strike to demand better compensation for the families of fallen comrades, and less "political interference" in their work.
- Late July - 10,000 homes are destroyed and 40 people killed in severe flooding in the northwestern state of Rajasthan.
- 24 July - The government's commitment to privatization plans is confirmed with the naming of ex-journalist and committed free-market economist Arun Shourie as minister for privatization.
- Late July - The government and separatist rebels from the far-eastern border state of Nagaland agree to extend their ceasefire for a further year in an attempt to bring a lasting solution to the 53-year rebellion.
- 30 July - The Indian film idol RajkumarRajkumarRajkumar , born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju was a popular actor and singer in the Kannada film industry...
is part of a group taken hostage by a notorious Karnataka bandit known as VeerappanVeerappanKoose Muniswamy Veerappan commonly known as Veerappan, was a notorious dacoit, or robber bandit, of India. He was active for a period of years in a broad swath of land covering 6,000 km² in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu...
. A popular outcry places the state government under strong pressure to negotiate Rajkumar's release, but in August the Supreme Court rules out a deal involving the release of imprisoned members of Veerappan's elephant poaching and timber smuggling band. One of Rajkumar's fellow hostages manages to escape from his captors on September 28.
August
- 1 August - Bangaru Laxman, a junior minister in the cabinet, is appointed as the new president of the ruling BJP. Laxman is the first lower-caste Hindu and southern Indian to hold the position and says he will look to expand the party's support base in the south. As a known moderate it is thought he will also seek to mend strained relations with the Hindu right.
- Early August - Around 90 Hindus are massacred by Muslim separatists in Indian-administered Kashmir. The violence is thought to be a hostile reaction to peace initiatives begun by the largest separatist group Hizbul Mujahideen.
- Early August - Five people suspected of being witches are burned alive by 200 angry villagers in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Almost all of the village's 1,500 inhabitants flee their homes after the crime.
- Early August - Severe rainfall over the Himalayas causes widespread devastation across northern and eastern areas of the country. More than 100 people are killed and over 5 million made homeless in the states of Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and Assam.
- Early August - Thousands of women demonstrate in New Delhi in support of the government's proposed "reservations bill" which will guarantee women one-third of all parliamentary seats. Pressure groups note that despite the prime minister's promises the bill has not been listed on the current parliamentary schedule.
- 8 August - A ceasefire initiated on July 24 between the government and the Kashmiri separatist group Hizbul Mujahideen falls apart after only 15 days after accusations that the government has fired on some of the group's members. Prime Minister Vajpayee urges that his government is still prepared to discuss peace initiatives but states that any deal will have to be worked out within the framework of the Indian constitution, which Hizbul Mujahideen has flatly rejected as a basis for peace. The government also refuses to address the group's key demand that Pakistan be involved in any talks.
- Late August - The regionalist debate is invigorated by government proposals to share out the revenue of the various states. Delegates from ten states meet with the prime minister to urge him to drop the proposals. They claim the policy will penalize states which have managed to increase revenue through hard-won reforms.
- Late August - Over 100 people die in severe monsoon rains in southern India. In the face of the torrential downpour more than 50,000 people are evacuated, mostly from Hyderabad which receives over half of its average annual rainfall in 24 hours.
- 24 August - The army claims it has killed at least ten Pakistani soldiers after attacking around 40 troops attempting to penetrate Indian territory. It is the worst cross-border incident since an unofficial ceasefire was agreed in June.
September
- 6 September - 300,000 telecom workers begin an indefinite strike to protest against the government's decision to transform the department of telecommunications into a state-run corporation.
- Early September - The onslaught against overpopulation continues in the western state of Maharashtra when the state's government decides to withhold benefits from May 2001 for families with more than two children. A two-child maximum is already a prerequisite for employment by the state, and the authorities are also considering enforcing a law to prevent women from marrying under the age of 18.
- Mid-September - The environmentalist group Greenpeace criticizes the government for not doing enough to enforce regulations banning the dumping of international toxic waste in India.
- Mid-September - The World Health OrganizationWorld Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) warns that 1 billion people worldwide are regularly exposed to levels of air pollution 100 times greater than recommended guidelines. The greatest risk is from the use of solid fuel in poor households, rather than from industrial smog in large cities. It notes that 500,000 children from rural areas die every year from respiratory infections in India where 80% of homes use solid fuel for cooking and heating. - September - On average in India 24 women are raped every day and 14 killed to "protect their family's honour" according to the UN's latest State of the World's Population report. It also reveals that 40% of Indian women are subjected to domestic violence.
- Late September - India and South Africa sign a defense cooperation agreement in Cape Town covering peacekeeping, weapons development and procurement, and counter-terrorism. South Africa hopes that India's experience in peacekeeping can be applied in conflict resolution in southern Africa.
- 29 September - Newspapers hail the conviction of former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao as a landmark moment in Indian law. He was found guilty of corruption in a bribery scandal dating from 1993 and the decision is interpreted by the press as a clear signal that high rank does not provide legal protection.
- End of September - FloodFloodA flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
ing in eastern states has left many millions homeless and has killed 850 people in the state of West Bengal alone. - 30 September - The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the third largest party at federal level, has its status as a "national" party revoked by the electoral commission. The move is a serious threat to the party which controls two states outright, including the populous state of West Bengal, and is the leading coalition partner in another.
October
- Early October - A senior Hindu leader urges the government to establish a national Christian church and expel foreign missionaries. The country's Christian community is often subject to violent intimidation from extremist Hindu activists.
- 3 October - Prime Minister Vajpayee signs a bilateral agreement with Russian President Vladimir PutinVladimir PutinVladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
to increase ties between the two countries including cooperation on issues of defense. - Mid-October - The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) revises its predictions, lowering the forecast rate of economic growth for 2000 from 7% to 5.8%.
- Mid-October - The Information Technology Act 2000 comes into force providing regulations for e-commerce and punishment for improper use of the Internet. Digital signatures are now legal, and distributors of cyber pornography can face up to five years imprisonment. The act includes a controversial clause allowing police to make searches and arrest suspects in public places without a warrant.
- Mid-October - The chief minister of the northeastern state of Arunachal PradeshArunachal PradeshArunachal Pradesh is a state of India, located in the far northeast. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Burma in the east, Bhutan in the west, and the People's Republic of China in the north. The majority of the territory is claimed by...
complains that Chinese soldiers are making regular forays across the agreed Line of Actual Control to harass villagers. The Chinese government dismisses the claims as inaccurate. - Mid-October - A court in the western state of Gujarat rules in favour of the vertical extension of the controversial Sardar Sarovar dam on the River Narmada. Work on the dam was halted in 1994 due to strong local objections. Supporters of the project point to the beneficial effects of more water for the drought-plagued region and an increase in hydroelectric power while opponents argue that the subsequent displacement of thousands of villagers around the river is insupportable.
November
- 1 November - ChhattisgarhChhattisgarhChhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
, carved out of Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, becomes India's 26th state. - 6 November - Buddhadev Bhattacharya is sworn in as the new chief minister of West Bengal following the retirement of Jyoti BasuJyoti BasuJyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
, the world's longest-serving elected communist leader. - 9 November - Uttaranchal, carved out 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...
, becomes India's 27th state. - Early November - Syed Salahuddin, leader of the Kashmiri separatist group Hizbul MujahideenHizbul MujahideenHizbul Mujahideen , founded by Ahsan Dar in 1989, is a Kashmiri militant group active in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. Their headquarters are located in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. It is believed the group al-Badr, derived from Hizbul Mujahideen...
, calls on Muslim nations to cut ties with India and says the group will not renew a unilateral ceasefire. It calls for the Indian government to officially recognize that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and for any further negotiations to include the Pakistani government and the people of Kashmir. - Mid-November - Three months of extreme embarrassment for the state governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka end when the notorious aging bandit Veerappan suddenly releases an even older veteran actor, Rajkumar, he had held captive since August. The authorities, keenly aware of the popularity of Rajkumar, agreed in August to grant some of Veerappan's demands which included the official recognition of Tamil as a language used in business in Karnataka, and the release of prisoners held under strict anti-terrorist laws. It remains unclear what exactly prompted the release of Rajkumar.
- 15 November - Sonia Gandhi easily wins reelection as leader of the Congress (I) party, beating Jitendra Prasada by 7,448 votes to 94. Prasada is the first person to challenge a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty which has dominated Congress since the 1950s.
- 15 November - JharkhandJharkhandJharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
, carved out of BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, becomes India's 28th state. - Late November - Violent protests force the government to rethink plans to close heavily polluting industries in Delhi. Workers from the doomed factories clash with police while demonstrating against the environmentally motivated decision which would lead to job losses.
- Late November - Ten people, including three Indian soldiers, are killed in a landmine attack in Kashmir on the first day of a government ceasefire held to coincide with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen claim responsibility for the attack condemning the ceasefire as a publicity stunt intended to win over international opinion.
- Late November - India's chief corruption commissioner N. Vittal declares that the country's entire political system depends on illegal funding.
December
- 1 December - Miss IndiaMiss IndiaMiss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co...
first runner-up Priyanka ChopraPriyanka ChopraPriyanka Chopra is an Indian actress and former Miss World. Before starting her acting career, she worked as a model and gained fame after winning the Miss World title in 2000. She is often referred to by the nickname "Piggy Chops", which was given to her by co-stars on the set of the film...
wins the Miss World 2000Miss World 2000Miss World 2000, the 50th Miss World pageant, was held on 30 November 2000 at the Millennium Dome in London, United Kingdom. The pageant's swimsuit segment was filmed in the Maldives....
title. - 2 December - Pakistan offers to exercise "maximum restraint" in contested border areas of Kashmir as a beginning to negotiations with the Indian authorities. India insists that before there can be talks there must be a complete cessation of firing across the Line of Control.
- Early December - Political turmoil is ignited by the anniversary of the destruction of a mosque by Hindu extremists at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, in 1992. It leads to calls for the resignation of Prime Minister Vajpayee and leaves the lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, in stalemate. Vajpayee suggests that the construction of a Hindu temple on the site of the mosque, reputedly the birthplace of a Hindu deity, is "an expression of national yearning".
- 17 December - An alliance of Kashmiri separatists, the Hurriyat, begin talks to discuss a unified response to the Indian government's ceasefire but divisions between the factions drag the conference into a second day.
- 20 December - In response to the Indian government's extension of its unilateral ceasefire in Kashmir for a further month, the Pakistani authorities announce that they will partially withdraw troops from the disputed line of control.
- Late December - Relations with Pakistan are damaged when Prime Minister Vajpayee accuses the Pakistani authorities of being behind threats made by the extremist Kashmiri separatist group Lashkar-e-Toiba against his own person. The group, which is based in Pakistan, launched a surprise attack on the historic Red Fort in Delhi on December 22, killing three people and undermining Vajpayee's Ramadan ceasefire, which had been extended for an extra month two days earlier.
Births
- January 21 - Naga VaishnaviNaga VaishnaviNaga Vaishnavi , was the daughter of Palagani Prabhakara Rao, a noted businessman in Andhra Pradesh, and his second wife Narmada. Vaishnavi was kidnapped on January 30, 2010, and murdered by her kidnappers on February 2 of that same year. That incident caused tremendous shock for her father,...
, murder victim (died 20102010 in India-Incumbents:* President of India – Pratibha Patil* Prime Minister of India – Manmohan Singh-January:* January 2 - First three Uttar Pradesh rail accidents: Three train accidents occur in Uttar Pradesh amid thick fog...
) - April 5 - Mugdha VaishampayanMugdha VaishampayanMugdha Vaishampayan was one of the finalists in the Marathi championship of Idea Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Marathi L'il Champs, which aired on Zee Marathi television between July 2008 and February 2009...
, singer - October 11 - Sparsh KhanchandaniSparsh KhanchandaniSparsh Khanchandani is an Indian child film actress. she was born in 11 October 2000,her real name is Kum Kum.She is one of the most popular young faces of the Indian television. She tasted success with her role in Uttaran as the innocent little Iccha. She has done cameos in CID and Shree...
, actress
Deaths
- 27 March - Priya RajvanshPriya RajvanshPriya Rajvansh , born Vera Sundersingh, was an Indian film actress, who is known her performance in films like, Heer Ranjha and Hanste Zakhm , amongst a handful of films she did during her career....
, film actress (b. 1937) - 6 May - Balivada Kantha RaoBalivada Kantha RaoBalivada Kantha Rao was a noted Telugu novelist and playwright.He was born in Madapam village in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, he worked in various capacities as civilian officer in the Indian Navy. He has to his credit 38 major and minor novels, 400 short stories, 5 major plays, host of...
, novelist and playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
(b.19271927 in India-Events:* 12 November - Mahatma Gandhi made his first and last visit to Ceylon.* The commission is formed to consider further steps toward self-rule of India. No Indian member is included.-Births:* 24 January - J...
). - 13 May - Bhim Singh Dahiya, 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...
and civil servant (b.19401940 in IndiaEvents in the year 1940 in India.-Births:*6 January - Narendra Kohli, author.*27 July - Bharati Mukherjee, writer.*7 August - Vijay Raghunath Pandharipande, physicist .*8 August - Dilip Sardesai, cricketer .*20 August - Rajendra K...
). - 22 May - BahadoorBahadoorBahadoor , born P. K. Kunjalu, was a Malayalam film comedian who, along with Adoor Bhasi, redefined the way in which comedy and funny scenes were perceived in Malayalam cinema. They made a significant contribution toward establishing comedy as the predominant genre of Malayalam cinema...
, actor (b.19301930 in IndiaEvents in the year 1930 in India.-Events:* First round table was opened.*26 January - The Indian National Congress declares 26 January as Independence Day, or the day for Poorna Swaraj ....
). - 10 July - Vakkom MajeedVakkom MajeedS. Abdul Majeed known as Vakkom Majeed, was a veteran Freedom fighter and a former member of Travancore-Cochin State Assembly. Majeed was a politician-extraordinary in the socio-political realm of Kerala in the 20th Century...
, freedom fighter and politician (b.19091909 in India-Births:*3 January - M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, actor and Carnatic singer .*10 February - Pisharoth Rama Pisharoty, physicist and meteorologist .*6 April - Alagappa Chettiar, businessman and philanthropist ....
). - 5 August - Lala AmarnathLala AmarnathNanik Amarnath Bhardwaj was an Indian Test cricketer. He was the first cricketer to score a Test century for the Indian cricket team, which he achieved on debut...
, cricketer (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....
). - 22 August - Raj ShankarRaj ShankarRaj Shankar , was an Indian biochemist. His main fields of specialization were neurobiochemistry and clinical biochemistry...
, biochemistBiochemistBiochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. Typical biochemists study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. The prefix of "bio" in "biochemist" can be understood as a fusion of "biological chemist."-Role:...
(b.19471947 in IndiaEvents in the year 1947 in the Republic of India.-Incumbents:* Emperor of India – George VI until August 15* Prime Minister of India – Jawaharlal Nehru took office on August 15-Events:*15 March - Hindus and Muslims clash in Punjab....
). - 26 August - Balan K. NairBalan K. NairBalan K. Nair was a Malayalam film actor. Even though he appeared in most films as villain, he was also noted for his performance in strong character roles. He won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1981 for his performance in the movie Oppol.-Personal life:Balan K...
, actor (b.19331933 in India-Events:*8 May - Mohandas Gandhi begins a 3-week hunger strike because of the mistreatment of the lower castes.-Births:*14 February - Madhubala, actress .*18 February - Nimmi, actress.*4 April - Balan K...
). - 7 November - Chidambaram SubramaniamChidambaram SubramaniamChidambaram Subramaniam , was an Indian statesman...
, politician and Minister (b.19101910 in India-Incumbents:* Emperor of India – Edward VII until May 6, George V-Births:*30 January - Chidambaram Subramaniam, politician and Minister .*19 May - Nathuram Godse, assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, executed ....
).
See also
- Bollywood films of 2000Bollywood films of 2000A list of films produced by the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai in 2000:-Highest grossing:The top ten grossing films at the Indian box office in 2000:-2000:-External links:* at the Internet Movie Database...