Current Affairs [national Events 2008]

January 2008 Jan. 1

National Events 2008

Eight persons, including seven jawans are killed in a terrorist attack on a CRPF Group Centre in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. The Union Cabinet recommends President’s rule in Nagaland.

Jan. 2

Seven persons are killed in police firing on mobs protesting deferment of panchayat polls in Assam’s Goalpara district. Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, wins the Ballia Lok Sabha byelection by a huge margin. Sensex scales a new high of 20465.30 and Nifty reaches a new life-time high of 6170.40.

Jan. 3

Nagaland is brought under President’s rule and the Assembly kept under suspended animation. A Class VIII student is shot dead by a senior on the school premises in Chorbari village in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district. The 95th Indian Science Congress gets under way in Visakhapatnam.

Jan. 4

Identity cards are made mandatory for Delhiites with effect from January 15.

Jan. 5

Farmers air grievances at the 95th Indian Science Congress in Visakhapatnam through a video conference. Rajeev Chandrasekhar is named the FICCI chief.

Jan. 6

Saswati Pal, a third year student of Sangeet Bhavan, Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan is shot dead at a hostel on the campus by a youth Amaresh Kundu who later kills himself.

Jan. 7

Lt. Governor Tejendra Khanna says ID cards will not be mandatory in New Delhi.

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National Events 2008

Vinod Rai takes over as the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India. Jan. 8

India announces scrapping of the strategic integrated guided missile programme. The Government sets up a Prime Minister’s Global Advisory Council of People of Indian Origin. An India Development Foundation to canalise overseas Indians’ donations is proposed at the sixth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2008 inaugural in New Delhi. Kerala may have had maritime links with far-off lands as early as 500 B.C., reveals studies conducted by Kerala Council for Historical Research in February-April 2007. Sensex touches 21000 mark.

Jan. 9

Diaspora must join the country in its effort to keep its ‘tryst with destiny,’ says the President, Pratibha Patil, at the 6th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas valedictory in New Delhi.

Jan. 10

Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata unveils ‘Nano’, the world’s cheapest car priced at Rs.1 lakh, at the Auto Expo 2008 inaugural in New Delhi. Centre develops blueprint for the auto industry. The Greek Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis, arrives in New Delhi on a four-day visit.

Jan. 12

A devastating fire destroys over 2,000 shops in Kolkata’s Burrabazaar area.

Jan. 14

Eighteen thousand poultry birds are killed following the outbreak of a bird flu epidemic in two blocks of West Bengal’s Birbhum district and South Dinajpur district between January 8 and 12. The Congress suspends former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal for anti-party activities. The Election Commission announces single phase Assembly polls in Tripura (February 23), Meghalaya (March 3) and Nagaland (March 5). The BSNL launches personal accident insurance benefit free-of-cost to all its subscribers.

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Jan. 16

National Events 2008

The Digambar Kamat-led Goa Ministry is reduced to a minority following the NCP’s withdrawal of support. The culling of four-lakh chicken begins in the bird flu-hit pockets of West Bengal. The border with Bangladesh is sealed. The fire that raged through Burrabazaar ravaging the multi-storeyed Nandaram market complex is brought under control after 90 hours.

Jan. 17

The Centre gives its nod to a Rs.1,800 crore job scheme for the disabled in the private sector. Over 11,225 poultry birds are culled and 5,877 eggs and 1,218 kg of poultry feed destroyed in the bird flu-hit districts of West Bengal. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is presented with the NDTV’s ‘Leader of the Year’ Award at a function in New Delhi. Uttar Pradesh introduces quota in outscoring jobs.

Jan. 18

Twelve persons are convicted of gangrape of Bilkis Bano on March 3, 2002 during the postGodhra riots in Gujarat by a Mumbai special court. The Supreme Court stays the death sentence on three accused in the Dharmapuri bus burning incident on February 2, 2000 in which three girl students of the TNAU, Coimbatore were killed. Sensex loses 687.12 points after a Fed Reserve report shows fall in manufacturing in the U.S.

Jan. 19

The Goa political crisis is resolved after the dissidents bury the hatchet.

Jan. 20

Bird flu spreads to West Bengal’s Bankura district even as culling operations continued for the fifth day. Over 98,254 poultry birds die in seven districts.

Jan. 21

India and the U.K. sign a joint statement and an agreement on cooperation in the scientific

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National Events 2008

arena after talks between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Gordon Brown, in New Delhi. The PSLV-C10 puts into orbit the 300 kg Israeli satellite Tecsar after liftoff from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Sensex loses 1408 points in the largest ever fall in the history of the Indian stock index to close at 17605.35 as ripples of the sub-prime credit shakeout in the U.S. hit the market. The Mumbai sessions court hands down life sentence to 11 persons in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case. Jan. 22

Sensex loses 875.41 points to close the day at 16,729.94. Trading is halted for an hour in the BSE and NSE following a crash of more than 2000 points.

Jan. 23

The domestic equity market regains 864 points following the U.S. Federal Reserve decision cutting interest rates by 75 basis points. Bird flu spreads to half of West Bengal with Cooch Behar and Hooghly districts joining the affected list. Birbhum and Murshidabad districts bear the brunt.

Jan. 24

The Union Cabinet gives nod for getting up an All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi on the lines of the AIIMS. Brijesh Singh, one of the most dreaded mafia dons of Uttar Pradesh, is nabbed by a Delhi police team in Bhubaneswar. The former Army chief, General Joginder Jaswant Singh, is appointed Arunachal Pradesh Governor. Sensex loses 372.33 points as the bearish sentiment on the bourses continues.

Jan. 25

India and France sign accords on cooperation in nuclear research and mutual protection of

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National Events 2008

classified information after talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, in New Delhi. Pranab Mukherjee, Ratan Naval Tata, Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Edmund Hillary, Asha Bhosle are among 13 Padma Vibhushan awardees. Sunita Williams, Dominique Lapierre, P. Susheela prominent among 35 honoured withPadma Bhushan. Madhuri Dixit, Manoj Night Shyamalan, Baichung Bhutia among 71 Padma Shri awardees. Bashir Ahmed Mir, the Harkat ul-Jihad-e-Islami’s chief and mastermind of multiple terror strikes is killed by police in Chatroo village in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. Jan. 26

The nation celebrates its 59th Republic Day. Infosys mentor N.R. Narayanamurthy is conferred the French Government’s Legion of Honour, a day after being chosen for the Padma Vibhushan award. A major kidney transplant racket is unearthed in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Jan. 27

Bird flu spreads to South 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur districts of West Bengal. So far over 15.75-lakh poultry birds destroyed and more than 1.25-lakh birds have died of the disease. France confers the Order of Arts et Lettres on Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan at a glittering function in Mumbai. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, disqualifies three BSP MPs under the antidefection law.

Jan. 28

The BJP national council approves an amendment to the party constitution to give 33 per cent quota for women in posts. The Supreme Court stays the death sentence awarded to Yakub Razak Memon for his role in

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the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Jan. 29

National Events 2008

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, introduces in the Assembly a Bill declaring the first day of “Thai” as Tamil New Year’s Day. The Government clears a $1 billion (Rs.4,000 crore) arms deal with the U.S. for the purchase of six large transport planes.

Jan. 30

The Union Cabinet further relaxes foreign direct investment norms and opens up commodity exchanges credit information to overseas investors. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs clears a centrally Sponsored Scheme of prematric scholarships for students belonging to the minority communities. The Union Cabinet gives nod for setting up a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai at a cost of Rs.76.32 crore. India and the U.S. sign their biggest ever arms deal estimated at over $1 billion (Rs.3,943 crore).

Jan. 31

The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, announces a Rs.10,000 crore package for Arunachal Pradesh and lays stone for the 3,000 MW Dibang power project, the biggest hydel project in the country.

February 2008 Feb. 1

The Interpol issues red corner notice against the prime accused in the kidney transplant racket, Amit Kumar and his brother Jeevan Kumar. The Centre orders the culling of one million poultry birds within a five km radius in four states adjoining the bird flu-hit districts of West Bengal. So far 27.6 lakh birds culled in West Bengal.

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Feb. 4

National Events 2008

Sensex surges by over 417 points to close at 18660.32 buoyed up by the rallying of the Asian markets.

Feb. 5

Three persons involved in the hijack of an Indian Airlines aircraft to Kandahar in Afghanistan on December 24, 1999 are convicted and sentenced to life by a Patiala Court. The West Bengal Government imposes an indefinite ban on the sale and movement of poultry across the state. Around 36 lakh poultry birds culled in the final count.

Feb. 6

Sensex registers a steep fall of 523.67 points to close at 18139.49.

Feb. 7

The Centre declares 14 river projects estimated at Rs. 53,200 crore, national assets. Sensex nosedives by 612.56 points to close at 17526.93 following a bearish tendency in the stock markets.

Feb. 9

Amit Kumar, the alleged kingpin of the multi-crore kidney transplant racket is brought to New Delhi by a CBI team following deportation from Nepal. The West Bengal Government announces a Rs. 700 crore package for helping the bird fluhit families. In all 38 lakh chickens are culled in the 15 affected districts. Over 1.5 lakh birds succumb to avian flu. Six Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists who were involved in the attacks on the CRPF Group Centre in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh on January 1 and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on December 29, 2005 are arrested by the U.P. Police.

Feb. 11 The stock markets plummet with the Sensex dropping by over 833.98 points to close at a nearly five-month low of 16630.91. Reliance power shares drop on debut. Saraj Kovid, a key link in the kidney racket surrenders before a Gurgaon court. Feb. 12 India and Russia conclude talks for building additional nuclear reactors and double bilateral www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

trade in three years after a meeting between Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Viktor Zubkov in New Delhi. Moscow lifts ban on farm products import. The West Bengal Government lifts the ban on sale and transport of poultry imposed on February 5. The Centre rushes additional paramilitary forces to Maharashtra as the violent campaign by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena against North Indians spreads to new areas. Feb. 13 The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi are arrested and let out on bail 10 days after trouble erupted all over Maharashtra following remarks on the “North Indians issue”. A HAL staff is killed in stone-pelting in Nasik. The former External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, quits the Congress party. Feb. 14 The Union Cabinet approves implementation of the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission on re-defining Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies. Feb. 15 Fifteen persons, including 13 policemen are killed in naxalite raids on police stations and arms depots in Orissa’s Nayagarh district. Over 1,100 arms and one lakh live bullets looted. The Centre appoints National Securities Depository Limited Chairman C.B. Bhave as the new SEBI Chairman. A jumbo-sized budget envisaging an expenditure of over Rs. 1 lakh crore in 2008-09 is presented by the Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah. Rajeev Chandrasekhar takes over as FICCI President and Rajan Bharti Mittal elected VicePresident. Feb. 17 Twenty naxalites are killed in police action at Gasama in Orissa. Three policemen also die

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in action.

National Events 2008

Jeevan Kumar, brother of the kidney racket kingpin Amit Kumar, is arrested by the CBI in New Delhi. The Tata Group signs on MoU with the Israel Aerospace Industries for manufacturing a wide range of defence products at the Defexpo in New Delhi. Appu Ghar throws open gates to Delhiites one last time. Feb. 18 Six CRPF jawans and 11 Maoists are killed in gun battles at two places in the Bastar forests of Chhattisgarh. The Supreme Court, rejects petitions challenging the Tamil Nadu Learning Act 2006 making Tamil a compulsory subject from Standard I to X in all schools in the State. C.B. Bhave takes charge as the Securities and Exchange Board of India Chairman. A British teenager Scarlette Eden Keeling is found dead in Goa’s Anjuna beach. Feb. 19 President Pratibha Patil signs notification for implementing the Delimitation Commission recommendations. Feb. 20 India’s indigenously developed pilotless target aircraft ‘Lakshya’ is successfully flighttested from Chandipur, Orissa. Noted Bengali poet and novelist Sunil Gangopadhyay is elected Sahitya Akademi president and Punjabi poet S.S. Noor vice-president. Feb. 21 The former External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, resigns from the Rajya Sabha as also the Congress. Mohammad Yahya Kammakutly alias Yahya Khan, a top functionary of the students Islamic Movement of Ina is arrested at his house in Gurappanapalya by the Bangalore www.bench3.com

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police.

National Events 2008

Feb. 23 Over 80 per cent of 20.35 lakh voters cast their ballots in the Tripura Assembly polls. Police seize 6,000 kg explosives from a truck in Bihar’s Nawada district and arrest seven persons. Somen (Himadri Sen Roy), a top Maoist leader is arrested at a railway station in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganag district. Feb. 26 The Railway Minster Lalu Prasad Yadav announces 53 new trains, including 10 ‘Garib Raths’ presenting his fifth consecutive Railway Budget. Leaves freight untouched and slashes fares. The annual plan is set at a record Rs. 37,500 crore. India joins a select club in underwater missile capability by successfully test firing Sagarika, a tactical, submarine-to-surface missile, from a pontoon off the coast of Visakhapatnam. Feb. 28 Rizwanur Rahman, the computer graphics teacher whose body was found by the side of railway tracks near Kolkata committed suicide concludes the CBI. Feb. 29 The Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, announces a Rs. 60,000 crore farm loans waiver presenting the Union Budget for 2008-09. Hikes income tax exemption limit to Rs.1.5 lakh and proposes withdrawal of the Banking Cash Transaction Tax with effect from April 1, 2009. March 2008 Mar. 3 Sensex loses over 900 points, the second biggest fall in the history of Bombay Stock Exchange, following the turmoil in the global market. Seventy five per cent polling is recorded in Meghalaya Assembly elections.

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National Events 2008

Four members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi resign from the Lok Sabha in protest against the delay in the creation of a Telangana state. The Centre launches ‘Dhan Laxmi’, a conditional cash transfer scheme for the girl child. Mar. 4 Kashmir Singh crosses the border at Wagah in Amritsar after being freed by Pakistan where he spent 35 years in jail, following his arrest in Rawalpindi in 1973. and sentence to death by a military court on charges of espionage. Sensex loses 338 points stretching the downward trend for the fourth day in a row. Mar. 5 Eightyfive per cent turnout is recorded in Nagaland Assembly elections. Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna resigns. The Gorkha National Liberation Front revives demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. Mar. 6 A Jharkhand Court acquits JMM leader Shibu Soren in a 33-year-old massacre case. The Kerala Finance Minister, T.M. Thomas Isaac presents a deficit budget for the year 2008-09. Mar. 7 The ruling CPI(M)-led Left Front sweeps Tripura polls and retains power for the fourth consecutive term with a landslide victory bagging 49 of the 60 Assembly seats. Kashmir Singh admits to acting as a spy for the Indian Military Intelligence in Pakistan. Sensex loses 566.56 points and closes below the 16000-mark as U.S. recession, rising oil prices trigger selling. Mar. 8 Arms dealer Suresh Nanda accused of getting kickbacks in the purchase of Israeli Barak missiles in 2000 and his son Sanjeev Nanda are arrested in a Mumbai hotel. Mar. 9 A fresh outbreak of bird flu is reported from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

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National Events 2008

Mar. 10 D.D. Lapang is sworn in Meghalaya Chief Minister heading a minority Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance Government. The former Lok Sabha Speaker P.A. Sangma resigns from Lok Sabha in protest against the Governor’s decision to invite Lapang to form Ministry. Manik Sarkar is sworn in Tripura Chief Minister for a third consecutive term at a function in Agartala. The Narendra Modi Government withdraws the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill passed in 2006 permitting conversions from one denomination to another in the same religion. Subhas Ghising resigns as administrator of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council after a two decade stint since its inception in August 1988. Mar. 12 Sensex reverses downward trend and closes at 16,123.15, a gain of nearly 200 points. The Airports Authority Employees’Union begins “non-cooperation movement” and the Delhi Government invokes the Essential Services Maintenance Act. A 12-member Democratic Alliance of Nagaland Ministry led by Neiphiu Rio is sworn in in the capital Kohima, following revocation of President’s rule. Puducherry Lt.Governor Mukut Mithi resigns. Mar. 13 Airport staff calls off strike protesting against closure of the Hyderabad and Bangalore airports. Placido Carvalho an alleged drug peddler and Samson D’Souza, a barman are arrested for the homicidal death of British teenager Scarlette Eden Keeling. Sensex falls sharply by 770.63 points or 4.78 per cent to 15,357.35 as the contagion effect www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

of the U.S. recession continues.

Mar. 14 The Madras High Court upholds a trial court order convicting and sentencing nine persons to five years RI in the 1998 Sarika Shah eve-teasing case. Mar. 15 “India itself is vulnerable to effects of climate change and can be a part of the solution,” says the former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore at a function to mark the launch of the India chapter of ‘The Climate Project.’ Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bhopinder Singh assumes additional charge as Puducherry Lt.Governor. Mar. 16 The All-India Muslim Women Personal Law Board comes out with a new “Shariat Nikahnama” which makes marriage registration compulsory. Mar. 17 Sensex loses 951.03 points, its second biggest single-day fall, accelerated by the plunge of the dollar against all major currencies. Mar. 18 Suspended IPS officer R.K.Sharma is held guilty for the January 23, 1999 murder of Indian Express Principal Correspondent Shivani Bhatnagar in her East Delhi house. Mar. 19 Meghalaya Progressive Alliance leader Donkupar Roy is sworn in Chief Minister of Meghalaya after D.D.Lapang resigns ahead of the floor test, after being at the helm for just nine days. A joint Army and Air Force military exercise code-named ‘Brazen Chariots’ gets underway in Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan Thar desert. Mar. 20 The Tamil Nadu Finance Minister, K.Anbazhagan, presents a revenue surplus budget for 2008-09. Announces a Rs.2,300-crore transportation corridor for Chennai. New district with Tirupur as headquarters to be carved out of Coimbatore and Erode districts.

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National Events 2008

The Rajasthan Assembly passes the contentious Religious Freedom Bill. The Union Cabinet gives its nod for launching a Central Scheme to assist civilian victims of violence. Mar. 23 Nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile Agni-I is successfully test-fired from the Wheeler Island, off Damra island on the Orissa coast. Mar. 24 The suspended IPS officer R.K. Sharma is sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the Shivani Bhatnagar murder case by a Delhi court. The Sixth Pay Commission headed by Justice B.N. Sri Krishna recommends an average 40 per cent increase in the salary of over 40-lakh Central Government employees. Mar. 25 The Supreme Court tasks a five-member special investigation team to probe afresh 14 postGodhra communal riots cases in Gujarat. Two-time Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal is disqualified from the Assembly under the anti-defection law. Sensex gains 928.09 points and breaches the 16000-mark again. Mar. 26 Police in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, arrest 10 leaders of the Students Islamic Movement of India, including general secretary Safdar Nagori wanted by police in six States. Mar. 27 The government decides to set up a Farmers’ Debt Relief Fund with an initial corpus of Rs.10,000 crore. A.B. Bardhan (82) is re-elected CPI general secretary for the fourth consecutive term at the party’s 20th national congress in Hyderabad. Mar. 28 India’s first Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research is inaugurated at Anna University in Chennai. www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

Mar. 31 The Orissa Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty resigns following sexual harassment charges. Information and Public Relations Minister Debasis Nayak is dropped for his alleged role in the row. Sensex loses 726.85 points and closes at 15,644.44. April 2008 Apr. 1

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is extended to all the 604 districts of the country.

Apr. 2

The Election Commission announces a three-phase poll to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly to be held on May 10, 16 and 22. India and Myanmar sign an agreement on developing an alternative access route to the Northeast.

Apr. 3

Prakash Karat is re-elected CPI(M) general secretary for a second term on the final day of the 19th party Congress in Coimbatore. The Hizbul-Mujahideen’s top surviving ideologue Abdul Khaliq Dar is arrested from a hideout in the north Kashmir town of Handwara. Protests by Kannadiga groups against the Tamil Nadu government’s decision on the Hogenakkal drinking project spreads and TNSETC buses are attacked.

Apr. 4

Film actors observe fast and lawyers stay off courts in Tamil Nadu in support of the Hogenakkal project. The former Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana is back in the BJP.

Apr. 6

The former CEC M.S. Gill (Youth Affairs and Sports) Jyotiraditya Scindia (IT and Communications) are among seven new persons inducted into the Union Cabinet following

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a reshuffle.

National Events 2008

Culling operations begin in West Bengal’s Nadia district where 400 poultry birds have died of avian flu in the past few days. Apr. 8

India more than doubles credit assistance to Africa at the opening of the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi. Duty-free tariff preference scheme for exports from 50 least developed countries. The India-Africa Foreign Ministers’ meeting adopts texts of Delhi Declaration and AfricaIndia Framework for Cooperation.

Apr. 10 The Supreme Court upholds law enacted by the Centre in 2006 providing a 27 per cent quota for OBCs in higher educational institutions. Creamy layer to be excluded. Apr. 11 Inflation reaches a 40-month high of 7.41 per cent. Apr. 13 Biranchi Das, the former coach of child marathoner Budhia Singh is shot dead in Bhubaneswar. Apr. 14 “Maitree Express” is flagged off from the Kolkata station on its inaugural journey to Dhaka. The train services have been resumed after 43 years. Apr. 16 At least 44 persons, including 41 school children are killed after a bus falls into the Narmada dam canal at Bodeli town in Gujarat’s Vadodara district. The Tirunelveli District Principal Sessions Court finds two persons guilty of murdering former Union Law Minister Aladi Aruna on December 31, 2004. S.A. Raja, Chairman of the Raja’s Group of Companies is acquitted. Apr. 22 “Tata Steel can show the way forward in deploying corporate power in public interest,” says the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the steel major’s centenary celebrations.

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National Events 2008

Apr. 23 Four children die after being administered measles vaccine in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur district. Apr. 24 The Centre recalls the measles vaccine and orders probe into the deaths. Tamil Nadu suspends administration of the vaccine. The Union Cabinet gives nod for construction of airports, airstrips and helipads for private use. Apr. 25 The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announces a Rs. 1,600-crore economic package for refugees in Jammu and Kashmir. The nation’s longest cantilever bridge over the Chenab which links Rajouri and Poonch districts with the rest of the country is inaugurated. Apr. 28 The PSLV-C9 puts 10 satellites in orbit in a precisely timed sequence after lift-off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Eight of them are foreign nano satellites. Apr. 29 Parliament gives nod for extension of President’s rule in Karnataka for six months beyond May 20. Apr. 30 The Lok Sabha Privileges Committee draws up a code of conduct for MPs. Vice-Admiral Raman Prem Suthan takes over as Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff. May 2008 May 1

The Government grants ‘Navartna’ status to the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. Mr. K. V. Kamath, CMD, ICICI Bank, takes over as the new CII president.

May 2

The Union Cabinet gives nod for major amendments in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

May 3

The first Lok Adalat of Supreme Court settles 25 cases in one day.

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National Events 2008

A devastating fire destroys Asia’s largest chilli market yard in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh causing a loss of Rs. 80 crore. G. K. Chadha, is appointed CEO of the SAARC University. May 5

The prime accused in the murder of Biranchi Das, former coach of child marathoner Budhia is arrested in Panaji, Goa. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and melody queen Asha Bhosle are presented with Padma Vibhushan awards. Dominique Lapierre, ICCI Bank CMD K. V. Kamath receive Padma Bhushan awards.

May 6

The Government introduces the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

May 7

India successfully test fires Agni-III ballistic missile, capable of striking targets 3,500 km away, from the Wheeler Island, off the Orissa coast. The Puducherry Assembly adopts a resolution seeking “full Statehood status.”

May 8

The Supreme Court strikes down the All India Institute of Medical Education and Research (Amendment) Act and restores P. Venugopal as AIIMS Director. The Supreme Court asks the Centre to study the possibility of an alternative alignment for the Sethusamudram project. Dr. Sabeel Ahmed jailed in Britain for withholding details on the failed attempt on the Glasgow airport last June, arrives in Bangalore after being deported by the U.K. The rupee plunges to its more than one-year low of 41.76/77 against the dollar.

May 10

The first phase of polling for 89 of the 224 seats in the Karnataka Assembly elections is held peacefully. Ratan Tata, L. N. Mittal, Dr. R. K. Pachauri among Padma Vibhushan award recipients.

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National Events 2008

Lord Meghnad Desai, P. Susheela receive Padma Bhushan awards. May 11

The ONGC launches the country’s first helium extraction pilot plant in Kuthalam, Nagapattinam district, Tamil Nadu. Justice Ajit Prakash Shah is sworn in Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

May 13

At least 64 people are killed and 150 injured as serial blasts rock Jaipur, Rajasthan.

May 14

The Tamil Nadu Government introduces in the Assembly the Police Bill, repealing the 1861 Police Act and four other laws. Eighty-nine people are killed in the high-velocity thunderstorm that rips across Uttar Pradesh.

May 15

Militants gun down 11 persons in two attacks in Assam’s North Cachar Hills district.

May 16

Sixty per cent polling is recorded in the second phase of Karnataka Assembly elections.

May 19

The toll in the illicit liquor tragedy in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka goes up to 68. Justice A. K. Ganguly is sworn in the new Chief Justice of Madras High Court.

May 20

The resignation of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Minister, Poongothai Aladi Aruna following a row over her telephonic talk with the DVAC director is accepted.

May 21

The death toll in the hooch tragedy in Karnataka touches 123 and in Tamil Nadu it reaches 53 with the death of 16 more persons in Hosur taluk.

May 22

The Centre announces a relief package worth more than Rs. 330 crore for the victims of the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. A turnout of 61.3 per cent is recorded in the third and final phase of Karnataka Assembly elections.

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May 23

National Events 2008

The Government increases its loan waiver package by nearly 20 per cent to Rs. 71,680 crore to provide relief to ‘big’ farmers. At least 17 persons are killed in police-people clashes after a rail roko protest by the Gujjars in Bayana tehsil of Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district turns violent. Surface-to-surface ballistic missile Prithvi II is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, in Chandipur, Orissa. Rajesh Talwar, dentist is arrested for the murder of his daughter Arushi Talwar and her domestic help Hemraj in Noida on May 15.

May 24

Eighteen persons are killed in police firing at Sikandra in Dausa district, Rajasthan as Gujjars continue stir demanding Scheduled Tribes status.

May 25

The BJP emerges as the largest party in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly bagging 110 seats. The Congress gets a drubbing in the Lok Sabha byelections. In Tura, Meghalaya, Agatha K. Sangma wins by a huge margin of 99,885 votes.

May 26

The first consignment of enriched uranium fuel from Russia for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tamil Nadu arrives in Thiruvananthapuram.

May 28

Vikas Yadav and his cousin Vishal Yadav are found guilty in the six-year-old high profile Nitish Katara murder case.

May 29

The Government to set up an empowered commission to rehabilitate the Bhopal gas tragedy victims.

May 30

Two persons are killed, one in police firing in Kushalipura in Sawai Madhopur even as sporadic violence mars the Gujjar agitation in Delhi and Haryana. Rail traffic hit in the

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Capital.

National Events 2008

Vikas Yadav and his cousin, Vishal are sentenced to lifer in the Nitish Katara murder case. B. S. Yeddyurappa is sworn in the 19th Chief Minister of Karnataka. May 31

The IAF reopens the Daulatbeg Oldi airbase in the Ladakh region after 43 years.

June 2008 Jun. 2

Tata Motors announces completion of the $2.3 billion acquisition of British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover in an all cash transaction.

Jun. 3

The bodies of 16 Gujjar protestors killed in police firing at Pilupura in Bharatpur district are cremated 13 days after they died. The SEBI announces move to allow exchange-traded currency at the annual meeting of the Assocham in New Delhi. Sajjan Jindal takes over as Assocham president. Sensex falls below 16000 amid uncertainty over hike in fuel prices. The Assam Education Minister, Ripun Bora, is dropped from the Cabinet following his arrest by the CBI on bribery charge

Jun. 4

The UPA government announces a steep hike in fuel prices.

Jun. 5

Normal life is hit in West Bengal during a 12-hour strike called by the Left Front against the fuel price hike. Tripura also observes a 12-hour bandh. The Centre approves the amendment of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Jun. 6

B.R. Kundal becomes the first serving Chief Secretary to join politics and takes oath as a Minister in the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet.

Jun. 8

The Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Fisheries, Jamuna Prasad Nishad, is sacked for

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National Events 2008

alleged role in the ransacking of the Maharajgang police station a day earlier. Jun. 9

Sensex loses 506.08 points and ends day at 15066.10 fuelled by rising oil prices and inflationary pressures. The government announces the formation of a Space Cell to counter “the growing threat to our space assets”. Nod for Defence Informatics Centre.

Jun. 10 Sacked Uttar Pradesh Minister Jamuna Prasad Nishad is arrested. Soumitra Chatterjee bags the Best Actor award for his role in the Bengali film Podokkhep and Priyamani the Best Actress award for her role in Tamil film Paruthi Veeran at the 54th National Film Awards for 2006. Malayalam film Pulijanmam is adjudged Best Feature Film and Lage Raho Munnabhai the best popular film. Jun. 11 Thousands of people in five villages in north Gujarat are evacuated following a huge breach in the Narmada main canal. Japanese drug firm Daiichi Sankyo announces the acquisition of a majority stake in domestic major Ranbaxy for over Rs. 15,000 crore. Sensex gains 296 points to snap the three-day losing streak. The Tamil Nadu government-sponsored health insurance scheme comes into effect. Jun. 12 The Centre announces a Rs. 28.81 crore relief package for the next of kin of the 844 people killed and 22 injured in the October 1989 Bhagalpur riots in Bihar. Violence erupts in Siliguri, West Bengal in protest against the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha’s call for an indefinite bandh to highlight its statehood demand. Jun. 16 The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha begins enforcing an indefinite bandh in the Darjeeling hills in support of its demand for a separate Gorkhaland state. www.bench3.com

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Jun. 17 The DMK snaps ties with the PMK.

Jun. 18 The Gujjars call off their 27-day violent stir following an agreement with the Rajasthan government. New quota announced for Economically Backward Classes. India and Syria sign three agreements following talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting President Bashar al-Assad. Sixteen lakh people are affected by flash floods in West Bengal following torrential rains. Seven hundred mm rainfall recorded in Paschim and Purbo Medinipur districts over a threeday period. Jun. 19 Rail, road blockades cease in Rajasthan. The flood situation remains grim in West Bengal’s Paschim and Purbo Medinipur districts. Rail link between the state and South India badly hit. Sensex loses over 300 points. Jun. 20 ‘Nishant’, India’s unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed by the DRDA is successfully testfired near Kolar. Sensex plunges by 500 points on rising inflation bringing it to a one-month low of 14571.29. Jun. 21 The BSP withdraws support to the United Progressive Alliance government. Jun. 22 The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha relaxes bandh for 60 hours. Jun. 23 T. Devender Goud quits Telugu Desam Party and also resigns from the Assembly. Jun. 24 The Construction of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu crosses

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National Events 2008

a “mega milestone” following installation of the 160 tonne safety vessel inside the reactor vault. The Gorkha Janamukti Morcha suspends Darjeeling bandh till July 5. Violent protests against a land-use grant to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board continue for the second day affecting pilgrim traffic. Jun. 25 GMR Infrastructure buys 50 per cent stake in the U.S.-based Intergen N.V. in the largest ever acquisition of a global energy utility by an Indian company. The ‘India Islamic Index’ that provides platform for investment under the Shariah law is launched in New Delhi. The former Union Home Secretary Narender Nath Vohra takes over as Jammu and Kashmir Governor. Two boys are killed and 70 persons injured as protests against land allotment spreads to other parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Jun. 26 The former Rajasthan Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur is appointed Assam Governor. R.S. Mooshahary becomes Meghalaya Governor. Balmiki Prasad Singh is named Sikkim Governor. Jun. 27 Field Marshal Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw (94), hero of the 1971 liberation war that helped create Bangladesh dies at the Wellington Military Hospital in the Nilgiris. Sensex dips to its nearly 14-month low at 13802.22 by losing 619.60 points on heavy selling pressure. Record oil prices send bourses worldwide into a tailspin. Jun. 28 The People’s Democratic Party withdraws support to the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir, over the issue of land transfer to Shri Amarnathji

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Shrine Board.

National Events 2008

Jun. 29 Five persons are killed and 80 injured in two bomb blasts in Assam. Kashmir valley remains shut down for the seventh consecutive day in protest against the transfer of land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. Thirty two Greyhound constables of the Andhra Pradesh police are feared dead after naxalites attack their motor launch in the Chitrakonda reservoir in Orissa. Jun. 30 Violent protests in Jammu against the Governor saying that the Shrine Board will not pursue its request for forest land. Kashmir valley remains shut for the eighth day. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveils the National Action Plan on Climate Change in New Delhi. It focuses on eight missions. Sensex loses 340 points to close at 13,461.60 following a fresh surge in crude prices July 2008 Jul. 1

The Jammu and Kashmir government cancels the order on transfer of 39.88 hectares of forest land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board. Seventy people injured in Jammu after protests against the revocation of the order turn violent. Sensex closes below the 13000-mark as high global oil prices drag the domestic stock market indices to a new 16-month low. ‘Himadri’ the Indian research station at the Arctic is inaugurated at Ny-Alyund in Norway by the Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal.

Jul. 2

Truckers go on a nationwide strike seeking rollback of hiked toll tax, among other things. Sixty persons are injured in fresh violence in Jammu. Army stages flag marches.

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National Events 2008

P. Venugopal retires as AIIMS director. Sensex gains 702.94 points. Jul. 3

Sensex sheds 570 points closing at 13094.11 triggered by a sharp fall in realty stocks. All broader indices are in the red. Abu Atif, a Lakshkar-e-Taiba lynchpin who provided logistics support for the December 2005 IISc attack in Bangalore is killed in a safehouse in Batpora near Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

Jul. 4

Truckers call off stir following an agreement after marathon negotiations.

Jul. 5

Bollywood filmmaker Yash Chopra is conferred the Officer of The Legion of Honour by the French Government, in New Delhi.

Jul. 7

Ghulam Nabi Azad resigns as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister after withdrawing his confidence motion at a special session of the Assembly.

Jul. 8

The Left parties withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government following differences over the civilian nuclear deal with the U.S. Goa Governor S.C. Jamir is appointed Maharashtra Governor and Prabha Rau named Himachal Pradesh Governor.

Jul. 9

India gives go-ahead for the draft safeguards text to be forwarded to the IAEA Board of Governors. The four Left parties snap ties with the UPA government by submitting letters withdrawing support to President Pratibha Patil. Former Shiv Sena MP Madhukar Sarpotdar is jailed for one year for his inflammatory speeches during the 1992 Mumbai riots.

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Jul. 10 Governor’s rule is imposed and the State Assembly dissolved in Jammu and Kashmir. Jul. 11 Rajesh Talwar arrested in connection with the murder of his daughter Aarushi and servant Hemraj in May is granted bail by a special Ghaziabad court. Sensex plunges by over 450 points due to abysmal industrial growth. Jul. 12 Rajesh Talwar is freed on bail after the CBI gives him a clean chit. Jagat Singh son of the former External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, joins the BSP. Jul. 14 Bhutan Prime Minister Lyonchen Jigmi Y. Thinley arrives in New Delhi. Jul. 15 Sensex nosedives by 654.32 points to 12676.19 on global concern over fallout from the U.S. credit crisis. The four Indian Embassy blast victims in Kabul are nominated for the Kirti Chakra. The Tamil Nadu government’s Arasu Cable Television Corporation begins operations. Jul. 16 At least 20 policemen are killed in a landmine blast triggered by Maoists in Orissa’s Malkangiri district. Jul. 17 The Cabinet approves the setting up of eight new IITs during the current academic session. Ranbaxy Laboratories and Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo confirm merger deal. Sensex gains 530 points to end a five-day losing spree. Jul. 21 Veteran Bengali film director Tapan Sinha is selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2006. The historic trust vote debate in the Lok Sabha begins. Jul. 22 The United Progressive Alliance government wins the trust vote in the Lok Sabha by a margin of 19 votes after a two-day debate.

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Three BJP members allege being bribed crores of rupees to abstain. Sensex notches up 250 points to regain the 14000 level. Jul. 23 The CPI(M) expels Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for “seriously compromising the position of the party”. The BJP expels eight MPs for bailing out the UPA government during the confidence motion. Four Left Parties, the BSP and five regional parties decide to launch joint campaign against the price rise, nuclear deal. Jul. 24 Five persons of a family are killed and 18 injured in a grenade blast at the Batmaloo bus stand in Srinagar. The Union Cabinet approves merger of the State Bank of Saurashtra with the State Bank of India. Jul. 25 Eight low-intensity blasts rock Bangalore leaving a woman dead and seven injured. Embedded chips used as a timer to trigger the explosions. Jul. 26 Forty people are killed and over 200 injured after 17 serial blasts rock different parts of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The trauma care centre of the government civil hospital bears the brunt. The Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, orders probe by a seven-member committee into the cash-for-votes issue. Jul. 27 The toll in the terrorist attack goes up to 46. Two cars with explosives seized in Surat and live bombs defused in Ahmedabad. Jul. 29 The Surat police unearth and defuse 18 live bombs averting a major tragedy. www.bench3.com

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Sensex tumbles by 558 points following the RBI’s hawkish monetary steps to contain inflation. Three private players HSBC, ICCI Prudential and Reliance Capital to manage EPFO funds along with SBI. Jul. 30 For the fourth day running, three more powerful live bombs are defused in Surat. The toll in the blasts goes up to 51. The Centre sets up a six-member experts committee to look at an alternative route for the Sethusamudram project. J. Thambi Annan alias Daniel, a top LTTE cadre is arrested in Chennai. Jul. 31 Himachal Pradesh DGP Ashwani Kumar is appointed CBI Director. August 2008 Aug. 1

Thirtytwo persons are killed after a fire engulfs five coaches of the Secunderabad – Kakinada Gautami Express near the Kesamudram railway station in Warangal district, Andhra Pradesh. Raghav Sharan Pandey takes over as the Union Petroleum Secretary. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.Karunanidhi, inaugurates the Vellore Corporation. P. Karthikeyan takes office as the first Mayor.

Aug. 2

Thirtyfive farm workers are killed after a truck falls off a culvert and plunges into a rivulet in Bihar’s Lakhisarai district. Ashwani Kumar assumes office as CBI Director.

Aug. 3

One hundred and fortysix people are killed and over 230 injured in a stampede near the hilltop Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

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Aug. 4

National Events 2008

The attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul an attack on the friendship between India and Afghanistan, says the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh. Announces $450 million aid to the war-torn nation. Two persons are killed and 40 injured in violence in Samba town, Jammu in the continuing protests against revocation of land to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

Aug. 5

Protestors remove a stretch of the railway track in Gagwal area of Samba district, Jammu severing the rail link of the State with the rest of the country. A Special Tribunal lifts the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India. Tuticorin Corporation comes into being and R. Kasturi Thangam becomes the first Mayor.

Aug. 6

The Supreme Court stays a tribunal order lifting the ban on SIMI. One person is killed as the Army opens fire on protesters in Kathua. Strike throws life out of gear in the Kashmir valley. Tension prevails in Nandigram area of West Bengal’s Purbo Medinipur district following the gunning down of a local CPI(M) leader.

Aug. 7

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, drops Handlooms Minister N.K.K.P. Raja from the Cabinet following land grabbing charges. One more person is shot dead in Nandigram following fresh violence.

Aug. 8

The Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council Chairman, C. Rangarajan, resigns. Bangladesh novelist Taslima Nasreen returns to India from Sweden.

Aug. 9

The former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh joins the BSP. Incessant rain claims 30 lives in Andhra Pradesh. The twin cities bear the brunt.

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Aug. 11 Five persons, including senior Hurriyat leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz are killed and 230 injured in firing by security forces at several places in the Kashmir Valley in a bid to stop a march to PoK capital Muzaffarabad. Aug. 12 Fifteen persons are killed in Jammu and Kashmir in firing by police and army personnel. Aug. 13 Hindu spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrives in Srinagar as the Centre’s emissary. The former RBI Governor C. Rangarajan is nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Aug. 14 Kirti Chakra for all the four Indians killed in the Kabul Embassy suicide bombing. The Government allows private provident funds to invest 15 per cent in stocks. Aug. 15 Politics of consensus not confrontation needed to tackle divisiveness, says the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his address to the nation on the 62nd Independence Day. Aug. 16 SIMI jihadist Abu Bashar Qasmi, alleged mastermind behind the July 26 Ahmedabad serial bomb blasts is arrested from a village in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Aug. 17 The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha withdraws support to the 23-month-old Madhu Koda–led coalition government in Jharkhand. Aug. 18 C. Rangarajan and S.M. Krishna are sworn in Rajya Sabha members. The TRAI allows unrestricted Internet telephony services. Aug. 19 Habib Mian alias Rahim Khan (138), perhaps the oldest man in the country dies after a brief illness. Aug. 20 The nationwide general strike, total in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura and partial in other states. Aug. 21 The Union Cabinet clears the policy guidelines for the commercial rollout of Internet

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Protocol TV services.

National Events 2008

Sensex dips by over 430 points on heavy selling in interest – sensitive banking and realty stocks. The Nation’s first poly-silicon solar project is launched in Kolkata. Karimullah Khan Osan Khan, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts is held in Nallasopara, a Mumbai suburb. Aug. 23 VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda and four disciples are killed in an attack on his ashram at Jalespata in Orissa’s Kandhamal district. A nun is gangraped and a priest attacked in the district. Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda resigns. Aug. 25 Two persons are burnt alive and churches attacked as the Orissa bandh in protest against the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda turns violent. Shahbaz Hussain the main suspect in the May 13 Jaipur blasts is arrested in Lucknow. Aug. 26 Violence spreads in Orissa and the toll rises to 10. Telugu matinee idol Chiranjeevi launches ‘Praja Rajyam’ at the temple town of Tirupati. The Army joins the rescue operations as the flood situation worsens in Bihar. affecting two million people. Aug. 27 Shibu Soren is sworn in as Jharkhand Chief Minister. Militants kill four persons and take seven persons hostage in a house at Chinore on the Jammu city outskirts. Shoot-at-sight orders in eight curfew- bound towns of Orissa’s Kandhanral district.

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The country’s first frozen egg baby is born in a Chennai hospital. Aug. 28 The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announces a Rs.1,010 crore flood relief package for Bihar. Security forces rescue seven hostages after a 19-hour gun battle with militants in Chinore on the outskirts of Jammu. Tata Motors suspends work at Singur. Aug. 29 The National Stock Exchange kicks off exchange-traded currency futures for the first time in the country. Aug. 30 Breakthrough in Jammu shrine land crisis. India and the U.S. reach agreement on amended NSG draft waiver. Aug. 31 The two-month long agitation in Jammu over the Amarnath Shrine land issue ends following an agreement between the government and the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti. September 2008 Sep. 1

The Union Finance Secretary Duvvuri Subba Rao is appointed the RBI Governor. Flood waters of the Brahmaputra submerge 60 per cent of Kaziranga National Park in Assam. The situation on the Majuli river-island turns critical.

Sep. 2

Sanjeev Nanda, grandson of the former Naval Chief S.M. Nanda, is convicted in the nineyear-old BMW hit-and-run case by a New Delhi court. Tata Motors Limited suspends work at its small car manufacturing plant at Singur in West Bengal’s Hooghly district.

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National Events 2008

Tapan Sinha is presented the Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2006 in absentia. Soumitra Chatterjee bags best actor award and Priyamani gets best actress award. Sensex surges by over 500 points to regain the 15000-level after 19 days on falling oil prices. Sep. 4

V. Vaithilingam takes over as the 17th Chief Minister of Puducherry.

Sep. 5

Sanjeev Nanda is sentenced to five years RI for killing six persons in the BMW hit-and-run case. Four districts of northern Bihar still under water a fortnight after a barrage on the Kosi river breached.

Sep. 6

India signs a ‘historic’ agreement with Colombia for cooperation in the entire spectrum of hydrocarbon sector, in New Delhi. Duvvuri Subba Rao takes over as the 22nd Governor of the RBI, in Mumbai.

Sep. 7

The stalemate over land acquisition at Singur ends. Trinamool Congress decides to lift 15day siege outside the car project site.

Sep. 8

Singer Bhupen Hazarika is conferred the ‘Asom Ratna.’ Sensex surges by 461 points and closes day at 14944.97 points.

Sep. 9

Czech nationals Petr Svecha and Emil Kucera are found guilty of smuggling rare insects out of the Singalila National Park, Darjeeling.

Sep. 10 The Punjab Assembly unseats former Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, and disqualifies him for the remaining tenure of the 13th Vidhan Sabha after being indicted on corruption charges. The Supreme Court cancels bail granted by the Delhi High Court to the two Ansal Brothers www.bench3.com

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in the Uphaar Cinema tragedy on June 13, 1997 that claimed 59 lives. Sep. 11 The Union Cabinet approves the signing and ratification of an extradition treaty with Iran. Real estate barons Sushil Ansal and Gopal Ansal surrender before a Delhi court and are taken into CBI custody. Sep. 12 Krishna and Raj Kumar accused in the Aarushi-Hemraj murder case are freed on bail by two Ghaziabad courts. Sep. 13 Twenty people are killed and 100 injured as a series of five bomb explosions rocks busy marketplaces in New Delhi. ‘Astra,’ the indigenous air-to-air anti-aircraft missile is successfully test fired at the Chandipur-on-sea after the Orissa coast. The Bihar flood toll touches 131. Incessant rain in the catchment areas of the Kosi river in upper Nepal. Sep. 14 Major General A.K. Lal is dismissed by an Army Court after being found guilty of molesting a woman officer under his command in the first such case in the history of the nation’s armed forces. Sep. 15 Nepal’s relationship with India is “unassailable” and cannot be compared with any other country, says the visiting Nepalese Prime Minister Pusha Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) in New Delhi. A Mumbai sessions court holds eight men guilty of murdering four members of the Bhotmange family in Khairlanji village on September 29, 2006. Sensex falls by 469.54 points led by realty stocks as a fallout of the major financial crisis in the U.S.

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Sep. 16 Violence erupts again in Orissa’s Kandhamal district as a mob sets ablaze a police station and guns down a constable. Nepal and India agree to set up a three-tier joint water management mechanism. India and Nepal to review 1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Sep. 17 Reliance Industries begins crude oil production from the nation’s first deep sea oil field in the Krishna Godavari basin. Sep. 18 The Union Cabinet gives nod for foreign news magazines to come out with Indian editions. The Cabinet clears Chandrayaan-2 moon mission costing Rs.425 crore. Sep. 19 Two terrorists, including Mohammad Bashir alias Atif, the alleged mastermind behind the Delhi serial blasts are killed in an encounter in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area. Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, a highly decorated officer who led the operation lays down his life. Sensex notches up 727 points to close above the 14000-level on heavy buying by funds and investors. Sep. 20 More than 20 lakh people across 17 districts of Orissa are hit by severe floods in the Mahanadi river system. Lakhs of villagers lie marooned. Sep. 21 Three suspected terrorists involved in the Delhi serial blasts are arrested in Jamia Nagar in South Delhi. Sep. 22 The Karnataka Government decides to invoke Anti-Goonda Act, 1985 against people indulging in attacks on places of Christian worship. The CBI files chargesheet in the Rizwanur Rahman case. Sep. 23 Sensex drops by over 424 points on selling by funds, particularly in IT counters.

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Arun Ramanathan is appointed Union Finance Secretary. Sep. 24 Death sentence is awarded to six persons in the September 29, 2006 Khairlanji massacre case by a Bhandra sessions court. Two get lifer. Sep. 25 The fire aboard Sabarmati Express at the Godhra railway station on February 27, 2002 is a “pre-planned conspiracy” by local Muslims, says the Nanavati-Mehta judicial commission report. Sep. 26 Two persons, including Santosh Kumar (9) are killed in an explosion at the Mehrauli Sarai market in New Delhi. Sep. 29 Two persons are killed and 16 injured in a bomb blast at Modasa town in Gujarat’s Sabarkantha district. Six persons are killed and 35 injured in a blast at a hotel in Malegaon, Maharashtra. India, Russia extend tenure of joint panel on military, technical cooperation by 10 years. Sensex plunges by 506.43 points to close at 12595.75, a two-month low. Sep. 30 At least 147 persons are killed and 59 injured in a stampede outside the Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Violence again in Orissa’s Kandhamal district as people attack three villages in the G. Udayagiri block, leaving two dead and 300 houses burnt. Soumya Viswanathan (25), a producer with Headlines Today is found shot dead in her car at Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. October 2008 Oct. 1

At least 70 people are injured as four blasts rock Tripura capital Agartala. Bombay Stock Exchange launches the currency derivatives segment in Mumbai.

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National Events 2008

Oct. 2

The nationwide ban on smoking in public places comes into force.

Oct. 3

Tata Motors announces decision to shift the Nano car project out of Singur in West Bengal’s Hooghly district.

Oct. 4

A former Gujarat Minister Mohammad Surti and five others are sentenced to 20-year imprisonment for their role in the April 1993 blast in Surat in which a school girl was killed.

Oct. 5

The toll in violence over three days between Bodos and immigrant Muslim settlers in Assam’s Udalgiri and Darrang districts goes up to 32.

Oct. 6

Three persons are arrested in Orissa’s Kandhamal district for their role in the killing of VHP leader Swami Lakshmanananda. Sensex plunges 725 points to 11801.70 falling below the 12000 level for the first time in two years.

Oct. 7

The Tata Group’s Rs. 2000 crore Nano car project moves to Sanand in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announces a $20 million grant in budgetary support to the Palestinian National Authority. Thirteen more persons die in Assam’s Darrang and Udalguri districts taking the toll in clashes between the Bodos and immigrant Muslim settlers to 53.

Oct. 8

The Union Cabinet gives nod for a newer version of the Judges (Inquiry) Amendment Bill 2008, providing for setting up a National Judicial Council.

Oct. 9

A 19-member business delegation from Pakistan-administered Kashmir arrives in Uri to discuss modalities of trans-LoC trade.

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Oct. 10 The stock markets tumble dovetailing the falling gloomy global markets. Sensex crashes 800 points on panic selling. Oct. 11 The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flags off the first ever train in the Kashmir valley at the Nowgam station on the outskirts of Srinagar. Oct. 12 Six members of a family are burnt alive at Vatoli village near Bhainsa town in Adilabad district, Andhra Pradesh. Oct. 13 Sensex regains the 11000-level. Oct. 14 The Election Commission announces poll schedules for MP, Delhi, Rajasthan, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh to be held between November 14 and December 4. Oct. 15 Sensex closes below the 10000-level for the first time in two years. Oct. 19 The Election Commission announces a seven-phase poll schedule for Jammu and Kashmir beginning November 17 and ending on December 24. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists beat up North Indian aspirants appearing for the Railway Recruitment Board entrance exams for the Western region in Mumbai. Two persons are killed, many injured as a 34-metre stretch of an under construction bridge of the Delhi metro railway collapses at Laxmi Nagar in New Delhi. Oct. 20 Sensex regains the 10000 mark on buying support in IT and banking stocks. Oct. 21 The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray is arrested in Ratnagiri, Mumbai triggering violent protests by his supporters. Seventeen persons are killed in a bomb blast in Imphal West district, Manipur. The much-awaited cross-LoC trade the first since 1947 begins with the flagging off of 13 trucks carrying goods on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. www.bench3.com

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The Dahod Lok Sabha MP Babubhai K. Katara is expelled from the Lok Sabha for his role in the human trafficking case. Oct. 22 India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C11) puts Chandrayaan-1, the nation’s first spacecraft to the Moon, in its initial orbit after liftoff from the Sriharikota space centre. The MNS leader Raj Thackeray is freed on interim bail after spending a night at the Manpada police station in Kalyan, Thane district. Students in Bihar torch a train to protest the attack on examinees. Sensex plunges 513 points. Oct. 23 The Tamil Nadu police arrest the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary Vaiko on charges of sedition for a speech on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue in Chennai on October 21. Sensex tumbles by 398.20 points to 9771.70, a level last seen on June 20, 2006. The Lok Sabha passes two bills to declare water stretches in five states, including Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, as national waterways. Oct. 24 Sensex hits 8701 points in a three-year low on “Black Friday” A human chain is formed in Chennai to express solidarity with the Sri Lankan Tamils hit by the army operation against the LTTE. Oct. 26 India and Sri Lanka sign an agreement on fishing arrangements that will help put an end to firing on Tamil Nadu fishermen for inadvertently crossing the maritime boundary line. Oct. 27 Rahul Raj Kundan Prasad Singh from Patna is shot dead by the Mumbai police after he tries to take control of a bus and shoots a commuter. The Gurta Gaddi tercentenary celebrations get underway at the historic Takhat Sachkhand www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara in Maharashtra’s Nanded town. Oct. 28 Dharamdeo Rai (25), a worker from Uttar Pradesh is lynched on board a suburban train near Khopoli in Maharashtra. Oct. 29 Chandrayaan snaps pictures of the Earth. Oct. 30 At least 62 persons are killed and over 300 injured in 12 high intensity serial blasts in the Assam capital Guwahati and Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon towns. Oct. 31 The Assam blasts toll touches 75. The centre grants classical language status to Telugu, Kannada. November 2008 Nov. 2

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan escape an IED blast while passing through Kalaichandi in Paschim Medinipur District. Sensex regains the 10000 mark continuing its upsurge for the fourth day in a row.

Nov. 4

Eminent Hindustani vocalist of the Khirana Gharana Pandit Bhimsen Joshi is chosen for the Bharat Ratna Award. The Government decides to declare Ganga a national river and set up a high-power Ganga River Basin Authority to stop its pollution. Chandrayaan-1 becomes the first Indian-built space craft to leave the earth’s gravity. Mumbai police arrest for the first time ever a serving Army Officer Lt. Col. Prasad Shrikant Purohit for terrorism-related crimes.

Nov. 6

Kashmiri poet Abdul Rahman Rahi is presented the 40th Jnanpith Award by the Prime

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National Events 2008

Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi.

A Chennai court frees MDMK General Secretary Vaiko and Presidium chairman M. Kannappan held on sedition charges. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gives nod for the first rail link to Sikkim. Integrated checkposts to come up on borders. Sensex dips below the 10000 level shedding 385 points following a steep fall in blue chip stocks led by Reliance Industries. Nov. 7

George Fernandes and four other Janata Dal (United) MPs quit Lok Sabha in protest against the Centre’s “inaction” on the issue of attacks on North Indians in Maharashtra.

Nov. 8

Chandrayaan-1 is safely inserted into the lunar orbit.

Nov. 10 Sensex regains the 10000 level buoyed up by China’s multi-billion dollar stimulus plan for its economy. Nov. 11 Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva resigns as general secretary after alleging that the party indulged in election ticket sale. Sensex loses 696.47 points to close at 9839.69 A rare cardiac surgery to repair an aneurysm is done for the first time in the nation at a Kochi-based hospital. Nov. 12 Shourya, a new surface-to-surface missile is successfully test-fired from the Integrated Test Range at Balasore in Orissa. The senior Congress leader. Margaret Alva is removed from all party posts. Sudhakar Dwivedi alias Amritanand the Peethadeeshwar of Sharada Sarvagya Peeth in Jammu is detained for his alleged role in the Malegaon blasts, at his brother’s house in www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

Ramatpur village, Kanpur.

Nov. 13 The second summit of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation BIMSTEC in New Delhi agrees on a pact on combating terrorism. The Congress removes Yogendra Makwana as chairman of its Scheduled Castes department. Nov. 14 The Moon Impact Probe on board Chandrayaan-1 successfully ejects and lands on the lunar surface near the Shackleton crater on the South pole. Fifty-five percent turnout in first phase of Chhattisgarh Assembly polls. IAF officer killed in Naxal attack on chopper ferrying poll material from Bijapur. Nov. 15 The former Union Minister Yogendra Makwana launches new outfit National Bahujan Congress Party. Nov. 17 Fifty-five percent polling is recorded in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election. Nov. 18 India and Egypt sign an extradition treaty at a bilateral summit being held after 11 years in New Delhi. The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 1995. The BSP expels the former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh for anti-party activities. Lt. Gen. Noble Thamburaj is appointed next Army Vice-Chief. Sensex closes at 8937.20 extending the losing streak for the fifth straight day. IT stocks suffer the most. www.bench3.com

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National Events 2008

Nov. 19 The International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei is chosen for the Indira Gandhi prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2008. A man and two priests arrested in the 16-year-old Sr. Abhaya murder case are remanded to CBI custody. Sensex falls for the sixth trading day in a row and has lost 1762 points in the said period. Nov. 20 Sixtyeight per cent polling is recorded in the second and final phase in Chhattisgarh. Nov. 22 The 39th International Film Festival of India gets under way in the Goa capital Panaji. Ravindra Rajaram Kelekar eminent Goan writer in Konkani is declared the joint winner of the 42nd Jnanpith award for 2006. Nov. 23 Sixty-two percent polling is recorded in the second phase of J&K Assembly elections. Nov. 24 SBI to enter general insurance business. Forms joint venture with Insurance Australia Group of Australia. Nov. 26 At least 125 persons are killed and 327 injured in a series of explosions and firing by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists at seven places in Mumbai. Anti-terrorism squad chief Hemant Karkare dies while seeking to assist in an operation near the Cama and Albless Hospital. Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Ashok Kamte and inspector Vijay Salaskar also lay down their lives. Fiftysix persons are killed and 98 injured in the terrorist rampage at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. Sensex regains the 9000 level after nine days on hectic buying across counters by funds. Nov. 27 Four terrorists holed up in Mumbai’s Taj Mahal hotel are killed as NSG commandos and the Army launch a counteroffensive. Hundreds evacuated from hotels. The BSE and the NSE remain closed. www.bench3.com

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Nine foreigners are killed and 11 injured in the multiple terror attacks in Mumbai. The wife and two sons of Taj Hotels General Manager Karambir Kang are killed in the attack a day earlier. The former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh (77) remembered most for ordering the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations dies after a prolonged illness at the Apollo Hospital in New Delhi. Sixty percent turnout is recorded in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. Nov. 28 Nine inmates and three terrorists are killed in the Chabad-Lukovich Jewish religious centre in Nariman House in Colaba area. Five hundred people are rescued from the Oberoi/Trident hotel. Thirty-six people die in the attacks. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan NSG commando leading the rescue efforts at the Taj hotel falls to terrorists’ bullets. Nov. 29 At least 172 persons including 21 foreigners lose their lives in the Mumbai terror attacks. Nine terrorists are killed in the 60-hour gun battle with security forces dubbed Operation Cyclone. Cyclone Nisha batters Chennai city besides wreaking havoc in almost all the districts of Tamil Nadu leaving over 100 dead. Chennai receives about 370mm rainfall in a span of 72 hours. Sixty per cent polling is recorded in the Delhi Assembly elections. Over 10,000 poultry birds are culled in a bird flu affected area of Assam’s Kamrup district. Nov. 30 Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigns and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram replaces him. Prime Minister to hold Finance portfolio.

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National Events 2008

The Centre plans to set up a Federal Investigation Agency. Sixtytwo per cent polling is recorded in the third phase of J&K Assembly elections. December 2008 Dec. 1

The interrogation of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Iman, the only terrorist of the ten-member group involved in the Mumbai mayhem to be caught alive unfolds background story. The Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R. R. Patil resigns. India serves demarche on Pakistan asking it to take action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai massacre.

Dec. 2

Three persons are killed and 30 injured after extremists trigger a powerful blast on board the Lumding-Tinsukia passenger train at Diphu station in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district. Over 72 per cent voting is recorded in Mizoram Assembly polls. Kazakh film director Sergei Dvortsevoy’s Tulpan bags the Golden Peacock at the 39th IFFI. Dvortsevoy also gets the Best Director’s award.

Dec. 3

Eight kg of RDX is found near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai. No terrorist or enemy of our republic can destroy nation’s unity, says the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the IISc centenary fete inaugural in Bangalore. Vikar Ahmed, a terror suspect wanted in the May 18, 2007 Mecca Masjid blast case escapes after firing at policemen in Hyderabad’s Santoshnagar area.

Dec. 4

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh submits resignation to Governor S. C. Jamir. Over 68 per cent polling is recorded in Rajasthan Assembly elections.

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National Events 2008

Bird flu spreads to fresh areas of Assam’s Kamrup district. Historian Romila Thapar is chosen for the 2008 Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Study of Humanity. Dec. 5

India and Russia clinch a mega uranium deal in New Delhi following a summit between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Dmitry Medvedev. Four more nuclear power plants for Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Ashok Chavan Industry Minister in the Vilasrao Deshmukh Cabinet is named Maharashtra Chief Minister. Chhagan Bhujbal is to be Deputy Chief Minister. Sensex slips below the 9000 - mark again with IT stocks taking a beating.

Dec. 6

The Congress suspends Narayan Rane for his outburst against the party leadership. “Hand in Hand 2008”, the Sino-Indian joint military exercise gets under way in Belgaum, Karnataka.

Dec. 7

The Government unveils a stimulus package to shore up economy. Four per cent cut in Cenvat, Rs.20,000 crore set apart for industry, export sectors for the current fiscal. Fifty five per cent polling is recorded in the fourth phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. The Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan is sacked for being “absent from his office since past some time”.

Dec. 8

The Congress retains Delhi for the third term, wrests Rajasthan from the BJP and dislodges the Mizo National Front in Mizoram securing a four-fifths majority. The BJP holds on to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Ashok Chavan is sworn in Maharashtra’s 24th Chief Minister. Chhagan Bhujbal takes

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National Events 2008

office as Deputy Chief Minister.

Rajiv Mathur to be new Intelligence Bureau Director. Dec. 9

The Mumbai police release the names of the nine terrorists killed for their role in the November 26 bloodbath. Forty pilgrims are killed after the bus in which they were travelling catches fire in Firozabad, U.P.

Dec. 10 Lok Sabha MP, Chaudhary Munawwar Hasan dies of injuries sustained in a road accident in Haryana. Dec. 11 Parliament condemns with one voice the Mumbai terror attacks. The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apologises for the government’s inability to prevent the carnage and says Pakistan is the epicentre of terrorism. Lalthanhawla is sworn in Mizoram Chief Minister and is the first to be elected to head the state for a fourth term. Avian flu spreads to six districts in Assam and till date 2.5 lakh birds have been culled. Dec. 12 Shivraj Singh Chauhan is sworn in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister. Raman Singh takes office as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister. Dec. 13 Ashok Gehlot is sworn in Rajasthan Chief Minister. Fiftyseven per cent polling is recorded in J & K fifth phase elections. Dec. 14 “Pakistan has a great deal to answer for”, says the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown after talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi. Dec. 15 The Union Cabinet gives nod for setting up a National Investigation Agency. Proposal to amend the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 cleared. www.bench3.com

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The Right to Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, 2008 is tabled in the Rajya Sabha. Dec. 16 The government introduces in the Lok Sabha a bill on setting up a National Investigation Agency and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2008. The Kishore Chandra Deo parliamentary panel exonerates SP and Congress MPs Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel in the “cash for votes scam”. Sensex regains the 10000 level after 22 sessions. A postage stamp on Field Marshal Manekshaw is released at a function in New Delhi. Dec. 17 The Lok Sabha passes two Bills — the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act Amendment Bill, 2008 and the National Investigation Agency Bill, 2008. Sheila Dikshit takes oath as Delhi Chief Minister for the third consecutive term. Sixty per cent polling is recorded in phase six of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections. Parliament passes the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Bill, 2008. Rajya Sabha nod for Gram Nyayalaya Bill, 2008. Dec. 18 BrahMos supersonic cruise missile is test-fired in a vertical launch configuration for the first time by the Navy. Parliament nod for anti-terror Bills. The indigenous cryogenic engine passes a “flight acceptance hot test” at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. Dec. 19 Union Minority Affairs Minister A.R. Antulay whose remarks on the killing of three senior

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National Events 2008

Maharashtra police officers in the Mumbai carnage created a furore ‘submits resignation’. The Delhi High Court reduces to one year the two-year RI awarded to the Ansal brothers in the June 13, 1997 Uphaar cinema fire that claimed 59 lives. Dec. 20 More than 4.25 lakh birds culled in Assam so far even as the avian flu has struck 120 villages in seven districts. Dec. 21 “We can be hurt but not knocked down,” says Ratan Tata as the Taj Mahal Palace And Tower in Mumbai reopens its doors. Dec. 22 The Insurance Laws (Amendments) Bill, 2008 seeking to hike FDI cap on private insurance firms from 26 per cent to 49 per cent is tabled in the Raj Sabha. The Life Insurance Corporation (Amendment) Bill is introduced in the Lok Sabha. Dec. 23 Parliament passes Information Technology (Amendment) Bill that provides for stringent punishment for cyber crimes. Cyber Appellate Tribunal planned. Satyam Computer is barred from doing business with the World Bank for eight years on charges of data theft. Tamil poet Melanmai Ponnusamy among 21 litterateurs chosen for the Sahitya Akademi awards for 2008. Dec. 24 Voters defy secessionists and exercise ballot in final phase of Jammu and Kashmir polls. Dec. 25 The Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed offers help in “Observing” the Indian Ocean. India extends a $ 100-million standby credit. Dec. 28 The National Conference emerges single largest party in Jammu and Kashmir as the poll verdict throws up a hung Assembly. Dec. 30 The Congress to support the NC government under Omar Abdullah. www.bench3.com

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Dec. 31 The new anti-terror laws come into force after presidential assent. The Indian Maritime University is inaugurated in Chennai. Sensex closes the year at 9647.31 having surrendered 10640 points in the said period.

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