2012: An eventful year that was for India

Bangalore, Dec 28: 2012 has been an eventful year for India. This year saw the demise of a number of personalities from various walks of life. We lost Bollywood Superstar of yesteryears, Rajesh Khanna, and also former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral this year. Bal Thackeray, the founder of the Shiv Sena, and world-renowned sitarist Pandit Ravi Shankar also passed away this year.

A terrible violence broke out in Assam in July, leading to the death of many people. Three great batsmen of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar retired this year. While the two completely retired, Tendulkar quit from one-dayers. He also completed 100 tons in international cricket this year after a long struggle.

In politics, this was a year of elections. Uttar Pradesh saw a change of guard with the Samajwadi Party wresting power back from the Bahujan Samaj Party. Akhilesh Yadav, the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav, became the youngest chief minister to lead any state in India. In Gujarat, Narendra Modi continued with his good performance and returned to power yet again. Veteran politician Pranab Mukherjee became India's President this year while Hamid Ansari won his second successive term as the Vice President.

India also had its best outing in the Olympics this year. It won six medals at the mega showdown although it finished last in hockey.

Kalmadi gets bail

Delhi High Court grants bail for Suresh Kalmadi in Commonwealth Games scam on 19th January.

Thai PM chief guest on R-Day

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra attends the 63rd Republic Day celebration in New Delhi on January 26 as the chief guest.

Apex Court cancels licences given by A Raja

On February 2, Supreme Court cancels all 122 licences given by former telecom minister A Raja in 2G spectrum scam.

Swamy's petition against PC quashed

Special CBI court on February 5 dismisses Subramanian Swamy's petition to prosecute Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2G scam.

Ministers caught watching porn clip in assembly

Three BJP ministers caught watching pornography in Karnataka assembly on February 8. They resigned later.

Blast in Israeli diplomat's car

Blast occurs in an Israeli diplomat's car in Delhi on February 14. Iran held responsible for the attack.

Kingfisher crisis

In February, Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) sunk more in financial crisis. Several flights were cancelled and the airline closed most of its international short-haul operations. Out of the 64 aircraft, only 22 were left operational by February 20. Serious financial crisis also saw family members of KFA employees committing suicide.

Indian eves win first World Cup Kabaddi tournament

Indian women kabaddi team wins the first World Cup Kabaddi tournament on March 4. India beat Iran in the finals.

SP wrests back UP, Cong wins in Manipur & Uttarakhand

Election results for five state assemblies announced on March 6. The Samajwadi Party wins back power in Uttar Pradesh while the BJP wins in Goa and forms a coalition government with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. The Congress forms government in Manipur and Uttarakhand.

Akhilesh Yadav becomes the youngest Chief Minister after he took oath as the CM of UP.

The Wall calls it a day

Ace Indian batsman Rahul Dravid retires from international cricket on March 10.

Trivedi faces Mamata's wrath for trying to shift from populism to realism

Former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi presents the Railway Budget on March 14. He was asked to quit by his party, the Trinamool Congress, on May 18 for trying to raise train fare.

Pranab presents Union Budget

Former Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents the Union Budget for 2012-13.

Sachin scores 100th international ton, quits one-dayers in December

Sachin Tendulkar scores his hundredth international hundred against Bangladesh in Asia Cup on March 16. It was his 49th one-day international hundred. He retired from one-dayers on December 23. He has scored 18,246 runs in 463 one-day matches.

Soumitra Chatterjee gets Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Soumitra Chatterjee selected for Dadasaheb Phalke award on March 21, 2011.

India votes against Lanka in United Nations

On March 22, India votes against Sri Lanka on the resolution to investigate allegations of violations during the war against the LTTE in 2009 in the UN Human Rights Council.

India hosts fourth BRICS summit

India hosts the fourth BRICS summit in New Delhi on March 29. The organisation comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Pak President Zardari visits Ajmer Sharif

On April 8, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari makes a personal visit to Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan. He was accompanied by his children and other delegates.

Eighteen get life term for 2002 Gujarat village massacre

On April 12, eighteen given life term for Ode village massacre in Gujarat in 2002.

India test-fires Agni-V

On April 19, India successfully test-fired Agni V, a 5,000 km-range ICBM.

Maoists kidnap district collector

Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon abducted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh on April 21. He was released after 12-days of hostage. BJD MLA of Odisha Jhina Hikaka was also kidnapped by the Maoists this year and was released after 33-days of captivity.

NRI kids return to Kolkata after long legal struggle in Norway

Two NRI kids return to Kolkata on April 24, following a long legal struggle with the Child Welfare Services in Norway.

CBI arrests Jaganmohan Reddy

On May 27, chief of YSR Congress, YS Jaganmohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI in disproportionate assets case. The Congress suffered an electoral debacle in the Andhra by-polls this year.

Sachin, Rekha nominated to Rajya Sabha

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, actor Rekha and businesswoman and activist Anu Aga nominated to Rajya Sabha on April 26. Tendulkar took oath as Rajya Sabha member of Parliament on June 5.

GAAR implementation postponed

On May 7, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee postpones GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) implementation till 2013.

Air India pilots go on strike

Over 100 Air India pilots go on strike on May 8. They were protesting against the management's decision to train pilots from the erstwhile Indian Airlines in the merged entity on the Boeing-787 Dreamliner. They called off their 58-day strike on July 4.

Indian parliament celebrates 60th anniversary

Indian parliament celebrates 60th anniversary of its first sitting on May 13.

Rasna girl dies in plane crash

Actor Taruni Sachdev died on her 14th birthday in a plane crash in Nepal along with her mother on May 14. She came to fame for her appearance in Rasna commercial.

Viswanathan Anand wins 5th World Chess Championship title

Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand wins his fifth World Chess Championship in Moscow in May. His opponent was Boris Gelfand of Israel.

UPA-II government completes 3 years

May 21 marked the third anniversary of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance II government.

Shah Rukh Khan's team wins IPL championship

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wins the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League on May 27. The Gautam Gambhir-led team defeated Chennai Super Kings in Chennai in the final.

Bikram Singh takes over as the Army chief

General Bikram Singh takes over as the 27th chief of the Indian Army on May 31. He succeeded General VK Singh.

EC gets a new chief

VS Sampath takes over as the new Chief Election Commissioner on June 11. He succeeded SY Quraishi.

Saina wins 3rd Indonesian Open

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal beats China's Xuerui Li to win her third Indonesian Open on June 17.

India pledges $10 bn to IMF for eurozone

India pledges $10 bn to IMF for eurozone on June 19.

Deepika Kumari becomes world's best archer

India's Deepika Kumari becomes world's no. 1 archer on June 21.

Mamata's Singur plan gets a jolt

Calcutta High Court quashes Singur Land Act of Mamata Banerjee government on June 22.

Abu Jundal arrested

26/11 handler and LeT member Abu Jundal arrested by Delhi Police on June 26. He was extradited by Saudi Arabian authorities.

SC dismisses DA case against Mayawati

The apex court quashes the disproportionate assets case against BSP chief Mayawati on July 6.

US magazine terms Manmohan Singh an 'underachiever'

Time magazine calls Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh an 'underachiever' in its July 16 cover. India's Outlook magazine calls US President Barack Obama as an underachiever in one of its editions.

Dara Singh passes away

Wrestler-actor Dara Singh passes away in Mumbai on July 12. He was 83.

Jagadish Shettar becomes the third Karnataka CM in 4 years

Jagadish Shettar becomes the new Karnataka chief minister on July 12. He is the third CM of the BJP government in the state within four years. He succeeded DV Sadananda Gowda.

Rajesh Khanna breathes his last

Bollywood actor Rajesh Khanna dies in Mumbai on July 18. He was 69.

Violence breaks out in Assam

Violence breaks out in Assam's Kokrajhar district and adjoining areas. Nearly 80 people killed.

Pranab Mukherjee elected India's 13th President

UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee elected as the country's 13th President on July 22. He defeated BJP's PA Sangma in the July 19 poll.

India witnesses massive power outage

Over 650 million people were affected across 22 states in India in a massive blackout on July 30 and 31. The crisis, caused by the failure of the Northern Grid, is considered to be one of the worst power outages in the history.

India's best performance at Olympics comes this year

India bagged six medals at the London Olympics that took place between July 27 and August 12. It was the best medal haul for the country in the mega showdown ever. Shooter Vijay Kumar and wrestler Sushil Kumar won silvers while shooter Gagan Narang, shuttler Saina Nehwal, pugilist Mary Kom and wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt won bronzes. Finish last in hockey. A major row broke out in Indian tennis before the Olympics after Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refusing to play with Leander Paes.

Thousands of north-easterners flee Bangalore fearing backlash

Assam violence causes repurcussion in other parts of the country. Thousands of north-eastern people fled from Bangalore in August after rumours spread about possible retaliation against them after Eid. Violence took place in Pune and Mumbai. Violence was also reported from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Bulk SMS & MMS were banned in India for 15 days to prevent rumour of violence to spread.

Hamid Ansari elected as Vice-President

Hamid Ansari elected as the Vice-President on August 10. He is the second incumbent to get two consecutive terms as the Vice-President after Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

Vilasrao Deshmukh passes away

Union minister and former chief minister of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh, passes away on August 14.

VVS Laxman hangs up his boots

Ace Indian batsman VVS Laxman retires from international cricket on August 18, 2012.

Indian colts beat Australia to lift cricket WC

On August 26, India beat Australia by six wickets in the final of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in the latter's den. Indian skipper Unmukt Chand hit an unbeaten 111 in the final. It was the third cricket World Cup title for the Indian colts.

Sholay's Rahim Chacha passes away

Actor Avtar Kishan Hangal passes away in Mumbai on August 26 at the age of 98.

Monsoon session washed out

The parliament's monsoon session in September this year was a complete washout with just 25 of the time being utilised. The continuous ruckus created by the Opposition to corner the government on the coal scam.

Verghese Kurien breathes his last

Father of White Revolution Verghese Kurien passes away in Nadiad, Gujarat, on September 9. He was 90.

Yuvraj Singh returns to the park after battling cancer

Ace Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh returns to competitive cricket after a gap of ten months. Singh, who underwent chemotherapy in the USA for a rare germ cell cancer near his lungs, played against New Zealand in a T20 match in Chennai on September 11. He scored 34 off 26 balls and his innings included one boundary and two sixes.

Mamata Banerjee pulls out of UPA II government

On September 18, Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress pulls out of the UPA II government at the Centre over 'anti-people policies', reducing the government into a minority.

Assassination attempt on Lieutenant-Gen Brar's life

Lieutenant-General KS Brar, who had commanded Operation Blue Star in 1984, was attacked in London on September 30. It was said that the assailants were pro-Khalistani Sikhs.

Yash Chopra dies

Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra dies of ailment in a Mumbai hospital on October 21. He was 80. His final directorial debut, Jab Tak Hain Jaan, was released on November 13, two-weeks after his death.

Second Indian Grand Prix held

Second Indian Grand Prix held at Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, on October 28.

Indian woman's death causes uproar over Ireland abortion laws

The death of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian woman in Irish owing to pregnancy-related complications on October 28, led to massive uproar in India as well as many European countries. Demands were made to review Ireland's abortion laws. The Irish authorities later agreed to initiate legislation to save a woman's life if her life was threatened by pregnancy risk.

Bal Thackeray dies, girls arrested for Facebook comment

Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray dies in Mumbai on November 17. He was given the state honours on November 18. Two girls were arrested in Palghar for questioning the decision to shut down Mumbai in the wake of Thackeray's death. A massive row followed.

Kasab hanged after four years

The only surviving member of the terrorist gang that attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008, Ajmal Kasab was hanged at the Yerwada Jail in Pune.

IK Gujral passes away

Former Prime Minister IK Gujral passes away on November 30.

England defeats India on their home soil after 28 years

England defeats India 2-1 in a 4-test series in India in November-December. This is the first time that England won a test series in India since 1984. Earlier this year, India were drubbed 4-0 by Australia Down Under.

Govt wins parliamentary vote of foreign direct investment

The UPA government won the FDI vote in both houses of the parliament in the first week of December. The FDI issue has been one of the controversial ones in Indian politics in recent times.

IOC suspends IOA

On December 4, the International Olympic Committee suspends the Indian Olympic Association over corruption charges.

Pandit Ravi Shankar passes away in USA

World-famous sitarist and musician Ravi Shankar dies in San Diego, California, on December 11. He was 92.

Narendra Modi becomes Gujarat CM for 4th successive term

Results of the assembly elctions in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh announced on December 20. While Congress topples the BJP government in Himachal, BJP Chief Minister Narendra Modi returns to power for the fourth consecutive time in Gujarat.

Olympian hockey player dies

Leslie Claudius, who was a member of the gold-winning Olympic squads of 1948, 1952 and 1956, passes away in Kolkata on December 20. He was 85.

Violence in Delhi protesting brutal gangrape

Violence breaks out in Delhi between youngsters and activists and police on December 22 and 23 in the wake of mass protest against the brutal gangrape of a young woman in a moving bus in Delhi on December 16. A police constable dies of injury while the rape victim was later shifted to a Singapore hospital. A journalist was killed in police firing during an indefinite strike in Manipur demanding the arrest of the culprit for allegedly molesting a film actor.

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