National Events December in 1999
Dec. 1
The former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi is named ``Woman of the Millennium'' in a BBC poll.
The Justice D.P. Wadhwa Commission report says the slain Australian Missionary in Orissa Graham Steward Staines, was not involved in conversions.
The SC quashes a pending inquiry initiated by the Election Commission against the former Union Finance Minister, Mr. Manmohan Singh.
Dec. 2
The Lok Sabha passes Insurance, FEMA and Money Laundering Bills.
In Tamil Nadu, former AIADMK Minister, Mr. Nagoor Meeran and his wife are sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment in `disproportionate wealth' case.
Mr. Vishnu Kant Shastri and Mr. Ved Prakash Marwah are sworn in Governors of Himachal Pradesh and Manipur, respectively.
Dec. 3
`Wheat scam' rocks the Lok Sabha. The entire opposition led by the Congress(I) stages a walk-out demanding probe into it.
Bhopal gas victims take out rallies to mark the 15th anniversary of the tragedy.
Dec. 4
The week-long crisis in Orissa Congress(I) ministry ends as the Chief Minister, Mr. Giridhar Gamang agrees to resign.
A batch of 1,690 Indian soldiers are leaving for Sierra Leone to join the U.N. Mission to implement the peace accord.
Mr. Uman J. Shah is sworn in West Bengal Governor.
Dec. 5
Mr. Hemananda Biswal is elected as Orissa CLP leader.
India's Yukta Mookhey is crowned Miss World.
The Union Home Ministry ask Intelligence Bureau (IB) to conduct an inquiry against IB officials in ISRO spy case.
Dec. 6
In the Lok Sabha, the Opposition charges the government with delaying Ayodhya cases.
Demonstrations, and rallies mark the seventh anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid which passes of peacefully.
Dec. 7
The Prime Minister, Mr. Vajpayee rejects the Opposition demand for resignation of three Central Ministers Mr. L. K. Advani, Mr. Murli Manohar Joshi and Ms. Uma Bharati in the Ayodhya case.
The Centre says foreign investment will not be at the cost of security.
India and Russia sign a 10-year protocol.
Mr. Nareshwar Dayal, is appointed India's High Commissioner to U.K.
Dec. 8
The Opposition attacks the Prime Minister Mr. Vajpayee for ``withholding'' information on Ministers' resignation.
The Home Minister's conditional offer on demand for a new probe into the 1984 Sikh riots.The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet dissolves State Women's Commission set up by the former Chief Minister, Mr. Kalyan Singh.
The sale of homoeopathic eye-drop is banned following a communication from the WHO.
The former Punjab Minister, Mr. Brij Bhupinder Singh alias Lalli, is arrested on charges of fraud and misappropriation of public funds.
Dr. Shankar K. Pal of the Indian statistical institute is selected for the G.D. Birla Award for 1999.
Furore over the RJD President Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav's daughter topping the MBBS exam in the Lok Sabha.
Dec. 9
BJP expels the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Kalyan Singh.
Several MPs in the Lok Sabha demand the resignation of the CBI chief in the Priyadarshini Matto murder case.
The Mumbai HC dismisses the plea of the sacked Navy chief Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat challenging his dismissal.
27 Ministers are inducted into Mr. Biswal's Ministry in Orissa.
CBI team leaves for Malaysia to secure Quattrocchi extradition.
The U.S. energy major, Cogentrix Energy Inc. pulls out of Mangalore power project in Karnataka.
Dec. 10
The Prime Minister launches a Rs. 100- crore national venture fund for IT industry.
The expelled Kalyan Singh decides to form a new party.
Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and Mr. Jaipal Reddy are chosen outstanding parliamentarians for 1997 and 1998 respectively.
Dara Singh, the prime accused in the killing of Australian Missionary, again gives the slip to police.
Dec. 11
Centre downsizes the NSG cover.
The former Election Commissioner, Mr. G.V.G. Krishnamurthi will be one of the international observers for the Sri Lankan poll.
Mr. Gopalakrishna Gandhi, former High Commissioner to South Africa, is conferred the honorary doctorate by the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Dr. M. L. Madhu, poet and translator wins the Pushkin Gold Medal award.
The writer Ms. Kamala Das embraces Islam.
Dec. 12
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Ram Prakash Gupta says the Ram temple issue is still on the BJP's agenda.
The CBI Director, Mr. R. K. Raghavan, says the agency will be ready for probe again in Priyadarshini Matto murder case.
Mr. Umod Chandra Pande is sworn in the Governor of West Bengal.
Rs. 400-crore additional aid for Himachal Pradesh.
No transparency in judicial appointments, says Mr. Justice Kuldip Singh, retired judge of the Supreme Court.
18 corporators of Aligarh including the Mayor, resign from the BJP to protest against the expulsion of Mr. Kalyan Singh.
Dec. 13
Furore, walkout in the Lok Sabha over Ayodhya issue. The Prime Minister says no hidden agenda.
A high-level central team is deputed to Kashmir to discuss law and order situation.
The J&K Chief Minister, Mr. Farooq Abdullah drops seven ministers.
An eight-year-old girl is crashed to death in an escalator accident at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The Railways announces concessions for senior citizens, students upto Class-X and poor.
Dr. V. Kurien gets the Paulos Mar Gregorius Award 1999.
The Government lodges protest with the Pakistani Rangers following the discovery of a tunnel near the Indo-Pak border.
Dec. 14
The Haryana Assembly is dissolved.
Arrest warrant against Win Chadha in Bofors case.
The Prime Minister informs the Lok Sabha that Mr. Ram Prakash Gupta has denied the remarks on temple construction.
The Taj Mahal will be opened for night viewing for five days from December 22.
The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr. G.M.C. Balayogi presents a draft for over Rs. 32 lakhs to the Prime Minister for the Kargil Fund.
A probe is ordered into the escalator accident.
The Government rules out banning of MTV.
Dec. 15
The Rajya Sabha members grill the Government over the Ayodhya issue.
Militants attack two security camps in northern Kashmir.
Three officials are suspended in connection with the escalator death.
The U.S. slaps duty on steel plates imported from India.
The CPI (M) urges the Centre to take over Dunlop India Ltd.
BJP will abide by the NDA agenda on Ayodhya, says the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr. Gupta.
The Finance Minister, Mr. Yashwant Sinha arrives in Berlin to attend G-20 meet.
Dec. 16
The Madhya Pradesh Minister for Transport, MR. Likhiram Karve is hacked to death by naxalites.
The BJP demands dismissal of the Madhya Pradesh Government and a CBI probe into the incident.
India receives the last set of Bofors papers from Swiss authorities.
Bill on Cyber law is introduced in the Lok Sabha.
India agrees to a financial system stability assessment (FSSA) by the IMF.
The second phase of national AIDS programme is launched.
Dec. 17
The U.S. removes 51 Indian entities from sanctions list.
The expelled BJP leader Mr. Kalyan Singh floats a new party Rashtriya Kranti Party .
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. Pramod Mahajan announces Women's Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The SC stays Uttar Pradesh Government's decision of night viewing of Taj Mahal.
Bill to amend Copyright Act of 1957 is passed in the Rajya Sabha.
Dec. 18
Trishul is test-fired successfully.
Four Pakistani troops are killed by Indian soldiers across the Poonch sector in Jammu.
The Orissa Chief Minister, Mr. Hemananda Biswal orders a judicial probe into the alleged polythene purchase scam.
The DMK warns the Centre and the BJP against `hidden agenda'.
The PWG blasts railway track in Bihar.
The noted historian Dr. Romila Thapar cautions historians on Somnath temple.
Dec. 19
Mystery behind the Madhya Pradesh Minister's murder deepens.
Militants spurn the Union Home Ministry offer.
The Rashtra Chethna Yatra reaches Hyderabad.
The President and the Prime Minister express shock over the bid to assassinate the Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga.
Mr. Quattrocchi, rules out confession in Bofors pay-off case.
The Union Law Minister, Mr. Ram Jethmalani says the BJP Government has no hidden agenda.
Dec. 20
Wrangling, walk out by the Opposition over Women's Reservation Bill.
The Government rejects the underworld don, Dawood Ibrahim's conditional offer to surrender.
The Delhi HC dismisses a plea from Mr. Rajendra Yadav challenging his retirement from the Prachar Bharati Board.
States agree on uniform ST.
The Samajwadi Party Chief, Mr. Mulayam Singh Yadav opposes signing of CTBT.
Mr. Win Chadha ready to come to India to face trial in the Bofors case.
Dec. 21
The BJP president, Mr. Kushabhau Thakre says Ayodhya issue is a `programme' and not ideology of the party.
Curfew in Rajasthan town of Phalodi after a Shiv Sena activist is killed in clashes between two communities.
The Gujarat Government asks the Hindu Jagran March to go-ahead with Shilanyas for a Ram temple at Halmodi in Surat district.
The Rajya Sabha witnesses uproarious scenes with the Opposition demanding the Centre to direct the Gujarat Government not to allow the `Shilanyas'.
The PWG claims responsibility for the murder of Likhiram Karve, Madhya Pradesh Minister.
The Manisana Wage Board for Journalists and Non-Journalists of Newspapers presents tentative proposals to the Government.
Dec. 22
Shilanyas for Ram temple in a Gujarat village is peaceful.
The majority Christian population desert the village. A dangerous precedent, says the United Christian Forum for Human Rights.
The Government says no hidden agenda behind the U.S. lifting of curbs.
The Union Cabinet decides to repeal 18 Acts.
CPI (M) is against India signing the CTBT.
The curfew imposed on Phalodi town in Jodhpur continues.
Dec. 25
An Indian Airlines aircraft with 187 passengers on board is hijacked. The plane was going from Katmandu to New Delhi. It lands near Abu Dhabi after several hops.
Dec. 26
Hijackers release 26 passengers from the flight, which has been flown to Kandahar, Afghanistan.