National Events of 2019
SC upholds claim of Hindus to construct Ram temple at disputed Ayodhya site
In a historic verdict, the Supreme Court upheld the claim that Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site is the birthplace of Ram and mandated that the whole of the disputed Ayodhya land should be given to the Hindus for the construction of a Ram Temple. The court directed the centre and state government to allot 5 acres of alternate land to the Sunni Waqf Board for the construction of the mosque. A trust has been mandated to be set up to oversee the construction of the Ram temple. Nirmohi Akhara has been allowed representation on the trust’s board.
SC refers Sabarimala review petitions to seven judge bench
The Sabarimala review petitions have been referred to a larger seven-judge bench by the Supreme Court. The SC bench, which gave the ruling was divided in its opinion, as two judges felt that when a judgment is declared, it is final and binds all. The petitions were filed against the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement of September 2018, when it allowed women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The petitioners argue that the right top worship has to be exercised keeping in mind the nature of the deity.
Justice SA Bobde succeeds Ranjan Gogoi as 47th CJI
Justice SA Bobde has succeeded retired Justice Ranjan Gogoi as the 47th Chief Justice of India. Justice Bobde was the senior-most judge of the apex court after Justice Gogoi. Justice SA Bobde was a part of the 5-judge constitution bench that had delivered the final judgement on the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute. Justice Bobde was also one among the three-member panel, which had been set up to hear the sexual harassment charges against Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
This is how new map of J&K, Ladakh looks!
India released a new political map after the two new Union Territories- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh came into existence. The new map shows three PoK districts, Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Punch, as a part of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. It also shows Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan as a part of Ladakh. The new Union Territory of Ladakh has two districts, while J&K UT has 22 districts, as per the new map.
What is Kalapani Territorial Dispute?
India’s new map has invited objections from Nepal, as it depicts Kalapani as a part of India. Nepal stated that the area falls under its territory. Kalapani is a disputed territory between India and Nepal. While India administers the region as a part of Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, Nepal claims it to be a part of its Darchula district. Whose claim is valid? Check here for full details.
India gets first Rafale fighter jet: Everything you need to know!
India received first of the 36 Rafale fighter jets on October 18, 2019. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew to France to receive the jet. The Defence Minister performed a Shastra Puja, on the occasion of Vijayadashami, before receiving the Rafale jet. India had signed a deal worth Rs 59000 with France in September 2016 for the Rafale jets. The combat aircraft has been used during conflicts in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria.
PM Modi honoured with ‘Goalkeeper Award’ by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honoured with the “Global Goalkeeper” award by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in September 2019 for his role in leading India in its wide-scale Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched in October 2014 to improve the condition of sanitation in India. The mission paved way for the construction of over 11 crore toilets across India. The mission has been most beneficial for the women in the country, especially the women in rural India.
Final Assam NRC list released: All you need to know
Assam’s final NRC list was released on August 31, 2019. The final NRC list included 3.11 Cr people and left out over 19 lakh people. Over 1,000 foreign tribunals have been set up for those whose names have been left out from the list. Assam has also begun construction its first detention centre. The centre is expected to have the capacity to detain about 3000 people. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had clarified that the non-inclusion of a person’s name does not equate to the person being declared as a foreigner. The left out people will be given a chance to defend their case.
BJP stalwart Arun Jaitley passes away
In a massive loss for the nation, former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley passed away on August 24, 2019. The BJP stalwart was admitted in the ICU of AIIMS Delhi since August 9. The politician’s death shook political leaders across party lines, as he was the third senior BJP leader after Sushma Swaraj and Manohar Parrikar to pass away in 2019. Arun Jaitley was extremely valued as a political leader. He had held important portfolios during his time in the government including finance, law, corporate affairs and defence.
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman honoured with Vir Chakra
IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was honoured with India’s third-highest gallantry medal, the Vir Chakra, on Independence Day. The IAF Commander was captured and held by Pakistan after his MiG-21 was shot down by Pakistani fighter jets on February 27, a day India’s retaliatory Balakot airstrike. Following increasing international pressure to abide by the Geneva Convention, Pakistan released Abhinandan Varthaman from the India-Pakistan border at Wagah on March 1, 2019.
Pranab Mukherjee honoured with prestigious Bharat Ratna
The Bharat Ratna was conferred upon former President Pranab Mukherjee this year. Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian honour. The honour was also bestowed posthumously upon late Bhupen Hazarika and late RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh. Bharat Ratna was previous conferred four years ago, in 2015, to late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Article 370 and 35 (A) scrapped: How will it change Jammu & Kashmir?
Article 370 and Article 35 (A) was scrapped by the Union Government on August 5, 2019. With this, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was withdrawn and it was decided to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories- J&K and Ladakh. The state will now cease to enjoy its previous special benefits such as having its separate constitution, flag and separate state status. With the removal of Article 35A, people from other states will be able to buy land in J&K and settle there.
Triple Talaq bill becomes a law
The Triple Talaq Bill became a law on July 31, 2019, after it received presidential assent. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 was passed in the Rajya Sabha through a landmark vote with 99 in favour and 84 against. The bill aims to criminalise divorce among Muslims by simply stating talaq three times. It makes instant triple talaq punishable with a jail term of 3 years.
CCD owner VG Siddhartha found dead
CCD founder VG Siddhartha was found dead on July 31, after his body washed up ashore on Netravati River bank in Mangaluru. Siddhartha, son-in-law of former CM SM Krishna, had been missing since the night of July 29. His phone had been switched off and a letter was recovered, in which Siddhartha had apologized to his staff for failing to create a profitable business model.
Why was Shimla agreement in news?
Shimla Agreement was brought up in news after Donald Ttump claimed that PM Narendra Modi had asked him to mediate in the Kashmir Issue. India rejected the claim, as it violates the Agreement signed in 1972 between the then Indian PM Indira Gandhi and Pakistan President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The agreement contains a list of principles that emphasize on the respect for each other’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, sovereign equality and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
Three-time Delhi CM Sheila Dixit passes away
In a shocking development, former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit passed away on July 20, 2019 due to cardiac arrest. Sheila Dikshit was Delhi’s longest-serving chief minister, having served the state for 15 years in three consecutive terms from 1998 till 2013. She was President of the Delhi Congress at the time of her death. She was credited with bringing about major changes in Delhi.
Suman Rao crowned Miss India 2019
Suman Rao was crowned Femina Miss India 2019 at the Grand Finale on June 15, 2019. Shivani Jadhav was crowned Femina Miss Grand India 2019 and Shreya Shanker was crowned Miss India United Continents 2019. The runner-up included Sanjana Vij.
Former External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj passes away
The dynamic BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj passed away on August 6, 2019 due to cardiac arrest. The leader’s passing saddened many, as it was sudden and unexpected. Only few months ago, Swaraj had opted out of Modi 2.0 citing health reasons. The four-term MP had left a lasting impact as the Union External Affairs Minister in the first term of the Narendra Modi government.
PM Modi launches Vande Bharat Express, India’s first semi-high speed train
India’s first semi-high speed Train Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Indian PM Narendra Modi on February 15, 2019. Vande Bharat Express, considered as a successor to Shatabdi, will run between New Delhi and Varanasi on all days except Monday and Thursday. The train is expected to cover the distance between the two cities in 8 hours.
Gautam Gambhir, Bajrang Punia, Prabhu Deva awarded Padma Shri: Check full list of awardees
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, Bajrang Punia and choreographer and film director Prabhu Deva are among the 2019 Padma Shri awardees. Late actor Kader Khan was also named as a Padma Shri awardee posthumously. Overall, 112 Padma Awards were conferred in 2019 including 4 Padma Vibhushan awards, 14 Padma Bhushan and 94 Padma Shri Awards. Get the full list of awardees here.
Balakot airstrike: IAF jets destroy Jaish terror camps across LoC
India responded to the tragic Pulwama terror attack with Balakot airstrikes on February 26, 2019. Indian fighter jets crossed the LoC to destroy the biggest JeM terror camp in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The operation had reportedly eliminated a large number of JeM terrorists and senior commanders.
The film ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ ended with the maximum awards at the Oscars 2019, followed by Black Panther and the Green Book. The Oscar for ‘Best Actor’ went to Rami Malek for his role in Bohemian Rhapsody and the Oscar for ‘Best Actress’ went to Olivia Colman for her role in ‘The Favourite’. The film Green Book won the Oscar for ‘Best Picture’.
India overtakes Japan as world’s second-largest steel producer
India has overtaken Japan as the second-largest steel producing country in the world. Now, India stands only behind China, which is the largest producer of crude steel. India’s crude steel production went up by 4.9 percent from 101.5 MT in 2017 to 106.5 MT in 2018. Japan’s crude steel production fell by 0.3 percent in 2018. The United States is the fourth-largest steel-producing nation with 86.7 MT of crude steel in 2018.
