India in 2013 - a quick rewind

Historic Lokpal Bill gets Parliament's nod: 

Gandhian activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption culminated in the Lokpal Bill being passed in Parliament on December 18. After the bill got Parliament's nod, Anna, who had been campaigning for the anti-corruption legislation for the past few years, ended his nine-day hunger strike. He had first launched a fast unto death against corruption at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in April 2011.

======================================================

India vs US over Indian diplomat's arrest in New York

A high-ranking diplomat at the Indian Consulate in New York was arrested for alleged visa fraud on December 12, leading to a diplomatic row between the two countries. Devyani Khobragade, 39, was strip-searched, swabbed for DNA and cavity-searched and was then placed in a cell with drug addicts. Furious over the "deplorable" treatment, an outraged India pared down the privileges of American diplomats and removed police barricades from outside their embassy in Delhi. India wants all charges against the diplomat to be dropped and has sought an apology from the US over the matter.

======================================================

Gay sex illegal, rules Supreme Court

Setting aside a Delhi High Court verdict from 2009 which had decriminalized homosexuality by overturning a colonial-era law, the Supreme Court on December 11 ruled that gay sex is a criminal offense. Pronouncing its order, the court said that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws sex "against the order of nature", is constitutionally valid. The verdict sparked protests by human rights activists.

=======================================================

In 2014 semis, Aam Aadmi Party steals the show

Assembly elections 2013, billed as semi-finals ahead of the 2014 polls, delivered a 4-1 win for the BJP – the party won absolute majority in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and was the single-largest party though shy of a clear majority in Delhi. In Mizoram, the Congress posted a big win.

The show-stopper of the elections however was the year-old Aam Aadmi Party that made a stunning debut with 28 seats, just four short of the BJP's 32. The party's founder Arvind Kejriwal defeated three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit in her constituency by an enormous margin. The Congress, which had begun the year on a good note by wresting Karnataka from the BJP and retaining power in Meghalaya, acknowledged that there was a lesson to be learnt from the "Aam Aadmi Party phenomenon."

======================================================

Aarushi Talwar's parents found guilty of murder

Ending years of mystery, a court in Ghaziabad pronounced its verdict in the Aarushi Talwar murder case on November 25, 2013 and held dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty of murdering their teen daughter and their domestic help Hemraj at their home in May 2008. A day later, it sentenced them to life imprisonment. The Talwars, who are currently lodged in Dasna jail near Ghaziabad, have said they will appeal against the verdict in a higher court.

======================================================

India launches mission to Mars

India's first mission to Mars blasted off from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh on November 5. The Mars orbiter mission, known as Mangalyaan, will travel more than 200 million kilometres over 300 days and reach Mars in September 2014. If it does that successfully, India will become the first Asian nation to do this. The 450-crore mission made international headlines for its cost-efficiency.

=====================================================

Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal arrested in rape case

Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, accused of raping a junior colleague at an event in Goa, stepped down as the magazine's editor on November 21 after allegations against him surfaced. He was arrested on November 30, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. Days after his arrest, Tehelka's Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury also resigned amid unabated criticism for the way she handled the young journalist's complaint.

=======================================================

Odisha, Andhra Pradesh face Cyclones Phailin's wrath

Cyclone Phailin, the strongest storm to hit the country in more than a decade, hit Odisha on the night of October 12, packed with winds of 200 kilometres per hour. Heavy rains and surging seawater, accompanying the storm, left over 30 people dead, flattened tens of thousands of thatched homes, destroyed more than five lakh hectares of crops and knocked out power lines in more than 17 districts of the state. It also caused extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh. Timely evacuation helped minimize the loss of lives.

=======================================================

Outrage over IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal's suspension

IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal was suspended as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar on July 27 for ordering the demolition of a mosque being built illegally on government land in Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi. While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said her act had "endangered communal harmony," Ms Nagpal's supporters alleged that she was targeted for taking on the politically-connected sand mafia in Uttar Pradesh. National outrage eventually forced the revocation of her suspension on September 22.

=======================================================

Narendra Modi chosen BJP's PM candidate

Despite staunch opposition from party veteran LK Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was anointed as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014 elections on September 13. The announcement came three months after the BJP selected him as its campaign in-charge. The decision had led to the ending of the 17-year alliance between the BJP and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United.

=======================================================

Lalu Prasad jailed in fodder scam

Bihar politician Lalu Prasad was found guilty in the multi-crore fodder scam case on September 30. Three days later, he was sent to five years in jail. The 66-year-old Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief stood disqualified as a member of parliament immediately. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on December 13.

======================================================

Communal violence in Muzaffarnagar kills 60

Communal riots tore through the western Uttar Pradesh town of Muzaffarnagar in September this year, leaving nearly 60 people dead and close to 40,000 homeless. The violence erupted after the killing of two Jat brothers and a Muslim boy in August. As the riots spread, thousands of people fled their homes and crowded relief camps. For months, many have refused to return fearing more violence. Leaders from different political parties were charged with instigating the violence through incendiary speeches.

======================================================

Delhi gang-rape accused get death

On September 10, a fast-track court in Delhi pronounced its verdict in the gang-rape case of a 23-year-old paramedical student and gave the death sentence to four of the six accused. One of the accused had earlier killed himself in jail and the sixth, a juvenile, was sent to three years at a reform centre in August.

On December 16, 2012, the men had conned the physiotherapy trainee and her male friend into getting on their bus. After raping and brutalizing her for hours, they threw the couple on to the road, naked and bleeding. The girl died in a hospital in Singapore two weeks later. The case ignited weeks of protests in cities across India.

======================================================

Mumbai photojournalist gang-raped while on assignment

In a grim reminder of the Delhi gang-rape case, a 22-year-old photojournalist was allegedly gang-raped inside the deserted Shakti Mills compound in central Mumbai on August 22 while she was there on assignment with a colleague. The men allegedly assaulted her colleague and tied him up with belts before taking turns to rape her. The accused have been arrested; the trial in the case is on.

======================================================

Telangana cleared as India's 29th state

Despite protests and resignations by several of its members, the ruling Congress party announced on July 30, 2013 that Telangana, one of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh, will be carved out as India's 29th state and that the IT hub of Hyderabad will be a common capital for the next 10 years. The decision led to more protests from the other two regions of Andhra Pradesh who are opposed to the division largely because of concerns over the sharing of water, power and other resources.

======================================================

Uttarakhand devastated by "Himalyan tsunami"

Uttarakhand was devastated by massive floods and landslides that left hundreds dead, thousands homeless and an equal number of people missing in June this year. The "Himalyan tsunami" swept away hundreds of homes, left a trail of devastation and halted the annual "Char Dham Yatra" in the state. It also led to the suspension of prayers at the famous Kedarnath temple for nearly three months.

======================================================

DMK quits UPA government over Sri Lanka issue

M Karunanidhi-led DMK pulled out of the Congress-led UPA coalition on March 19, 2013 in protest against the government's position on a US-backed United Nations resolution on alleged war crimes carried out during Sri Lanka's civil war. The government's stand, the DMK said, was not strong enough. It wanted India to add strong language to the resolution to accuse Sri Lanka of "genocide" during its civil war and call for an international probe.

======================================================

Afzal Guru hanged

2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged and buried inside Delhi's Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013. Guru was given the death sentence by the Supreme Court in 2004. His hanging, scheduled for October 20, 2006, was stayed after his wife filed the mercy petition. The President rejected the plea on February 3.

======================================================

Rahul Gandhi, the new Congress No 2

After months of anticipation and clamour within the Congress, Rahul Gandhi was appointed Vice President of the party on January 19, 2013. Accepting the new role, Mr Gandhi had said, "I have great experience this is great party and we can transform this country."

=======================================================

Tension along LoC after the killing of two Indian soldiers

The year 2013 saw an escalation of tension between India and Pakistan after two Indian soldiers were killed by Pakistani troops who crossed into the Indian territory along the Line of Control in January. The body of one of the jawans was decapitated. The tension peaked when five Indian soldiers were killed in an attack in August. The year also witnessed an unprecedented spurt in ceasefire violations. In September, the Prime Ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and decided that the DGMOs should meet to find ways to reduce the tension.

======================================================