Today in Indian History 5

Today in Indian History On March 18th in Indian history: 1937 - Ram Manohar Lohia, an Indian socialist leader, was arrested for leading a protest against the British colonial government in Allahabad. 1965 - The first communication satellite of India, named "Aryabhata", was launched from Kapustin Yar, a Russian rocket launch and development site. 1996 - The last of the Indian Peacekeeping Force troops were withdrawn from Sri Lanka, ending India's involvement in the Sri Lankan Civil War. 2018 - Indian badminton player PV Sindhu won the women's singles title at 2018 All England Open Badminton Championships, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve this feat. 1767 - The Battle of Kolachel was fought between the Kingdom of Travancore and the Dutch East India Company. The Travancore army, led by King Marthanda Varma, defeated the Dutch forces and established Travancore as a regional power. 1940 - The Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution at its annual meeting, which demanded the creation of an independent Muslim state in the northwestern and northeastern regions of India. This eventually led to the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. 1950 - The Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India, which came into effect on January 26th, 1950. 1963 - Indian film actor and director Guru Dutt committed suicide in Mumbai. Dutt was known for his contributions to Indian cinema in the 1950s and 1960s, and his death was a shock to the film industry and his fans. 1997 - The Indian National Congress party won a landslide victory in the Punjab state assembly elections, winning 63 out of 117 seats. The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance, which had been in power, won only 28 seats. 2007 - The Indian cricket team won the ICC World Cup T20 tournament by defeating Pakistan in the final held at Johannesburg, South Africa. This was India's first major cricket tournament victory in 24 years. 2012 - The Indian government approved the National Policy on Information Technology 2012, which aimed to create a conducive environment for the growth of the IT industry in India. 2013 - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed restrictions on gold imports to reduce the country's current account deficit. The RBI required all gold imports to be paid for in advance, and also raised the import duty on gold. 2015 - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the fourth satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The IRNSS is India's navigation system, similar to GPS, and is expected to provide navigation services over the Indian subcontinent. 2020 - The Indian government announced a nationwide lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown, which lasted for several months, had a significant impact on the Indian economy and the livelihoods of millions of people 1871 - The first census of India was conducted by the British colonial government. The census recorded a population of 238 million people in India. 1931 - Bhagat Singh, an Indian socialist revolutionary, was hanged by the British colonial government for his role in the Lahore Conspiracy Case. 1971 - The Indian Air Force (IAF) launched Operation Cactus Lilly, a large-scale air operation against Pakistani forces in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. 1993 - The Bombay bombings occurred, in which a series of 13 bomb explosions took place in Mumbai (then Bombay), killing 257 people and injuring over 700 others. The attacks were coordinated by Dawood Ibrahim, a notorious Indian criminal who had fled to Pakistan. 2019 - The Indian Air Force conducted air strikes on a terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan in response to the Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed by a suicide bomber. The air strikes escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, but the situation eventually de-escalated through diplomatic efforts. 1922 - Mahatma Gandhi launched the Non-Cooperation Movement against the British colonial government in India. The movement aimed to boycott British goods and institutions and to promote Indian self-rule. 1944 - The Indian National Army (INA) under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose launched the Imphal-Kohima offensive against the British colonial forces in India during World War II. 1975 - Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency in the country, suspending civil liberties and imposing press censorship. The emergency lasted for 21 months and was widely criticized for its authoritarianism. 1998 - The Indian government conducted a series of nuclear tests at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, marking India's emergence as a nuclear power. The tests were condemned by the international community and led to economic sanctions against India. 2014 - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the IRNSS-1B satellite, the second satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. 2021 - India celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Chauri Chaura incident, in which a group of Indian protesters set fire to a police station in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh, killing 22 police officers. The incident was a turning point in India's struggle for independence and led to a suspension of the non-cooperation movement. 1699 - Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, founded the Khalsa Panth at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. The Khalsa was a community of committed Sikhs who were initiated through a baptism ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. 1911 - The first official airmail service in India was launched between Allahabad and Naini, covering a distance of about 10 km. The service was operated by Henri Pequet, a French pilot, and carried about 6,000 letters. 1942 - The Quit India Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee. The movement aimed to demand an end to British colonial rule in India and to promote Indian self-rule. 1965 - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was founded, to develop India's space technology and conduct space research. Vikram Sarabhai was the first chairman of ISRO. 1979 - The Indian government nationalized 14 major commercial banks in the country, to promote social welfare and economic development. The move was widely criticized by the business community and foreign investors. 2018 - The Indian government announced a National Health Protection Scheme, also known as Ayushman Bharat, which aimed to provide health insurance coverage to over 100 million poor and vulnerable families in India. The scheme is one of the world's largest health insurance programs. 1987 - The Indian government launched Operation Black Thunder to flush out militants who had occupied the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The operation involved the use of army troops and was successful in neutralizing the militants. 1996 - The Indian cricket team won the Cricket World Cup by defeating Pakistan in the final held at Lahore, Pakistan. This was India's second World Cup victory and was a historic moment for Indian cricket. 2006 - The Indian government enacted the Right to Information Act, which aimed to provide citizens with access to government information and promote transparency and accountability in governance. 2014 - The Indian government launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, a national financial inclusion scheme aimed at providing access to banking services for all households in India. The scheme was successful in opening millions of bank accounts and promoting financial literacy among the poor and marginalized sections of society. 2016 - The Indian government launched the Ujala scheme, which aimed to promote energy efficiency by distributing LED bulbs to households at subsidized rates. The scheme has been successful in reducing energy consumption and promoting sustainable development in the country.