Today in Indian History 10

Today in Indian History On March 27th, 1954, the Indian Parliament passed the Indian Air Force Act, formally establishing the Indian Air Force (IAF) as an independent entity. The IAF was originally established as a part of the British Indian Army in 1932 and played a crucial role in India's struggle for independence. After India gained independence in 1947, the IAF became a separate entity, and the Indian Air Force Act of 1954 provided for its organization, regulation, and control. Since then, the IAF has grown into one of the world's largest air forces, with over 1,500 aircraft and nearly 140,000 personnel. The IAF has played a vital role in several conflicts, including the wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, as well as in various peacekeeping missions and disaster relief operations. In 1964, the Indian National Congress party announced that Lal Bahadur Shastri would be the next Prime Minister of India, following the sudden death of the incumbent Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1971, India and Bangladesh signed the historic Mujib-Indira Pact in New Delhi. The agreement provided for the safe return of over 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war who were held captive by India after the 1971 war, and also recognized Bangladesh as an independent nation. In 2015, India successfully launched the IRNSS-1D satellite, the fourth in a series of seven navigation satellites for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). The IRNSS is designed to provide accurate positioning and timing services within India and the surrounding region. In 2020, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days to combat the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was one of the most extensive and stringent measures taken by any country to contain the virus, affecting nearly 1.3 billion people. In 1950, the Indian government appointed the first Indian Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Harilal Jekisundas Kania. In 1977, the Janata Party, a coalition of several opposition parties, won a historic victory in the Indian general elections, ending the 30-year rule of the Indian National Congress party. Morarji Desai became the first non-Congress Prime Minister of India. In 1992, the Indian government set up the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to regulate the securities market and protect the interests of investors. SEBI has since played a crucial role in developing and regulating India's capital markets. In 2004, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C4), which carried the Resourcesat-1 satellite into orbit. The satellite was designed for remote sensing and provided data on land and water resources, vegetation, and oceanography. In 2018, the Indian government launched the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which aims to provide health insurance coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year to over 10 crore families (about 50 crore people) from economically weaker sections. The scheme is one of the world's largest government-funded health insurance programs. In 2019, India successfully conducted Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite missile test, becoming only the fourth country in the world to have this capability. The test was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and demonstrated India's ability to protect its space assets. In 1948, the Indian Army launched Operation Polo, a military action to annex the princely state of Hyderabad into the Indian Union. The operation was carried out after the Nizam of Hyderabad, the ruler of the state, refused to accede to India after independence. In 1985, Air India Flight 182, a Boeing 747 en route from Montreal to Delhi, was bombed off the coast of Ireland, killing all 329 people on board. The bombing was attributed to Sikh separatists seeking revenge for the Indian government's handling of the Golden Temple incident. In 1993, the Mumbai serial bombings took place, in which a series of 13 bombs were planted across the city, killing over 250 people and injuring more than 700 others. The bombings were carried out by the underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates in retaliation for the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. In 2017, the Indian government launched the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, which aims to enhance regional connectivity by providing affordable air travel to smaller cities and towns in India. The scheme has since connected several remote areas of the country to major cities, boosting tourism and economic development. In 1857, the Indian Rebellion, also known as the First War of Independence, began in the town of Meerut, near Delhi. The rebellion was a major uprising against British colonial rule in India and lasted for about a year. In 1920, the Non-Cooperation Movement was launched by Mahatma Gandhi, calling on Indians to boycott British goods, services, and institutions as a means of nonviolent protest against colonial rule. In 1957, the Indian Parliament passed the Official Languages Act, which provided for the use of Hindi and English as the official languages of the Union of India, with Hindi to be gradually phased in as the sole official language over 15 years. In 1987, the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) launched Operation Pawan, a military operation aimed at disarming the Tamil Tigers, a separatist group in Sri Lanka. The operation lasted for about three years and ended in the withdrawal of the IPKF. In 2013, India successfully launched the RISAT-1 satellite, which was designed for remote sensing and provided data on agriculture, forestry, disaster management, and national security. The satellite was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).