REWIND 2016
1 Jan
Odd-Even policy by Delhi government
The Arvind Kejriwal government’s decision to implement the odd-even policy for vehicles plying on Delhi roads forces the national capital to brush up on their basic math skills to ascertain whether it is their turn to take their car out. Though the decision falls short of yielding desired results, it does hog national limelight and also puts the spotlight on the growing menace of air pollution in the NCR region.
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2 Jan
Pathankot Air Force Station attack
A week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised the political establishment and countrymen alike with his visit to Pakistan to wish PM Nawaz Sharif on his birthday, terrorists from the neighbouring Islamic country backstab the peace process. Heavily armed group of five terrorists attacks the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force, leading to the death of seven army personnel and one civilian. The 96-hour terror operation pushes bilateral ties of the two nations to an all-time low.
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4 Jan
One man Lodha committee
The Supreme Court-appointed one man Lodha committee bowls a googly to the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) by recommending measures which, if implemented completely, would eventually overhaul the face of Indian cricket, right from top to the bottom of the game – affecting all its stakeholders. Headed by the former CJI Justice (Rtd) R M Lodha, the committee recommends stringent eligibility criteria for the board's office bearers, and sets limits of their tenure in office. Serving ministers, bureaucrats and those above 70 years of age barred from holding positions on the board, including at the state level.
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12 Feb
Delhi police arrest JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar
Delhi police arrest JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar and press sedition charges against him for organising an event where anti- India slogans were raised. His arrest sparks a nationwide debate on freedom of expression vs the limits on freedom of expression. Kanhaiya, who is released on bail later, gets a hero’s welcome at the varsity campus. In his welcome address of almost an hour, which is telecast live across channels for the entire duration without an advertisement break, the student leader provides a glimpse of his above ordinary oratory skills.
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11 Feb
Siachen Solider Hanumanthappa survived for six days under 35 feet of snow
Prayers of over a billion people went unanswered as Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad of the 19th battalion of the Madras Regiment, breathed his last at 11.45 am at a Delhi hospital. The solider survived for six days under 35 feet of snow at a temperature of -45 °C.
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12 Feb
Jat agitation in Haryana
The violent agitation for reservation by the Jat community "paralyses the s of Haryana for 10 days”. The protesters seek inclusion of their caste in the Other Backward Class (OBC) category, to get reservation benefits. The protest led to a loss of Rs 34,000 crore to the nation.
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18 Feb
Launch of Freedom 251
We invented “Zero”, the least among the numbers. We invented the cheapest car and we almost invented “THE CHEAPEST” smartphone ever made. Ringing Bells, a Noida, UP-based company announces the launch of Freedom 251 at the price point of Rs 251. (It is noteworthy that a good screen cover costs Rs 100). Buyers crash the site to book their phones, some for kids, others for their housemaids and drivers. The promises of the company, however, fizzle out later, not before the company lands up inviting some legal trouble upon themselves.
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27 Mar
President's Rule imposed in Uttarakhand
President's Rule imposed in Uttarakhand a day before the crucial trust vote in the state Assembly. The move was replete with significant ups and downs for the Harish Rawat government that saw nine of its MLAs defecting the Congress. The state plunged into a Constitutional crisis with Rawat challenging the imposition of President’s rule. The series of events that continue over the next month and a half witness the central government being charged by the HC of taking away the powers of elected governments. The matter reaches SC which orders a floor test that sees the Rawat government reinstated.
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31 Mar
Alcohol ban in Bihar
Bihar makes drinking at public places and homes an offence carrying imprisonment of up to 10 years as the newly elected Nitish Kumar government fulfils its poll promise to the fairer sex and changes the 100-year-old excise rules of the state to pave way for complete prohibition in the state. Chaos of sorts follows as a good number of people are admitted to hospitals across the state in the next few days due to lack of alcohol in their system. Another chunk resorts to eating soaps and ointments hoping for some respite.
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1 Apr
TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee commits suicide in Mumbai
TV actress Pratyusha Banerjee of Balika Vadhu fame commits suicide in Mumbai by hanging herself in a posh Mumbai apartment. Her death, once again, brings to limelight the darker side of the high profile and seemingly beautiful life of celebrities in tinsel town. Role of her boyfriend Rahul Raj comes under suspicion.
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24 May
Sarbananda Sonowal is sworn-in as the first BJP chief minister of Assam
Lotus blossoms in the north-east after Sarbananda Sonowal is sworn-in as the first Bharatiya Janata Party chief minister of Assam. With the Assam win, BJP, along with allies, comes into power in eight states of India, covering 43 per cent of the population, up from 21 per cent in 2004.
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2 Jun
Mathura violence
A total of 24 people including Superintendent of Police Mukul Dwivedi and SHO Santosh Kumar Yadav are killed in a major showdown between police and thousands of followers of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi or the ‘Netaji’ sect led by Rambriksh Yadav in Mathura. The squatters had been occupying a 270-acre plot of Mathura’s Jawaharbagh park since 2014 in protest with a set of bizarre demands which included cancelling the election of the President and Prime Minister of India, replacement of existing currency with ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ currency, sale of diesel at the rate of 60 litres for one rupee and petrol at the rate of 40 litres for one rupee. Matters take a turn for the worse as the police did not anticipate the preparedness of so-called ‘satyagrahis’ who attacked the police with guns, swords, grenades and knives. Police confirm 124 arrests, Akhilesh Yadav faces criticism over the extent of violence, admits to shortcomings in the manner police handled the eviction drive.
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4 Jun
Udta Punjab row
The Central Board of Film Certification aka ‘Sanskari Board of India’ asks the makers Udta Punjab for 89 cuts, highest for any film in the recent past. One of the cuts sought in the film by the board, interestingly, involves rechristening a dog named “Jackie Chan”. The issue is challenged by makers in court which terms the cut ‘absurd” and allows it to release as per schedule, with just one cut.
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23 Jun
Brexit
The marriage of the United Kingdom and European Union formally ends after 52 per cent of Brits, in a referendum, vote in favour of leaving the grouping. The UK government invokes Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to begin the formal procedure for withdrawing, by the end of March 2017. History will name the event as Brexit, a portmanteau of "British exit".
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1 Jul
Dhaka attack
The terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan Thana, an affluent area with many embassies in Dhaka, Bangladesh, will go down in the history as another gruesome attack on the innocent and harmless. Before the curtains are drawn on the entire episode, the story of fearless Faraaz Hossain touches millions of hearts. The young Bangladeshi, who could have easily walked out from the cafe as terrorist were allowing Bangladeshi Muslims to go, refused to leave her friend Tarishi Jain's side on the night. Both their bodies are recovered side by side as the attack ends. A total of 29 people including 20 hostages (18 foreigners and 2 locals), 2 police officers, 5 gunmen, and 2 bakery staff lose their lives.
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5 Jul
Smriti Irani’s transfer from HRD ministry
Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduces 19 new faces in his Union Council of Ministers. However, Smriti Irani’s transfer from the high-profile HRD ministry portfolio to the humble Textiles ministry makes bigger headlines than the reshuffle itself. This is the last time in the year that Smriti Irani is featured among top newspaper headlines.
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8 Jul
Burhan Wani's encounter
Army kills Burhan Wani, the poster boy of militancy in Kashmir and commander of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, in an encounter. The death follows massive protests across 10 districts of the Valley, resulting in a curfew that will continue to be imposed in the region for 53 days, the longest haul in the recent past.
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14 Jul
Nice attack
A day of celebration turns into one of mourning after a terrorist drives a cargo truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice. As many as 86 people are killed and another 434 injured before security forces kill the truck driver Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a French resident of Tunisia.
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5 Aug
Rio 2016 Olympics
An all-women’s show at the Rio Olympic 2016. PV Sindhu wins a silver medal in women's singles badminton, while wrestler Sakshi Malik wrestles a bronze in the 58 kg weight group. Dipa Karmakar, the first ever Indian woman to make it to Olympics in gymnastics, misses the podium by a whisker, but manages to win hearts of 1.3 billion Indians with her Produnova vault. The Rio Olymipcs also sees India send its largest ever contingent with 117 athletes to the Games.
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18 Aug
Narsingh Yadav doping case
Court of Arbitration for Sport hands a four-year ban to wrestler Narsingh Yadav on doping charges. Yadav, who fought a bitter legal battle with decorated Olympian Sushil Kumar for his place in the Rio Olympics 2016, is barred from participating a few hours before his first bout in the Olympics.
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22 Aug
Cauvery water row
Tamil Nadu approaches Supreme Court, seeking direction to Karnataka to release Cauvery water from its reservoirs for its third samba cultivation, as mandated in the final order of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal 2007. Karnataka cites distress situation as there was only enough water for drinking purposes and declines to follow the SC strictures.
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1 Sep
Launch of the much-awaited Reliance jio 4G services
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani, with a promise to end voice charges and an offer of the cheapest data for the denizens of Digital India, announces the launch of the much-awaited 4G services under the brand name Jio. The freebies clubbed with new connections leads to long queues with people waiting for hours to get their hands on 4G SIM card. Services, however, fail to live up to expectation till year end, resulting in extension of freebees till March 2017.
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7 Sep
2016 Summer Paralympics
India delivers its best-ever performance in the history of the Paralympic games with a four-medal tally including two Gold, one Silver and one Bronze. Devendra Jhajharia shatters the world record in Javelin throw to win a gold medal at the Paralympics.
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9 Sep
Kapil Sharma’s Tweet row
Comedian Kapil Sharma’s early morning tweets to PM Narendra Modi, questioning his 2014 poll promise of “Achhe Din” stir a controversy. “I am paying 15 cr income tax from last five years and still I have to pay 5 lakh bribe to BMC office for making my office @narendramodi (sic),' Kapil tweets. 'Yeh hain aapke achhe din? @narendramodi,' the comedian-actor seeks to know in another tweet. A few in political establishment frowned and Kapil gets embroiled in a legal battle over flouting environmental norms during construction.
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10 Sep
Mohammad Shahabuddin gets a hero’s welcome right from Bhagalpur jail to his home in Siwan
On Saturday morning, news channels beam images of 100s of SUVs zooming past toll barriers in Bihar without paying a penny. Apparently, authorities advise toll booths not to collect any fee on the day, fearing a law and order problem. The vehicles, in question, were part of the motorcade of Mafia-turned-politician Shahabuddin, who gets a hero’s welcome right from Bhagalpur jail to his home in Siwan, after being released on bail after spending more than a decade in jail in a murder case. The don lands back in prison after 20 days as Supreme Court sets aside the bail order passed by the Patna High Court.
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13 Sep
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav fires uncle Shivpal from his cabinet
United they stand, till ‘PariWar’ tear UP’s Yadav clan apart. Papa Mulayam Singh Yadav’s decision to sack son from the post of party president, Tipu aka Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav fires uncle Shivpal from his cabinet. Thus begins the biggest personal-cum-public war in the clan, having 19 members, till the last count, in politics. The dust takes another fortnight to settle as the family looks forward to contest and win state assembly elections, scheduled in the first quarter of the year 2017.
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18 Sep
Terror strikes again in Uri in J&K’s Baramulla district
Terror strikes again, this time in Uri in J&K’s Baramulla district. Four heavily armed terrorists who inflict "the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades”. As many as 19 soldiers, mostly from 10 Dogra and 6 Bihar regiments, are martyred.
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29 Sep
Surgical strikes by Indian Army
In a huge morale booster, Indian Army claims that it has crossed the Line of Control (LOC), for the first time in recent past, to conduct "surgical strikes" against militant launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Media pegs the death to anything between 35-50 terrorists, while opposition parties demand evidence for the strike. While Army maintains inflicting “significant damage”, Pakistan refutes the claims altogether.
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8 Oct
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil row
Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) says that they would not allow the release of Karan Johar’s movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, following the presence of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. Owners Exhibitors Association of India also prevents the release of films in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Goa. The movie, however, releases as per schedule, after the makers commit not to work with Pakistani actors in future.
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10 Oct
Galaxy Note 7 explosion
Samsung discontinues production and sale of Galaxy Note 7 following incidents of phone blasts during charging. The development causes a huge dent to the reputation of South Korean multinational, and burns a deep hole in the pockets of the MNC. Credit Suisse pegs Samsung’s loss at an estimated US$17 billion in revenue, following the recall.
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13 Oct
Bob Dylan win a Nobel prize for Literature
Bob Dylan, 75, becomes the first musician in the history to win a Nobel prize for Literature. New York Times, while describing the development, says “perhaps the most radical choice in a history stretching back to 1901. In choosing a popular musician for the literary world’s highest honor, the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize, dramatically redefined the boundaries of literature, setting off a debate about whether song lyrics have the same artistic value as poetry or novels”.
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22 Oct
2016 Kabaddi World Cup
India beats Iran by 38-29 in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup championship game to win their third Kabaddi World Cup.
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24 Oct
Removal of Cyrus Mistry from the post of Chairman by Tata Sons
Tata Sons removes Cyrus Mistry from the post of Chairman. Old guard and former chairman Ratan Tata, on the other hand, returns as interim chairman. Some will say that he was removed because he was ‘Mistry’, not ‘Tata’, while Bombay House insiders claim that Mistry was compromising the values on which the legacy of Tata group was build. The decision seems to be heading towards the biggest boardroom battle fought in corporate history.
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25 Oct
Kalikho Pul commits suicide
Kalikho Pul, former Arunachal Chief Minister, commits suicide at his official residence where he was living with his three wives and four children. He was CM from a brief period of February to July 2016.
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8 Nov
Donald J Trump wins the US presidential election of 2016
To the surprise of a few, and shock to many, real estate baron Donald J Trump wins the US presidential election of 2016. Time magazine will later judge the President-elect of “Divided states of America” as ‘Time Person of the Year 2016’.
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8 Nov
Scrapping of old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to address the nation in a televised speech, late in evening on November 8, little did one assume what was in the offing. The PM, in his over one hour address, tells the country that notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 will cease to exit from midnight onwards. The decision initially draws acclaim from even his harshest critics for his courage to take on black money holders. Nobody, however, could have guessed the ramifications that were to follow. The days that followed have been witness to the whole nation standing outside banks for the smallest of the banking transactions. The bigger and brighter side of the decision may take time to be visible.
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20 Nov
Rajendra Nagar Express derails
Patna-bound Rajendra Nagar Express derails near Pukhrayan, Kanpur. As many as 150 passengers lose their lives while another 150 are left injured. It was the second deadliest train accident in the last two decades. The Gaisal train accident, in the year 1999, claimed 290 lives.
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5 Dec
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa breathes her last in a Chennai hospital
Amma wins even in her final battle with death as the actress-turned-politician is immortalised. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and people’s ‘Amma’ breathes her last in a Chennai hospital.
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12 Dec
AgustaWestland case: CBI arrests former IAF chief S P Tyagi
CBI arrests former IAF chief S P Tyagi for his alleged involvement in AgustaWestland case. The development marks a first in history when a highly decorated officer of his rank— retired or serving — was arrested for an alleged role in corruption.
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19 Dec
Karun Nair: The 300 man
25-year-old middle-order Indian batsman Karun Nair zoomed into record books, emerging as the youngest Indian to slam a triple century. In the fifth and final Test against England in Chennai, the Bengaluru lad’s unbeaten 303 helped India post a mammoth 759/7, its highest ever and also registered Nair’s name as only the second Indian to do so after Virender Sehwag. He also joined the likes of Gary Sobers and Bob Simpson who turned their maiden test tons into triple centuries. This was Nair’s third outing in his Test career.
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19 Dec
Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov shot dead in Ankara
In an embarrassing turn of events in the Syrian conflict for the Turkish security establishment, Russia’s ambassador to Turkey Andrey G. Karlov, was assassinated in full camera view at an Ankara art exhibit by a lone Turkish gunman shouting “God is great!” and “don’t forget Aleppo, don’t forget Syria!” The incident comes amid a revival in ties between Turkey and Russia after touching a low a year ago amid the ongoing Syrian conflict, now in its sixth year. The attack is a rare instance of an assassination of a Russian envoy. Historians cited by NYT said it might have been the first since Pyotr Voykov, a Soviet ambassador to Poland, was shot to death in Warsaw in 1927.
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23 Dec
Aamir Khan's much awaited film 'Dangal'
Expectations are high from the Aamir Khan’s movie Dangal. The real-life story is being touted as the biggest release of the year.
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