9. Power blackout, 2012 It was one of the worst power blackout in the history of India, with 28 states drowned in darkness as electricity supply failed.
Traffic lights went out, trains were stuck, and offices were shut, when three of the country's five electricity grids failed at lunchtime.
First to fail was India's northern grid, which had also collapsed the previous day leaving an estimated 350 million people in the dark for up to 14 hours. It was quickly followed by the eastern grid, which includes Kolkata, then the north-eastern grid.
More than 700 million people were affected by the power blackout that hampered work and life. The power minister then was Sushilkumar Shinde, who was immediately promoted to the post of Home Minister by the UPA government at the Centre.