Watch in pics: Major events that changed India

New Delhi: With 64 years gone by since India became a republic, the nation has passed through several vicissitudes, successes and mass movements. These events have moulded the face of India for good or bad, but have brought tremendous changes in the system. We bring you the top 10 such events that have led to big transformation of the nation:1. The Emergency (1975-76) No one could imagine that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi would impose emergency rule for 21 months - a provision in the Constitution that could be used in the rarest of the rare situations. The rule led to the curbing of civil liberties, freedom of press, no elections etc.It was one of the most draconian governance ever in India's history for the Iron Lady's own personal motives. 2. India becomes a nuclear power (1974, 1998) India carried out a series of underground nuclear tests on May 10, 1998. It was the first time India carried out such tests since 1974, when India conducted a "peaceful" nuclear explosion at Pokharan. The experiments caught the international community and watchdogs unawares and there was widespread outrage and concern over the move. The civil nuclear agreement concluded between Washington and New Delhi a decade after India's tests was exceptional not simply because it symbolized a turning point in a relationship that had long been hostile. In giving India the right to civil nuclear trade, the United States now explicitly recognized India as a “responsible nuclear state” in the global nuclear game, which was tantamount to both picking it for the team, and letting it onto the pitch. 3. Economic reforms (1991) In 1991, when the Chandrashekhar government had to keep India's gold stocks as pawns to pay for oil imports, India decided to go in for economic reforms under the leadership of the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and Finance Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. License permit raj was dismantled, economic liberalization swept through Indian economy, doors were opened for foreign direct investments, and India took its first steps towards becoming a major emerging power on the international scene. 4. Terrorist attacks in India by Pakistani militants 1993 Mumbai blasts, 2008 Mumbai attacks, 2001 Parliament attack , 2011 Mumbai blast and 2011 Delhi High Court Blast, all these attacks have prominently affected India-Pakistan ties souring relations between the two neighbours. In Pakistan, thousands of Hizbul, Lashkar and other militants are being trained by the Pakistan army in camps, who routinely infiltrate into India and carry out terror attacks, the most brazen being the 2008 Mumbai attacks. 5. Anti corruption movements Gandhian activist Anna Hazare (Kishan Baburao Hazare), a former army truck driver, launched the anti-corruption movement by sitting on indefinite hunger strike on April 5, 2011.He sat on fast for four days, after which the Centre gave in and agreed to form a joint committee to go into the Jan Lokpal Bill demanded by Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan, Kiran Bedi and others, who called themselves members of civil society.Thousands of people wearing caps "I am Anna" joined his movement.The joint committee failed to agree on the proposals put by Hazare due to the intransigent attitude of the Centre. Hazare decided to sit on indefinite fast from August 16 the same year.He was arrested and taken to Tihar jail, where he began his fast.Amidst public outcry, the government released him and allowed him to sit on fast in Ramlila Maidan.Hazare continued his fast in Ramlila Maida from August 20 till 28, when the Parliament passed and sent him a resolution expressing its resolve to pass the Lokpal Bill.On December 7, 2011, Hazare again sat on indefinite fast in Mumbai, but called it off after a lukewarm response and because of failing health.The next year, his close associate Arvind Kejriwal sat on indefinite fast, but he too called it off as the Centre refused to respond. Kejriwal and his associates then decided to join politics and floated the Aam Aadmi Party.In 2013, Hazare sat on fast in Ralegan Siddhi, and this time both Houses of Parliament immediately passed the Lokpal Bill, a pale imitation of the earlier Jan Lokpal Bill.6. Aam Admi Party Few years ago, Arvind Kejriwal was known as an RTI activist. He then joined Anna's movement and gained popularity. After parting ways with Anna, he took the courage to enter right into the battlefield by joining politics.His Aam Admi Party gained wide public acceptance and won an impressive 28 out of the total 70 seats. While it wasn't a majority, Congress lent issue-based support to the party, which helped them form the government.He then went on to become Delhi's CM. While the AAP govt had promised many reforms earlier, it is being sensed that it has lost its directions. Several of its ministers have come into controversies like Somnath Bharti. Recently Vinod Kumar Binny had been expelled by the party for publicly making false statements against the party and its leadership, thereby bringing disrepute to the party7. Delhi Gangrape The brutal gang rape of a 23 year old paramedical student in the capital on December 16, 2012, spread shockwaves to the nation. The girl was gang raped in a moving bus on the horrific night when she was returning from a movie show with her male companion.The two were later dumped in a secluded area off the road until some passersby discovered them.The girl was taken to Singapore hospital later where she died.The nation was angry and people took to the streets to express the anguish and outrage of the people for negligence of the police.The accused were sentenced to death except the juvenile.After that incident, Centre has brought in a strong anti-rape law, several mobile phone applications have been introduced to help women in times of emergency, and several measures announced to track public transport vehicles. 8. Emergence of media Till the Eighties the Indian audio-visual media was state-run, monopolized by Doordarshan. Dreary news and entertainment programmes ruled the airwaves. In 1982, during the Asian Games in Delhi, Doordarshan transmission was transformed from black-and-white to colour, and government reduced duties on import of colour TVs. A sort of glasnost was brought in DD, but state control remained. Cable and Satellite channels made their entry in the Nineties, and the entire scenario changed. Today there are several thousand private news channels, and an equal number of entertainment channels. News as is happening is telecast live in the drawing rooms of people. The media industry has made innumerable exposes and has shown the truth about politicians. Several high-profile politicians, including A Raja, Dayanidhi Maran and Suresh Kalmadi were axed thanks to media pressure.The fourth pillar of democracy has helped shape society's opinion and led to mass outrages like December 16 gang rape protests etc.9. India- China war The Indo- Sino war in 1962 changed the country's perception about non-violence forever. The war is remembered for the humiliation of India's defeat, the betrayal by China of Hindi-Chini-Bhai-Bhai slogans and the devastating personal blow it dealt to Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.The invasion transformed our national mindset on matters military/defence for ever. Never again - as the wars in 1965, 1971 & Kargil showed - would India be caught as unprepared. 10. Mars Orbiter mission On 5 November 2013, India joined the ranks of leading nations when ISRO launched the Mars Orbiter. India became the fourth nation in the world and first Asian country to do so. While it is expected to enter the orbit of the red planet in September 2014, the mission is a major achievement for our scientists.

Watch in pics: Major events that changed India

New Delhi: With 64 years gone by since India became a republic, the nation has passed through several vicissitudes, successes and mass movements. These events have moulded the face of India for good or bad,

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