India Today - December 30, 2024

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Highlights of India Today 30th December 2024 issue:

In our 49th anniversary edition, we take you through pivotal moments that shaped and reimagined India. Also in the issue, a tribute to late tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, a travel special and a Q&A with Nimrat Kaur.

RELIANCE INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING, 1977 - The Emperor of Equities

With his novel idea of raising funds from the public in the late '70s, Dhirubhai Ambani awoke the sleeping giant that was India's capital market, giving the ordinary investor a chance to own a small piece of big business and be part of an equity revolution

2 mins

THE MARUTI 800, 1983- The Aam Aadmi Car

The small car that made a big difference by democratising car ownership in the country and changing the face of India's automotive industry

2 mins

ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION, 1991- BREAKING THE SHACKLES

In 1990, India faced economic collapse with dwindling forex reserves and mounting debt. The next year, the Narasimha Rao government, with Manmohan Singh as finance minister, launched transformative reforms, dismantling protectionism and reshaping the economy

3 mins

THE SOFTWARE BOOM FROM BYTES TO BILLIONS

From a $100-million fledgling in 1991 to a $250-billion powerhouse today, India's IT industry capitalised on visionary policies, pioneering companies and the Y2K opportunity to become a global leader in outsourcing and innovation

2 mins

THE GENERIC BREAKTHROUGH - Pharmacy to the World

India's pharmaceutical industry has evolved from dependency on foreign firms to global dominance. Driven by generics, biopharma breakthroughs and innovation, it has cemented the country's status as the planet's drug factory

2 mins

LOW-COST AIRLINES, 2003 - NO-FRILLS TAKES OFF

Air Deccan shattered the myth that flying was an elite pursuit. With no-frills service and ultra-low fares, it transformed Indian aviation, inspiring a booming budget airline segment

2 mins

METRO TRAINS - MESSIAH OF RAPID RAIL

From Calcutta's pioneering start to Delhi's technological leap, India's metro systems have changed the way its urban citizenry travels

2 mins

TELECOM - The Cellerati Generation

In 1995, India's first mobile call sparked a transformative journey that has redefined communication, economics and social outreach across the nation

3 mins

THE SHATABDI, 1988 - The Superfast Success

The Shatabdi Express redefined Indian rail travel, blending speed and luxury, and laid the foundation for modern innovations like the Vande Bharat Express

3 mins

GOLDEN QUADRILATERAL, 1999 - TAKING THE HIGHWAY

Golden Quadrilateral showed how to turn a bold vision into reality. Indian highway-building leapfrogged into the future, and the scorching pace hasn't stopped since

2 mins

MANDAL REPORT IMPLEMENTATION, 1990 - Spark that Lit a Social Revolution

What was perhaps as much a political expedient as the desire for social justice soon took on a life of its own, ushering in the era of caste-based politics and a growing competition among communities for quotas in jobs and education

3 mins

NIRBHAYA RAPE CASE, 2012 - STIRRING A NATION'S CONSCIENCE

It took the savage gang-rape of a young physiotherapy intern on the streets of the national capital to provoke outrage so massive that the lawmakers were left with no choice but to revisit the country's existing laws on rape and punishment and make them more stringent

2 mins

DECRIMINALISING HOMOSEXUALITY, 2018 - FREEDOM TO LOVE

It's been only six years since the LGBTQ community got the Indian courts to rule that Section 377 was illegal, that they are not criminals and are free to love who they want. But the battle is still on to secure basic rights and a place in society free of stigma

2 mins

VISHAKA GUIDELINES, 1997 - An Armour for Working Women

One woman's fight for justice became the fight of the nation's women, resulting in the Supreme Court recognising, for the first time, sexual harassment at the workplace as discrimination against women and prescribing the Vishaka guidelines to deal with it

2 mins

PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION, 1979 - SUPREME RIGHT TO BE HEARD

The PIL has come as a boon to the disadvantaged, with the Supreme Court opening its doors for them. And while it has evolved as a powerful tool for social reform and government accountability, it has also become prone to misuse, which too the court has duly taken heed of

2 mins

PRE-NATAL SEX DETERMINATION BAN, 1994 - SAVING THE UNBORN DAUGHTER

By banning pre-natal sex determination, India took the first step towards preventing the murder of a girl child in the womb. From that has flowed other latter-day battles-like the one for her right to education

2 mins

AGNI-I, 1989 - BALLISTIC MUSCLE

In 1989, the launch of its first intermediate-range ballistic missile, Agni, elevated India into an elite club. Agni-l laid the foundation of the country's emergence as a regional superpower

2 mins

INDO-US NUCLEAR DEAL, 2008 - Ending India's Nuclear Pariah Status

The Indo-US nuclear deal saw the US break ranks with the gatekeepers of nuclear technology to admit India into the global nuclear trade. It led to closer strategic ties with Washington

2 mins

INS ARIHANT, 2016 - THIRD ARM OF THE TRIAD

A triumph of indigenous mastery of complex military technology, INS Arihant completes India's nuclear triad and bolsters India's maritime security at a time of aggressive Chinese naval expansion

2 mins

SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE SLV-3, 1980 - JOINING THE SPACE LEAGUE

When the SLV-3 lifted off successfully in 1980, it marked the beginning of the process of making India self-sufficient in launch vehicles and satellite technology for development

2 mins

OPERATION MEGHDOOT, 1984 - ICE STATION SIACHEN

The daring sally on the Siachen Glacier in 1984 is a landmark achievement of the Indian military. It instilled an ethos of readiness in securing national interests- seen in the 1999 Kargil War, the 2016 surgical strikes and the Balakot air strike

2 mins

NUCLEAR BOMB TESTS, 1998 - ATOMIC INTENT TO REALITY

India declared itself a nuclear weapons state with Operation Shakti, a series of nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998. It set off a chain reaction—the emergence of strategic forces, a nuclear submarine and civilian nuclear deals

2 mins

CHANDRAYAAN-1, 2008 - THE MOONSHOT AND BEYOND

Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut, whetted our appetite for space. Chandrayaan-1 made that a reality, and spawned a series of spectacular successes

2 mins

PANCHAYATI RAJ, 1992 - POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Empowering grassroots governance, the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Indian Constitution redefined democracy, ushering in local self-rule and inclusivity

3 mins

PM JAN DHAN YOJANA, 2014 - Banking the Unbanked

Ten years of PMJDY have transformed financial access for millions, empowering them to save, invest and access credit, while driving economic and social change

2 mins

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 - Breaching the Babu Barrier

Born from grassroots resilience, this landmark legislation put the might of information in the hands of millions while making the powers that be accountable

2 mins

AADHAAR ROLLOUT, 2009 - Giving Citizens an Identity

The world's largest biometric ID system, Aadhaar has streamlined welfare delivery, leading to financial inclusion and security

2 mins

GOODS AND SERVICES TAX, 2017 - Good, Streamlined Tax

GST marked a pivotal shift in taxation, simplifying the process, improving compliance, boosting revenues and fostering economic integration

3 mins

SILENT VALLEY MOVEMENT - WHEN SILENCE BECAME A ROAR

Environmentalists, poets and journalists generated mass opinion against a hydroelectric project and saved Kerala's Silent Valley, one of India's last remaining tropical rainforests

2 mins

CHIPKO MOVEMENT - THE GREEN SAVIOURS

The simple, collective act of hugging trees saved the remaining forests in the Himalayas and serves as a beacon to both policy-making and environmental activism in India and beyond

2 mins

PULSE POLIO CAMPAIGN, 1994 - A COUNTRY VERSUS A VIRUS

From being the epicentre of a dreaded disease that left children with permanent disability, India achieved the impossible task of eradicating polio through a sustained, concerted effort by the government, NGOs and members of the local communities

2 mins

SWACHH BHARAT MISSION, 2014 - THE CLEAN CRUSADE

From collective shame to national pride, India's journey toward eliminating open defecation is a story of strong political will and leadership, grand scale and ambition, and community, corporate and celebrity participation

2 mins

CRICKET WORLD CUP, 1983 - THE IDEA THAT WE CAN WIN

Yes, even that was not there when Kapil Dev, himself only 24, led a bunch of devil-may-care no-hopers right up to the summit of world cricket. For India, it was the equivalent of the Moon Landing-except unplanned and unimagined. What changed after that? Everything.

2 mins

SUNIL GAVASKAR'S RECORDS - THE LEGEND AND THE LEGACY

He was the one they wrote a calypso for. Like his spiritual son Sachin, he could rock too...if he wanted, very rarely. Mostly, he was classical. Sublime, perfect.

2 mins

VISWANATHAN ANAND: FIVE-TIME WORLD CHAMPION - THE CHESS ROYALTY

He came out of the blue to conquer the world. India's encore in 2024, with Gukesh, is part of his legacy

2 mins

PRAKASH PADUKONE: ALL ENGLAND, 1980 - OF GUTS AND GLORY

It was equal to the Wimbledon. And Padukone's win was a seminal event. Indian parents saw a new path to glory opening up for their children–and the young ones leapt up for the smash

2 mins

ABHINAV BINDRA: FIRST SOLO OLYMPIC GOLD, 2008 - The Golden Trendsetter

The calm of a yogi, the eye of a hunter. Abhinav Bindra needed that. For, he was about to shoot down demons of the collective Indian mind

2 mins

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE - INDIA AS CRICKET CENTRAL

Sixers arriving on a flying carousel, Bollystars and Big Biz dancing in the aisles, power czars and pompom girls—IPL turned the gentleman's game into a rave party. Everyone won.

2 mins

SHOLAY 1975 - THE BIRTH OF THE FANDEMIC

India had seen hits before. But Sholay seared into its collective psyche like a badland bullet. The effect was on a scale never seen before- one film creating a new mass folk culture. And a trail of monster blockbusters that still continues

3 mins

THE TELESERIALS - WHEN SMALL TURNS BIG

In the Eighties, Indian television went from a dull grey box to the full colours of immersive storytelling. The multichannel revolution was waiting to explode on the other side

3 mins

THE INDIPOP TREND - DISCO GOES DESI

For ages, the film song ruled. Nothing else was audible. Then came Nazia, charioteered by Biddu, and Indian ears went into a pleasant madness. Literally, Disco Deewane. A whole genre was born

4 mins

FESTIVAL OF INDIA, 1982 - CULTURE CAPITAL

The Festival of India grew into a symbol of our 'soft power', introducing our art and aesthetics to a global audience while also helping rebrand our domestic products

2 mins

INDIAN ART - A BRUSH WITH GOLD DUST

The 1990s economic liberalisation came as oxygen, lighting up the Indian art scene. Today, artworks by established masters routinely go for astronomical amounts

2 mins

INDIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH - REVENGE OF THE NATIVE

Rushdie lit the way but Indian writing in English has taken a life of its own in the past few decades, with translated Indian fiction most recently having its moment in the sun

2 mins

CULINARY RENAISSANCE, 1978 - TANDOORI NIGHTS

ITC's Bukhara and Dum Pukht turned the world to tandoori cuisine and had an enormous impact on the F&B industry. Decades on, they are still a pit-stop for celebrities and heads of state visiting Delhi

2 mins

RETAIL SHOPPING - THE MALL MANIA

Shopping malls, a 1990s innovation in India, changed the way the Indian middle class shops. Their success now lies in being 'shoppertainment' destinations, offering something for everyone

2 mins

SPIRITUALITY - THE GURUS OF COOL

Among the cult Indian gurus, no one had a bigger hold on western minds than 'Osho' Rajneesh. He's also perhaps the role model for the enterprise-building gurus of today

2 mins

KERALA TOURISM CAMPAIGN, 1989 - TICKETS TO PARADISE

All it took was a catchy tagline-'God's Own Country'-for the world to discover Kerala's wealth of natural beauty. It remains among the best tourism ad campaigns, earning the state a place among top 10 international destinations

3 mins

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