Modern History
Freedom struggle, post-independence events and historical developments
India-South Korea War Memorial: India's Korean War Role and Bilateral Defence Ties
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, during an official visit to Seoul, jointly inaugurated an Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Peace Park in Paju, South Korea...
India's Nuclear Journey: From Operation Smiling Buddha to the Strategic Triad
May 18, 1974 marked the 52nd anniversary of India's first nuclear test — codenamed Operation Smiling Buddha — conducted at the Pokhran Test Range in...
Return of Leiden Copper Plates Renews Call for Systematic Repatriation of India's Heritage Abroad
The Netherlands formally returned the Anaimangalam copper plates — also known as the Leiden copper plates — to India on 16 May 2026 during an official...
Constitution Was Adopted in English, Not Hindi: Kerala High Court Clarifies Authoritative Text
The Kerala High Court, while deciding a PIL challenging the Hindi titles given to three new criminal laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik...
National Technology Day and Operation Shakti: India's 1998 Nuclear Tests
May 11 is observed annually as National Technology Day, marking the anniversary of India's five nuclear weapon tests conducted at Pokhran, Rajasthan, in May...
Cabinet Clears Amendment to Make Insult to Vande Mataram a Punishable Offence
The Union Cabinet approved an amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, to bring Vande Mataram (the national song) under the same...
India's First Overseas Humanitarian Mission: The 60th Parachute Field Ambulance in the Korean War
An exhibition titled 'Guardians of Neutrality: India's Korean Mission,' curated by Colonel D.P.K. Pillay (Retd), was held at the India International Centre...
Komagata Maru Incident (1914): Racial Discrimination, Imperial Law, and the Fight for Equality
The Japanese steamship Komagata Maru, carrying 376 passengers from British India (340 Sikhs, 24 Muslims, 12 Hindus), was denied entry into Vancouver...
Ambedkar's Labour Legislation Legacy: Foundations of India's Workers' Rights Framework
A retrospective assessment published around Dr. Ambedkar's birth anniversary (14 April) detailed his foundational contributions to India's labour...
Sikkim's Integration with India: 50 Years of the 22nd State
India marked the 50th anniversary of Sikkim's formal integration into the Union as its 22nd state, which occurred on 16 May 1975. The occasion highlighted...
Strait of Hormuz: Historical Contestation, Geography, and Contemporary Geopolitics
Since late February 2026, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively blocked to commercial shipping following the outbreak of the Iran-US-Israel conflict...
Resolution 47 on Kashmir: India at the UN Security Council in 1948
UN Security Council Resolution 47, adopted on 21 April 1948, became a defining early test of independent India's engagement with international institutions...
Women in the Constituent Assembly Who Opposed Reservation for Women
As the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 on women's reservation was defeated in the Lok Sabha, attention turned to a little-discussed chapter of...
Bank Nationalisation of 1969: A Defining Moment in India's Economic History
On July 19, 1969, the Government issued the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Property) Ordinance of 1969, nationalising 14 commercial banks...
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre: 107 Years of a Turning Point in India's Freedom Struggle
April 13, 1919 marks the 107th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab, when British Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops...
Jyotiba Phule Bicentenary: Government Launches Two-Year Nationwide Commemoration
The Government of India formally launched a two-year nationwide commemoration (April 2026 to April 2028) to mark the 200th birth anniversary of social...
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule's 200th Birth Anniversary: Legacy of India's Pioneer Social Reformer
April 11, 2026, marks the beginning of year-long celebrations of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule's 200th birth anniversary (born April 11, 1827). Prime Minister...
Manipur's Fractured History: Understanding the Meitei-Kuki Conflict and Its Roots
Manipur continues to face an uneasy situation even in 2026, following the devastating ethnic violence that began in May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo...
ASI Excavation Unearths 1,500-Year-Old Stepped Reservoir on Elephanta Island
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavation on Elephanta Island (Gharapuri) near Mumbai unearthed a 1,500-year-old T-shaped stepped reservoir...
How Nehru's Fascination with the Kibbutz Shaped India-Israel Outreach Before Formal Diplomatic Ties
A recent historical account details how India and Israel developed substantive people-to-people and policy exchanges before India established full...