As the year draws to a close, we take a look back at the events that dominated the headlines in India in 2023. The year unfolded with a series of gripping incidents, political turmoil, scientific achievements, and legal milestones. Here is a comprehensive overview of the pivotal events that marked each month of this eventful year:
January: Wrestlers’ protest against WFI chief
- Indian wrestlers’ protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar caught national attention, as they accused BJP MP and chief of the Wrestling Federation of India, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual misconduct. Singh labeled the protest an attack on the BJP and suggested it was orchestrated by the Congress.
Read: WFI chief compares wrestlers’ protest with Shaheen Bagh stir, refuses to quit
The year-long tussle culminated into Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik announcing her retirement from wrestling on Thursday, December 21, following Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist Sanjay Singh’s success in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) election.
February: Delhi deputy CM arrested in liquor policy scam
- The arrest of Delhi’s deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, sparked a heated political dispute between the AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The AAP charged the BJP, saying that Manish Sisodia’s arrest was part of a plot to destroy the AAP party.
In response, the BJP pointed out that it is an instance of corruption due to the abrupt change in the liquor legislation. Manish Sisodia was detained by the CBI following an eight-hour ground interrogation.
Read: Liquor scam: Manish Sisodia’s arrest provokes political slugfest
The Supreme Court denied him bail on October 30. On Wednesday, December 13, the court denied Sisodia’s request for an oral hearing on the review and dismissed the review petitions.
March: Opposition unites after Rahul Gandhi’s suspension
- Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha as an MP came a day after the Surat Court found him guilty of defamation. Several Opposition party leaders expressed their support for Rahul Gandhi. It was described as a “black day for democracy” by K Chandrashekar Rao.
Read: Rahul Gandhi gets Opposition solidarity
April: India becomes most populous country, Atiq Ahmed shot dead
- According to the most recent United Nations Population Fund figures, India has overtaken China to take the top spot in the world’s population, with China coming in second. At a press conference, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated, “Population divided does not depend on quantity but also quality.”
Read: India overtakes China in Population - Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and another accused were gunned down on April 15 as they were being escorted for a medical checkup. The shocking incident was recorded on camera. Ahmed was implicated in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case.
Read: Mafia turned politician Atiq Ahmed and brother killed in UP
May: Manipur ethnic conflict, New Parliament building
- The month of May began with a series of violent incidents which sparked the deadly ethnic conflict in Manipur. Videos of women being paraded naked during the conflict shocked the entire nation. In severe situations, the government issued orders to shoot at sight, and the Center also deployed Rapid Action Force, a specialised squad trained to deal with riots.
Read: Govt issues shoot at sight orders for ‘extreme cases’ - In the same months, the Parliament of India moved from the British-era building to the newly constructed one. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the new Parliament House in New Delhi on May 28.
Read: PM Modi walks to new Parliament building with Cabinet colleagues, MPs
June: 200 killed in Odisha train accident
- In the first week of June, the horrific Odisha train accident sent the entire country into mourning. Following the horrifying incident involving three trains – Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express, Coromandel Express and a goods train – over 900 people were injured and 207 people killed.
Helplines were established by the Odisha government, and accident relief trains were sent to the spot.
Read: Over 200 killed in Odisha train accident
July: Chandrayaan-3 takes off
- Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission, made India the fourth country after the US, China, and Russia, to land its spacecraft on the surface of the moon and demonstrate the country’s abilities for safe and soft landing on the lunar surface.
The spacecraft was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2.35 pm on July 14.
Read: ISRO’s moon mission Chandrayaan 3 lifts off into space
August: Rahul returns to parliament, Chandrayaan-3 lands
- On August 7, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi returned to parliament, complying with the Supreme Court’s stay of his conviction in a criminal defamation case related to his remarks over the “Modi surname”.
Read: SC stays Rahul’s conviction in ‘Modi surname’ defamation case
- This month, India was commemorating the mission Chandrayaan 3, which on August 23 made history by landing successfully on the moon. It became the only nation to set foot on the south pole of the moon.
Read: Chandrayaan-3: India becomes first country to land on south pole of moon
September: Centre gears up for G20 Summit, India bloc formed
- Headlines in September were dominated by the G20 summit, which brought together representatives of several countries in New Delhi as India presided over the G20 summit. The security forces remained vigilant throughout the G20’s planning and execution.
Read: Preparations begin for G20 Summit - Opposition parties unite against the government. The India bloc, which consists of 14 members coordinating election strategy compromising members of various parties, appointed more people to newly constituted panels on September 2. Rahul Gandhi stated, “INDIA bloc is created to protect the idea of India.”
However, the question that remains: Can INDIA bloc repeat what the Opposition did in 1977 and 2004?
October: SC refuses to accept same-sex marriage, Kerala blast
- The Supreme Court’s five-judge Constitution bench declined to uphold same-sex unions as legally binding, leaving the matter up to the legislature. The Center urged states to take the required actions to raise public awareness of LGBT rights and to make sure that youngsters who are not yet old enough to fully understand the repercussions of sex change procedures are not permitted to undergo them.
Read: Same-sex marriage: No legal recognition from SC, leaves it to Parliament
- A man named Dominic Martin claimed responsibility for the blasts that targeted Christian prayer sessions in Kerala, leaving one person dead and thirty-six injured.
Read: Blast rips through Christian prayer meet in Kerala; 1 dead, 36 hurt
November: Assembly polls, ICC World Cup, tunnel rescue
- The country witnessed a bustling electoral activity in November as five states – Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. While Congress sprung a surprise by wresting Telangana from the incumbent BRS, BJP dominated the north Indian states. However in Telangana, all prominent BJP leaders lost.
Voting season opened with an overwhelming victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP], which won 163 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 115 seats in Rajasthan, and 54 seats in Chhattisgarh. In Mizoram’s assembly elections, which saw 75% of voters cast ballots, the Zoram People’s Movement emerged victorious with 27 seats.
Read detailed Telangana election coverage by Siasat.com here. - In the same month, India’s promising run in the ICC World Cup ended after it lost the final match to Australia. It was the only match India lost in the tournament.
Here is a glimpse of the ICC World Cup 2023 Final – India vs Australia. - On 12 November 2023, a section of the Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel, planned to connect National Highway 134 in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, India, caved in while under construction. The collapse occurred at around 05:30 IST and trapped 41 workers inside the tunnel for 16 days.
After the iron barriers were lifted on November 28, the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue efforts reached their conclusion. 41 ambulances were waiting outside the tunnel to assist the survivors once they managed to crawl out.
Read: Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operations enter final stretch; iron hurdle removed
December: Parliament security breach, MPs suspended, Article 370 verdict
- A major security breach in the parliament raised concern over security as two people jumped into the Lok Sabha well from the visitor gallery. The accused had been granted passes on recommendation of a BJP MP.
Read: Watch: Two persons enter Lok Sabha, open gas canisters - The accused were arrested and booked under UAPA. However, the Centre refused to hold discussions on the issue despite repeated protests by the Opposition MPs. The Parliament turned and as many as 141 MP were suspended.
Read: 141 MPs suspended from Parliament amid protests over security breach
Rahul Gandhi said that the government silenced 60% of the public’s voice by suspending the MPs from the parliament in response demand for discussion over a security breach.
Read: By suspending 150 MPs, govt muffled voices of 60% people of India: Rahul Gandhi - After the Centre unilaterally revoked the Article 370 and bifurcated the state of Jammu & Kashmir into two Union Territories in 2019, strong opposition was raise. Various political parties in Jammu and Kashmir and other groups moves SC against the Centre’s move. However, in the second week of December, the Supreme Court announced its verdict, backing the Centre’s decision to revoke the Article 370.
Read: Article 370 temporary provision, Prez order to scrap special status valid: SC
The court also ordered that Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood be restored as soon as possible and that elections be held.
Different political parties responded differently to the Supreme Court’s ruling.
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