1979 in India
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| See also: | List of years in India Timeline of Indian history | ||||
Events in the year 1979 in the Republic of India.
Incumbents
- President of India – Neelam Sanjiva Reddy
- Prime Minister of India – Morarji Desai until 28 July, Charan Singh
Events
- 1 January - President of India makes official the decision to set up the Mandal Commission
- 31 January - The police under direction of Jyoti Basu, Chief Minister of Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led government of West Bengal, surrounds and opens fire on unarmed refugee settlement of Morichjhapi island in Sunderbans, West Bengal. Hundreds killed but government officially accepts 36 deaths.
- 1 June - Vizianagaram district is formed in Andhra Pradesh.
- 27 June - CISF conflict at Bokaro
- 11 August - Morvi dam burst, the worst flood disaster in independent India, happens in Gujarat, killing 1500-15000 people
- Dr. Leo Rebello is appointed Special Executive Magistrate (same as Justice of Peace) for Greater Bombay. Holds the honorary office for 18 years helping thousands of people.
Births
January to June
- 7 January - Bipasha Basu, actress and model.
- 28 February- Srikanth
- 24 March - Emraan Hashmi, actor.
- 12 June - Tottempudi Gopichand, actor.
July to December
- 31 August - Yuvan Shankar Raja, film composer and singer.
- 1 September - Aamir Ali, actor
- 11 September - Tulip Joshi, model and actress.
- 14 September - Kamya Panjabi, actress.
- 7 October - Narain, actor.
- 4 November - Lazarus Barla, field hockey player.
- 14 December - Samit Basu, novelist.
Full date unknown
- Divya Palat, actress.
Deaths
- 3 December - Dhyan Chand, field hockey player (b. 1905).
Full date unknown
- Banaphool, author, playwright and poet (b. 1899).
- Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, novelist, literary historian, essayist, critic and scholar (b. 1907).