Most searched news events on Google India in 2013

The Google India Zeitgeist tracks the year's major events and trends based on Google searches conducted in the country. Here is the list of top 10 most searched news events in 2013:

1) Narendra Modi's appointment as BJP's prime ministerial candidate. The Gujarat Chief Minister was declared the party's PM candidate on September 13 this year.

2) BlackBerry sale: The company considered selling its business in September. However, in November, BlackBerry announced it is abandoning the sale process.

4) Saina Nehwal: Although 2013 has not been a great one for Saina Nehwal, she was still the fourth most searched person. The only high for her this year was winning the Indian Badminton League with the Hyderabad Hotshots.

5) Vijay Mallya Kingfisher Airlines: In September, Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines Limited, Vijay Mallya, had announced that the company is in talks with a foreign investor for a potential stake sale. The airlines was grounded in October 2012 and its accumulated losses have ballooned to over Rs. 16,000 crore.

6) Karnataka Election Results: Congress booted out the BJP government in Karnataka by winning big in the state elections held in May this year.

7) Aarushi Talwar case: Five years after their daughter Aarushi and their domestic help were found dead at their home in Noida near Delhi, Nupur and Rajesh Talwar were sentenced to life for the twin murders in November.

8) Air India News: News of constant glitches in Air India's Dreamliner fleet was also widely searched on Google this year. According to Minister of State for Civil Aviation K C Venugopal, since its induction in September 2012 till November 27, this year, "136 minor technical snags have occurred on these aircraft which were fixed by Boeing/Air India technical teams with alacrity."

9) Indian economy: Erratic stock market trends, dismal GDP and the falling rupee all contributed to the large volumes of searches on this topic.

10) Laptop Distribution Scheme: Since March, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has distributed free laptops to first-year college students. The Hewlett- Packard laptops, worth Rs. 19,000 each, come with stickers of the chief minister and his father, Mulayam Singh, who heads the Samajwadi Party.