Top News of 2013: The Headlines

Historic Lokpal Bill gets Parliament's nod

Gandhian activist Anna Hazare's fight against corruption culminated in the Lokpal Bill being passed in Parliament on December 18. After the bill got Parliament's nod, Anna, who had been campaigning for the anti-corruption legislation for the past few years, ended his nine-day hunger strike. He had first launched a fast unto death against corruption at Delhi's Jantar Mantar in April 2011. (Read more on Lokpal Bill here)

India vs US over Indian diplomat's arrest in New York

A high-ranking diplomat at the Indian Consulate in New York was arrested for alleged visa fraud on December 12, leading to a diplomatic row between the two countries. Devyani Khobragade, 39, was strip-searched, swabbed for DNA and cavity-searched and was then placed in a cell with drug addicts. Furious over the "deplorable" treatment, an outraged India pared down the privileges of American diplomats and removed police barricades from outside their embassy in Delhi. India wants all charges against the diplomat to be dropped and has sought an apology from the US over the matter. (Read more on Devyani Khobragade case here)

World mourns Nelson Mandela

South Africa's first black President and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela died at his home in Johannesburg on December 5 at the age of 95, leaving his nation and the world in mourning for a man revered as a moral giant. Mandela was buried at his childhood village of Qunu on December 15 after a tearful state funeral. His memorial service was attended by nearly 90 leaders from across the world. (Read more on Nelson Mandela here)

Gay sex illegal, rules Supreme Court

Setting aside a Delhi High Court verdict from 2009 which had decriminalized homosexuality by overturning a colonial-era law, the Supreme Court on December 11 ruled that gay sex is a criminal offense. Pronouncing its order, the court said that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which outlaws sex "against the order of nature", is constitutionally valid. The verdict sparked protests by human rights activists. (Read more on gay sex verdict here)

In semis ahead of 2014 polls, BJP wins big, but AAP steals the show

The 2013 assembly polls, billed as semi-finals ahead of the 2014 national election, delivered a 4-1 win for the BJP - the party won absolute majority in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and was the single-largest party though shy of a clear majority in Delhi. Mauled in these states, the Congress only had a consolation victory in Mizoram.

The show-stopper of the elections, however, was taxman-turned-activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal and his year-old Aam Aadmi Party that made a stunning political debut by winning 28 of Delhi's 70 seats, second only to the BJP, but eight short of a majority. The AAP will form a government in Delhi with external support from the Congress and Mr Kejriwal as the new Chief Minister.

The Congress, which had begun the year on a good note by wresting from the BJP its only state in the south, Karnataka, and retaining power in Meghalaya, acknowledged that there was a lesson to be learnt from the "Aam Aadmi Party phenomenon." (Assembly Elections 2013: Complete Coverage)

Aarushi Talwar's parents found guilty of murder

Ending years of mystery, a court in Ghaziabad pronounced its verdict in the Aarushi Talwar murder case on November 25, 2013 and held dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar guilty of murdering their teen daughter and their domestic help Hemraj at their home in May 2008. A day later, it sentenced them to life imprisonment. The Talwars, who are currently lodged in Dasna jail near Ghaziabad, have said they will appeal against the verdict in a higher court. (Read more on Aarushi Talwar case here)

India launches mission to Mars

India's first mission to Mars blasted off from the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh on November 5. The Mars orbiter mission, known as Mangalyaan, will travel more than 200 million kilometres over 300 days and reach Mars in September 2014. If it does that successfully, India will become the first Asian nation to do this. The 450-crore mission made international headlines for its cost-efficiency. (Read more on Mission to Mars here)

Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal arrested in rape case

Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, accused of raping a junior colleague at an event in Goa, stepped down as the magazine's editor on November 21 after allegations against him surfaced. He was arrested on November 30, after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected. Days after his arrest, Tehelka's Managing Editor Shoma Chaudhury also resigned amid unabated criticism for the way she handled the young journalist's complaint. (Read more on Tehelka case here)

God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, retires

Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket, retired from the game after playing his 200th and final Test on November 16. Thousands of Sachin fans, his family and admirers from all walks of life were in attendance at Mumbai's Wankhede stadium where the legend bid a tearful farewell to the game after a glorious 24-year career. In an emotional speech, he said it would be hard for him to believe that his life between "22 yards in the last 24 years" has come to end. (Complete Coverage: Sachin, a Billion Thank Yous)

Odisha, Andhra Pradesh face Cyclone Phailin's wrath

Cyclone Phailin, the strongest storm to hit the country in more than a decade, hit Odisha on the night of October 12, packed with winds of 200 kilometres per hour. Heavy rains and surging seawater, accompanying the storm, left over 30 people dead, flattened tens of thousands of thatched homes, destroyed more than five lakh hectares of crops and knocked out power lines in more than 17 districts of the state. It also caused extensive damage in Andhra Pradesh. Timely evacuation helped minimize the loss of lives. (Read more on Cyclone Phailin here)

US government shuts down, first time in 17 years

The US government shut down for the first time in 17 years on October 1 after a gridlocked Congress failed to reach a federal budget deal amid bitter brinkmanship. The shutdown lasted for 16 days after which the US Congress passed a bipartisan bill to avert a historic debt default by the world's largest economy that could have had global repercussions. (More on US government shutdown here)

Outrage over IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal's suspension

IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal was suspended as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Gautam Buddh Nagar on July 27 for ordering the demolition of a mosque being built illegally on government land in Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi. While Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said her act had "endangered communal harmony," Ms Nagpal's supporters alleged that she was targeted for taking on the politically-connected sand mafia in Uttar Pradesh. National outrage eventually forced the revocation of her suspension on September 22. (More on Durga Shakti Nagpal case here)

Narendra Modi chosen BJP's PM candidate

Despite staunch opposition from party veteran LK Advani, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was anointed as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for 2014 elections on September 13. The announcement came three months after the BJP selected him as its campaign in-charge. The decision had led to the ending of the 17-year alliance between the BJP and Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United. (Read more on Narendra Modi here)

Lalu Prasad jailed in fodder scam

Bihar politician Lalu Prasad was found guilty in the multi-crore fodder scam case on September 30. Three days later, he was sent to five years in jail. The 66-year-old Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief stood disqualified as a member of parliament immediately. He was granted bail by the Supreme Court on December 13. (Read more on Lalu Prasad here)

Communal violence in Muzaffarnagar kills 60

Communal riots tore through the western Uttar Pradesh town of Muzaffarnagar in September this year, leaving nearly 60 people dead and close to 40,000 homeless. The violence erupted after the killing of two Jat brothers and a Muslim boy in August. As the riots spread, thousands of people fled their homes and crowded relief camps. For months, many have refused to return fearing more violence. Leaders from different political parties were charged with instigating the violence through incendiary speeches. (Read more on Muzaffarnagar riots)

Delhi gang-rape accused get death

On September 10, 2013, a fast-track court in Delhi pronounced its verdict in a case that had ignited nationwide protests, and sentenced to death four of the six men found guilty of the brutal rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student.

On December 16, 2012, the men lured the physiotherapy trainee and her male friend into their bus, assaulted them and gang-raped and brutalized the woman for hours before dumping them on a road, naked and bleeding. The girl died in a hospital in Singapore two weeks later. The case led to sweeping changes in the law on crimes against women. (More on Delhi gang-rape case)

Mumbai photojournalist gang-raped while on assignment

In a grim reminder of the Delhi gang-rape case, a 22-year-old photojournalist was allegedly gang-raped inside the deserted Shakti Mills compound in central Mumbai on August 22 while she was there on assignment with a colleague. The men allegedly assaulted her colleague and tied him up with belts before taking turns to rape her. The accused have been arrested; the trial in the case is on. (More on Mumbai gang-rape case)

Telangana cleared as India's 29th state

Despite protests and resignations by several of its members, the ruling Congress party announced on July 30, 2013 that Telangana, one of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh, will be carved out as India's 29th state and that the IT hub of Hyderabad will be a common capital for the next 10 years. The decision led to more protests from the other two regions of Andhra Pradesh who are opposed to the division largely because of concerns over the sharing of water, power and other resources. (More on Telangana protests here)

Royal Baby is born

Prince William's wife, Kate, gave birth to a baby boy on July 23, 2013. Prince George Alexander Louis is third in line to the British throne. (More on Royal Baby here)

Uttarakhand devastated by "Himalyan tsunami"

Uttarakhand was devastated by massive floods and landslides that left hundreds dead, thousands homeless and an equal number of people missing in June this year. The "Himalyan tsunami" swept away hundreds of homes, left a trail of devastation and halted the annual "Char Dham Yatra" in the state. It also led to the suspension of prayers at the famous Kedarnath temple for nearly three months. (More on Uttarakhand floods here)

IPL's 6th edition tainted by spot-fixing scam

The sixth edition of the Indian Premier League was mired in controversy after allegations of spot-fixing and betting surfaced against Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan in May this year. The Delhi Police arrested the trio, small-time Bollywood actor Vindu Dara Singh and the son-in-law of BCCI president N Srinivasan, Gurunath Meiyappan, and booked them under various charges. On September 13, 2013, a BCCI disciplinary committee imposed life ban on S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chvan. (More on IPL Spot-Fixing Scam here)

DMK quits UPA government over Sri Lanka issue

M Karunanidhi-led DMK pulled out of the Congress-led UPA coalition on March 19, 2013 in protest against the government's position on a US-backed United Nations resolution on alleged war crimes carried out during Sri Lanka's civil war. The government's stand, the DMK said, was not strong enough. It wanted India to add strong language to the resolution to accuse Sri Lanka of "genocide" during its civil war and call for an international probe. (More on DMK quitting UPA here)

Sanjay Dutt sent to jail

Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt was convicted for illegal weapons possession in a case linked to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts and was sentenced to five years in prison by the Supreme Court on March 21, 2013. The actor, who was in jail for 16 months between 1994 and 1995 and for a few weeks again in 2007, is serving the remaining 42-month prison term in Pune's Yerawada jail. He is currently out on parole. (More on Sanjay Dutt's conviction here)

New pope elected at the Vatican

Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the 266th pontiff to lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics on March 13, 2013. The first ever pope from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium, he chose the name Francis. He has been named Person of the Year by the Time magazine. (More on Pope Francis here)

Afzal Guru hanged: 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was hanged and buried inside Delhi's Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013. Guru was given the death sentence by the Supreme Court in 2004. His hanging, scheduled for October 20, 2006, was stayed after his wife filed the mercy petition. The President rejected the plea on February 3. (More on Afzal Guru's hanging)

Rahul Gandhi, the new Congress No 2: After months of anticipation and clamour within the Congress, Rahul Gandhi was appointed Vice President of the party on January 19, 2013. Accepting the new role, Mr Gandhi had said, "I have great experience this is great party and we can transform this country." (Read more on Rahul Gandhi here)

Tension along LoC after the killing of two Indian soldiers

The year 2013 saw escalated hostilities along the border between India and Pakistan after two Indian soldiers were killed, one of them beheaded, by Pakistani troops who crossed into Indian territory along the Line of Control in January. Tension peaked when seven months later, five more Indian soldiers were killed in an ambush by Pakistanis. This was followed by a spurt in ceasefire violations by Pakistan. In September, the Prime Ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York and decided that their military commanders should meet regularly to find ways to reduce tension. (Read more on LoC firing)