The following individuals have served as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra since its establishment in 1960

#	Name	Took Office	Left Office	Party
1	Yashwantrao Chavan	1 May 1960	19 November 1962	INC
3rd Assembly Elections (1962)
2	Marotrao Kannamwar	20 November 1962	24 November 1963	INC
3	Vasantrao Naik	5 December 1963	20 February 1975	INC
4	Shankarrao Chavan	21 February 1975	17 May 1977	INC
5	Vasantdada Patil	17 May. 1977	18 July 1978	INC
6th Assembly Elections (1978)
6	Sharad Pawar	18 July 1978	17 February 1980	Progressive Democratic Front
7th Assembly Elections (1980)
7	Abdul Rehman Antulay	9 June 1980	12 January 1982	INC
8	Babasaheb Bhosale	21 January 1982	1 February 1983	INC
9	Vasantdada Patil	2 February 1983	1 June 1985	INC
8th Assembly Elections (1985)
10	Shivajirao Nilangekar Patil	3 June 1985	6 March 1986	INC
11	Shankarrao Chavan	12 March 1986	26 June 1988	INC
12	Sharad Pawar	26 June 1988	25 June 1991	INC
9th Assembly Elections (1991)
13	Sudhakarrao Naik	25 June 1991	22 February 1993	INC
14	Sharad Pawar	6 March 1993	14 March 1995	INC
10th Assembly Elections (1995)
15	Manohar Joshi	14 March 1995	31 January 1999	Shiv Sena
16	Narayan Rane	1 February 1999	17 October 1999	Shiv Sena
11th Assembly Elections (1999)
17	Vilasrao Deshmukh	18 October 1999	16 January 2003	INC
18	Sushil Kumar Shinde	18 January 2003	30 October 2004	INC
12th Assembly elections (2004)
19	Vilasrao Deshmukh	1 November 2004	4 December 2008	INC
20	Ashok Chavan	8 December 2008	Present	INC

History of Maharashtra

Early History
Although some Paleolithic remains have been discovered, Maharashtra enters recorded history in the second century BC, with the construction of its first Buddhist caves. These lay, and still lie, in peaceful places of great natural beauty, but could never have been created without the wealth generated by the nearby caravan trade routes between north and south India.

Origins
The name Maharashtra first appeared in a 7th century inscription and in a Chinese traveler's account. Its name may have originated from rathi, meaning "chariot driver" and referring to builders and drivers of chariots who formed a maharathis, a "fighting force." This region seems to have attained prominence as early as 90 A.D., when king Vedishri made Junnar the capital of his kingdom, thirty miles north of Pune. For the 900 years ending in the early fourteenth century, with the overthrow of the Devgiri Yadavs by the northern Muslim powers, no historical information in this region is available. In 1526, first Mughal king, Babar, established his prominanace in Delhi and soon the Mughal power spread to the southern India. The Mughals were to dominate India till the early eighteenth century.

Poet-Saints
The regions's first Hindu rulers, based in Badami, appeared during the sixth century, but the eighth-century Rashtrakutas achieved a greater authority. Buddhism was almost entirely supplanted throughout the entire country by the twelfth century, in what has been characterized as a peaceful popular revolution attributable largely to the popular poet-saints. Maharashtra was one of the main channels that helped the emotional and emotional bhakti school of Hinduism spread from southern to northern India, thanks here to work of Jnanesvara (1271-1296) whose commentary on the Bhagwad Gita, the Jnanesvari, was significantly written in the day-to-day spoken language, Marathi, as opposed to classical Sanskrit. The most famous of his contemporary poet-saints was the tailor Namdev (1270-1350), whose passionate devotional hymns caught the popular imagination. The tradition they established continued to flourish, even when forced underground by Islam, reaching its zenith in the simple faith of the anguished Tukaram (1598-1650), whose wife and son died in a famine, and Ramdas, the "Servant of Rama" (1608-1681). Ramdas, both ascetic and political activist, provided the philosophical underpinning behind the campaigns of Maharashtra's greatest warrior, Shivaji.


The Maratha Reign
In the sixteenth century, regional Muslim powers like Nizamshahi, Adilshahi, and Qutubshahi established their prominence in the Deccan region. They basically served the Mughal empire but were autonomous to an extent. One of them, Nizamshahi was located in Ahmednagar, a town 95 miles east of Pune. Maloji Bhosle, Grandfather of Shivaji served for the Nizam as a Sardar. In 1595, Bahadur Nizam II honored him as 'Raja' for his courage in a battle with Mughals and gave him the estates of Pune and the fort of Chakan, near Pune. This is generally considered as the starting point of the Maratha history.

The Reign of Shivaji (1627 - 1680)

Shivaji Bhosle, founder of the Maratha empire, was born in 1627, in the fort of Shivneri, 40 miles north of Pune. In 1629, Shivaji's father Shahaji, who had succeeded his father Maloji, in Pune and Chakan, disengaged himself from the service of the Nizamshahi. Consequently, in 1635 the Nizam's army attacked Pune. Shahaji surrendered and his estates were returned to him. Soon, Shahaji put Dadaji Kondadev in charge of Pune,and as a caretaker for the Shivaji while he joined the Adilshahi in Vijapur, aprox. 400 miles south of Pune, which was soon to emerge as the most important power in the region as the other local powers slowly diminished.

In Pune, Dadoji built a palace 'Lal Mahal', for Shivaji and his mother Jijabai. At the age of sixteen (1643 AD), Shivaji took great delight in stirring up his friends' hopes and nursed the thought of becoming independent. He took the oath to make the land free at the fort Torna at the age of sixteen. This was the start of his lifelong struggle against Mughals and other Muslim powers. By 1647, Shivaji had captured two forts and had the complete charge of Pune. In 1657, he committed his first act of hostility against the Adilshahi by plundering a large booty in Ahmednagar. Thus, began a sequence of attacks on the Adilshahi.He slowly started capturing forts in the region, Purandar, Rajgad, Torna being most notable of his first achievements.

Disturbed by his continuing success, Adilshahi sent a famous Sardar, 'Afzalkhan' to destroy Shivaji. Afzalkhan knew that Shivaji's army, which was much smaller than his huge force would be unable to fight him on open land. He tried all the tricks in the book to make him fight on plains, but Shivaji was no less clever. He convinced Khan that he was very much afraid of him and requested him for a meeting at a place near Vai ( 100 miles south of Pune) which was densely wooded, mountainous region, and ideal for his army to fight. Khan still had plans to kill him in the meeting and Shivaji knew it well. Ultimately it was Khan who was killed and his unsuspecting army was completed washed out by Shivaji. After this, Shivaji went on a winning spree and spread his reach till Panhala near Kolhapur.

Meanwhile, Aurangzeb got concerned by Shivaji's rise to power. It was now clear that local Muslim Powers were unable to stop him. So he sent a huge Army, led by Mirzaraje Jaisingh to defeat Shivaji(1666). Jaising's army was much stronger than Shivaji and soon he lost most of his important forts. Realising that he was fighting a losing battle, he signed a treaty with Mirza and agreed to serve Aurangzeb, his young son, Sambhaji being made a sardar. He went to Delhi with Mirza to meet Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb gave a humiliating treatment to Shivaji and soon put him under house imprisonment under some excuse. It looked certain that Shivaji will be killed sooner or later by Aurangzeb. But this was not to happen, fortunately, for Maratha kingdom. Shivaji made a clever plot to escape and escaped with Sambhaji to south.

After this turning point, Shivaji never looked back and slowly regained his lost glory. By 1673, he had control over most of western Maharashtra and had made 'Raigad' ( Dist. Raigad , 150 miles southwest of Pune) his capital. He was ceremeniously enthroned as a sovereign king in 1673. By 1680, the year of Shivaji's death, nearly whole of the Deccan belonged to his kingdom. He had developed an efficient administration and a powerful army. He also encouraged a spirit of independence among the Marathas that enabled them to withstand for 150 years all attempts to conquer them. Shivaji's achievements amongst monumental difficulties were really spectacular and that is why he holds the highest place in Maratha history.

The Period of Unstability - 1680 to 1707
Shivaji was succeeded by his son Sambhaji. He showed the same vigor as his father, but was taken prisoner and executed by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, in 1689. Rajaram, Sambhaji's younger brother then took the throne, since Sambhaji's son, Shahu was still a minor. The death of Rajaram in 1700 seemed to end the power of the Marathas, but Tarabai, the elder widow of Rajaram, put her young son Shahu on the throne, at the tender age of ten, and continued the struggle against Aurangzeb who had come to south with the sole purpose of destroying Maratha kingdom. Between 1700 and 1703, Aurangzeb captured the fort of Sinhagad, near Pune. During the siege, his son prince Muhuil-Mulk died; so Aurangzeb changed Pune's name to Muhiabad, in the prince's honor. Shahu continued to fight against the Mughals and captured Rajgad, the former capital of the Maratha territory. The fight against the Mughals ended with the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 which was another turning point in Maratha history. After Aurangzeb, Mughal power never regained its status as main power in India and Balance of power shifted towards Marathas, which was soon to be controlled by Peshwas.

The Peshwe Dynasty - 1712 to 1818
Balaji Vishwanath - 1712 to 1721
In 1712, Shahu died of smallpox and his minister or peshwa, Balaji Vishwanath took over the throne.

Negotiations between the Mughal court of Delhi and Balaji Vishwanath enabled him to send a large Maratha delegation to Delhi to assist the Mughals. The year 1718 marked the beginning of the Maratha influence in Delhi, to which they remained closely acquainted, till 1803. Balaji Vishwanath's health had suffered considerably, and he died in 1721.

Bajirao Peshwa ( Pahila Bajirao ) - 1721 to 1740
Bajirao, his elder son was awarded the title of peshwa after the death of his father . It was Bajirao's dream to extend the Maratha empire to North India. By this time, Pune had regained its status as capital of Maratha Kingdom from Rajgad. Rajgad was made capital by Shivaji beacuse it was a safe place, high in the moutainous, wooded area. As Pune was in plains, it always had a threat. By 1720's, Maratha power was spreading in large areas and the threat of local battles fought over forts did not exist much. Pune remained the capital till the end of Maratha empire in 1818.

In 1734, Bajirao captured the Malwa territory in the north, and in 1739, his brother Chimnaji drove out the Portuguese from almost all their possessions in the northern Western Ghats. Bajirao diedi in 1740 and left three sons behind him. It was Bajirao who built the 'Shanivarwada', the residence and ruling place for the Peshwas.

Nanasaheb Peshwa - 1740 to 1761
Nanasaheb succeeded Bajirao as Peshwa in 1740. He had two brothers, Raghunathrao, who later betrayed the Marathas and joined hands with the British, and Janardan, who died in his early youth.

Nanasaheb was ambitious and a multifaceted person.In 1741, when his uncle Chimnaji died, he returned from the northern districts and spent nearly a year improving the civil administration of Pune. The period between 1741 and 1745 was of comparative calm in the Deccan. Nanasaheb encouraged agriculture, protected the villagers and brought about a marked improvement in the state of the territory.

The scene changed in 1751, when the Mughals, supported by the French, advanced towards Pune, totally destroying every village in their way. The Marathas fought with great determination, and nothing but the French artillery saved them from total defeat. In 1754, Raghunathrao, Nanasaheb's brother started on an expedition to conquer Gujarat, the state north of Bombay. In 1756, Nanasaheb marched south to attack Karnatak. In the meantime, news spread that the war had broken out between the English and the French, in Europe.

In 1756, the fall of the formidable navy formed by Shivaji gave British their chance to regain importance in the region. The navy was headed by Kanhoji Angre and its destruction was a cruical blow to Maratha sea power. It was a sad outcome of neglect of navy by Marathas which turned out to be a horrible mistake. Marathas never regained control of the sea after that.

In 1761, the Marathas were defeated at the third Battle of Panipat against Ahmadshah Abdali , a great warrior from Afganistan. Marathas were fighting to save Delhi Sultanat and consequently their power in the north. NajibUddowla was the person responsible for calling Abdali. 14th January, 1761 was the D-Day. This was a cruical blow to the rising Maratha power from which they never recovered. They lost more than 100,000 men and dozens of important Sardars in the battle. Nanasaheb Peshwe ( Balaji Bajirao ) lost his brother, Sadashivrao ( After whom the Sadashiv Peth in Pune is named ), and also his first son, Vishwasrao, in this battle. This news shattered Balaji Bajirao, who died shortly afterwards, in the temple on Parvati hill in Pune. The Maratha power was at the zenith of its glory during Balaji Bajirao's (also called Nana Saheb Peshwa) reign. It never fully recovered from the crushing defeat at Panipat.

'Thorale' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1761 to 1772
Madhavrao, his second son then took over, but had to constantly face administrative disputes with his uncle, Raghunathrao. Despite of this, he achieved many remarkable victories and restored the shattred Maratha kingdom to a large extent. His outstanding achievements included defeat of Nizam (Hyderabad), Hyder (Karnataka) and Bhosle of Nagpur. He also had to fight wars with Raghunathrao whose greed for power never waned. Ultimately, Madhavrao took Raghunathrao prisoner in 1768; the same year when the Nizam attacked Pune.He was eventually defeated. Madhavrao, also called 'Thorale'or Greatest Madhavrao, is entitled to special praise for supporting the poor and for his sense of justice. Ramshastri Prabhune, the chief justice, has become a legend for his work. The people who rose to power in his rule were Mahadji Shinde, Nana Phadnis and Haribhau Phadke who became the key figures in the power structure after his death. He took ill in 1771 and died in 1772 at an early age of 27, causing yet another blow to recovering Maratha power.

Narayanrao Peshwa - 1772 to 1773
Narayanrao, Balaji Bajirao's third son succeeded the throne at Shaniwarwada as the next Peshwa. He neither had the courage to take any bold decisions nor administrative skills and soon became very unpopular among the people. In 1773, Raghunathrao, who had been imprisoned by Madhavrao, in a room in the palace in Pune, escaped with the help of the Gardi people . Narayanrao was murdered at the Shaniwar wada , owing to a conspiracy by Anandibai, Raghunathrao's wife.

'Sawai' Madhaorao Peshwa - 1774 to 1795
Raghunathrao was proclaimed the next peshwa, although he was not heir to the title. Narayanrao's widow gave birth to a son, Sawai Madhavrao, who was legally the next peshwa. Raghunathrao tried to maintain his kingdom by signing treaties with the English , and relied on them for manpower in exchange for money and territory. However his plans did not succeed. Raghoba was displaced from power by a clever plot by the 12 Maratha sardar's " Barambhainche karasthaan" ( Plot by 12 people ) including Nana, Holkar, Phadke Shinde . Sawai Madhavrao was then declared the next Peshwa. As he was only one year old at that time, Nana Phadnis became the main administrator with Phadke,Shinde,Holkar taking care of Military duties. These people handled the Peshwai well and with great unity till the premature death of Sawai Madhaorao in 1795. They defeated the rising British Power in 1784, near Pune and halted their advancements, temporarily. Sawai Madhaorao's death was the last blow to the Maratha empire and all the unity among its leaders vanished after his death causing a downfall of Peshwai in a short time.

'Second' Bajirao Peshwa - 1795 to 1802
Raghunathrao died in 1782, leaving behind him, two sons; Bajirao, who in 1817 confronted the British at the Battle of Kirkee, in Pune; and the younger, Chimnaji Appa. Bajirao became the next Peshwa after Madhaorao's death. Nana was still the administrator and the Peshwai remained in stable condition till his death owing to his superb administrative skills. Nana died in 1800 and Pune fell into the hands of the Sindia's ( Shinde) ; the former chiefs of Nana's army. They remained in power for a short while and in 1802, Bajirao reestablished himself in Pune, by signing the treaty of Bassein with the British. This essentially ended Peshwai , establishing British supremacy in the region. The capturing of the Ahmednagar fort in 1803, proved British supremacy in the Deccan. In 1804, General Wellesly proclaimed the Deccan in a state of chaos, established military rule and the Peshwas remained rulers for name's sake.


The British Raj - 1818 to 1947
Towards the end of 1805 Sir James Mackintosh, the Chief Justice of Bombay (1804-1811), came from Bombay to visit Colonel Close, the Resident at Pune. The Residency on the 'Sangam'(confluence of the Mula and Mutha rivers) Mackintosh describes as a set of bungalows, fitted conveniently and luxuriously. Pune city had its principal streets paved with stone, and was reckoned one of the best built native towns in India. The Peshwa's residence, that is the Shaniwar wada, added to Pune's glory. Between 1805 and 1811, under Colonel Close and for a short while under Mr. Russel, affairs went smoothly in Pune.

In 1811, Mr. Russel was succeeded by Lord Mountstuart Elphinstone. Bajirao was very disloyal to the British, and in November of 1817, he declared war against them. This battle was fought at Kirkee, that is the Cantonment area, in the east of Pune. The Peshwa fled and the power of the country passed from the Peshwas to the British by 1819. The rest of the nineteenth century witnessed a few minor uprisings in and around Pune, but the British established their supremacy. As the Maratha's were the key power in India at this time, their fall clearly marked the begining of British Rule in India.

The first step towards establishing a municipal government in the city of Pune, was taken in 1856, when the Pune Municipality came into existence under the Act of 1850. The fact that Pune is not recognized as a major tourist center, is probably because it cannot boast of outstanding artistic specimens of architecture, like those of Delhi or Agra. Yet, it is rich in its associations with the past.

In the early 20th century, the whole of India was in revolt against the British; yearning for freedom. Mahatma Gandhi launched his movement of nonviolence, and people participated by the thousands in the 'Chale Jao' ('go away') struggle. Paradoxically, Pune witnessed violence when the Chaphekar brothers killed a British police officer by the name of Mr. Rand. On one hand, as the violence overrode the city, improvements were made in the education of women and the abolition of child labor. Independence was attained in 1947, but that was not the end of violence.

Modern Maharashtra - 1947 to Present
At Indian Independence in 1947, western Maharashtra and present-day Gujarat were joined as Bombay state. The eastern districts were then part of Hyderabad State, but were later added to Bombay in 1956. The present state was formed in 1960 when the Marathi and Gujarati linguistic areas of former Bombay state were separated. Bombay city became the capital of the new state.

Maharashtra budget for 2009-10 Highlights

State’s first deficit budget in the three financial years

Estimated budgetary deficit to be Rs 113.66 crore

VAT on mobile phones, cordless phones, video phones, video and digital cameras has been increased from 4 per cent to 12.5 per cent

High-end cars to attract more motor vehicle tax (MVT). Vehicles up to Rs 20 lakh to 8 per cent and above Rs 20 lakh to 9 per cent

Stamp duty on contract for advertisement, rights of telecasting films and copy rights to be increased from Rs 2.50 to Rs 5 per Rs 100.

Ceiling of Rs 25 crore on the stamp duty levied on M&As of companies is removed

Increase in both sales tax and excise duty on liquor

The sales tax on tobacco products increased from 12 per cent to 20 per cent

VAT on selected items used in space and satellite industry reduced from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent

Solar energy equipment exempted from VAT and CFLs to attract VAT at 4 per cent

Hotels and restaurants up to 3 star ratings will now attract VAT at the rate of 5 per cent instead of earlier 8 per cent

VAT on medical equipment like scalp veins, stethoscopes and dialysis instruments from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent

The imitation jewellery will also now attract the VAT at the rate of just 1 per cent instead of earlier 4 per cent

Special provision of Rs 11,915 crore for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, railway, airports, ports and irrigation projects to celebrate golden jubilee year of state’s formation

Year 2008 Highlights

Year 2008 Highlights

Let us glance through some of the issues that were in India’s Mind while it crossed over to 2008.

• A troubled neighborhood – Jehadis in Pakistan, LTTE in Srilanka, Anti-junta protests in Myanmmar, phase of political transition in Nepal, and, poverty and political instability in Bangladesh.
• Former Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto assassinated.
• The Bali Road Map adopted during UN Climate Change Conference at Bali, Indonesia leaving India with much to crave for.
• Protesting ethnic Indians under ‘HINDRAF’ in Malaysia refusing to settle easily.
• India trying hard to get Nuclear Deal with US to fruition.
• ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ beginning to sour India’s relations with the Russians.
• Modi’s stunning return to power in Gujarat and BJP’s victory in Himachal.
• Violence hit Orissa reeling in shock after celebrating a ‘Black Christmas’.
• Gujjar agitation in Rajasthan creating a ruckus.
• ISRO’s plan made public - to see chandrayaan 1 orbit the Moon by end of 2008.

All said and done, for India, this sure was a moment for self introspection. Wrongs committed in 2007 were to be undone, mistakes committed were to be learned from, while a couple of tough New Year resolutions-to-keep were to be adopted. Let us find out how India fared in the Year 2008 and whether or not, it honored its commitments and kept its resolutions.

National Issues – 2008

India opened its innings rather impressively with the Government of India notifying the Scheduled Tribes and Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. However, not all was well in January which also saw avian epidemic – ‘Bird Flu’, surface again, this time in Birbhum District of West Bengal. Fortunately, no case of humans contracting the bird flu virus - H5N1 has been reported in India so far, ever since the first time it surfaced in 2006. Opening month of 2008 also saw French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrive in New Delhi to attend 59^th Republic day celebrations as its chief guest.

Let is glance through the chronology of major events that mattered for India in 2008.

Political

In 2008, as many as 10 states went to polls. During the first half of the year, Left front, MPA (Meghalaya Progressive Alliance) and DAN (Democratic Alliance of Nagaland) formed Governments in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland. However, what came as surprise element was Congress’s latest victory in Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram. While it was widely felt that congress would be voted out of power, especially in Delhi, due to anti-incumbency wave that has resulted from, amongst other things, rise in prices of essential commodities and raging inflation, Congress still managed to emerge a winner. Congress not only retained Delhi, but also recaptured Rajasthan from the BJP and Mizoram from MNF. Even the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai didn’t jeopardy congress’s victory.

BJP on the other hand retained Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but lost Rajasthan to congress. Earlier this year, BJP also formed Government in Karnataka.

• Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) launches hate campaign against migrant north Indians in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai.
• Amarnath row brings to an end Congress-PDP coalition in J&K
• UPA Government wins 22^nd July trust vote in parliament.

Violence, Crime, Terror and related issues

• Blasts rocked cities of Jaipur, Bangalore, Ahmadabad and New Delhi claiming many lives.
• Suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul kills 58 people, while injuring 170. Two Indian diplomats amongst those killed.
• Trinamool Congress backed KJRC resorts to violence to stall the setting up of TATA’s small car factory at Singur in West Bengal.
• Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four disciples are killed by unidentified assailants at his ashram at Jalespata and violence against Christians in Orissa’s Kandhamal district follows.
• Alleged right winged extremeist like Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt. Colonel Srikant Purohit, a serving Army officer, arrested for suspected involvement in Malegaon blasts.
• In a biggest ever terrorist attack, 183 persons are killed in Mumbai.
• Union Minister for Minority Affairs, A.R. Antulay stirs fresh controversy by hinting foul play in ATS chief Karkare’s death.

Obituary

• Baba Amte (94) passes away at Anandvan, Warora, Maharashtra.
• Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw passes away at 94 in Ooty.
• Former PM Chandra Shekhar dies battling blood cancer.
• Former PM V.P. Singh passes away at 77. He was battling blood cancer for the past 17 years.
• CPI (M) veteran leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet passes away at 92.

Other events that made headlines

• Kalka-Shimla Railway line is included in UNESCO Heritage list.
• Aravind Adiga becomes the fourth debut novelist to win the coveted Man Booker Prize for his novel, “The White Tiger”.
• Chandrayaan 1 successfully launched on 22^nd October from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.

International Relations

On the International front, there was an unprecedented rise India’s stature. With the US calling India its staunchest ally and the European Union according India status of a ‘strategic’ partner, India not only rose in its self esteem but was also considered an emerging super power world over. While India pressed hard for bringing in reforms in the UN Security Council and other international agencies like World Bank and IMF, it was supported not only by major powers of the west but also Asian giants like China and Japan.

However, there certainly were eyebrows raised, when it came to India being given special concessions by the NSG and IAEA with regards nuclear technology. While China and Pakistan, not openly opposing India’s nuclear deal with the US, did take the entire episode with a pinch of salt. On the other hand there were countries like Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand amongst the others that form a group advocating non-proliferation, who unequivocally raised objections to India being given special considerations.

With Barack Obama winning the US presidential election, India has its eyes fixed on him. Obama is understood to be a man who would continue to combat terror with an iron fist. From his press addresses, he has made it clear that terrorist activities would not be tolerated even if that meant using force. By saying this he was referring to Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas that are known to harbor terrorist training camps. Latest reports also indicate that Obama may appoint a Special India Envoy in his team.

Some of the major events that shaped India’s International relations

• India-US nuclear deal inked.
• Chinese claim Arunachal’s Tawang District as their territory.
• Pakistan’s new government offers to work with India against extremism.
• India-Africa summit hosted in New Delhi. Both pledge to work together as partners to meet the economic and political challenges facing them.
• India decides to go ahead with Iran-Pakistan-India Gas pipeline ignoring US pressure.
• India and France sign pact for civilian nuclear technology.
• Russian President Medvedev visits New Delhi for the annual Indo-Russia summit and the formal conclusion of the 'Year of Russia'. Year 2009 to be ‘Year of India’ in Russia.

International Personalities Who Made News

• Barack Obama – made history by becoming the first African American to be elected for the top job at White House.
• Michael Jackson – converted to Islam and changed name from Michael to Mikaeel
• Michael Phelps – American swimmer who has won 14 Olympic gold medals, more than anyone in history.
• Fidel Castro - the undisputed leader of Cuba from 1959 until 2008, when he stepped down making way for Raul Castro.
• Ingrid Betancourt - the 47-year-old Colombian-French citizen, held for 6 years by FARC (Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia) from 2002 till she was rescued in 2008.
• Robert Gates - who assumed leadership in pentagon in 2006 under Bush Administration, is to continue in Obama’s new administration.
• Asif Ali Zardari – President of Pakistan and husband of late Pak PM Benazir Butto. With Islamic militancy on rise and Pakistan on the verge economic collapse, he has a big job in hand.
• Carla Bruni – Supermodel-turned pop-singer, made headlines for her affair with French President Sarkozy. After a brief romance they married on 2 February 2008 at Paris.

Indian Economy and Business – 2008

The year 2008 hasn’t been a joy ride for Indian economy and business. With the global melt down following the US sub-prime crisis of 2007, the business world over was affected in one way or the other. Generally speaking, business in India, towards the end of 2008 looked sluggish. Throughout the year 2008, galloping inflation sent the Indian economy into a tizzy. Though the SENSEX crossed 21,000 at the start of 2008, it began collapsing thereafter at a worrying rate to reach a 16-month low of 12, 575 in july.

Amidst an eventful January that also witnessed a fuel price hike, Tata unveiled its 623 cc Nano which it claimed, would be world’s cheapest car, costing Rs.1 lakh only.The roaring inflation that neared 13% by middle of 2008, was to a great extent, due to spiraling crude oil prices which hovered at an all time high of more than $140 per barrel during second and third quarter of 2008.

Let us glance through some of the major events that shaped Indian economy and business through the year 2008.

Money and Capital Market

• Reliance power raises $ 3 bn within a minute. This becomes India’s biggest IPO.
• C.B. Bhave takes over as SEBI chairman.
• Duvvuri Subbarao was appointed the 22nd governor of the Reserve Bank of India.

Mergers and Acquisitions

• HDFC Bank and Centurion Bank of Punjab announced their merger, creating India’s largest bank in terms of branches.
• Japanese drug firm Daiichi Sankyo buys a majority stake in Ranbaxy for over Rs. 15, 000 crore
• India’s largest IT services company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) acquires Citigroup’s BPO arm Citigroup Global Services (CGSL) for $505 million (Rs 2,424 crore) in an all-cash deal.

Corporate World In News

• Tata group is world’s 6^th most reputed company in ‘Global: 200’ compiled by Reputation Institute, USA.
• The Ambani Brothers named among the world’s 100 most influential and powerful by ‘Vanity Fair’.
• Tata relocatedsNano plant from Singur to Sanand in Ahmedabad. .
• Reliance Industries (RIL) Chairman Mukesh Ambani with net worth of $20.8 billion, displaces Lakshmi Mittal to become the richest Indian in the world.

Games and Sports India – 2008

Sportspersons who made headlines

• Abhinav Bindra wins gold at Olympics.
• Sushil Kumar and Vijender Singh capture bronze in wrestling and boxing at Olympics.
• Ronjan Sodhi bags gold in double trap gold at shotgun World Cup
• Saina Nehwal is ranked world no. 10 and Anand Pawar in top 100
• Vishwanathan Anand wins world title after vanquishing Vladmir Karmik
• Virender Sehwag joins Lara and Bradman to be the only players to score two test triple hundreds.
• Tendulkar is now world’s highest test-runs scorer.
• Anil Kumble and Saurav Ganguly retired.
• S.S.P Chowrasia wins his maiden European Tour event, Emaar MGF India Masters, in Delhi.

Year 2008 started with cricketing controversies involving Harbajan Singh and Andrew Symonds and India loosing the test series with Australia. What however came as a major set back was Indian Hockey team not qualifying for the Olympics.

This year also saw India exploiting the Twenty20 craze by launching the IPL and ICL, prompting fears among boards that its multi-million franchise model could divide player loyalties between doing national duty and chasing money. While Rajasthan Royals won the IPL, Chennai superstars clinched ICL title.

Cricketing juniors, India’s U19 team, also made India proud this year by winning ICC U19 world cup beating South Africa.

Art and Entertainment

Miss World 2008

India's Parvathy Omanakuttan finished first runner up in Miss world 2008. However it was, Russia's Ksenya Sukhinova who was crowned Miss World 2008 after beating scores of international beauties.

Fashion

The year 2008 also proved to be an eventful year in the world of fashion. The two mega events, Lakme Fashion Week and Wills India Fashion week, that showcased some of the most exotic collections, were held in October this year. While Lakme Fashion Week Spring Summer 2009 was organized in Mumbai, Wills India fashion week that unfurled creations of 79 designers pulled the fashion enthusiasts to New Delhi.

Film Awards 2008

At the IIFA 2008, held in Bangkok, it was Chak De India that swept the top awards. Shahrukh Khan won the best actor award for his role in Chak De India. The best actress award went to Kareena Kapoor for her award winning performance in Jab We Met. The Best Film and Best Director award went to the Chak De India team too .However, Tare Zameen Pe was conspicuous of its absence even in nominations.

In the Film fare awards, it was again Shahrukh and Kareena winning the best actor awards, while Amir khan’s ‘Tare Zameen Pe’ won the award for the best film. Amir also won the award for the best director while Darsheel Jaffery bagged the best actor award (critics) for his power packed performance in the same film.

The 39^th IFFI (International film festival of India) which is also sometimes called “Cannes of the East", was held in Goa from 22^nd November to 2^nd December. IFFI 2008 turned out to be a complete entertainer that attracted film makers from all over the globe.

Movies

About 125 films hit the screens this year, but except few like 'Race', 'Jannat' and 'Rock On', most movies bombed, especially the big-budget, mega starrer ones. Notwithstanding recession, stars continued to charge hefty fees for a movie. Shah Rukh Khan, for instance, charged Rs.150 million plus percentage of profits, while Saif Ali Khan demanded Rs.200 million.

Dharsheel Jaffery, the wonder kid of ‘Taare Zammen Pe’, after having bagged the best actor (critics) award at the Film Fare, is all set to entertain the audiences in yet another promising flick ‘Bum Bum Bole’.

Some of the major films this year that did reasonably well at the box office are Jodha-Akbar, Rock On , Race , Jannat, Fashion and Singh Is King.

Year 2008 also saw promising debutants like Imran Khan in ‘Jane Tu ..ya Jane Na..’ and Ranbir Kapoor in ‘Sawariya’ .Ranbir even bagged the best actor (debut) award in the Film Fare Awards 2008. However, for the seniors like Salman khan with three flops - God Tussi Great Ho, Hello and Yuvvraaj, this was not a rewarding year.

However, towards the end of 2008, Shah Rukh made an impressive entry with 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and it has changed the mood at the box office. He has given both the filmmakers and the audiences something to smile about. Now trade circles in bollywood have their hopes pinned on on Aamir Khan's 'Ghajini'.

Year 2008 also saw some great terror flicks by film makers of all ilk and hue. From Neeraj Pandey's 'Wednesday' and Nishikant Kamat's 'Yeh Hai Mumbai Meri Jaan' to Jagmohan Mundhra's 'Shoot On Sight' and Rajkumar Gupta's 'Aamir', there was a range in its own kind.