From 2019 Lok Sabha elections to the ICC Cricket World Cup in England, we have got you covered for all the major events in the upcoming year.
1. Lok Sabha Elections
In April-May, nearly 90 crore people in India will vote to choose their next prime minister. The election is being touted as the biggest battle between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the united opposition (or the mahagathbandhan).
In 2014, the BJP won the elections with an absolute majority of 282 seats in the lower house of the Parliament, and Narendra Modi took oath as the prime minister.
2. Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid Verdict
The Supreme Court on 29 October 2018, said that it would decide on the schedule of the hearing of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in January. And as the elections near, the demand for building a Ram temple at the disputed site has intensified.
Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP, has in fact, stated its stand on the issue and has demanded that the BJP-led NDA pass an ordinance to allow the construction of the Ram temple at the earliest.
3. State Assembly Elections
2019 will also see Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Haryana.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir were slated for 2021, but after the BJP pulled out of the alliance with the PDP, the elections are due in 2019, concurrent with the Parliamentary elections.
4. Budget Before 2019 Polls
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present an interim budget on 1 February ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. However, according to media reports, the Finance Ministry plans to present a full-fledged budget.
5. ICC Cricket World Cup
The 2019 World Cup will be held in the United Kingdom from 30 May to 14 July. India is seeking a third 50-over world title in what is likely to be MS Dhoni's final major appearance.
6. Prayagraj Kumbh Mela
Prayagraj Kumbh Mela is a religious fair that will be held from 15 January to 4 March at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj (erstwhile Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims visit the Kumbh Mela to bathe at the confluence of Yamuna, Ganga and Saraswati rivers.
7. Special Olympics
The Special Olympics, an event for specially-abled athletes, will be held in Abu Dhabi from 14 March to 21 March.
Fun Fact: India has won a staggering 968 medals, 286 of them gold, at the Special Olympics World Summer Games from 1897 to 2015.
8. Aero India 2019
Asia’s largest military aviation exhibition, Aero India, will be held from 20 February to 24 February in Bengaluru.
The event will have trade exhibitions of aerospace and defence industries combined with public air shows. It will see investors, global leaders and participants from various think tanks from across the world. The event will provide a platform for exchange of information and ideas along with new developments in the aviation industry.
9. Kartarpur Corridor Completion
The construction of the Kartarpur corridor, which will allow Sikh pilgrims from India to visit the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, believed to be the resting place of Guru Nanak Dev, is likely to be completed by the end of 2019.
The decision to build the passage – from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district to the International Border – was taken by the Union Cabinet on 22 November.