National Events in September 1997
1st Sep
Parliament adopts `Agenda for India', binding political parties to commitment to decriminalise politics and ensure probity in public life at the end of six-day session which, though officially hailed as `historic' left the public cold.
2nd Sep
Delhi court orders framing of charges against former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress(I) leader, Mr. Balram Jakhar in Jain hawala case.
4th Sep
Mr. Madhavrao Scindia, Mr. Tariq Anwar, Mrs. Meira Kumar, Mr. Oscar Fernandes and Mr. R. R. Dhawan appointed AICC general- secretaries by party president Mr. Sitaram Kesri.
6th Sep
Mother Teresa (87), dies in Calcutta
7th Sep
Banned Maoist Communist Centre guns down at least 30 CPI(ML- Liberation) activists, including district committee members and workers, at Ankendar village, 40 km from the district headquarters of Chatra in Bihar.
9th Sep
Mr. G. K. Moopanar, president, Tamil Maanila Congress and his party colleagues, Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, and Mr. Peter Alphonse, resign Rajya Sabha membership. A sequel to a petition filed by Shiv Sena member, Mr. Sanjay Nirupam, seeking their disqualification ``for defecting from Congress(I).''
Designated court decides to frame charges against 49 persons, including Shiv Sena Supremo, Mr. Bal Thackeray, BJP president Mr. L. K. Advani and former U.P. Chief Minister, Mr. Kalyan Singh, in cases relating to ``Babri Masjid'' demolition in Ayodhya on Dec. 6, 1992.
11th Sep
Month-long impasse arising from differences over Fifth Pay Commission's report ended following agreement between the Government and employees union. Forty lakh Central Government employees decide to drop strike plan.
13th Sep
Grieving India lays to rest Mother Teresa in state funeral in Calcutta, in which pomp and splendour is combined with religious rites.
14th Sep
Pakistan asks India to withdraw two staffers from its mission in Islamabad in retaliation for Indian request for a similar pullout from Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.
Fire and explosions devastate terminals and storage tanks at Visakh Refinery of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation. Toll put at 51.
TNCC(I) suspends Mr. Vazhapadi K. Ramamurthy, former president of the State unit, for ``anti-party'' activities.
78 persons die and around 250 are injured as 4 bogies of Ahmedabad-Howrah Express derail while crossing a bridge on Hasdeo river in Bilaspur district, Madhya Pradesh.
15th Sep
Prasar Bharati Act comes into force, seeking to free Doordarshan and Akashvani from government control.
17th Sep
Union Finance Minister, Mr. P. Chidambaram rated Asia's best Finance Minister by London-based financial publication `Euromoney'.
20th Sep
President, Mr. K. R. Narayanan, inaugurates first Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law university in Chennai.
Ms. Mayawati resigns as Chief Minister of U.P. to make way for BJP leader Mr. Kalyan Singh, to head BSP-BJP coalition Government.
21st Sep
Mr. Kalyan Singh sworn in Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. 44 BJP-BSP Ministers administered oath of office by Governor, Mr. Romesh Bhandari.
Maruti Udyog Limited's annual general meeting retains present Chairman, Mr. Probir Sengupta, and ratifies appointment of Mr. R.S.S.L.N. Bhaskarudu as managing director.
Mr. I. K. Gujral and Mr. Nawaz Sharif discuss recent flare-up on Line of Control and firing across the border in New York. The two agree such sources of tension should not be allowed.
24th Sep
Prime Minister, Mr. I. K. Gujral, addressing U.N. General Assembly, formally states India's claim to permanent membership of Security Council.
25th Sep
Two new judges of Supreme Court, Mr. Justice Madhavachari Srinivasan, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, and Mr. Justice Sanjeevalu Rajendra Babu of Karnataka High Court were sworn in by Chief Justice of India, Mr. J. S. Verma.
Delhi court frames formal charges against former Prime Minister, Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao, and 19 others in Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MPs' bribery case.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. S. Jaipal Reddy declared elected to Rajya Sabha.
29th Sep
India joins exclusive club of nations capable of launching heavier class of satellites, with the successful blast-off of PSLV-C1; country's first operational polar satellite launch vehicle from Sriharikota Range in Andhra Pradesh.
30th Sep
At least 20 civilians are killed and over 30 injured in unprovoked firing by Pakistani troops on Kargil town in J&K.
Gen. V. P. Malik takes over from Gen. Shankar Roychowdhury as Chief of Army Staff.