Farmers Protest
It was on January 26, the day India celebrates Republic Day, a group of farmers hailing from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh defied police orders and started pouring in from Delhi borders armed with tractors. Just as India's military might and cultural diversity were on display at the majestic Rajpath in Delhi, the 'peaceful tractor march' by farmers took a violent turn as they created chaos and unleashed violence on roads. They clashed with the police and barged into the iconic Red Fort. They also attacked cops, vandalized police vehicles and the ticket counter at the Red Fort. Some of them hoisted religious flags at Red Fort, the Mughal-era monument from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day. The saffron flag hoisted by protesters was the 'Nishan Sahib', a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. The 'Nishan Sahib' is a triangular flag that is sacred to Sikhs. The flag is seen at all Gurdwara complexes. The emblem on the flag comprises 'Khanda', a two-edged sword, a Chakra, a disc, and two Kirpans that cross each other at the handles. The other flag appeared to be of a farmer union. Security officials exercised the utmost level of restraint as directed by the government. Later, several farmers leaders tried to justify the protest as they blamed the police for blocking the roads and not allowing them to hold a 'tractor parade' as promised. The farmers' protest against the three farm laws could have ended had the police taken stern action against those behind defying the police orders and deviating from the designated route for the tractor parade. The violence brought shame to the country on a day when the world accolades India's remarkable democratic journey. The protest, which started on November 26, 2020, finally ended on December 11, 2021, after the government repealed the three agri laws.
Vaccine Century
India achieved the landmark of administering 100 crore Covid-19 vaccines on October 21, reflecting the momentous journey and determination to fight against an invisible enemy. There were celebrations across the world to honor the country's momentous occasion. To commemorate the special day, India's largest khadi Tricolor weighing around 1,400 kg, was hoisted from the Red Fort. The country-wide vaccination drive was rolled out on January 16 with healthcare workers (HCWs) getting inoculated in the first phase. The vaccination of frontline workers (FLWs) started from February 2. The next phase of vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with co-morbid conditions. The country launched vaccination for all people aged more than 45 years from April 1. The government then decided to expand the vaccination drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1.
Covid Second Wave
More than a year after the onset of the pandemic, in April the country saw the pandemic taking an ugly turn, something that was unpredictable. Even as the government was making efforts to scale up vaccination, the country started recording more than 4 lakh active cases and 40,000 deaths daily. This came as a huge setback for the country because up until that point, with the rollout of Covid vaccines and its administration, a sigh of relief was expected. Instead, the cases started spiraling. The rise in mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 virus -- Delta (B.1.617.2), even led to concerns regarding vaccine effectiveness. Lockdown was once again imposed in almost all the states and industries were shut to arrest the spread of the virus. The shortage of Liquid Medical Oxygen, hospital beds exposed the grim reality of the country's healthcare system. The world rushed to help India, transporting medical equipment, medicines, ventilators, oxygen plants and more to save lives. The Ministry of Railways started running Oxygen Express to transport Liquid Medical Oxygen from one city to another. The situation was, however, brought under control with the scaling up vaccination and people strictly adhering to the Covid protocol. According to a study published by The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, the Covishield vaccine remained effective against moderate-to-severe Covid-19 even during the second wave.
Made in India Covid Vaccines
Covaxin was one of the first two vaccines that were granted approval for emergency use in India by the DGCI. Developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the vaccine was approved in India in January. Bharat Biotech approached the World Health Organization (WHO) seeking approval for emergency use. The WHO granted nod to the drug in November after assessing its efficacy and other factors. Covaxin is homegrown in all senses. The approval of indigenously made drugs by the world body established India's pharmaceutical prowess in the world.
Assembly Elections
Four states -- West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Union Territory Pondicherry went to polls amid the pandemic. The elections saw massive crowds at rallies of politicians. All Covid norms had gone for a toss, and this was among other reasons that added to rising cases. In West Bengal, Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept the assembly polls with 213 of the 292 seats, while the main rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged 77 seats. In Assam, the election saw the incumbent BJP-led NDA retaining power with 75 seats, which marked the first time a non-Congress alliance winning consecutive terms in the state. The Mahajot led by Congress won 50 seats. Kerala to saw the incumbent Left Democratic Front (LDF) retaining power, marking the first time that an alliance won consecutive terms in the state since its 1977 election. In Tamil Nadu, the DMK led by MK Stalin won the election, ending the decade-long reign of the AIADMK. The poll was Tamil Nadu's first assembly election after the demise of the two most prominent Chief Ministers -- J Jayalalithaa of AIADMK and M Karunanidhi of DMK, who died in 2016 and 2018, respectively. In Pondicherry, the AINRC-led NDA captured power, dethroning the Congress government led by Narayanasamy.
Tokyo Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics saw India winning 7 medals (1 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze). This was India's most successful Olympic campaign. Neeraj Chopra, the 24-year-old from Haryana, became the first athlete to win the gold medal in track and field for India in the Tokyo Olympics. Hopes were pinned on the javelin thrower, and Neeraj delivered on the big stage by winning the yellow metal. The Indian men's hockey team also created history by winning the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. After a gap of 41 years, the men's team defeated Germany 5-4 to win the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Cryptocurrency
Amidst the tremendous price swings in the crypto market, the government said that it will introduce a bill to regulate crypto assets and cryptocurrencies in India in the Winter Session of Parliament. However, the bill was not introduced. The government is likely to introduce the bill in 2022 after wider deliberations with stakeholders. Earlier in 2019 and in February 2021, the government had tried to bring legislation to regulate crypto, but those efforts had to be abandoned. Prior to that, in 2018, the Reserve Bank of India had issued an order prohibiting banking support for the purchase and sale of cryptocurrencies, which was overturned by the Supreme Court due to the lack of legislative force. Currently, there is no regulation or any ban on the use of cryptocurrencies in the country. Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had even held a meeting on cryptocurrencies with senior officials and indicated that strong regulatory steps could be taken to deal with the issue.
Tamil Nadu Helicopter Crash
Chief of Defense Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others died after the Mi-17V5 helicopter they were flying in crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The accident happened in foggy weather in the hills near Coonoor in Nilgiris district. Images from the crash site showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the mangled remains of the helicopter. General Rawat was the country's first Chief of Defense Staff. He was appointed to the post on January 1, 2020. The helicopter was on its way to Defense Staff College in Wellington, where General Rawat was to give a lecture. The helicopter crash was one of the deadliest in the history of military aviation.
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