2 FEB HISTORY EVENTS

Today in Indian History Events for February 2

2-February-1314Saint Narhari Sonar passed away. (Samadhi)

2-February-1788To modify the Indian Administration, ""Pitt's Regulatory Act"" was introduced to put further controls on Government of India after the 1784 Bil

2-February-1814Calcutta Museum was established. It was a part of the Asiatic Society at a suggestion of a Danish surgeon Dr. Nathaniel Wallich, who was its first Director also.

2-February-1835Thomas Babington Macaulay westernises education in India. English is made official government and court language and as medium of instruction.

2-February-1862Pandit Shambhunath was the first Indian to become Judge of Indian High Court.

2-February-1915Khushvant Singh, famous journalist, was born.

2-February-1917Maharshi Vinayak Ramchandra Patwardhan (Annasaheb), collegue of Lokmanya Tilak, passed away.

2-February-1921Mukundrao Kirloskar was born.

2-February-1930Vasudev Govind Apte, editor and dictrionay creator, passed away.

2-February-1949Press Trust of India' was established.

2-February-1952India won first cricket Test Match at Chepauk Stadium, Madras.

2-February-1953All India Khadi and Village Industries Board started in New Delhi.

2-February-1956The president inaugurated the Bhoodan padyatra led by Dr. Sushila Nayar.

2-February-1958Family tradition still counts for something in Indian politics. Indira Gandhi, the only daughter of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the granddaughter of a statesman, has been elected president of the Congress party in India. Mrs. Gandhi will be installed into her new office next Sunday, and her job is not expected to be an easy one. The Congress party has been wracked by internal dissension and has been on the verge of collapse. It is hoped that Mrs. Gandhi, who is 41, will breath some new life into the party. Most of the politicians who have been arguing about the future of their party and country are fairly old. Mrs. Gandhi, who is known for her leftist sentiments, is expected to act quickly to put her own mark on party policies.

2-February-1959Indira Gandhi was elected the president of the ruling Congress Executive Party. Thereby Congress spilt,and leftist formed Swantantra Party.

2-February-1964Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, social reformer and freedom fighter, passed away.

2-February-1965Government sanction was accorded to the Officers Training School for the start of Short Service Regular Commission.

2-February-1967US President Johnson orders consignment of 2 mil. tons of food grains to be sent to India.

2-February-1968TERLS dedicated to the United Nations.

2-February-1970Bertrand Rusell, great philosopher, mathematician, author and chairmain of the Indian League, died at Merioneth, North Wales at the age of 98.

2-February-1977Jagjivan Ram, Cabinet member of 30 years, resigns to protest emergency rule causing minor split in Congress party.

2-February-1978The Indian National Congress (I) recognized as a national party and allotted the election symbol 'hand' (Palm).

2-February-1978Mahakavi G. Shankar Kurup, Malayalam poet, the first receipent of ""Gyanpeeth Puraskar (Award)"", and many other awards, passed away. (date 2 or 3)

2-February-1982Geet Sethi becomes the youngest Indian to win the National Billiards' crown at Madras.

2-February-1982Mohanlal Purushottamdas Sukhadia, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, freedom fighter, passed away. He was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from 1954-1971. He introduced Panchayati Raj in Rajasthan and worked for its industrialisation also.

2-February-1986Dalai Lama meets Pope John Paul II in India.

2-February-1989France's highest civilian award, 'Legion d' Honour, conferred upon Satyajit Ray by President Mitterrand at Calcutta.

2-February-1993Prices of iron and steel hiked.

2-February-1996Gold price zooms to all-time record high of Rs. 5600 per 10 grams.

2-February-1996Port Blair inaugurates the Doordarshan Kendra

2-February-2000The Government decides to appoint former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachaliah as the Chairman of the National Commission to review the Constitution.

2-February-2000The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry clears Ms. Deepa Mehta's film ''Water'' after the director agreed