1971 in India

See also: 1970 in India, other events of 1971, 1972 in India and the Timeline of Indian history.

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Events

• 25 January - Himachal Pradesh becomes the 18th Indian state.
• 19 April - The government of Bangladesh flees to India.
• 25 August - Bangladesh and eastern Bengal are flooded; thousands flee the area.
• 29 September - A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, in Orissa State in India, kills 10,000.
• 3 December-17 December: India and Pakistan fight their second major war, over East Pakistan, which ends after 90,000 Pakistani troops surrender. The new nation of Bangladesh is created out of East Pakistan.
• 3 December - The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 begins as Pakistan attacks 9 Indian airbases. The next day India launches a massive invasion of East Pakistan.
• 3 December-4 December night: The Indian navy destroyer INS Rajput sinks Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi (former USS Diablo).
• 16 December - Victory Day of Bangladesh: The Pakistan Army surrenders to the Joint Force i.e. Mukti Bahini (Freedom Force) and Indian Armed Forces, ending the Bangladesh Liberation War.

Sport

• Leslie Claudius (field hockey player) is awarded the Padma Shri.

Births

• 12 January - Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, politician.
• 17 July - Soundarya, actress (d.2004).
• 5 August - Jude Menezes, field hockey player.
• 8 August - Ramandeep Singh, field hockey player.
• 2 September - Pawan Kalyan, actor and film director.

Deaths

• Debaki Bose, film director, writer and actor (b.1898).
• Keshavrao Date, actor (b.1889).