In the year 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came back to power at the Centre with a bigger mandate than in 2014, gaining a sway across the nation to win 303 seats in the Lok Sabha. In less than 70 days of the government's second term in office, the Narendra Modi-led regime scrapped Article 370, which gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, paving the way for bigger ideas to be implemented in the months to come.
Before that, on February 12, the Union Cabinet had cleared key amendment to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, making it easier for buyers to take over stressed assets.
The Supreme Court also did not hold back, the then Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, making a number of landmark judgments -- from the long-awaited Ayodhya title suit to Sabarimala. Towards the fag end of the year, a few legislation brought by the government, such as the Personal Data Protection Bill and the Bill to set up a unified authority for regulating all financial activities in international financial services sparked controversy, and the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill drew opposition from politicians and citizens alike.
The rest of the year was also quite eventful, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh performing ‘Shashtra Puja’ upon the first delivery of the Rafale fighter jet, brushing aside the Congress’ criticism, CJI Gogoi was cleared by a panel of sexual harassment allegations. And the Cabinet approved strategic divestment in BPCL and SCI in its bid to meet its FY20 divestment target of Rs 1.76 trillion.
Days before curtains come down on 2019, Business Standard takes a look at the key decisions and ideas that shaped the year...Read More
