• Hurriyat Conference welcomes the Ramzan ceasefire announced by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and offers talks with the Centre.
• The 13-day postal strike is called off following a settlement between the government and two of the three main employee unions.
• Government decides to make amendments to the Copyright and Trademark Act to curb extensive counterfeiting of various products.
• Centre directs the Delhi government to close down with immediate effect the industries which fall in F group in the master plan and are undisputed polluting industries.

• India and Japan agree to set up a group of implementation issues relating to Foreign Direct Investment.

• India and Jordan sign a memorandum of understanding to institutionalise a foreign secretary level consultation process.
• Microsoft Corporation signs an agreement with Uttar Pradesh Government to develop digital dashboard applications software to monitor important activities of the government.

• Centre extends its Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir by a month.
• Union Cabinet approves the introduction of the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 2000.
• Government announces relaxation in the paddy procurement norms for Bihar.

• Winter Session of Parliament ends.
• Government clears 28 projects entailing foreign direct investment worth Rs.1,306 crore, including restructuring of foreign equity in Enron Development Corporation.

• Centre accepts the proposal of the West Bengal Government to rename Calcutta as 'Kolkata'.
• Ms Chokila Iyer is appointed India's first woman Foreign Secretary. A 1964 batch IFS officer, she is currently Indian Ambassador to Ireland.

• Vishwanathan Anand is new World Chess Champion. He defeats Alexie Shirov of Spain.

• Government decides to allow private parties to use the satellite phones by Inmarsat. Currently, only government organisations use Inmarsat phones.

• Government imposes anti-dumping duty on drug manufacturing chemicals imported from China.

• Environmental activist Anil Agarwal of the Centre for Science and Environment is selected for Borlaug Award for his successful sensitization of the people about soil and water conservation problems in the country.

• Dhrupad exponent Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar, 78, passes away.
• India and Russia sign their single largest-ever defence deal for the production of 140 Sukhoi-30MKI multi-role jets in India by HAL over a span of 17 years.
• Former Union Minister Manubhai Shah, 85, passes away. Manubhai served in the cabinets of Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Indira Gandhi.
• Government clears FDI proposals wroth Rs.3,115 crore.

• Hashim Qureshi, hijacker of the Indian Airlines Srinagar-Jammu flight in 1971 surrenders in New Delhi.

• U.S. electoral college confirms the election of Mr. George W.Bush as President.

• Paul O'Neill is chosen by President-elect George W.Bush as US treasury secretary.
• UN Security Council slaps broader sanctions against the ruling Taliban militia in Afghanistan for its alleged support for 'international terrorists.

• Pakistan's legendary singer Noor Jehan, 75, passes away. She sang around 20,000 film songs.
• Sri Lankan troops kill 17 rebels in northern Jaffna peninsula, a day before the ceasefire announced by the rebels comes into effect.

• At least 63 persons are drowned and more than 200 missing after a ferry capsized in Meghna river in Bangladesh.
• President-elect George W.Bush announces Donald Rumsfeld, as his Secretary of Defence.

• Gen. Omar El-Bashir is re-elected President of Sudan.
• Russia and Iran agree to revive full-fledged defence cooperation.
• Pakistan releases Bangladesh war report.

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