NATIONAL
February 16
- India and Switzerland sign an agreement to promote and protect mutual investments as the visiting Swiss Minister for Economic Affairs Pascal Couchepin exchanges the instruments of ratification with the Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
- Doordarshan signs a two-year long agreement for international cricket played in India with Australia’s sports television major, Channel 9.
February 17
- Director General of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Juan Somavia and Union Labour Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya sign a Memorandum of Understanding for extending ILO’s International Programme for Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) by another two years.
February 18
- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen arrives in New Delhi on a two-day official visit.
- Ten security personnel are killed in a powerful IED (improvised explosive device) blast in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.
February 19
- At least 18 passengers are charred to death and 23 injured when Ferozepur bound Punjab Mail catches fire between Duskheda and Savada stations near Bhusaval in Maharashtra.
- Doordarshan signs a $ 43.75 million pact with Transworld International-Stracon for global marketing rights covering four-and-a-half years. This agreement will allow both the partners to sell international cricket being played in India across the globe to T.V. networks.
- India agrees to provide Rs. 400 crore as soft loan to Bangladesh to upgrade the recipient nation’s transport infrastructure.
February 20
- Naxalites blow up a pick-up truck through a landmine blast killing 22 police personnel including an Additional Superintendent of Police near Narayanpur Police Station in Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Sachin Tendulkar quits as Indian cricket team captain after accepting moral responsibility for the debacle in Australia where the team lost 3-0 in the Test Series..
- The Sahitya Akademi announces awards for 22 eminent litterateurs from across the country for their outstanding contribution in the field of literature.
- ‘Bariwali", a film directed by Rituparno Ghosh and produced by Anupam Kher, bags the Netpac award given for the Most Outstanding Asian film at the Berlin film festival.
- India qualifies for Thomas Cup Men’s final to be held at Kuala Lumpur in May 2000 after P. Gopi Chand and Vincent Lobo score a 3-1 win over Thailand.
February 21
- Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee presents the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar prizes for 1998 and 1999 and sets a four-point agenda for the scientific community.
- India and China sign a bilateral agreement which will facilitate Beijing’s entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and will provide greater access of Indian exports to the Chinese market.
- Premier of Morocco Abderrahamane Youssoufi arrives in New Delhi on an official visit. India and Morocco sign four agreements which institutionalise cooperation in the fields of agriculture, communications and transport.
- Salman Rushdie’s ‘The Ground Beneath her Feet’ bags the Best Book award and Raj Kamal Jha’s ‘The Blue Bedspread’ is adjudged the Best First Book at the Commonwealth Writers Prizes for Eurasia.
February 23
- President K.R. Narayanan while addressing a joint sitting of the Parliament to mark the start of the Budget session, approves the Government’s decision to review the Constitution.
February 24
- Lawyers observe a nationwide strike to protest against the amendments to the Civil Procedure Code.
- The opposition disrupts Parliament proceedings, demanding the reversal of Gujarat Government’s decision of allowing government employees to join the RSS.
- The Government decides to order a review of the national security set-up as the Subrahmanyam Committee report is tabled in the Lok Sabha.
February 25
- Union Railway Minister Ms. Mamata Bannerjee presents the Railway budget, announcing a 5 per cent increase in freight rates for all commodities barring essential items.
- The INLD – BJP alliance in Haryana and BJD-BJP alliance in Orissa win by a comfortable majority in the assembly elections whereas Bihar heads for a hung assembly.
- WHO declares India as a guinea-worm-free state.
February 26
- Saurav Ganguly is appointed captain for the five-match one-day internationals against South Africa and the Coca Cola Cup Series at Sharjah.
February 28
- Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha presents the Economic Survey to Parliament.
February 29
- The Union Budget 2000-01 is presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha.
INTERNATIONAL
February 17
- Microsoft Corporation launches globally its biggest operating system software, Windows 2000, which is Indian language- enabled.
February 19
- The tenth session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) concludes in Bangkok calling for a true partnership among countries as a prerequisite for global peace and security.
- Stripe Mesic is sworn in President of Croatia. He succeeds the late President Tudjman.
- The Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Ling resigns from the post he had held since 1996.
February 20
- The film ‘Magnolia’ bags the ‘Golden Bear’ award for the best film at the 50th Berlin Film Festival. Denzel Washington gets the best actor and Milas Forman the best director awards.
February 21
- World Bank President James Wolfensohn announces a $ 21.5 million reconstruction aid for East Timor.
February 23
- The Space Shuttle ‘Endeavour’ lands at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida after wrapping up an 11-day mapping mission for measuring the elevation of significant features on the earth’s surface.
February 24
- Carlos Santana wins eight Grammys for his album "Supernatural" and singer Elton John receives the Grammy legend award at the 42nd Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
February 25
- India-born Ujjal Dosanjh is sworn in Canada’s first Indo-Canadian Premier.