
NATIONAL
May 1
- Uzbekistan President Islam Karinov arrives in New Delhi to finalise with India the
road-map to combat the menace of terrorism.
May 3
- Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha proposes concessions for investors, venture
capital funds and those availing themselves of the Employees Stock Option Plan (ESOP) and
also announces changes in excise and custom duties.
- India firmly rules out military intervention in Sri Lanka but said it was ready to
render humanitarian assistance to the strife-torn island nation.
May 4
- As part of continued efforts by the Centre to usher in peace in Jammu & Kashmir,
five senior Hurriyat leaders including the JKLF chairman, Yaseen Malik are released.
- Lok Sabha passes the Finance Bill after the Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha refused to
yield to any roll-backs on food and fertilizer subsidies.
May 5
- Government extends Central assistance in form of wheat and rice for drought-hit areas of
Andhra Pradesh apart from Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- Supreme Court directs the Centre to supply petrol with 0.05 per cent sulphur and one per
cent benzene content in the National Capital Region from May 31 and 20 October 2000
respectively for controlling pollution.
May 9
- Lok Sabha approves a Constitution Amendment Bill providing for the devolution of 29 per
cent of all taxes to the states based on the recommendations of the Tenth Finance
Commission.
May 10
- The rupee records a fall of 37 paise, touching an all-time low of Rs. 44.08 per dollar
which was due to heavy dollar buying from foreign banks and State Bank of India at the
interbank foreign exchange market.
May 11
- A nation-wide general strike by major trade-unions takes place in protest against the
"retrograde" economic, industrial and "anti-poor" policies of the NDA
government.
- The population of India crosses the one billion mark.
- Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, K.C. Pant announces a 100-member National
Population Commission headed by the Prime Minister. The Commission will review, monitor
and give directions for the implementation of the Population Policy.
- India wins the neem patent case in the European Patent Office (EPO).
May 13
- Union Cabinet approves three Bills for creation of new states of Jharkhand, Uttaranchal
and Chhattisgarh out of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh respectively.
May 14
- Centre extends the ban on LTTE by two more years.
- Trishul, a surface-to-air quick-reaction missile is testfired successfully from Kochi.
May 15
- The Jammu and Kashmir Power Minister Ghulam Hasan Bhat and four others are killed in a
powerful explosion near Mandipore in Anantnag district.
INTERNATIONAL
May 2
- The International Cricket Council opens a two-day emergency meeting in London to deal
with the match-fixing crisis which has rocked the sport.
May 3
- The International Cricket Council (ICC) announces stringent penalties for those found
guilty of match-fixing which may go up to a life ban from the sport.
May 4
- Indias former world record holder Karnam Malleshwari bags a gold in the
womens 63 kg snatch but settles for overall third position in the Asian
Weightlifting Championship at Osaka.
May 5
- E-mail based virus "Love bug" hits millions of computers across the globe
causing heavy damage.
- Ahmet Necdet Sezer is elected Turkeys 10th President in a secret vote
by the nations Parliament.
May 7
- Vladimir Putin takes oath as Russias second President and names Mikhail Kasyanove
as acting Premier.
May 8
- Sri Lankan President turns down the temporary ceasefire offer by LTTE to allow the safe
exit of about 40,000 Sri Lankan troops trapped in the Jaffna Peninsula.
May 9
- Pakistan is suspended from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for overthrowing a
civilian government by the army.
May 12
- US proposes to raise the limit on temporary visas for foreign skilled workers to
2,00,000 a year in the next three years, to meet the needs of the booming high-tech
industry.
May 13
- Indian model Lara Dutta wins the "Miss Universe" title in Nicosia. Miss
Venezuela Claudia Moreno is placed second and Miss Spain Helen Lindes finishes third.
May 14
- Former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi passes away. He was 62.
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