Vol. 1950No. 052Republic in formation
The India you were born into
Tuesday21 February1950
21 February 1950, seen through photography, turns a calendar square into a wider picture of India: india was turning constitutional ideals into working institutions as the new Republic began its first full year.
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India builds a young republic
Democratic institutions and development remain central
India was consolidating its democratic institutions, pursuing planned development and shaping its role in the post-colonial world.
Sarat Chandra Bose, freedom fighter, journalist, leader and elder brother of Subhashchandra Bose, passed away.
Sarat Chandra Bose, freedom fighter, journalist, leader and elder brother of Subhashchandra Bose, passed away.
India in Numbers
A snapshot of India when you were born.
In february 1950, a litre of petrol cost Loading… and a local phone call cost Loading….
Interpolated placeholder between benchmark years; replace with annual UN WPP estimate before publication. Not a census count. Source: current India population working dataset.
Prices from the month you were born, listed the way the kirana shop would have written them.
- The Hindu archive
- National archival records
- Press and public memory
04 · Sport
India on the field in 1950
Moment of the year · Football
India is allocated a place at the 1950 FIFA World Cup
India withdrew before the tournament in Brazil.
195005 · Cinema & music
What India was watching and humming
The film everyone queued for that month, and the song that played from every cassette player that year.
SAMADHI
Year 1950
Film of the year · 1950
Samadhi
Also in theatresBabul · Dahej · Afsar · Mashaal · Beqasoor · Har Har Mahadev
Song of the year · 1950
"Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki"
Also on the radio"Milte Hi Aankhen Dil Hua" · "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale" · "Ghar Aaya Mera Pardesi"
$ cat science-and-technology-1950
Radio, fixed telephony and institution-building
What science and technology looked like in India in 1950.
Technology moves closer to daily life
Computing, communication and consumer electronics were gradually moving from specialist institutions toward ordinary homes, offices and public life.
Faces of 1950
Rajendra Prasad
Took office as India's first President on 26 January as the Constitution came into effect.
B. R. Ambedkar
Steered the implementation of constitutional laws as the Republic of India was officially declared.
Jawaharlal Nehru
Signed the Nehru-Liaquat Pact to address minority rights and refugee concerns between India and Pakistan.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Passed away on 15 December after establishing the administrative and territorial framework of the Indian Republic.
Homi J. Bhabha
Laid the groundwork for India's nuclear research infrastructure with early planning under the Atomic Energy Commission.
S. Radhakrishnan
Continued key diplomatic negotiations in Moscow during the onset of the global Cold War.
09 · BEYOND INDIA
Beyond India
Before the internet put the world in our pockets, news from abroad arrived through telegrams, radios, television sets and eventually phones.
Korean War begins
25 JUN
North Korean forces cross the 38th parallel, beginning the Korean War.
1950, circled in red
The year India turned 3.