1949 in India

Incumbents

• King of India – George VI
• Governor-General of the Dominion of India – C. Rajagopalachari
• Prime Minister of India – Jawaharlal Nehru

Events

• National income - 92,908 million

January - June

• 1 January –
• * After eight months of fighting between the Indian forces and the Pakistan Army agreed to a ceasefire, ordered by the United Nations Security Council, takes effect in Kashmir region.
• * The Reserve Bank of India was nationalized.
• 20-23 January - An international Conference of 19 nations took place in New Delhi for Indonesian National Revolution.
• 30 March - Fifteen Princely states joined the Dominion of India to form Greater Rajasthan.
• 28 April – India issues the London Declaration, enabling it to remain in the British Commonwealth despite becoming a republic, creating the position of 'Head of the Commonwealth', and renaming the organisation as the 'Commonwealth of Nations'.
• 25 May - Kollam Textile Mill strike by United Trade Union Congress demanding payment of bonus to workers.
• 6 June – With the passage of the Bodh Gaya Temple Act by the Indian government, Mahabodhi Temple is restored to partial Buddhist control.

July - September

• 1 July - Princely state of Travancore and Kingdom of Cochin enters into Thiru - Kochi Pact.
• 27 July – India and Pakistan sign the Karachi Agreement
• 9 September – Queen Kanchanprabha Devi signs the Tripura Merger Agreement.
• 17 September - Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam a linguistic regional party based in Tamil Nadu formed.
• 18 September - Indian rupee suffers devaluation due to 30% devaluation of Pound sterling by Chancellor of the Exchequer.
• 21 September - Manipur (princely state) merges with India following agreement between V. P. Menon and Bodhchandra Singh.

October - December

• 11 October - Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru arrived at Washington, D.C. for a three week visit in United States and was received by Harry S. Truman.
• 15 October – Tripura becomes a part of the Union of India
• 15 November – Nathuram Godse and Narayan Apte executed for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi.
• 26 November - Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India.
• 22 December - Planting of ram idol inside Babri Masjid by Abhiram Das.
• 28 December – Central Reserve Police Force Act enacted.
• 31 December - An armed group of Communist Party of India activists killed four Police officers in Travancore–Cochin.

Law

• Constitution is adopted by the Indian Constituent Assembly.
• Central Reserve Police Force Act
• Electricity Act
• Police Act
• Banking Regulation Act
• Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda Act
• Industrial Disputes Act
• Central Reserve Police Force Act
• Mangrol and Manavadar Act
• Seaward Artillery Practice Act
• Chartered Accountants Act
• Payment Of Taxes Act
• Abducted Persons Act

Births

• 1 January – Nana Patekar, actor and filmmaker.
• 13 January – Rakesh Sharma, Indian Air Force pilot and cosmonaut.
• 16 February – Milind Rege, cricket player and selector.
• 7 March – Ghulam Nabi Azad, politician.
• 4 April – Parveen Babi, actress.
• 1 June
• * T. M. Abraham, theatre director.
• * Gautam Chattopadhyay, musicologist and film maker, founder member of Moheener Ghoraguli..
• 29 June – A. Anwhar Raajhaa, politician.
• 10 July – Sunil Gavaskar, cricketer.
• 21 August – Ahmed Patel, politician.
• 23 August – Bansi Kaul, theatre director.
• 30 October – Pramod Mahajan, politician.
• 12 December – Gopinath Munde, politician.

Deaths

• 2 March - Sarojini Naidu, Activism,
• 6 April – Narendra Nath Dutta, physician
• 10 April – Birbal Sahni, paleobotanist.
• 19 June – Syed Zafarul Hasan, Muslim philosopher.
• 15 November – Narayan Apte, accomplice in assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, executed.
• 15 November – Nathuram Godse, assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, executed.