Third General Election
The third Lok Sabha election again returns a Congress majority, continuing Jawaharlal Nehru's premiership.
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1962 in India
Explore 25 historical events and records for India in 1962.
Historical records for India in 1962
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 25 of 25 unique records.
25Unique records
1 of 1Page
25Named events on this page
16Named people on this page
13Places on this page
February
May
President of India
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan takes office as the second President of India.
October
Declaration of War
Heavy fighting develops along the eastern frontier as the border dispute escalates toward full-scale war.
Battle of Namka Chu
Brigadier John Dalvi commands 7 Infantry Brigade during the Chinese assault on Indian positions along the Namka Chu.
Defence of Sirijap
Major Dhan Singh Thapa commands an isolated Ladakh post that resists repeated Chinese attacks before being overrun.
Invasion of India
Chinese forces launch major attacks on Indian positions on 20 October 1962, opening the principal phase of the border war.
Battle of Bum La
Subedar Joginder Singh leads Sikh troops against repeated Chinese attacks near Bum La and is mortally wounded.
National Emergency
President Radhakrishnan proclaims a national emergency as the border war with China intensifies.
IV Corps Operations
B. M. Kaul commands IV Corps during the difficult opening phase of the war in the eastern sector.
Sino-Indian War
Armed conflict breaks out between India and China along disputed Himalayan border sectors.
November
Battle of Nuranang
Jaswant Singh Rawat fights in the defence of Nuranang during the Chinese offensive in the eastern sector.
Battle of Rezang La
Major Shaitan Singh leads Charlie Company, 13 Kumaon, in the defence of Rezang La and is killed during the battle.
Defence of Rezang La
Captain R. V. Jatar serves with 13 Kumaon during the defence of Rezang La in the Ladakh sector.
Resignation after Border War
General P. N. Thapar leaves office as Army chief after the severe reverses suffered during the border war.
Army Command
J. N. Chaudhuri assumes leadership of the Indian Army during the final days of the 1962 conflict.
Capture of Aksai Chin
Chinese forces consolidate control over Aksai Chin before announcing a unilateral ceasefire.
Ceasefire
China announces a unilateral ceasefire after its major offensives against Indian positions.
Chinese Ceasefire Declaration
China announces a unilateral ceasefire after the major phase of the Sino-Indian War.
Other events (month unknown)
Battle of Aksai Chin
Chinese forces defeat Indian positions in the Aksai Chin sector during the 1962 border war.
Education
Pratibha Patil completes her studies in Jalgaon before beginning a career in law and politics.
Election
Pratibha Patil wins election to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from Jalgaon.
Faster-than-light Particles
E. C. G. Sudarshan and collaborators publish a theoretical analysis showing how hypothetical faster-than-light particles can fit within special relativity.
INCOSPAR
Vikram Sarabhai takes responsibility for organising Indian space research through the newly formed INCOSPAR.
Resignation of Vengalil Krishan Krishna Menon
V.K. Krishna Menon resigns as Defence Minister after the military crisis during the Sino-Indian War.
Vice President
Zakir Husain becomes Vice President of India.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.