History of Delhi in Timeline
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a megacity and a union territory of India, containing New Delhi, the capital of India. It is located on both sides of the Yamuna river, but primarily west of it, and shares borders with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Delhi became a union territory in 1956 and the NCT in 1995. The NCT spans 1,484 square kilometers. The 2011 census recorded Delhi's city proper population at over 11 million, with the NCT's population around 16.8 million.
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December 1911: Capital of British Indian Empire transferred to Delhi
On 12 December 1911, the capital of the British Indian Empire was formally transferred from Calcutta to Delhi.
1911: New Delhi becomes the capital
In 1911, New Delhi became the capital of the British Indian Empire.
1927: Naming of New Delhi
In 1927, the name "New Delhi" was given to the new capital.
1928: Establishment of the Delhi Flying Club
The Delhi Flying Club was established in 1928 with two de Havilland Moth aircraft named Delhi and Roshanara.
1929: Start of operations at Safdarjung Airport
Safdarjung Airport started operations in 1929, when it was Delhi's only airport and the second in India.
February 1931: Inauguration of New Delhi as capital
On 13 February 1931, the new capital, New Delhi, was inaugurated.
August 1947: New Delhi declared capital of Union of India
On 15 August 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the capital of the Union of India after the country gained independence.
1947: Migration following partition
Delhi's culture has been influenced by the large number of refugees who came following the partition in 1947.
1947: Partition of India
During the Partition of India in 1947, Delhi experienced significant demographic changes, transforming from a Mughal city to a Punjabi one.
February 1949: Asian Games Federation Established
On 13 February 1949, the Asian Games Federation was formally established in Delhi, with Delhi unanimously announced as the first host city of the Asian Games.
1950: New Delhi capital of Republic of India
After 1950, following independence, New Delhi continued as the capital of the Republic of India.
1951: Delhi Hosted First Asian Games
Delhi hosted the first Asian Games in 1951 from 4 to 11 March. A total of 489 athletes representing 11 Asian National Olympic Committees participated in 57 events from eight sports and disciplines.
November 1956: Delhi becomes a union territory
In November 1956, Delhi officially became a union territory of India.
1956: Creation of the Union Territory of Delhi
In 1956, The States Reorganisation Act created the Union Territory of Delhi from its predecessor, the Chief Commissioner's Province of Delhi.
1956: Legislative Assembly abolished
In 1956, the legislative assembly was abolished in Delhi, after which direct federal control was implemented.
1966: Discovery of Ashoka's inscription
In 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273–235 BCE) was discovered near Srinivaspuri.
1982: Delhi Hosted Ninth Asian Games
In 1982, Delhi hosted the ninth Asian Games for the second time from 19 November to 4 December. A total of 3,411 athletes from 33 National Olympic Committees participated in these games, competing in 196 events in 21 sports and 23 disciplines.
1983: 1983 Non-Aligned Movement summit
In 1983, Delhi hosted the Non-Aligned Movement summit.
1984: Anti-Sikh pogroms in Delhi
In 1984, Delhi was the primary site of anti-Sikh pogroms following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, resulting in approximately 2,800 deaths according to government figures.
1985: Creation of the National Capital Region
In 1985, the National Capital Region (NCR), an interstate regional planning area, was created with Delhi as its center.
1986: Completion of Lotus Temple
In 1986, the Lotus Temple, a Baháʼí House of Worship notable for its flowerlike shape, was completed. It serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city.
1991: Workforce increase in Delhi
Delhi's workforce constitutes 32.82% of the population, and increased by 52.52% between 1991 and 2001.
1991: Delhi declared National Capital Territory
In 1991, The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi, also providing it with a legislative assembly with limited powers.
1993: Legislative Assembly re-established
In 1993, the legislative assembly was re-established in Delhi.
1995: Delhi becomes the National Capital Territory
In 1995, Delhi was designated as the National Capital Territory (NCT).
1996: Public interest litigation for CNG conversion
In 1996, the CSE started a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court of India that ordered the conversion of Delhi's fleet of buses and taxis to run on CNG.
1998: Decline in average maximum temperature
According to Indian meteorologists, the average maximum temperature during winters has declined notably since 1998 due to rising air pollution in Delhi.
1998: Congress comes to power under Sheila Dikshit
In 1998, the Congress party, led by Sheila Dikshit, assumed power in Delhi. Sheila Dikshit was subsequently re-elected for three consecutive terms.
1998: CNG ruling for public transport vehicles
In 1998, the Supreme Court of India ruled that all public transport vehicles in Delhi must be fuelled by compressed natural gas (CNG) to tackle increasing vehicular pollution.
1998: Ban on leaded petrol
In 1998, the use of leaded petrol was banned in Delhi.
1999: Delhi's unemployment rate
Delhi's unemployment rate decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003.
2000: Delhi's unemployment rate
Delhi's unemployment rate decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003.
September 2001: New York attacks
Following the New York attacks in September 2001, security concerns led to the closure of Safdarjung Airport for flying activities.
2001: Workforce increase in Delhi
Delhi's workforce constitutes 32.82% of the population, and increased by 52.52% between 1991 and 2001.
2001: Attack on the Parliament of India
In 2001, the Parliament of India building in New Delhi was attacked by armed militants, resulting in casualties and a diplomatic crisis between India and Pakistan.
2001: Manufacturing sector employment
In 2001, the manufacturing sector employed 1,440,000 workers and the city had 129,000 industrial units.
2001: Delhi population growth
In 2001, the population of Delhi increased by 285,000 as a result of migration and by 215,000 as a result of natural population growth, which made Delhi one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
2001: Delhi Metropolitan Area (DMA)
The 2021 regional plan released by the Government of India renamed the Extended Urban Area from Delhi Metropolitan Area (DMA) as defined by the 2001 plan, to Central National Capital Region (CNCR).
January 2002: Closure of Safdarjung Airport for flying activities
In January 2002, the government closed Safdarjung Airport for flying activities due to security concerns following the New York attacks in September 2001.
2002: Power distribution management in Delhi
In Delhi, power distribution is managed by TPDDL and BSES Yamuna & BSES Rajdhani since 2002, transmission of power is done by Delhi Transco Limited and Powergrid, while generation of power is by IPGCL and PPCL.
2003: Delhi's unemployment rate
Delhi's unemployment rate decreased from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003.
2003: Clean Cities International Partner of the Year
In 2003, Delhi won the United States Department of Energy's first 'Clean Cities International Partner of the Year' award for its efforts to curb air pollution.
December 2004: Registered individuals with employment exchange programmes
In December 2004, 636,000 people were registered with various employment exchange programmes in Delhi.
2004: Student Enrollment in Delhi Schools
In 2004, approximately 1,529,000 students were enrolled in primary schools, 822,000 in middle schools and 669,000 in secondary schools across Delhi. Female students represented 49% of the total enrolment.
2004: Delhi birth, death and infant mortality rates
In 2004, the birth rate, death rate and infant mortality rate per 1000 population in Delhi were 20.03, 5.59 and 13.08, respectively.
2005: Economic survey of Delhi
As per the Economic survey of Delhi (2005–2006), the tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.20% and 3.85% contributions, respectively.
2005: Terrorist attacks in Delhi
In 2005, there were terrorist attacks in Delhi resulting in deaths.
2006: Economic survey of Delhi
As per the Economic survey of Delhi (2005–2006), the tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.20% and 3.85% contributions, respectively.
2006: Higher Education Statistics in Delhi
In 2006, Delhi had 165 colleges, five medical colleges and eight engineering colleges, seven major universities and nine deemed universities.
2006: FM Radio Popularity
In 2006, FM radio gained popularity in Delhi with the inauguration of several new stations. A number of state-owned and private radio stations broadcast from Delhi.
2007: Private vehicle transport demand
As of 2007, private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transport in Delhi.
2007: Construction of Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport
Construction of Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport began between 2007 and 2010, costing ₹96.8 billion (US$1.1 billion).
2008: College Graduates in Delhi
As of 2008, about 16% of all Delhi residents possessed at least a college graduate degree.
2008: Vehicles in Delhi NCR
As of 2008, the number of vehicles in the metropolitan region, Delhi NCR, was 11.2 million. In 2008, there were 85 cars in Delhi for every 1,000 of its residents.
2008: Terrorist attacks in Delhi
In 2008, there were terrorist attacks in Delhi resulting in deaths.
March 2010: DMRC partners with Google India
In March 2010, DMRC partnered with Google India (through Google Transit) to provide train schedule and route information to mobile devices with Google Maps.
October 2010: Delhi Hosted Commonwealth Games
In October 2010, Delhi hosted the Nineteenth Commonwealth Games, which ran from 3 to 14 October and was the largest sporting event held in India. The opening ceremony of the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on 3 October 2010.
2010: 2010 Men's Hockey World Cup and Commonwealth Games
In 2010, Delhi hosted the Men's Hockey World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
2010: Completion of Delhi Metro Phase-II
Phase-II of the Delhi Metro, with a total length of 128 km, was completed by 2010.
2010: Opening of Terminal 3 and IGIA award
Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport was constructed between 2007 and 2010. In 2010, IGIA was conferred the 4th best airport award in the world in the 15–25 million category, by Airports Council International.
January 2011: MCD divided into three municipal corporations
Between 13 January 2011 and 22 May 2022, MCD was divided into three municipal corporations.
2011: Delhi Census
According to the 2011 census of India, the population of the NCT of Delhi is 16,753,235. The corresponding population density was 11,297 persons per km with a sex ratio of 866 women per 1000 men, and a literacy rate of 86.34%.
2011: 2011 Cricket World Cups
In 2011, Delhi hosted the Cricket World Cup.
2011: Delhi Urban Area Population (2011)
The 2011 census provided two figures for urban area population: 16,314,838 within the NCT boundary, and 21,753,486 for the Extended Urban Area.
July 2012: World Cup Qualifier
On 28 July 2012, Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi hosted the Indian football team's World Cup qualifier against UAE.
December 2012: 10 years of operation for Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro completed 10 years of operation on 25 December 2012. It carries millions of passengers every day.
December 2012: Delhi Metro completes 10 years
Delhi Metro completed 10 years of operation on 25 December 2012. It carries millions of passengers every day.
2012: Population living in slums
As of 2012, around 49% of the population of Delhi lives in slums and unauthorised colonies without any civic amenities.
2013: Peak levels of fine particulate matter (PM)
During 2013-14, peak levels of fine particulate matter (PM) increased by about 44%, primarily due to high vehicular and industrial emissions, construction work and crop burning in adjoining states.
2013: AAP ousts Congress from power
In 2013, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, ousted the Congress from power, forming a government with outside support from the Congress, despite the Bharatiya Janata Party winning a plurity. The AAP government, however, was short-lived, collapsing after 49 days.
2014: Linguistic minorities in India
According to the 50th report of the commissioner for linguistic minorities in India, which was submitted in 2014, Hindi is Delhi's most spoken language, with 80.94% speakers, followed by Punjabi (7.14%), Urdu (6.31%) and Bengali (1.50%).
2014: Delhi ranked most polluted city by WHO
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Delhi was ranked as the most polluted city in the world in 2014.
2014: Appeal to Supreme Court to impose cess on diesel cars
In 2014, an environmental panel appealed to India's Supreme Court to impose a 30% cess on diesel cars to curb air pollution.
February 2015: AAP returns to power after landslide victory
In February 2015, after a period of President's rule, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) returned to power in Delhi following a landslide victory, winning 67 out of the 70 seats in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
2015: Increased awareness of air pollution
As of 2015, there was noticeably increasing awareness of air pollution, particularly among the foreign diplomatic community and high-income Indians in Delhi.
2015: Awards for Indira Gandhi International Airport
In 2015–16, Indira Gandhi International Airport handled more than 48 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in India and South Asia. In 2015, IGIA was rated as the Best airport in the world in the 25–40 million passengers category, by Airports Council International. Delhi Airport was awarded The Best Airport in Central Asia and Best Airport Staff in Central Asia at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2015.
2015: Delhi's Economy
The nominal GSDP of the NCT of Delhi for 2016–17 was estimated at ₹6,224 billion (US$74 billion), 13% higher than in 2015–16.
2016: Delhi's economy estimates
As of 2016, recent estimates of the economy of the Delhi urban area have ranged from $370 billion to $400 billion (PPP metro GDP), ranking it either the most or second-most productive metro area of India. The nominal GSDP of the NCT of Delhi for 2016–17 was estimated at ₹6,224 billion (US$74 billion), 13% higher than in 2015–16.
2016: Delhi downgraded in WHO air quality database
In 2016, the WHO downgraded Delhi to the eleventh-worst city in the urban air quality database.
December 2017: Passenger count on DTC and cluster buses
In December 2017, the DTC and cluster buses carried over 4.19 million passengers per day.
2017: Registered vehicles in Delhi
In 2017, the number of vehicles in Delhi city alone crossed the ten million mark with the transport department of Delhi Government putting the total number of registered vehicles at 10,567,712 until 25 May of the year.
2018: Workforce in government and private sectors
In 2018, the total workforce in national and state governments and the quasi-government sector was 594,000, and the private sector employed 273,000.
March 2019: Inauguration of Hindon Domestic Airport
Hindon Domestic Airport in Ghaziabad was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the second airport for the Delhi-NCR Region on 8 March 2019.
2020: Communal violence in Delhi
In 2020, Delhi witnessed communal violence, primarily with Hindu mobs attacking Muslims, resulting in numerous fatalities.
2020: High PM2.5 levels in Delhi
In 2020, the annual average PM2.5 in Delhi was 107.6 μg/m, which is almost 21.5 times the WHO's PM2.5 Guideline.
September 2021: WHO PM2.5 Guideline
In September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) set the PM2.5 Guideline to 5 μg/m.
December 2021: Delhi Metro Statistics
As of December 2021, the Delhi Metro consists of ten operational lines with a total length of 348.12 km and 254 stations, and several other lines are under construction.
2021: Renaming of Extended Urban Area
The 2021 regional plan released by the Government of India renamed the Extended Urban Area from Delhi Metropolitan Area (DMA) as defined by the 2001 plan, to Central National Capital Region (CNCR).
May 2022: MCD divided into three municipal corporations
Between 13 January 2011 and 22 May 2022, MCD was divided into three municipal corporations.
2022: Delhi ranked among most polluted cities globally
As recently as 2022, Delhi was ranked as the fourth most-polluted city globally by the WHO and IQAir.
2023: 2023 G20 summit and Cricket World Cups
In 2023, Delhi hosted the G20 summit and was one of the major host cities for the Cricket World Cup.
2024: World's most polluted capital city
According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, Delhi remains the world's most polluted capital city.
2024: 7th best "National Clean Air City"
In 2024, Delhi has been ranked 7th best "National Clean Air City" (under Category 1 >10L Population cities) in India according to 'Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024 Results'
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Feb 2025: BJP comes to power with an outright majority
Following assembly elections in Feb 2025, BJP came to power with an outright majority.
November 2025: Delhi Jal Board water supply
As of November 2025, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) supplies 900 million gallons per day (MGD) of water. The shortfall is met by private and public tube wells and hand pumps.
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