See also: 2004 in India, other events of 2005, 2006 in India and the Timeline of Indian history.

Events

January to June

• 10 January - The Delhi High Court says that a "high claim ratio" cannot be grounds to turn down medical insurance contract renewal requests. The court said that medical policies were liable to be renewed on the same terms and conditions as the old ones. However, insurance companies could load the premium to a limited extent if high payments were sought by a consumer.
• 23 January - In line with the suggestions of the Supreme Court, the Election Commission asks the chief electoral officers of Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana to do videography of proceedings inside polling stations without violating the secrecy of vote.
• 25 January - A stampede at the Mandher Devi temple in Mandhradevi during a religious pilgrimage in India kills at least 215, mostly women and children.
• 29 January - The BJP-led government in Goa headed by Manohar Parrikar is reduced to a minority after four BJP MLAs resign from the 40-member house. While the Congress has staked its claim to form the new government, Parrikar has said he will prove his majority.
• 29 January - Former BJP president Venkaiah Naidu's helicopter is set on fire by suspected Maoists during his campaign tour of Gaya, Bihar. Naidu escapes unhurt.
• 10 March - TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) slashes tariffs for international bandwidth prices by up to 70% with effect from April 1.
• 16 March - Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, accused of the bombing of Air India Flight 182 in 1985, are found not guilty on all counts.
• 25 April - The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in a landmark judgement rules that hospitals are duty bound to accept accident victims, that patients in critical condition and that doctors cannot first demand fees before agreeing to treat the patient and that a relative's consent is not necessary if there is no family member present at the time.
• 21 May - International Direct Dialling to countries in the Gulf, the SAARC region, Saudi Arabia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand will cost Rs. 12 a minute, down by 33%.

July to December

• 26 July - Mumbai and the Mumbai Conurbation area is submerged in 5-7 ft. of water due to heavy rains, making nearby dams release water causing a massive flood, which virtually stops the financial capital of India for 4-5 days.
• 30 August - Removal of License Requirements for Exports of Controlled Items to India, Federal Register.
• September - A high-level U.S. defence team for the first time gives a classified detailed briefing to Indian officials on the patriot PAC-III anti-missile system, its capabilities against weapons of mass destruction and on the sensitive technologies of the F-18/A hornet and F-16 fighter jets.
• 29 October - A train in Andhra Pradesh, derails, killing at least 77 people.
• 29 October - At least 61 people are dead and many others wounded in three powerful blasts in Delhi (See 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings for full details).
• 22 November - Nitish Kumar defeated Rashtriya Janata Dal in the Bihar state election.
• 29 December - Firing, possibly a terrorist attack, at IISC, Bangalore campus.

Deaths

• 3 January - Jyotindra Nath Dixit, diplomat and politician (b.1936).
• 12 January - Amrish Puri, actor (b.1932).
• 20 January - Parveen Babi, actress (b.1949).
• 22 March - Gemini Ganesan, actor (b.1920).
• 25 April - Swami Ranganathananda, President of Ramakrishna Math (b.1908).
• 3 May - Jagjit Singh Aurora, military commander (b.1916).
• 21 May - Subodh Mukherjee, filmmaker (b.1921).
• 25 May - Ismail Merchant, film producer (b.1936).
• 25 May - Sunil Dutt, actor, producer, director and politician (b.1930).
• 23 July - C R Irani, journalist and editor.
• 31 October - Amrita Pritam, poet, novelist and essayist (b.1919).
• 9 November - K. R. Narayanan, politician and 10th President of India (b.1920).
• 12 December - Ramanand Sagar, film director (b.1917).