12th January: Citizens Council, set up by Dr. Suraj Parkash initially to mobilize citizens’ efforts to fight the Chinese attack, was renamed as the Bharat Vikas Parishad (BVP) on the birth centenary of Swami Vivekanand and thus BVP was born. Shri B. P. Sinha, Retd. Chief Justice of Supreme Court becomes the first Chief Patron, Lala Hans Raj Gupta, the first President and Dr. Suraj Parkash its first Secretary General.

10th July: BVP is registered as a Society under The Societies Registration Act 1860. The first meeting is also held on this date. Click here for list of founder members of Bharat Vikas Parishad

First Group Song Competition is held and President Zakir Hussain distributes the prizes to the winners. This is the first publicly held Prakalp of the Parishad.

First branch outside Delhi is set up at Dehradun in Uttar Pradesh.

BVP decides to publish NITI and Dr. Suraj Parkash becomes its first Managing Editor.

BVP decides to install 18.5 feet high equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on a 30 feet high platform at New Delhi. Babu Jagjeevan Ram, Defence Minister, lays the foundation stone of the statute.

Justice M. Rama Jois and Shri R. P. Sharma took over as President (from Justice H. R. Khanna) and Secretary General (from Shri P. L. Rahi) respectively. Shri T. N. Agarwal is elected as Finance Secretary. The National Governing Board approves Parishad’s new Constitution. BVP decides to celebrate the years 2000 & 2001 as "Sanskriti Varsha" and also initiates Sanskar Pradan Yojana. National Governing Board decides to hold its meetings only once in a year. Dr. Pranav Pandyaji, the Pramukh of Vishwa Gayatri Parivar and Manya Sri Sheshadriji, Sar Karyavaha of Rashtriya