1939 in India

Incumbents

• Emperor of India – George VI
• Viceroy of India – Victor Hope, 2nd Marquess of Linlithgow

  Events

• World War II breaks out in 1939 and political dead lock in India.

• 2 January – The Muslim League at Patna disapproves the Federation scheme which has already been disapproved by Congress.
• 29 January – Subhas Chandra Bose is reelected president of Congress at Bombay.
• 22 February – Thirteen right-wing members of the working committee, including Pandit Nehru, resign from Congress.
• 28 February – The budget is presented to the Legislative Assembly in which the duty on raw cotton is doubled.
• 3 March – In Bombay, Mohandas Gandhi begins to fast in protest of the autocratic rule in India.
• 12 March – Congress at Tripuri passes a resolution of adherence to the party of Gandhi.
• 13 March – The Chamber of Princes approves its own reorganization.
• 20 March – A new trade agreement with the UK till 31 March 1942 is signed after two years of negotiations.
• 15 April – The new tariff bill is rejected by the Central Legislature.
• 18 April – The Council of State passes the new tariff bill a second time.
• 29 April – S. C. Bose resigns as president of Congress and is succeeded by Rajendra Prasad.
• 1 May – New Congress working committee announced.
• 3 May – S. C. Bose announces the formation of a new left bloc under his leadership.

• 8–14 September – Congress debates its attitude to the war; Gandhi calls upon the British to implement their declarations of faith in democracy.
• 18 September – The Muslim League declares that the Federal scheme, now suspended, should be altogether abandoned.
• 17 October – The Viceroy states the Allied objectives in the war and announces that at the end of the war the Government would consult the several communities, parties and interests in India.
• 27–31 October – Congress working committee resolved that the Viceroy's statement was wholly unsatisfactory and asked for a statement of war aims; the ministries of Bombay, Madras and Bihar resign.
• 3 November – Resignation of the ministry of the United Provinces.
• 5 November – Resignation of the ministry of Orissa; the Viceroy announces that the parties having met have failed to agree.
• 9 November – Resignation of the ministry of Central Provinces.
• 23 November – At Allahabad the Congress working committee reaffirms its demand for "recognition of India's independence".
• 2 Dec- Jinnah's call for observing 22 Dec as Day of Deliverance in favour of resignation and end of congress ministries in provinces.
• 27 December – The first contingent of Indian troops reaches France.

  Births

• 27 June – Rahul Dev Burman, composer, singer
• 7 July – Satya Prakash Agarwal, politician
• 25 July – J. Mahendran, Indian film director, screenwriter and actor
• 1 August – Jambuwantrao Dhote, Indian politician
• 21 November – Mulayam Singh Yadav, politician and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
• 12 December – Swadesh Bharati, poet, novelist and literary critic.

  Full date unknown

• Bani Basu, author, essayist, critic and poet.
• Arun Joshi, novelist.