| | 1 | ''''1978: Key Events''' |
| | 2 | |
| | 3 | * ndira Gandhi starts the Congress (I) Party. |
| | 4 | |
| | 5 | * The Janata Party’s Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, and the founding of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission, effectively terminate the licences to Coca Cola, IBM and other multinationals. |
| | 6 | |
| | 7 | * The All-Assam Students Union (AASU) issues a 16-point Charter, including a demand to restrict the entry of foreigners, mainly Bangladeshi refugees, into Assam. |
| | 8 | |
| | 9 | * The B. G. Verghese Working Group on Autonomy for Akashvani and Doordarshan, submits its report. The following year, the Prasar Bharati Bill cancels any possibility of real autonomy for TV. |
| | 10 | |
| | 11 | * The net Indian box-office take for 1978-9 is c. Rs 247 crore. Entertainment tax for the period is Rs 187 crore. On average, state governments collect 43% of the gross box office. |
| | 12 | |
| | 13 | * The Orissa Film Development Corporation (Est: 1976) announces the financing of ‘Janata cinema houses’ in rural and semi-urban areas. The number of Oriya films reaches 15. |
| | 14 | |
| | 15 | * Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh adopt similar financing programmes while Punjab, UP and Kerala directly build state-owned theatres. |
| | 16 | |
| | 17 | * Panorama of Indian cinema at the Carthage Film Festival. |
| | 18 | |
| | 19 | * The Malayalam film journal Chitrabhoomi is started by the owners of the mainstream daily Mathrubhoomi. |