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See also: 1955 in India, other events of 1956, 1957 in India and the Timeline of Indian history.

Events

• 8 March- M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar handles the charge as Lok Sabha Speaker.
• 20 March- Sardar Hukam Singh handles the charge as Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker.
• 14 October - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Indian Untouchable leader, converts to Buddhism along with 385,000 followers. See Neo-Buddhism.
• 1 November - The States Reorganisation Act of India reformed the boundaries and names of Indian states.

Arts and literature

• 15 October - Kerala Sahithya Academy, Academy for Malayalam literature, is inaugurated by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the former king of Travancore.
• Bollywood films of 1956

Births

January to June

• 1 February - Brahmanandam, comedian-actor.
• 6 April - Dilip Vengsarkar, cricketer.
• 4 May - Kunal Basu, novelist.
• 6 May - Sujata Bhatt, poet.
• 13 May - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual and humanitarian leader.

July to December

• 14 July - Tanikella Bharani, playwright, script writer and actor.
• 19 July - Rajendra Prasad, actor.
• 17 August - Anil Aggrawal, professor of forensic medicine.
• 19 October - Sunny Deol, actor.

Full date unknown

• Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author and poet.

Deaths

• 6 December - B. R. Ambedkar, nationalist, jurist, Dalit political leader and a Buddhist revivalist (b.1891).