The Instrument of Surrender of Pakistani forces stationed in East Pakistan was signed at Ramna Race Course in Dhaka at 16.31 IST on 16 December 1971, by Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, General Officer Commanding-in-chief of Eastern Command of the Indian Army and Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, Commander of Pakistani forces in East Pakistan.

The Indo-Pakistani Naval war of 1971 consisted of a series of naval battles fought between the Indian and Pakistani Navies during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In 1971 Indian Navy's warship INS Rajput destroyed the largest submarine of Pakistan, PNS Ghazi, which was sailed to locate and destroy another Indian Navy’s ship INS Vikrant.

The final phase of History of the formation of Bangladesh is the Liberation war of 1971.  On 17 December, the Indian government announced a unilateral ceasefire on the western front. Pakistan readily accepted the ceasefire and released Mujibur Rahman, who came to power in Bangladesh on 12 January 1972.

29 September – A cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, in Orissa State in India, kills 10,000.

Hare Rama Hare Krishna is a 1971 Indian film directed by Dev Anand starring himself, Mumtaz and Zeenat Aman. The film was a hit and a star-making vehicle for Zeenat Aman, who played a westernized hippie and won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award,  as well as the BFJA Award for Best Actress. Dum Maro Dum Mit Jaye Gham is the famous song of the film.