Important Days
Key Concepts & Formulas
| # | Concept | Quick Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | UN Observances | Most UN days fall on fixed dates (e.g. 24 Oct UN Day) or the same weekday (e.g. 2nd Wednesday of Oct = International Day for Disaster Reduction) |
| 2 | India-centric Days | Republic Day 26 Jan, Independence Day 15 Aug, Gandhi Jayanti 2 Oct are the only 3 national holidays; all other “days” are observances, not holidays |
| 3 | Health-theme Pattern | WHO days often use the 7th of a month (7 Apr – World Health Day), or the last/full-moon day (31 May – World No-Tobacco) |
| 4 | Birth/Death Anniversaries | Many Indian days are birthdays: Ambedkar 14 Apr, Nehru 14 Nov (Children’s Day), Bose 23 Jan |
| 5 | Easy recall: “21” = “Anti” | 21 Jun – International Yoga Day, 21 Mar – International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, 21 Sep – International Day of Peace (UN Anti-conflict) |
| 6 | Twin-digit trick | 08-08 (8 Aug) – Quit India, 09-09 (9 Sep) – Himalaya Diwas, 10-10 (10 Oct) – World Mental Health Day |
10 Practice MCQs
1. International Day of Yoga is celebrated on the same day as which Indian solar event?
- A. Summer Solstice - B. Winter Solstice - C. Spring Equinox - D. Autumn Equinox **Answer:** A **Solution:** 21 June is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; yoga day was purposely aligned with the longest day. **Shortcut tip:** “Yoga-21-Summer-1” (21st = longest day). **Concept tag:** UN Observance + Science link2. ‘National Maritime Day’ in India marks the maiden voyage of which ship in 1919?
- A. SS Loyalty - B. SS Himalaya - C. INS Delhi - D. MV Ganga **Answer:** A **Solution:** SS Loyalty sailed from Mumbai to London on 5 April 1919; hence 5 Apr is observed every year. **Shortcut tip:** “Loyal-5” (Loyalty → 5 Apr). **Concept tag:** India-centric Day3. Which day is observed on the death anniversary of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar?
- A. Constitution Day - B. Ambedkar Jayanti - C. Mahaparinirvan Diwas - D. Social Justice Day **Answer:** C **Solution:** 6 Dec 1956 is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas; 14 Apr is birth anniversary (Jayanti). **Shortcut tip:** “6-Dec = Demise (D-D)”. **Concept tag:** Birth/Death Anniversaries4. World Tribal Day or International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is on:
- A. 2 August - B. 9 August - C. 15 August - D. 29 August **Answer:** B **Solution:** UN fixed date 9 Aug since 1994. **Shortcut tip:** “9-Aug = Adivasi (both start with A)”. **Concept tag:** UN Observance5. ‘National Science Day’ commemorates the discovery of:
- A. Raman Effect - B. Bose-Einstein Condensate - C. Chandrasekhar Limit - D. God Particle **Answer:** A **Solution:** CV Raman announced the effect on 28 Feb 1928; India observes 28 Feb as Science Day. **Shortcut tip:** “Raman-28 (R-2-8)”. **Concept tag:** Science + Birth/Death6. Which of these pairs is wrongly matched?
- A. 24 October – UN Day - B. 1 May – Labour Day - C. 27 September – World Tourism Day - D. 16 November – International Ozone Day **Answer:** D **Solution:** Ozone Day is 16 Sep; 16 Nov is International Day for Tolerance. **Shortcut tip:** “Ozone-16-9 (Oz=16 letters, 9 = Sep)”. **Concept tag:** UN Observance7. ‘Himalaya Diwas’ is celebrated by Uttarakhand on:
- A. 9 Sep - B. 2 Oct - C. 15 May - D. 21 Jun **Answer:** A **Solution:** 9 Sep 2016 was declared annual Himalaya Day by UK govt. **Shortcut tip:** “9-9 looks like twin peaks”. **Concept tag:** State-specific Day8. India’s ‘National Voters’ Day’ marks the founding day of:
- A. Election Commission of India - B. UPSC - C. CAG - D. Planning Commission **Answer:** A **Solution:** ECI came into being on 25 Jan 1950; 25 Jan is observed since 2011 to enrol new voters. **Shortcut tip:** “Vote-25 (V-2-5)”. **Concept tag:** Institution anniversary9. Which day is observed on the 2nd Saturday of June every year?
- A. World Blood Donor Day - B. World Ocean Day - C. World Environment Day - D. International Day of UN Peacekeepers **Answer:** A **Solution:** WBDD is 14 June or 2nd Saturday, whichever is later (WHO rule). **Shortcut tip:** “Blood-2nd-Sat (donate on weekend)”. **Concept tag:** WHO movable date10. ‘Quit India Day’ shares its date with which modern observance?
- A. Nagasaki Day - B. Hiroshima Day - C. Lokmanya Tilak Jayanti - D. Partition Horrors Remembrance Day **Answer:** A **Solution:** 8 Aug 1942 – Quit India; 9 Aug – Nagasaki (Japan time). Both remembered back-to-back. **Shortcut tip:** “8-Quit, 9-Nuke (8-9 sequence)”. **Concept tag:** Historical linkage5 Previous Year Questions
1. When is ‘International Day of Rural Women’ celebrated? [RRB NTPC 28-03-2021 Shift-I]
- A. 15 Oct - B. 5 Sep - C. 8 Mar - D. 1 May **Answer:** A **Solution:** UN declared 15 Oct in 2007. **Shortcut tip:** “Rural-15-10 (R-1-5)”.2. Which date is celebrated as ‘National Milk Day’ in India? [RRB NTPC 30-01-2021]
- A. 26 Nov - B. 15 Aug - C. 1 Oct - D. 26 Jan **Answer:** A **Solution:** 26 Nov 1920 – Verghese Kurien’s birth; since 2014 observed as Milk Day. **Shortcut tip:** “Milk-26-11 (M-2-6)”.3. World Environment Day is celebrated on the same date as which Kargil event? [RRB Group-D 2018]
- A. Kargil Vijay Diwas - B. Operation Vijay start - C. India’s first nuclear test - D. None **Answer:** B **Solution:** 5 Jun 1999 – Operation Vijay launched; WED also 5 Jun every year. **Shortcut tip:** “5-Jun = Green & Vijay start”.4. ‘National Integration Day’ is observed on: [RRB ALP 2018]
- A. 31 Oct - B. 19 Nov - C. 14 Nov - D. 9 Dec **Answer:** B **Solution:** Indira Gandhi’s birth 19 Nov; since 2013 celebrated as National Integration Day. **Shortcut tip:** “Indira-19-11 (I-1-9)”.5. Which of the following days is not observed in the month of October? [RRB NTPC 2020]
- A. World Post Day - B. World Standards Day - C. World Habitat Day - D. World Refugee Day **Answer:** D **Solution:** Refugee Day is 20 June; rest are movable Oct days. **Shortcut tip:** “Refugee-20-6 (R-2-0-6)”.Speed Tricks & Shortcuts
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| UN day ends with “-Day” & fixed date | Look for 24, 5, 21, 16 | 24 Oct UN Day, 5 Jun WED, 21 Sep Peace, 16 Sep Ozone |
| India’s national festival trio | 26-15-2 (Jan-Aug-Oct) | 26 Jan, 15 Aug, 2 Oct |
| Birthday → Jayanti, Death → Parinirvan/Diwas | Replace word | Ambedkar Jayanti 14 Apr, Parinirvan 6 Dec |
| Health days with “7” | 7th of month | 7 Apr World Health, 7 Nov National Cancer Detection |
| Mirror dates (same digits) | 08-08, 09-09, 10-10 | Quit India 8 Aug, Himalaya 9 Sep, Mental Health 10 Oct |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why Students Make It | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing Jayanti with Diwas | Assume both are holidays | Jayanti = birth (celebratory), Diwas = observance; only Jayanti of Gandhi & Ambedkar are public holidays |
| Switching 16 Sep & 16 Nov | Similar numbers | Ozone-16-Sep (O-S same shape), Tolerance-16-Nov |
| Thinking 31 May is “No-Tobacco” | Full-moon rule forgotten | WHO fixes “World No-Tobacco Day” as 31 May every year (no full-moon link) |
| Believing 2nd Saturday is always Blood Donor Day | Shift-II exams ask movable date | Read “2nd Saturday of June” not fixed 14 Jun |
Quick Revision Flashcards
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| 21 June | International Yoga Day (Summer Solstice) |
| 28 Feb | National Science Day (Raman Effect) |
| 5 Apr | National Maritime Day (SS Loyalty) |
| 24 Oct | UN Day (Charter enforced 1945) |
| 25 Jan | National Voters’ Day (ECI founding) |
| 15 Oct | Rural Women Day (after International Day of Girl-11 Oct) |
| 26 Nov | National Milk Day & Constitution Day (separate themes) |
| 9 Aug | Indigenous Peoples Day & Quit India Anniversary |
| 8 Aug | Quit India Launch |
| 16 Sep | Ozone Day (Montreal Protocol 1987) |
BETA
