Static GK
🔒 Log in to trackImportant Days
🔒 Log in to trackNational days (India)
| Date | Day | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Jan | National Youth Day | Birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda |
| 15 Jan | Army Day | K.M. Cariappa took over as C-in-C (1949) |
| 25 Jan | National Voters' Day | ECI founded 25 Jan 1950 |
| 28 Feb | National Science Day | Discovery of the Raman effect (1928) |
| 1 Jul | National Doctors' Day | Dr B.C. Roy |
| 29 Aug | National Sports Day | Major Dhyan Chand's birthday |
| 5 Sep | Teachers' Day | Dr S. Radhakrishnan |
| 14 Sep | Hindi Diwas | Hindi adopted as official language (1949) |
| 15 Sep | Engineers' Day | M. Visvesvaraya |
| 8 Oct | Air Force Day | IAF formed 1932 |
| 31 Oct | National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) | Sardar Patel |
| 14 Nov | Children's Day | Nehru |
| 26 Nov | Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) | Constitution adopted 1949 |
| 4 Dec | Navy Day | Operation Trident (1971) |
| 22 Dec | National Mathematics Day | Srinivasa Ramanujan |
| 23 Dec | Kisan Diwas | Chaudhary Charan Singh |
| 25 Dec | Good Governance Day | A.B. Vajpayee |
International days
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| 8 Mar | International Women's Day |
| 22 Mar | World Water Day |
| 7 Apr | World Health Day (WHO founded 1948) |
| 22 Apr | Earth Day |
| 21 Jun | International Day of Yoga (from 2015) |
| 8 Sep | International Literacy Day |
| 16 Sep | World Ozone Day (Montreal Protocol) |
| 1 Dec | World AIDS Day |
| 10 Dec | Human Rights Day (UDHR 1948) |
Detailed notes
Days linked to a person's birth or death
| Date | Day | Person |
|---|---|---|
| 12 January | National Youth Day | Swami Vivekananda |
| 28 February | National Science Day | Raman effect (1928) |
| 1 July | National Doctors' Day | Dr B.C. Roy |
| 29 July | International Tiger Day | - |
| 29 August | National Sports Day | Major Dhyan Chand |
| 5 September | Teachers' Day | Dr S. Radhakrishnan |
| 15 September | Engineers' Day | Sir M. Visvesvaraya |
| 2 October | Gandhi Jayanti + Int'l Day of Non-Violence | Mahatma Gandhi |
| 31 October | National Unity Day | Sardar Patel |
| 14 November | Children's Day | Jawaharlal Nehru |
| 22 December | National Mathematics Day | Srinivasa Ramanujan (since 2012) |
| 30 January | Martyrs' Day | Gandhi's assassination |
National days with a theme of their own
25 January - National Voters' Day (Election Commission founded 25 Jan 1950); 26 January - Republic Day (Constitution came into force 1950); 14 September - Hindi Diwas (Hindi adopted as official language in 1949); 15 August - Independence Day; 11 May - National Technology Day (Pokhran tests, 11 May 1998); 24 January - National Girl Child Day.
International days (UN and others)
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| 8 March | International Women's Day |
| 22 March | World Water Day |
| 7 April | World Health Day (WHO founded 7 April 1948) |
| 22 April | Earth Day |
| 1 May | International Labour Day |
| 5 June | World Environment Day |
| 21 June | International Day of Yoga (first observed 2015; proposed by India) |
| 12 August | International Youth Day |
| 16 October | World Food Day (FAO founded 16 October 1945) |
| 24 October | United Nations Day (UN founded 24 October 1945) |
| 1 December | World AIDS Day |
| 10 December | Human Rights Day (UDHR adopted 10 December 1948) |
The three defence forces days
Army Day - 15 January (K.M. Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief on 15 January 1949); Air Force Day - 8 October; Navy Day - 4 December (Operation Trident, 1971).
Quick revision
- Birth-linked: 12 Jan Vivekananda, 5 Sep Radhakrishnan, 15 Sep Visvesvaraya, 29 Aug Dhyan Chand, 14 Nov Nehru, 22 Dec Ramanujan, 1 Jul B.C. Roy.
- 28 Feb Science (Raman 1928); 11 May Technology (Pokhran 1998); 25 Jan Voters; 14 Sep Hindi.
- 7 Apr Health (WHO 1948); 16 Oct Food (FAO 1945); 24 Oct UN (1945); 10 Dec Human Rights (UDHR 1948).
- Yoga 21 June - first observed 2015, India's proposal; Earth Day 22 April; Water 22 March.
- Army 15 Jan, Air Force 8 Oct, Navy 4 Dec.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: Day ↔ birth/death anniversary of a personvery common4 practice Q
'National Sports Day honours', 'Teachers' Day is the birth anniversary of', 'Youth Day', 'Mathematics Day', person-linking questions.
- Birth-linked chain: 12 Jan Vivekananda (Youth), 28 Feb Raman effect (Science), 1 Jul B.C. Roy (Doctors), 29 Aug Dhyan Chand (Sports), 5 Sep Radhakrishnan (Teachers), 15 Sep Visvesvaraya (Engineers), 14 Nov Nehru (Children), 22 Dec Ramanujan (Mathematics).
- 30 Jan - Martyrs' Day, the day Gandhi was assassinated (1948).
- If the question names a profession or field, first look for the person-date row.
Example: National Mathematics Day (22 December) commemorates the birth anniversary of —
Srinivasa Ramanujan (born 22 December 1887); observed since 2012. Teachers' Day (5 Sep) marks Radhakrishnan's birthday.
Type 2: National day ↔ datevery common3 practice Q
'National Voters' Day', 'National Technology Day', 'Hindi Diwas', 'National Unity Day', date-to-theme matching.
- Republic dates: 26 Jan Republic Day; 25 Jan National Voters' Day (EC founded 25 Jan 1950); 24 Jan National Girl Child Day.
- 11 May National Technology Day - Pokhran nuclear tests of 11 May 1998. 14 Sep Hindi Diwas (official-language resolution 1949). 31 Oct National Unity Day - Sardar Patel's birthday.
- 28 Feb National Science Day - Raman effect announced 28 February 1928.
Example: National Unity Day, marked on 31 October, celebrates the birth anniversary of —
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - the 'Iron Man' who integrated the princely states.
Type 3: International day ↔ date (UN and others)very common4 practice Q
'World Water/Health/Environment/Food day', 'International Yoga Day', 'Human Rights Day', UN-day matching.
- Spring cluster: 8 Mar Women, 22 Mar Water, 7 Apr Health (WHO founded 7 Apr 1948), 22 Apr Earth, 1 May Labour.
- Mid-year: 5 Jun Environment, 21 Jun Yoga (first observed 2015, India's proposal), 12 Aug Youth, 29 Jul Tiger.
- Year-end: 16 Oct Food (FAO 1945), 24 Oct UN (founded 1945), 1 Dec AIDS, 10 Dec Human Rights (UDHR 1948).
Example: World Health Day is observed on 7 April because —
The World Health Organization was founded on 7 April 1948 - the date of its constitution coming into force.
Type 4: Defence forces dayscommon2 practice Q
'Army/Navy/Air Force day', dates of the three services, Operation Trident link.
- Army Day - 15 January (K.M. Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief on 15 Jan 1949).
- Air Force Day - 8 October (the IAF was founded 8 Oct 1932).
- Navy Day - 4 December (recalls Operation Trident's missile attack on Karachi, 1971).
Example: Indian Navy Day is celebrated on —
4 December - commemorating Operation Trident of the 1971 war; Army Day is 15 January and Air Force Day 8 October.
Type 5: Republic-era constitutional daysoccasional2 practice Q
'Why is 26 January Republic Day', 'Constitution came into force on', 'Samvidhan Divas', founding dates behind days.
- 26 January 1950 - the Constitution came into force (adopted 26 November 1949 - Samvidhan Divas, Constitution Day).
- 15 August 1947 - Independence Day.
- 25 January - Voters' Day (Election Commission set up 25 January 1950).
Example: Why is Republic Day celebrated on 26 January?
The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950 - the date chosen to honour the 1930 Purna Swaraj declaration of 26 January.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Birthday days — pair the person
12 Jan Vivekananda → youth · 29 Aug Dhyan Chand → sports · 5 Sep Radhakrishnan → teachers · 15 Sep Visvesvaraya → engineers · 14 Nov Nehru → children · 22 Dec Ramanujan → maths.
Example: National Mathematics Day (22 December) honours —
Srinivasa Ramanujan (born 22 Dec 1887).
⚡ Two 'Feb–Nov' science/constitution anchors
28 Feb = Raman effect (Science Day). 26 Nov = Constitution adopted (26 Jan = enforced → Republic Day).
Where students lose marks
Constitution Day is 26 November (adoption); Republic Day is 26 January (enforcement).
National Science Day marks the discovery of the Raman effect (1928), not Raman's birthday (7 Nov).
Engineers' Day (15 Sep) is Visvesvaraya's birthday; Teachers' Day (5 Sep) is Radhakrishnan's.
Practice sets — 17 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 3 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.