Important Days National
JANUARY
● 9 January - Pravasi Bharatiya Divas .
○ It is celebrated to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community towards the development of India.
○ The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on 9 January 1915.
○ The event is organized by the Ministry of External Affairs and sponsored by Confederation of Indian Industry.
○ Pravasi Bharatiya Divas was celebrated for the first time in 2003.
● 12 January - National Youth Day . (International Youth Day - 12 August)
○ Birthday of Swami Vivekananda (he started the Ramakrishna Mission).
○ In 1984 the Government of India declared this day as National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated
in India every year.
● 15 January - Army Day .
○ Field Marshal ‘K.M. Cariappa’ took over the command of Army on this day in 1949 from General Sir Francis
Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India.
● 24 January - National Girl child day (India). (International Day of the Girl Child - 11 th
October)
○ This day was first celebrated in 2008, after the Ministry of Women and Children Development took the decision
of increasing awareness regarding the struggles faced by women.
● 25 January - National Tourism Day . (World Tourism Day - 27 September)
● 25 January - National Voters Day .
○ 25 January is the foundation day of the Election Commission of India (ECI) which came into existence in 1950.
○ This day was first celebrated in 2011 to encourage young voters to take part in the electoral process.
● 10 January - World Hindi Day .
○ The day marks the anniversary of the first World Hindi Conference held in 1975 in Nagpur.
○ National Hindi Day - September 14.
○ On 14th September 1949 the Constituent Assembly of India adopted Hindi written in Devanagari script as the
official language of the Republic of India.
● Armed Forces Veterans Day - 14 January .
○ It is observed Since 2017 to commemorate the sacrifices of the veterans and also to salute those who served the
Indian Armed Forces.
○ To give respect and recognition of the services rendered by Field Marshal KM Cariappa - the first Indian
Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces who retired on 14 Jan 1953.
● India Meteorological Department (IMD) - 15 January .
○ It was established in 1875.
● National Disaster Response Force - 19th January .
○ It came into existence on Jan 19, 2006.
● Martyrs Day - 30 January .
○ Observed as Mahatma Gandhi's Martyrdom day.
○ March 23 is also celebrated as Martyrs’ Day to remember the deaths of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and
Sukhdev Thapar.
● World Leprosy Day in India - 30 January .
○ In India, World Leprosy Day is observed on 30 January every year to commemorate the death of Mahatma
Gandhi who was assassinated on this day in 1948.
○ World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on the last Sunday of January.
○ Leprosy is a chronic, curable infectious disease mainly causing skin lesions and nerve damage, It is caused by
infection with the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.
Statehood Days in January
● 21 January - Manipur , Meghalaya and Tripura .
● 24 January - Uttar Pradesh .
● 25 January - Himachal Pradesh .
FEBRUARY
● 1 February - Indian Coast Guard Day foundation day .
○ The interim Indian Coast guard was established on 1 February 1977 to prevent sea-borne smuggling of goods
which were hampering India's domestic economy.
○ But the Indian Coast Guard was formally established on 18 August 1978 by the Coast Guard Act, 1978.
● National Deworming Day - 10 February .
○ The first National Deworming Day in India was observed on 10 February 2015.
○ Every year February 10 and August 10 is observed as the National Deworming Day (NDD).
○ Deworming is the giving of an anthelmintic drug to rid them of helminths parasites, such as roundworm, flukes
and tapeworm.
● National Productivity Day - 12 February .
○ National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India is a
premier institution for propagating the productivity movement in India.
○ The formation of the National Productivity Council is being celebrated every year all over the country by
commemorating 12th February as National Productivity Day and following seven days as National Productivity
Week (12th – 18th February).
● 13 February - National Women’s Day . (International Women's Day - March 8).
○ In recognition of Sarojini Naidu's efforts to champion the cause of women's rights, February 13 is celebrated as
National Women's Day.
○ Sarojini Naidu was India's 1st woman governor (Uttar Pradesh).
● 24 February - Central Excise Day .
○ It is also celebrated to commemorate the establishment of the Central Excise and Salt Act on 24th of February in
the year 1944.
● 27th February - India’s first 'Protein Day’ (2020).
● 28th February - National Science Day . (10 November - World Science Day for Peace and Development by UNESCO)
○ National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to mark the discovery of the Raman effect
by Indian physicist Sir C. V. Raman on 28 February 1928.
○ For his discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
● 20th February - Statehood day of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram .
MARCH
● National Safety Day - 4th March .
○ National Safety Day (Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas) is celebrated to commemorate the foundation of the National
Safety Council.
○ The Ministry of Labour, Government of India set up the National Safety Council of India (NSC) on 4 March 1966
● 16th March - National Vaccination Day or Immunization Day .
○ It was on this day in 1995 that the first dose of Oral Polio vaccine was given in India.
○ The initiative to eradicate polio from the country came in the form of the Pulse Polio Campaign launched by the
government.
○ Under this extensive drive, 2 drops of Oral Polio Vaccine was given to all children younger than 5 years of age.
○ The last reported case of polio in India was in West Bengal in January, 2011.
○ In 2014, India was declared polio-free.
● Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day - 10 March .
○ It was set up in 1969 under the CISF act.
○ The CISF works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
● National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) Inception Day - 12 March .
● National Gallery of Modern Art celebrated foundation day - 29 March .
● Rajasthan Statehood day - 30 March.
● Bihar Diwas - 22 March.
APRIL
● Army Medical Corps Raising Day - 3 April .
○ It provides medical support to the Armed Forces during war as well as comprehensive health care to all service
personnel, ex-servicemen and their dependents during peace.
● National Maritime Day - 5th April .
○ The National Maritime Day was first celebrated on April 5, 1964.
○ The day is celebrated to mark the sailing of the first ship wholly owned by Indians from Bombay (now Mumbai)
to London on 5 April 1919. The ship was called SS Loyalty.
○ On this day an award called "Varuna" is conferred to those who made an outstanding contribution to Indian
maritime sector.
○ World Maritime Day is observed on the last Thursday of September annually.
● CRPF Valour Day - 9 April .
○ The day is also called “CRPF Shaurya Diwas”.
○ A small contingent of 6 CRPF Jawans on April 9, 1965 fought against Pakistan at Sardar Post in the Rann of
Kutch eliminating 34 Pakistan soldiers
● National Safe Motherhood Day - 11 April .
○ The government of India declared in 2003 the national safe motherhood day on April 11. India became the first
country to do so.
○ It is the birth anniversary of Kasturba Gandhi.
● Siachen Day - 13 April .
○ Siachen Day is celebrated as on 13 April 1984 the Indian Army secured Bilafond La and other passes on the
Saltoro Ridgeline, thus launching “Operation MEGHDOOT”.
● 21 April - Civil Services day .
○ This date is chosen to commemorate the day when first Home Minister of Independent India, Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel addressed the probationers of Administrative Services Officers in 1947 at Metcalf House, Delhi, he referred
to civil servants as the ‘steel frame of India’.
● National Panchayati Raj Day - 24 April .
○ The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24th April, 1993 has vested
constitutional status on Panchayati Raj institutions.
○ The first National Panchayati Raj Day was celebrated in 2010. Since then, the National Panchayati Raj Day is
celebrated on April 24 every year in India.
● Odisha statehood day - 1st April .
○ The Indian state of Odisha was formed on 1st April 1936. Its statehood day is called as 'Utkal Divas'.
MAY
● National Technology Day - 11 May .
○ The day was first observed on 11 May, 1999
○ It is the day India successfully tested nuclear bombs in Pokhran on May 11, 1998.
○ India successfully test-fired its Shakti-1 nuclear missile in operation called Pokhran-II, also codenamed as
Operation Shakti.
● National dengue day - 16 May .
● National Anti-Terrorism Day - 21 May .
○ The day aims to raise awareness about the anti-social act of terrorism and its impact on human suffering and lives.
○ The day marks the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the Former Prime Minister of India.
○ The seventh Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21 May 1991.
● Hindi Journalism Day - 30 May .
○ On 30 May 1826, the first Hindi newspaper of India called Udant Martand was edited and published.
Statehood Days in May
● 1st May - Maharashtra and Gujarat .
● 16th May - Statehood Day of Sikkim . (Sikkim became the 22nd state of India on 16th May 1975).
● 30th May - Goa Statehood Day. (It was on this day in 1987 Goa became the 25th state of the Indian Union).
JUNE
● National Statistics Day - 29th June .
○ It is the birth anniversary of PC Mahalanobis (Father of Indian Statistics).
○ In 1931 he established Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) in Kolkata.
● 2 June - Telangana Formation Day (formed in 2014).
JULY
● 1st July - National Doctor’s Day .
○ National Doctors' Day is celebrated on July 1 all across India to honour the legendary physician and the second
Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy.
○ He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years.
○ Dr Roy was honoured with the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna on February 4, 1961.
● 23 July - National Broadcasting day .
○ India celebrates 23 July every year as the “National Broadcasting day”.
○ On this day in 1927, the first ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under
the Indian Broadcasting Company.
○ Public Service Broadcasting Day - November 12.
○ The day is observed every year to commemorate the first and last visit of the Father of the Nation Mahatma
Gandhi to the studio of All India Radio, Delhi in 1947.
AUGUST
● National Handloom Day – 7 August .
○ The Union government declared 7th August as the National Handloom Day in July 2015 with the objective to
generate awareness about the importance of the handloom industry.
○ August 7 was chosen as the National Handloom Day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was
launched on this day in 1905 in the Calcutta Town hall to protest against partition of Bengal by the British
Government. The movement had aimed at reviving domestic products and production processes.
● 20th August - Sadbhavana Diwas .
○ Sadbhavana Diwas is observed on 20 August every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s
youngest Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
● 29th August - National Sports Day .
○ The National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August, on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan
Chand.
SEPTEMBER
● 1 to 7 September - National Nutrition Week .
○ National Nutrition Week was launched by the Food and Nutrition Board in 1982 and is observed throughout the
country in the first week of September which is September 1 – 7.
○ September is also known as Month of Nutrition.
● 5th September - National Teachers Day.
○ Since 1962, the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has been celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5
September every year.
○ 5th October - World Teachers Day .
● 15th September - Engineer’s Day .
○ M. Visvesvaraya‘s birthday, 15 September is celebrated as Engineer's Day in India.
OCTOBER
● National Wildlife Week - October 2 to 8 .
○ The Wildlife Week is celebrated all over the country every year between 2nd October and 8th October.
● National Post Day - 10th October .
○ World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal
Union in 1874.
○ Indian postal celebration is an extension of World Post Day.
● 8th October - Indian Air force Day .
○ The Indian Air Force was founded on October 8, 1932.
● ITBP Raising day - 24th October.
○ The Indo-Tibetan Border Police force was raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act in the wake of the
Sino-Indian War of 1962.
● National Unity Day or Ekta Diwas - 31st October .
○ This year marks the 144th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
NOVEMBER
● 9th November - National Legal Services Day .
○ The National Legal Services Day is celebrated on 9th November to spread awareness for ensuring reasonable fair
and justice procedure for all citizens.
○ National Legal Services Day (NLSD) was first started by the Supreme Court of India in 1995 to provide help and
support to poor and weaker sections of the society.
● 11 November - National Education Day .
○ November 11 has been celebrated as the National Education Day since 2008.
○ The date has been chosen to commemorate the birth anniversary of independent India's first education minister –
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
● National Press Day - 16 November .
○ The Press Council was established on 4 July 1966 in India which started its work from 16 November 1966.
● National Epilepsy Day - 17 November .
○ November 17 is observed every year as National Epilepsy Day in India to create awareness about epilepsy.
○ Epilepsy is a disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing seizures.
● 14th November - National Children’s Day .
○ The Children's Day is celebrated every year on November 14, in the memory of the first prime minister of India,
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who was born on this day in 1889.
○ World Children’s Day is observed on 20th November.
● 19th November - National Integration Day .
○ National Integration Day is observed on 19 November every year. It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the
first woman Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
● National Law Day / Constitution Day - 26 November .
○ Samvidhan Divas, is celebrated in India on 26 November every year to commemorate the adoption of the
Constitution of India. On 26 November 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of
India, and it came into effect on 26 January 1950.
● 26 November - National Milk Day .
○ This day is celebrated on this date to honour Dr Verghese Kurien who is considered to be father of India's White
Revolution.
Statehood Days in November
● 1 November - Statehood day of Tamil Nadu , Madhya Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Punjab , Haryana , Karnataka , Kerala .
● 9 November - Statehood day of Uttarakhand .
● 15 November - Statehood day of Jharkhand (it is the birthday of Birsa Munda, tribal leader of Jharkhand).
DECEMBER
● 2nd December - National Pollution Control Day .
○ The day is observed in the memory of those who have lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy on December
2nd, 1984.
● Indian Navy Day - 4th December .
○ 4 December was chosen as on that day in 1971 during Operation Trident in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
● Indian Armed Force Flag Day - 7th December.
○ It is a day dedicated to India towards collection of funds from people of India for the welfare of the Indian Armed
Forces personnel. It has been observed annually in India on December 7 since 1949.
● National Energy Conservation Day - 14th December .
○ It is celebrated every year on December 14 since 1991. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the
Ministry of Power spearheads the celebrations every year.
● Vijay Diwas/Victory Day - 16 December .
○ It is commemorated every 16 December in India, to Indian military's victory over Pakistan in Indo-Pakistani War
of 1971 for the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan.
○ Kargil Vijay Diwas - 26 July.
● National Mathematics Day - 22 December .
○ Birth anniversary of Indian mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan.
● Farmers Day - 23rd December .
○ Birthday of former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.
● National Consumer Day - 24th December .
○ On this day the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 had received the assent of the president.
● 25th December - Good Governance Day .
○ Birthday of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
● Nagaland Statehood day - 1st December . (Nagaland became the 16th state of the country on December 1, 1963).
Indian States and Tourism Slogan
● Andhra Pradesh - “ The Essence of Incredible India ”.
● Arunachal Pradesh - “ The Land of Dawnlit Mountains ”.
● Assam - “ The Awesome Assam ”.
● Bihar - “ Blissful Bihar ”.
● Chhattisgarh - “ Full of Surprises ”.
● Goa - “ A Perfect Holiday Destination ”.
● Haryana - “ A pioneer in Highway Tourism ”.
● Himachal Pradesh - “ Unforgettable Himachal ”.
● Jammu and Kashmir - “ Chalo Kashmir ”.
● Jharkhand - “ A New Experience ”.
● Karnataka - “ One state Many Worlds ”.
● Kerala - “ God's Own Country ”.
● Madhya Pradesh - “ The Heart of Incredible India ”.
● Maharashtra - “ Unlimited ”.
● Manipur - “ Jewel of Incredible India ”.
● Meghalaya - “ Halfway To Heaven ”.
● Nagaland - “ Land of Festivals ”.
● Orissa - “ The Soul of Incredible India ”.
● Punjab - “ India Begins Here ”.
● Rajasthan - “ The Incredible State of India ”.
● Sikkim - “ Small But Beautiful ”.
● Telangana - “ It's all in it ”.
● Tamil Nadu - “ Enchanting Tamil Nadu ”.
● Tripura - “ Visit Agartala ”.
● Uttar Pradesh - “ Amazing Heritage Grand Experience ”.
● Uttarakhand - “ Simply Heaven ”.
● West Bengal - “ Beautiful Bengal ”.