Important Days & National Symbols Quiz: Static GK Practice

Spoilers! These are the Starter quiz’s answers. Easy, Medium, Hard and Mixed rounds show their own answers when you finish.

1. National Science Day is observed in India on 28 February to commemorate

   • the birth of Homi J. Bhabha
   • the launch of Aryabhata
   • the discovery of the Raman Effect
   • the Pokhran-I nuclear test

   Answer: the discovery of the Raman Effect. On 28 February 1928 C.V. Raman announced the Raman Effect, which won him the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics.

2. How many spokes does the Ashoka Chakra on the National Flag have?

   • 22
   • 24
   • 26
   • 32

   Answer: 24. The navy-blue Ashoka Chakra at the centre of the white band has 24 spokes. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 2:3.

3. The national motto 'Satyameva Jayate', inscribed below the State Emblem, is taken from the

   • Mundaka Upanishad
   • Rigveda
   • Katha Upanishad
   • Bhagavad Gita

   Answer: Mundaka Upanishad. 'Satyameva Jayate' (Truth alone triumphs) comes from the Mundaka Upanishad and is written in Devanagari below the emblem.

4. What is the first month of the Saka-based National Calendar of India?

   • Kartika
   • Vaishakha
   • Phalguna
   • Chaitra

   Answer: Chaitra. The National Calendar was adopted from 22 March 1957 (1 Chaitra 1879 Saka). Chaitra 1 falls on 22 March in a normal year and 21 March in a leap year.

5. National Voters' Day is observed on 25 January because on that date in 1950

   • the Constitution was adopted
   • the Election Commission of India was founded
   • the first general election began
   • the voting age was lowered to 18

   Answer: the Election Commission of India was founded. The ECI was set up on 25 January 1950, a day before the Republic. The day has been observed since 2011.

6. International Mother Language Day, proclaimed by UNESCO, is observed on

   • 21 February
   • 8 September
   • 22 April
   • 16 September

   Answer: 21 February. 21 February recalls the 1952 Bengali language movement in Dhaka. 8 September is International Literacy Day and 22 April is Earth Day.

7. National Statistics Day (29 June) is celebrated on the birth anniversary of

   • C.R. Rao
   • P.C. Mahalanobis
   • Srinivasa Ramanujan
   • M. Visvesvaraya

   Answer: P.C. Mahalanobis. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis founded the Indian Statistical Institute and shaped India's statistical system. Ramanujan is honoured on 22 December and Visvesvaraya on 15 September.

8. The national song 'Vande Mataram' was taken from which novel of Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay?

   • Durgeshnandini
   • Kapalkundala
   • Anandamath
   • Devi Chaudhurani

   Answer: Anandamath. Vande Mataram appears in Anandamath (1882). It has equal status with the national anthem 'Jana Gana Mana'.

9. Which animal was declared India's National Aquatic Animal?

   • Olive ridley turtle
   • Dugong
   • Gharial
   • Ganges river dolphin

   Answer: Ganges river dolphin. The decision was taken on 5 October 2009 at the first meeting of the National Ganga River Basin Authority. The dolphin is nearly blind and hunts by echolocation, so it signals river health.

10. National Mathematics Day is observed in India on

    • 22 December
    • 14 March
    • 5 September
    • 11 May

    Answer: 22 December. 22 December is Srinivasa Ramanujan's birth anniversary. 14 March is the global Pi Day, 5 September is Teachers' Day and 11 May is National Technology Day.