Important Days List 2026: Month-wise National and International Days

ByLotusArise IAS Updated UPSC Notes
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This is a month-wise list of important national and international days for UPSC, State PSC and other competitive exams. It covers days observed by the Government of India and days proclaimed by the United Nations and its agencies, with the reason each is observed. Questions on these days appear in Prelims, and themes of major days such as World Environment Day are useful for Mains and the essay.

Quick Answer

Most asked: National Youth Day (12 Jan), National Science Day (28 Feb, Raman Effect), World Water Day (22 Mar), Civil Services Day (21 Apr), National Technology Day (11 May), World Environment Day (5 Jun), International Yoga Day (21 Jun), National Space Day (23 Aug), World Ozone Day (16 Sep), Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (31 Oct), Constitution Day (26 Nov), Human Rights Day (10 Dec). Tip: learn the reason (birth anniversary, treaty or event) along with the date; questions often test the link.

January

DateDayWhy observed
9 JanPravasi Bharatiya DivasGandhi’s return from South Africa (1915)
10 JanWorld Hindi DayFirst World Hindi Conference (1975)
12 JanNational Youth DayBirth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda
15 JanArmy DayField Marshal K. M. Cariappa took over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (1949)
23 JanParakram DiwasBirth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose
24 JanNational Girl Child Day; International Day of EducationGender equality; UN day
25 JanNational Voters’ DayFounding of the Election Commission (1950)
26 JanRepublic DayConstitution came into force (1950)
30 JanMartyrs’ Day (Shaheed Diwas)Death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi

February

DateDayWhy observed
2 FebWorld Wetlands DayRamsar Convention signed (1971)
4 FebWorld Cancer DayAwareness
11 FebInternational Day of Women and Girls in ScienceUN day
13 FebWorld Radio Day; National Women’s DayUNESCO day; birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu
20 FebWorld Day of Social JusticeUN day
21 FebInternational Mother Language DayLanguage Movement in present-day Bangladesh (1952)
28 FebNational Science DayDiscovery of the Raman Effect (1928)

March

DateDayWhy observed
3 MarWorld Wildlife DayCITES adopted (1973)
8 MarInternational Women’s DayWomen’s rights
15 MarWorld Consumer Rights DayConsumer awareness
20 MarInternational Day of HappinessUN day
21 MarInternational Day of ForestsUN day
22 MarWorld Water DayUN day
23 MarWorld Meteorological Day; Shaheed DiwasWMO founded (1950); execution of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev (1931)
24 MarWorld TB DayDiscovery of the TB bacterium by Robert Koch (1882)

April

DateDayWhy observed
5 AprNational Maritime DayFirst voyage of SS Loyalty (1919)
7 AprWorld Health DayWHO founded (1948)
14 AprAmbedkar JayantiBirth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar
18 AprWorld Heritage DayInternational Day for Monuments and Sites
21 AprCivil Services DaySardar Patel’s address to the first batch of probationers (1947)
22 AprEarth DayEnvironmental awareness (since 1970)
23 AprWorld Book and Copyright DayUNESCO day
24 AprNational Panchayati Raj Day73rd Amendment came into force (1993)
25 AprWorld Malaria DayAwareness

May

DateDayWhy observed
1 MayInternational Labour DayWorkers’ rights
3 MayWorld Press Freedom DayWindhoek Declaration (1991)
8 MayWorld Red Cross DayBirth anniversary of Henry Dunant
11 MayNational Technology DayPokhran-II nuclear tests (1998)
15 MayInternational Day of FamiliesUN day
20 MayWorld Bee DayUN day
21 MayAnti-Terrorism DayDeath anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi
22 MayInternational Day for Biological DiversityAdoption of the CBD text (1992)
31 MayWorld No Tobacco DayWHO day

June

DateDayWhy observed
5 JunWorld Environment DayStockholm Conference (1972)
8 JunWorld Oceans DayUN day
12 JunWorld Day Against Child LabourILO day
14 JunWorld Blood Donor DayBirth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner
17 JunDesertification and Drought DayUNCCD
21 JunInternational Day of YogaProposed by India, adopted by the UN (2014)
25 JunSamvidhan Hatya DiwasNotified by the Union Government in 2024, marking the Emergency (1975)
26 JunInternational Day against Drug AbuseUN day
29 JunStatistics DayBirth anniversary of P. C. Mahalanobis

July

DateDayWhy observed
1 JulNational Doctors’ DayBirth and death anniversary of Dr B. C. Roy
11 JulWorld Population DayDay the world reached 5 billion (1987)
15 JulWorld Youth Skills DayUN day
18 JulNelson Mandela International DayMandela’s birthday
26 JulKargil Vijay DiwasVictory in the Kargil War (1999)
28 JulWorld Nature Conservation Day; World Hepatitis DayAwareness
29 JulInternational Tiger DaySt Petersburg Tiger Summit (2010)

August

DateDayWhy observed
6 AugHiroshima DayAtomic bombing of Hiroshima (1945)
7 AugNational Handloom DaySwadeshi Movement launched (1905)
9 AugQuit India Day; International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples1942 movement; UN day
12 AugInternational Youth DayUN day
14 AugPartition Horrors Remembrance DayNotified in 2021
15 AugIndependence DayIndependence (1947)
19 AugWorld Humanitarian Day; World Photography DayUN day; photography
23 AugNational Space DayChandrayaan-3 landing (2023)
29 AugNational Sports DayBirth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand

September

DateDayWhy observed
5 SepTeachers’ DayBirth anniversary of Dr S. Radhakrishnan
8 SepInternational Literacy DayUNESCO day
14 SepHindi DiwasHindi adopted as official language by the Constituent Assembly (1949)
15 SepEngineers’ Day; International Day of DemocracyBirth anniversary of M. Visvesvaraya; UN day
16 SepWorld Ozone DayMontreal Protocol signed (1987)
21 SepInternational Day of PeaceUN day
27 SepWorld Tourism DayUNWTO statutes adopted (1970)

October

DateDayWhy observed
1 OctInternational Day of Older PersonsUN day
2 OctGandhi Jayanti; International Day of Non-ViolenceGandhi’s birth anniversary
8 OctIndian Air Force DayIAF founded (1932)
9 OctWorld Post DayUniversal Postal Union founded (1874)
10 OctWorld Mental Health DayAwareness
11 OctInternational Day of the Girl ChildUN day
16 OctWorld Food DayFAO founded (1945)
24 OctUnited Nations DayUN Charter came into force (1945)
31 OctRashtriya Ekta DiwasBirth anniversary of Sardar Patel

November

DateDayWhy observed
7 NovNational Cancer Awareness DayBirth anniversary of Marie Curie
9 NovNational Legal Services DayLegal Services Authorities Act came into force (1995)
11 NovNational Education DayBirth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
14 NovChildren’s Day; World Diabetes DayBirth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru; birthday of Frederick Banting
15 NovJanjatiya Gaurav DivasBirth anniversary of Birsa Munda
16 NovNational Press DayPress Council of India began work (1966)
19 NovWorld Toilet DayUN day
26 NovConstitution Day (Samvidhan Divas)Adoption of the Constitution (1949)

December

DateDayWhy observed
1 DecWorld AIDS DayAwareness
2 DecNational Pollution Control DayBhopal gas tragedy (1984)
3 DecInternational Day of Persons with DisabilitiesUN day
4 DecNavy DayOperation Trident (1971)
7 DecArmed Forces Flag DayWelfare of ex-servicemen
10 DecHuman Rights DayUDHR adopted (1948)
11 DecInternational Mountain DayUN day
14 DecNational Energy Conservation DayEnergy efficiency
16 DecVijay DiwasVictory in the 1971 war
22 DecNational Mathematics DayBirth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan
23 DecKisan DiwasBirth anniversary of Chaudhary Charan Singh
25 DecGood Governance DayBirth anniversary of Atal Bihari Vajpayee
26 DecVeer Baal DiwasMartyrdom of the sons of Guru Gobind Singh

It marks C. V. Raman’s announcement of the Raman Effect on 28 February 1928.

On 23 August, the day Chandrayaan-3 landed near the Moon’s south pole in 2023.

On 21 April 1947, Sardar Patel addressed the first batch of probationers of the administrative services at Metcalfe House, Delhi.

It marks the signing of the Montreal Protocol in 1987.

On 26 November, the day the Constituent Assembly adopted the Constitution in 1949.

To mark the Pokhran-II nuclear tests of 11 May 1998 and other technological milestones that day.

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