150th YEAR OF PUBLICATION - WAR AND PEACE


         



       



          2019 marks the 150th year of one of the greatest novels ever written - Leo Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’. This classic work from Russia was first published in the book form in 1869.



          Tolstoy took almost seven years to finish this epic work, and a Russian magazine named ‘Messenger serialized some portions of it during 1865-67. But the full novel came out as a book only in 1869. The story, woven around Napoleon’s invasion of Russia, covers a period of over fifteen years. The unique literary style and the historical context make ‘War and Peace’ a monumental work.



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125th YEAR OF PUBLICATION - THE JUNGLE BOOK



 



           Is there anyone who isn’t familiar with the famous character ‘Mowgli’? Hopefully none. The main character of the evergreen ‘The Jungle Book’, a collection of stories written by Rudyard Kipling, is a huge part of our childhood. ‘The Jungle Book’ was first published in1894.



           Mowgli is a human child raised by wolves in the jungle. In these tales, the animals proved to be both Mowgli’s allies and adversaries. Baloo the bear, Bagheera the panther along with many others, are Mowgli’s friends. But Shere Khan the tiger is his enemy. The stories are set in a forest in India.



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300th YEAR OF PUBLICATION - ROBINSON CRUSOE


 



 



               Daniel Defoe’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ has fascinated readers around the world, for the last 300 years. Daniel Defoe was an English writer, famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe that was published in 1719.



                The story is about a shipwrecked man called Robinson Crusoe, and his adventures on a deserted island where he is washed ashore. One reason for its popularity is that it is packed with excitement and adventure, with sailing ships, stormy seas, and guns. Without doubt, Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe established a realistic style of fiction, and set the tone for modern novels.



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100th ANNIVERSARY - THE JALLIANWALA BAGH


 



              The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a turning point in our freedom movement. The British troops under the command of Colonel Reginald Dyer, opened fire on unarmed Indians on 13th April 1919. This event took place in the heart of Amritsar. Hundreds were killed, and thousands were injured. This was followed by widespread protests across a grieving country.



                 Many Indians became convinced that the British had to be paid back in their own coin - that violence had to be met with violence. The 100th anniversary of that cruel incident falls this year.



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150TH ANNIVERSARY - PERIODIC TABLE


          The periodic table gives us information about element symbols, atomic numbers, and atomic weights. It brings order to information about the chemical elements and helps chemists to understand why elements react as they do.



           The milestone in the development of the periodic table was set by the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, who is acknowledged as the ‘father’ of the periodic table though the title is also claimed by the German scientist Lothar Meyer. Today, the periodic table organizes the elements by order of increasing atomic number.



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500th DEATH ANNIVERSARY - LEORNARDO DA VINCI


          Leornardo da Vinci was perhaps the most widely talented person ever to have lived. He was a consummate painter and sculptor, a great inventor, military engineer, scientist, botanist, and mathematician!



            He lived during the Renaissance in Italy and while working in Milan as an artist, he began writing texts for his students and apprentices. His notebooks covered more than 1000 pages of observations and illustrations. They remained unpublished for more than a century, and were printed only after his death.



            He was born on April 15th 1452 and died on May 2nd 1519.



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100th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY - DR. VIKRAM SARABHAI


                     The year 2019 marks the 100th Birth anniversary of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian Space Programme. He was born on 12th August 1919.



                     Dr. Sarabhai has put India on the international map in the field of space research. In 1962, he became Chairman of the Indian National Committee for Space Research. The establishment of the Indian Space Research Organization, also known as ISRO, was one of his greatest achievements. Dr. Sarabhai died on 30th December 1971.



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150th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY - MAHATMA GANDHIJI


         Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the out nation, is an inspiring person, who shaped world history. Gandhiji stands out among the great men of the world as a symbol of non-violent resistance to political and social repression.                      



        Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on October 2nd, 1869 in Gujarat. He became the leader of a movement that attracted millions in the struggle for freedom. He was a strong advocate of nonviolence. India got freedom on August 15th, 1947. Gandhiji was assassinated on January 30th, 1948.



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Why is National Farmers Day an important day of observance for us?


              Do you know that the food that we consume every day reaches us through a chain of many people? A morsel of bread before it landed on our palm was a seed that was sown in a field, cared for and harvested by a farmer, bought and sold by businessmen, before being purchased and brought home by our parents from the market. While all links of the chain are important, the indispensable link is the farmer. While farming remains the foundation stone of any society, it hardly receives the respect and dignity it deserves. In India, the National Farmers Day, popularly known as Kisan Diwas, is celebrated on December 23.



                The day is celebrated in the honour of Chaudhary Charan Singh who was the fifth Prime Minister of India. Charan Singh belonged to a peasant family; and therefore, it was easy for him to relate to the problems of the farmers. He introduced many policies in favour of farmers and he was able to bring together all the farmers against the landlords and moneylenders who exploited them.



                In India, more than 70 percent of the population depends on agriculture for income in one form or the other. The observance of Kisan Diwas sheds light on the plight of the farmers in India and the vital services they render to the nation.



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Why does our nation remember the Armed Forces?


            The Army, the Navy and the Air Force, three wings together known as the armed forces, defend a nation from extraneous threats. Indian Armed Forces Flag Day, celebrated on December 7, is observed to respect and cherish the services of the armed forces and to collect funds for the well-being of soldiers.



            The observance started in 1947 and ever since, the sacrifice of the men in uniform who valiantly fought on the borders to safeguard the country’s honour is remembered and appreciated. On this day, small flags are distributed to the general public across the country and the funds collected, are utilised for the welfare of defence personnel and their families.



             The Armed Forces are rendering invaluable services to our nation. The day is an opportunity to thank them and remember them in a special way.



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When is Indian Navy Day?


           December 4 is the Indian Navy Day. Indian Navy safeguards the Indian waters and coasts.



           The Naval Force or maritime force is designed to defend the nation against threats that come through the seas. The maritime history of India dates back about 6,000 years, as navigation was popular in the Indus Valley civilization.



           The Maurya Empire, the Kalinga Empire and the Vijayanagara Empire were known maritime powers during their reign. Shivaji Bhosale of the Maratha Empire is considered the Father of the Indian Navy. The Indian Navy founded by the East India Company came into force in 1612. Today, the Indian Navy plays a great role in securing the marine borders of the country as well as enhancing the international relations of India through many ways like seaport visits, joint exercises, humanitarian missions and calamity relief. The modern Indian navy has undergone speedy renovation in order to enhance its strength in the Indian Ocean region.



           Navy Day in India is observed to honour the courageous attack by the Navy on the Karachi harbour during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971 and pay respects to all the martyrs of that war.



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What is the relevance of celebrating Children’s Day on Nehru’s birthday?


            Everyone loves to be in the company of children. Their energy, cheerfulness and innocence are infectious, and we feel like growing younger and being one among them. Children’s Day in India is celebrated on November 14, on the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.



            Jawaharlal Nehru loved children. He once said, ‘I may not have time for adults, but I have enough time for children’. His Letters from a Father to his Daughter, written when he was spending time in Allahabad Jail in 1928, is a testimony to his vision for bringing up children in a warm and proactive relationship with nature. He considered children as the future of the nation. Fondly called Chachaji, Nehru worked admirably for the education, progress and welfare of the children of India.



           Children’s Day should increase awareness regarding the rights, care and education of children. The day is an occasion to remember and strive to be like the great statesman, who loved children as much as he loved his country.



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When is the National post Day?


            Have you ever sent an inland letter card to someone? In the age of the Internet and social media, ordinary post has become rare; and the arrival of a card or letter would bring nostalgic memories to the receiver. The Postal service has been providing invaluable services to the Indian society for over 150 years. National Post Day is celebrated on October 10.



            India Post was founded by the British in 1854. In 1864, the postal service was handling about 4.3 crore letters and over 45 lakh newspapers annually in a vast country like India. From then onwards, the magnitude of the task has only gone up and today in an age of emails, mobile phones and faxes, the postal service has remained the largest mode of communication in India.



            The Indian postal celebration is an extension of World Post Day. It is extremely difficult to deliver postal services in India with such diversity in culture, tradition and tough geographical terrains. Yet, the Indian postal department has kept serving the nation with admirable zeal and enthusiasm.



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Why do we observe the Indian Air Force Day?


                A nation defends and protects itself by virtue of three military forces: the Army, Navy and Air Force. On October 8, we observe Indian Air Force Day.



                 The Indian Air Force is one of the most competent forces in the world. Fourth largest in size, the force was established on October 8, 1932. It was the British who founded the force, then known as Royal Indian Air Force. The name continued to be in use even after India gained its Independence from the British. The prefix Royal was removed from the title when our government got our own constitution and became a republic in 1950. The uniforms, badges, brevets and insignia that the Air Force has today remain more or less the same that were adopted at the establishment of the Force in 1932.



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How important is Gandhi Jayanti to our nation?


                    Gandhi was not merely a politician to India. Had he been one, he would have legitimately claimed to be the first prime minister of the nation. He was an incredible mix of a politician and spiritual master. Gandhi’s birthday, which falls on October 2, is celebrated as Gandhi Jayanti in India.



                  Gandhi commanded a moral force that not many world leaders have ever managed to possess in their life. The whole of India was at his beck and call. When he started a fast-unto-death Sathyagraha, people took to the streets in support of the cause whatever it was. When Gandhi suggested boycotting of foreign goods, the crowd heaped all of them together and burned them in the streets. For his Dandi March, thousands of people joined him against the notorious salt law. Gandhi showed the world a new path: the pat of love and protest through non-violence.



                      Gandhi was not made of common clay; rather he was the fulfillment of the needs of the time. Einstein, one of the greatest scientists the world has ever seen, rightly said of him; ‘I believe that Gandhi’s views were the most enlightened of all the political men of our time’.



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