Railway
'Civil Services Day' is observed in India on:
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Answer: Option D — 21 April
Detailed Solution
Civil Services Day is observed in India every year on 21 April to recognise the work of civil servants across the country.
Why 21 April:
- On 21 April 1947, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Home Minister of India, addressed the first batch of probationers of the Administrative Services at Metcalfe House in Delhi.
- In this speech, he described the civil services as the "steel frame of India".
- For this reason, Sardar Patel is called the "Patron Saint of India's civil servants".
- Civil Services Day was first observed on 21 April 2006.
How it is observed:
- The Prime Minister presents the "Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration" to districts and organisations for outstanding work, such as implementing priority government programmes and innovations.
- The awards were instituted in 2006.
- The event is organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).
About the civil services in India:
- The All India Services are the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS, created in 1966).
- Article 312 of the Constitution provides for the creation of All India Services by Parliament if the Rajya Sabha passes a resolution supported by two-thirds of members present and voting.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), under Article 315, conducts the Civil Services Examination. Its origin goes back to the Public Service Commission set up on 1 October 1926.
The IAS replaced the Indian Civil Service (ICS) of British times. The ICS began under the Charter Act of 1853, which introduced open competitive examinations.
Satyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the ICS (1863/64).
The training academy for IAS officers is the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie.
Other related days:
- National Panchayati Raj Day: 24 April.
- Police Commemoration Day: 21 October.
- Army Day: 15 January.
Why not the other options?
- ✗24 April is National Panchayati Raj Day.
- ✗21 October is Police Commemoration Day.
- ✗15 January is Army Day.
Quick tip
Remember: Civil Services Day = 21 April (Sardar Patel's "steel frame" speech to probationers at Metcalfe House, 1947; first observed 2006; PM's Awards for Excellence in Public Administration).
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Important Days & Dates — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Important Days & Dates, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers national and international days observed through the year, such as National Youth Day, World Environment Day and International Yoga Day, along with the themes announced for them and the events or people they commemorate. Questions ask for the date of a day, the day observed on a given date, or the person it honours (for example, National Sports Day on 29 August marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand). Revise days month by month in a calendar format. Themes change every year, so learn the current year's themes from current affairs. Practise the important days questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.