SSC
The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is observed on:
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Answer: Option A — 16 September
Detailed Solution
The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (World Ozone Day) is observed every year on 16 September.
Why 16 September:
On 16 September 1987, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed.
In 1994, the UN General Assembly declared 16 September as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. It was first observed in 1995.
About the ozone layer:
- Ozone (O3) is a molecule made of three oxygen atoms.
- The ozone layer is found mainly in the stratosphere, about 15 to 35 km above the Earth's surface.
- It absorbs most of the Sun's harmful ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation, which can cause skin cancer, cataracts and damage to plants and marine life.
Ozone depletion:
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform, used in refrigerators, air conditioners, aerosol sprays and fire extinguishers, release chlorine and bromine in the stratosphere, which destroy ozone.
The "ozone hole" over Antarctica was reported in 1985 by the British scientists Joseph Farman, Brian Gardiner and Jonathan Shanklin.
Ozone thickness is measured in Dobson Units (DU).
International agreements:
Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985): the framework agreement.
Montreal Protocol (1987): set binding targets to phase out ozone-depleting substances. It came into force on 1 January 1989.
It is the first UN treaty to be ratified by all UN member states (universal ratification, 2009). It is often called the most successful environmental agreement.
Kigali Amendment (2016, Kigali, Rwanda): added the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which do not harm ozone but are powerful greenhouse gases. India's phase-down will begin later than that of developed countries.
Scientists expect the ozone layer to recover to 1980 levels around the middle of this century.
India ratified the Montreal Protocol in 1992.
Why not the other options?
- ✗5 June is World Environment Day.
- ✗22 April is Earth Day.
- ✗21 March is the International Day of Forests.
Quick tip
Remember: World Ozone Day = 16 September (Montreal Protocol signed 16 September 1987); Vienna Convention 1985; Kigali Amendment 2016 (HFCs); ozone layer is in the stratosphere.
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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.