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The 'International Day of Women and Girls in Science' is observed on:
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Answer: Option B — 11 February
Detailed Solution
The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February.
About the day:
- The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on 22 December 2015 to proclaim the day.
- It was first observed on 11 February 2016.
- It is led by UNESCO and UN Women, together with other partners.
- Its aim is to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for women and girls, and to recognise the critical role they play in science and technology.
Why it matters:
Women remain under-represented in STEM fields. According to UNESCO, less than one-third of the world's researchers are women.
Women are also under-represented in fields such as engineering, physics, computer science and artificial intelligence, and in senior research positions.
Pioneering women scientists:
Marie Curie (Poland-France): the first woman to win a Nobel Prize (Physics, 1903) and the only person to win Nobel Prizes in two different sciences (Physics 1903 and Chemistry 1911).
Indian women in science:
- Anandibai Joshi: one of the first Indian women to earn a degree in Western medicine (1886, USA).
- Janaki Ammal: botanist and cytogeneticist; worked on sugarcane hybrids; Padma Shri (1977).
- Asima Chatterjee: organic chemist; first woman to receive a Doctor of Science from an Indian university (1944).
- Kamala Sohonie: the first Indian woman to receive a PhD in a scientific discipline (Cambridge, 1939).
- Tessy Thomas: the "Missile Woman of India"; led the Agni-IV project.
- Ritu Karidhal and Muthayya Vanitha: key scientists in ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 mission.
Indian initiatives:
- "Vigyan Jyoti" (2019) by the Department of Science and Technology encourages girls in classes 9-12 to pursue STEM.
- "KIRAN" (Knowledge Involvement in Research Advancement through Nurturing) supports women scientists.
Other related days:
- International Women's Day: 8 March.
- National Science Day: 28 February.
- International Day of the Girl Child: 11 October.
Why not the other options?
- ✗8 March is International Women's Day.
- ✗28 February is National Science Day.
- ✗11 October is the International Day of the Girl Child.
Quick tip
Remember: International Day of Women and Girls in Science = 11 February (UN 2015, first 2016; UNESCO and UN Women); Tessy Thomas = "Missile Woman of India"; National Science Day = 28 February.
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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.