SSC
The worldwide event in which people switch off non-essential lights for one hour to show support for action on climate change is called:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Earth Hour
Detailed Solution
Earth Hour is a worldwide event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in which people, businesses and governments switch off non-essential electric lights for one hour.
About Earth Hour:
- It began in Sydney, Australia, on 31 March 2007, when over two million people and businesses turned off their lights for one hour.
- It soon became a global movement, now involving millions of people in more than 190 countries and territories.
- It is held every year on a Saturday towards the end of March, usually the last Saturday of March, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time.
- Famous landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Taj Mahal, India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan have switched off their lights for Earth Hour.
Its purpose:
- To raise awareness about climate change, energy conservation and the loss of nature.
- To encourage people to take environmental action beyond the one hour.
- In recent years, its theme has focused on "giving an hour for Earth" by doing something positive for the planet, not just switching off lights.
About WWF:
It was founded on 29 April 1961 in Morges, Switzerland. Its headquarters is in Gland, Switzerland.
Its logo is a giant panda.
WWF-India was set up in 1969, with its headquarters in New Delhi.
Other environmental events:
- Earth Day: 22 April, started in the USA in 1970.
- World Environment Day: 5 June.
- International Dark Sky Week: held in spring to raise awareness about light pollution.
Energy conservation in India:
- National Energy Conservation Day: 14 December.
- The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
- The "UJALA" scheme (2015) distributed LED bulbs to reduce electricity consumption.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Earth Day is observed on 22 April.
- ✗Dark Sky Week focuses on light pollution.
- ✗"Lights Out Day" is not the name of this global event.
Quick tip
Remember: Earth Hour (switch off lights for one hour, last Saturday of March, 8:30-9:30 p.m.) = WWF, started Sydney 2007; Earth Day = 22 April (1970); National Energy Conservation Day = 14 December.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Important Days & Dates Questions
View all ›- Q1.National Youth Day (12 January) is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of:
- Q2.The 'Beating Retreat' ceremony, held at Vijay Chowk on 29 January, officially denotes the end of:
- Q3.National Consumer Day is celebrated in India on:
- Q4.World Water Day is celebrated every year on:
- Q5.The first International Day of Yoga was celebrated on:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
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.