Railway
'Utkala Dibasa', celebrated on 1 April, is the foundation day of which state?
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Answer: Option A — Odisha
Detailed Solution
"Utkala Dibasa" (Odisha Day) is celebrated on 1 April every year to mark the formation of the separate province of Orissa (now Odisha) on 1 April 1936.
History:
- Before 1936, the Odia-speaking areas were divided among the Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Madras and Central Provinces administrations.
- Leaders of the Odia movement demanded that all Odia-speaking areas be united into one province.
In 1903, Madhusudan Das founded the "Utkal Sammilani" (Utkal Union Conference) to lead this demand. He is called "Utkal Gourav" ("Pride of Utkal") and "Kulabruddha" (Grand Old Man of Odisha).
Other leaders included Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati of Paralakhemundi, Gopabandhu Das ("Utkalmani") and Fakir Mohan Senapati.
On 1 April 1936, Orissa was made a separate province under the Government of India Act, 1935. It was the first province in India to be formed on a linguistic basis.
Its first capital was Cuttack. In 1948, the capital was shifted to Bhubaneswar, which was planned by the German architect Otto Königsberger.
In 2011, the name of the state was changed from "Orissa" to "Odisha", and the language name from "Oriya" to "Odia", by the Orissa (Alteration of Name) Act, 2011.
About Odisha:
- Odia was declared a classical language in 2014, the sixth Indian language to receive this status.
- Famous places: the Jagannath Temple at Puri, the Sun Temple at Konark (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Chilika Lake, India's largest brackish-water lagoon.
Statehood days of neighbouring states:
- Bihar Diwas: 22 March (Bihar separated from Bengal in 1912).
- Andhra Pradesh Formation Day: 1 November.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bihar celebrates Bihar Diwas on 22 March.
- ✗Andhra Pradesh celebrates its formation day on 1 November.
- ✗West Bengal is not linked to 1 April.
Quick tip
Remember: Utkala Dibasa = 1 April (Orissa province formed 1936; first linguistic province; Madhusudan Das = "Utkal Gourav"); Bihar Diwas = 22 March; Orissa renamed Odisha in 2011.
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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.