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World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated on 8 May, the birth anniversary of:
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Answer: Option A — Henry Dunant
Detailed Solution
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is celebrated every year on 8 May, the birth anniversary of Jean-Henri Dunant, the founder of the Red Cross movement.
About the day:
- It was first celebrated in 1948.
- It honours the work of Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers who help people affected by wars, disasters and emergencies.
About Henry Dunant (1828-1910):
- He was born on 8 May 1828 in Geneva, Switzerland.
- In 1859, he witnessed the aftermath of the Battle of Solferino in northern Italy, between the French-Sardinian and Austrian armies, where thousands of wounded soldiers were left without care.
- He organised local people to help the wounded of both sides without discrimination.
- In 1862, he published "A Memory of Solferino" ("Un souvenir de Solférino"), proposing national relief societies of trained volunteers and an international agreement to protect wounded soldiers and medical workers.
- His ideas led to the founding of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva in 1863 (originally the "Committee of Five", including Gustave Moynier).
- They also led to the first Geneva Convention (1864).
- In 1901, Dunant shared the first Nobel Peace Prize with the French pacifist Frédéric Passy.
The Red Cross movement:
- It has three parts: the ICRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC, founded 1919), and the national societies.
- The ICRC has received the Nobel Peace Prize three times (1917, 1944 and 1963, the last shared with the League of Red Cross Societies).
- Its emblems are the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal (adopted in 2005).
- The movement's seven fundamental principles are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
Indian Red Cross Society:
- It was established in 1920 under the Indian Red Cross Society Act, 1920.
- The President of India is its President, and the Union Health Minister is its Chairman.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Florence Nightingale's birthday (12 May) is International Nurses Day.
- ✗Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross (1881).
- ✗Gustave Moynier was a co-founder of the ICRC.
Quick tip
Remember: World Red Cross Day = 8 May (Henry Dunant's birthday; "A Memory of Solferino"; ICRC 1863, Geneva; first Nobel Peace Prize 1901); Indian Red Cross = 1920.
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Organisations & Headquarters — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Organisations & Headquarters, 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 organisations: the United Nations and its agencies, regional groups such as SAARC, ASEAN and BRICS, global bodies such as the WHO, ILO and UNESCO, and Indian institutions, with their headquarters, founding years, members and heads. Questions typically ask where an organisation is headquartered, when it was founded, or what its full form is. For example, UNESCO is headquartered in Paris and the WHO in Geneva. Membership and leadership change over time, so pair the static facts here with current affairs for recent changes such as new members or new heads. Practise the organisations and headquarters 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.