Important Days, Dates & Current Affairs for Bank Exams
🟢 Lite — Quick Review (1h–1d)
Rapid summary for last-minute revision before your exam.
Current Affairs and important days are high-scoring areas in IBPS PO — these questions require regular reading and revision. Focus on major international days observed by UN/global bodies, Indian government schemes, and recent appointments.
High-Yield Dates:
- January: National Youth Day (12 Jan — Swami Vivekananda), Republic Day (26 Jan)
- February: National Science Day (28 Feb — Raman effect discovered)
- March: World Water Day (22 Mar), World Forestry Day (21 Mar)
- April: Ambedkar Jayanti (14 Apr), Earth Day (22 Apr)
- May: Labour Day (1 May), Anti-Terrorism Day (21 May)
- June: World Environment Day (5 Jun), International Yoga Day (21 Jun)
- July: Kargil Vijay Diwas (26 Jul)
- August: Independence Day (15 Aug), Hiroshima Day (6 Aug)
- September: Hindi Diwas (14 Sep), Teacher’s Day (5 Sep)
- October: Gandhi Jayanti (2 Oct), Wildlife Week (1-7 Oct)
- November: Children’s Day (14 Nov), National Unity Day (31 Oct)
- December: World AIDS Day (1 Dec), Human Rights Day (10 Dec)
⚡ Exam tip: IBPS PO asks specific questions like “Who is the current Attorney General of India?” or “What is the theme of the 2024 G20 Summit?” Read newspapers daily and note important appointments and themes.
🟡 Standard — Regular Study (2d–2mo)
Standard content for students with a few days to months.
Important Days & Their Significance:
January
- 12 Jan — National Youth Day: Birthday of Swami Vivekananda (1863); observed as Youth Day since 1985
- 26 Jan — Republic Day: India became a Republic in 1950; Constitution came into effect; 2024 Republic Day chief guest: UAE President
- 24 Jan — National Girl Child Day: Awareness for girl child welfare
February
- 28 Feb — National Science Day: Commemorates discovery of Raman effect by C.V. Raman (1928); theme changes each year
- 14 Feb — Valentine’s Day: Not a government holiday but frequently asked in GK
- 24 Feb — Central Excise Day: Commemorates service tax enactment
March
- 8 Mar — International Women’s Day: Theme-based observance; UN’s theme for 2024: “Invest in women”
- 22 Mar — World Water Day: Water conservation awareness
- 21 Mar — World Forestry Day: Forest conservation
- 15 Mar — Consumer Rights Day: Enactment of Consumer Protection Act 1986
April
- 14 Apr — Ambedkar Jayanti: Birthday of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (1891)
- 22 Apr — Earth Day: Environmental awareness
- 5 Apr — National Maritime Day: Indian shipping industry awareness (1964)
- 11 Apr — National Startup Day: 2023 onwards
May
- 1 May — International Labour Day / May Day: Workers’ rights
- 8 May — World Red Cross Day: Commemorates birthday of Henry Dunant (founder of Red Cross)
- 21 May — Anti-Terrorism Day: Commemorates the death of former PM Rajiv Gandhi (1991)
- 31 May — World No Tobacco Day: WHO observance
June
- 5 Jun — World Environment Day: Host country rotates annually; India hosted 2018 (Chandigarh theme: plastic-free)
- 21 Jun — International Yoga Day: PM Modi proposed in UN 2014; first observed 2015; theme 2024: “Yoga for Kinnkar (self-care)”
- 14 June — World Blood Donor Day
July
- 1 July — GST Day: GST implementation anniversary (1 July 2017)
- 26 Jul — Kargil Vijay Diwas: Commemorates 1999 Kargil war victory
- 11 July — World Population Day: UN awareness day
August
- 6 Aug — Hiroshima Day: Commemorates 1945 atomic bombing
- 15 Aug — Independence Day: Quit India movement 1942; freedom 1947
- 29 Aug — National Sports Day: Birthday of Dhyan Chand (born 1905)
September
- 5 Sep — Teacher’s Day: Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday (1888); students celebrate
- 14 Sep — Hindi Diwas: Hindi declared official language in 1949 (Constituent Assembly decision); also International Day of Sign Language (same date)
- 15 Sep — International Day of Democracy
- 21 Sep — International Day of Peace
- 27 Sep — World Tourism Day
October
- 2 Oct — Gandhi Jayanti: Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (1869); also International Non-Violence Day
- 8 Oct — Indian Air Force Day: Air power display
- 10 Oct — World Mental Health Day
- 24 Oct — UN Day: Commemorates 1945 founding of UN
- 31 Oct — National Unity Day: Birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875)
November
- 14 Nov — Children’s Day: Birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru (1889)
- 14 Nov — World Diabetes Day
- 26 Nov — Constitution Day: Constitution of India was adopted in 1950 (but 26 November is observed as Constitution Day since 2015)
- 7 Nov — National Cancer Awareness Day
December
- 1 Dec — World AIDS Day: HIV/AIDS awareness
- 10 Dec — Human Rights Day: UN adopted Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948
- 22 Dec — National Mathematics Day: Birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887)
- 25 Dec — Christmas / Good Governance Day
Major International Observances (UN Days):
| Date | Day |
|---|---|
| 20 Feb | World Social Justice Day |
| 21 Mar | Elimination of Racial Discrimination Day |
| 2 Apr | World Autism Awareness Day |
| 7 Apr | World Health Day |
| 23 Apr | World Book and Copyright Day |
| 12 May | International Day of Nurses |
| 18 May | World Museum Day |
| 28 May | International Day of Action for Women’s Health |
| 5 Jun | World Environment Day |
| 17 Jun | World Day to Combat Desertification |
| 30 Jul | World Day Against Trafficking |
| 12 Aug | International Youth Day |
| 19 Aug | World Humanitarian Day |
| 21 Sep | International Day of Peace |
| 16 Oct | World Food Day |
| 17 Oct | International Poverty Day |
🔴 Extended — Deep Study (3mo+)
Comprehensive coverage for students on a longer study timeline.
Current Affairs — Major Events & Headlines (2024-2025):
Major International Events
- G20 Summit 2024 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil): India held the G20 Presidency in 2023 (New Delhi Summit — “One Earth, One Family, One Future”). Brazil took over for 2024.
- BRICS Expansion (2024): Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and UAE officially joined BRICS as new members effective January 2024. This is a major geopolitical shift.
- COP28 (Dubai, 2023): First Global Stocktake; “Transitioning away from fossil fuels” language agreed
- COP29 (Baku, Azerbaijan, 2024): Climate finance was the key agenda item; $300 billion annual climate finance goal for developed nations
- Ukraine-Russia conflict: Ongoing since 2022; major humanitarian crisis; sanctions on Russia
- Israel-Gaza conflict (2023-2024): Major humanitarian crisis in Gaza; ICJ case initiated
Major Indian Appointments (2024-2025)
- President of India: Droupadi Murmu (since July 2022)
- Vice President: Jagdeep Dhankhar (since August 2022)
- Prime Minister: Narendra Modi (since 2014, 3rd term 2024)
- Finance Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman (2024-2025)
- RBI Governor: Sanjay Malhotra (appointed January 2025 — replaced Shaktikanta Das)
- Chief Justice of India: Sanjiv Khanna (since May 2024; succeeded D.Y. Chandrachud)
- Attorney General of India: R. Venkataramani (since October 2022)
- SEBI Chairperson: Madhabi Puri Buch (since February 2022)
- CAG (Comptroller & Auditor General): G. C. Murmu (since August 2020)
Important International Bodies & Summits
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO): India joined 2017; 2024 summit in Islamabad/Pakistan (postponed)
- Commonwealth of Nations: India remains a member; not a founding member (joined 1949)
- SAARC: South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; India-Pakistan tension has stalled activities
- BIMSTEC: Bay of Bengal Initiative; India is active; BIMSTEC Summit 2023 held in Bangkok
- QUAD: Australia, India, Japan, USA; maritime cooperation; 2024 summit in USA
Indian Awards & Honours
- Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri: India’s civilian awards (in descending order of prestige)
- Bharat Ratna: Highest civilian award; 2024 recipients: Karikur Venkata Raman; Pd. Shiv Kumar Sharma; Ustad Zakir Hussain
- Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna: Highest sporting honour; renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (2021)
- Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Dhyan Chand Award: Sports and coaching awards
Major Government Initiatives (Recent)
- Digital India 2.0: Expanded broadband connectivity, 5G rollout (2023 onwards)
- PM Gati Shakti: Multi-modal connectivity; ₹100 lakh crore plan for infrastructure
- National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP): ₹111 lakh crore infrastructure investment (FY 2020-2025)
- PLI Scheme (Production Linked Incentive): ₹1.97 lakh crore for 13 sectors (electronics, pharma, food processing, etc.)
- PM Awas Yojana Urban 2.0: Enhanced credit-linked subsidy for affordable housing
- NIRYAT (Nivesh) Portal: One-stop portal for investors (developed by DPIIT)
- ULEMA Platform: For tech startup policy implementation
Major Indices & Reports to Remember
- Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024: India ranked 39th (improved from 81st in 2015)
- Ease of Doing Business: Discontinued by World Bank (replaced by B-READY)
- World Happiness Report 2024: India ranked 126th
- Global Hunger Index 2023: India ranked 111th out of 125 countries
- Human Development Index: India’s rank 134/189 (2021 data; UNDP)
- World Economic Forum (WEF): Davos summit — annual; India at WEF 2024 Davos
- IMF World Economic Outlook: India projected to be 3rd largest economy by 2030 (PPP basis) or ~2030 nominal GDP
Sports News (Important for GK)
- Cricket: India won ICC T20 World Cup 2024? (Check latest); India won ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 (lost to Australia in 2023 final in Ahmedabad); BCCI President: Roger Binny; ICC Chairman: Jay Shah (2024)
- Chess: Pragya in news for World Cup (D Gukesh won 2024 FIDE World Chess Championship)
- Olympics 2024 (Paris): India won 6 medals (5 bronze, 1 silver — Neeraj Chopra silver in javelin); best ever Olympics for India
- Asian Games 2023 (Hangzhou): India finished 4th with 107 medals
- Thomas Cup: India won 2022 Thomas Cup in badminton; back-to-back Uber Cup losses
- Indian Premier League (IPL): Franchise-based T20 league; 10 teams as of 2024; IPL 2024 champion: Kolkata Knight Riders (defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in final)