Important Days, Capitals and Currencies for the Assam Police Constable (AB & UB) Exam
This is the most straightforward block of the General Knowledge paper, and for that reason it is also the block where careless candidates lose marks they could easily have kept. Important Days, the capitals of countries and Indian states, and the currencies of the world are pure memory items. There is no logic to work out and no case to argue; there is only a well-kept list. The examiner loves this block because it can be asked in a single line, and the candidate who has learnt the calendar of days and the pair of country and capital will find that these questions can be answered in seconds and with complete certainty. This page arranges the material in the order in which it is easiest to learn, beginning with the days, moving to the capitals, then to the currencies, and closing with the national symbols. The facts follow publicly available official sources and standard reference material.
How This Portion Is Set
The questions in this block come in three shapes. The first shape gives a date and asks for the day, or gives the day and asks for the date. The second shape gives a country and asks for its capital, or gives a capital and asks for the country. The third shape gives a country and asks for its currency. Occasionally the paper asks for the capital of an Indian state, the name of a country's parliament, or a national symbol. All three shapes are answered from a list, and the list is short.
National Days of India
Three dates stand apart as the national days of India. Republic Day is observed on 26 January, the day on which the Constitution came into force in 1950. Independence Day is observed on 15 August, the day on which the country became independent in 1947. Gandhi Jayanti is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. Along with these, several other days carry the name of a national figure or an event.
- National Youth Day: 12 January, the birthday of Swami Vivekananda.
- National Science Day: 28 February, marking the discovery of the Raman effect.
- National Mathematics Day: 22 December, the birthday of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
- National Teachers' Day: 5 September, the birthday of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan.
- National Sports Day: 29 August, the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand.
- National Unity Day: 31 October, the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Days of the Armed Forces and the Police
Because this is a police recruitment paper, the days connected with the services are more than usually important. Army Day is observed on 15 January, Navy Day on 4 December, and Air Force Day on 8 October. Police Commemoration Day is observed on 21 October in memory of the police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, and the National Police Memorial stands in their honour in New Delhi. Fire Service Day is observed on 14 April. The candidate should also remember that the Central Reserve Police Force and other central armed police forces have their own raising days.
Important International Days
The United Nations and its agencies have fixed a large number of international days, and the examination usually picks the well-known ones.
- World Wildlife Day: 3 March. International Women's Day: 8 March.
- World Health Day: 7 April. World Earth Day: 22 April.
- International Labour Day: 1 May. World Environment Day: 5 June.
- International Yoga Day: 21 June. World Population Day: 11 July.
- International Literacy Day: 8 September. World Tourism Day: 27 September.
- United Nations Day: 24 October. Human Rights Day: 10 December.
Capitals of Countries Frequently Asked
The capital questions are drawn from a small set of countries, so a compact list is enough.
- United States of America: Washington, District of Columbia. United Kingdom: London. Canada: Ottawa. Australia: Canberra.
- France: Paris. Germany: Berlin. Italy: Rome. Spain: Madrid. Switzerland: Bern.
- Japan: Tokyo. China: Beijing. Russia: Moscow. South Korea: Seoul.
- Nepal: Kathmandu. Bhutan: Thimphu. Bangladesh: Dhaka. Sri Lanka: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Myanmar: Naypyidaw. Pakistan: Islamabad. Afghanistan: Kabul. Maldives: Male.
- Brazil: Brasilia. South Africa: Pretoria. Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur. Indonesia: Jakarta.
Currencies of the World
A country is often paired in the memory with its currency, and the two are best learnt together.
- United States: dollar. United Kingdom: pound sterling. Japan: yen. China: yuan, also called renminbi.
- Bangladesh: taka. Nepal: Nepalese rupee. Bhutan: ngultrum. Myanmar: kyat. Sri Lanka: Sri Lankan rupee. Pakistan: Pakistani rupee. Afghanistan: afghani. Maldives: rufiyaa.
- Russia: rouble. South Korea: won. Thailand: baht. Malaysia: ringgit. Indonesia: rupiah. Vietnam: dong.
- Switzerland: Swiss franc. Saudi Arabia: riyal. Iran: rial. Kuwait: dinar. Brazil: real. South Africa: rand.
- A large group of European countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain, use the euro.
Capitals of Indian States and Union Territories
The capital of a state is a favourite one-line question, and the North Eastern states are asked most often in an Assam paper.
- Assam: Dispur. Meghalaya: Shillong. Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar. Nagaland: Kohima.
- Manipur: Imphal. Mizoram: Aizawl. Tripura: Agartala. Sikkim: Gangtok.
- West Bengal: Kolkata. Maharashtra: Mumbai. Tamil Nadu: Chennai. Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram. Karnataka: Bengaluru.
National Symbols and Emblems of India
The national symbols are small facts with high value. The national animal is the tiger, the national bird the peacock, the national flower the lotus, the national tree the banyan, and the national fruit the mango. The national emblem is the Lion Capital of Ashoka, taken from the Sarnath pillar. The national anthem is Jana Gana Mana, written by Rabindranath Tagore, and the national song is Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee. The national river is the Ganga, and the national currency is the rupee, whose symbol was designed by D. Udaya Kumar.
Common Traps in This Block
- Mixing the date of Republic Day with that of Independence Day.
- Writing Canberra as the capital of Australia when it is not Sydney.
- Confusing the yuan of China with the yen of Japan.
- Mixing the national song with the national anthem.
- Writing Pretoria for all the capitals of South Africa, which is only the administrative one.
High-Yield Facts to Memorise
- Republic Day: 26 January; Independence Day: 15 August; Gandhi Jayanti: 2 October.
- National Science Day: 28 February; National Unity Day: 31 October; Police Commemoration Day: 21 October.
- Canberra, Ottawa, Bern and Brasilia are capitals that are often asked.
- The yen belongs to Japan, the taka to Bangladesh and the ngultrum to Bhutan.
- The national emblem is the Lion Capital of Ashoka and the national song is Vande Mataram.
A Revision Plan for This Block
- Make a calendar page for the days and mark the date beside each name.
- Make a three-column table of country, capital and currency and fill it in one sitting.
- Learn the North Eastern state capitals first, then the rest of India.
- Learn the national symbols as a single list and revise it twice a week.
- Test yourself by covering first the capital column and then the currency column.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Republic Day observed and why?
Republic Day is observed on 26 January, because the Constitution of India came into force on that day in 1950. The day on which the Constitution was adopted, 26 November 1949, is observed as Constitution Day.
What is the capital of Australia?
The capital of Australia is Canberra. Sydney and Melbourne are much larger cities, which is why Canberra is so often used as a trap in the examination.
Which country uses the taka as its currency?
Bangladesh uses the taka. Pakistan uses the Pakistani rupee and Nepal the Nepalese rupee, so the three neighbouring countries should be learnt together.
What is the national song of India?
Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, is the national song of India. The national anthem is Jana Gana Mana, written by Rabindranath Tagore.
When is National Science Day observed?
National Science Day is observed on 28 February, in memory of the discovery of the Raman effect by Sir C. V. Raman on that day in 1928. He was later awarded the Nobel Prize for the discovery.