Important Days List 2026 (National and International)
This is the month-wise list of important national and international days in 2026 that SSC, bank and railway exams ask about. Most days fall on the same date every year (World Environment Day is always 5 June); a few move with the calendar, and their 2026 dates are worked out below: Mother's Day 10 May, Father's Day 21 June, Friendship Day (India) 2 August, World Habitat Day 5 October.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: 26 January 2026 was India's 77th Republic Day; 15 August 2026 was the 80th Independence Day; 21 June 2026 was the 12th International Day of Yoga (first held in 2015; 2026 theme: Yoga for Healthy Ageing). National Space Day (23 August) marks Chandrayaan-3's landing; National Startup Day is 16 January and Veer Baal Diwas is 26 December.
Themes change every year, so learn the date and the reason first, then the 2026 theme from the Important Days and Themes 2026 table below (each theme is taken from the organising body: UN, WHO, UNEP, UNESCO, FAO or the Government of India). Dates for UN days follow the UN's list of International Days; Indian days follow government notifications.
Important Days in January 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan | World Braille Day | Birth anniversary of Louis Braille |
| 9 Jan | Pravasi Bharatiya Divas | Gandhi's return from South Africa (1915) |
| 10 Jan | World Hindi Day | First World Hindi Conference, 1975 |
| 12 Jan | National Youth Day | Birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda |
| 15 Jan | Indian Army Day | K. M. Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief (1949) |
| 16 Jan | National Startup Day | Declared in 2022 |
| 23 Jan | Parakram Diwas | Birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose |
| 24 Jan | National Girl Child Day | — |
| 25 Jan | National Voters' Day / National Tourism Day | ECI founded on 25 Jan 1950 |
| 26 Jan | Republic Day (77th in 2026) / International Customs Day | Constitution came into force, 1950 |
| 30 Jan | Martyrs' Day (Shaheed Diwas) / Anti-Leprosy Day (India) | Gandhi's death anniversary |
Important Days in February 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb | World Wetlands Day | Ramsar Convention signed, 1971 |
| 4 Feb | World Cancer Day | — |
| 10 Feb | World Pulses Day / National Deworming Day | — |
| 13 Feb | World Radio Day / National Women's Day (India) | Sarojini Naidu's birth anniversary |
| 20 Feb | World Day of Social Justice | — |
| 21 Feb | International Mother Language Day | Declared by UNESCO |
| 24 Feb | Central Excise Day | — |
| 28 Feb | National Science Day | C. V. Raman announced the Raman Effect (1928) |
Important Days in March 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Mar | Zero Discrimination Day | — |
| 3 Mar | World Wildlife Day / World Hearing Day | CITES signed, 3 Mar 1973 |
| 4 Mar | National Safety Day (India) | — |
| 8 Mar | International Women's Day | — |
| 15 Mar | World Consumer Rights Day | — |
| 20 Mar | International Day of Happiness / World Sparrow Day | — |
| 21 Mar | International Day of Forests / World Poetry Day / World Down Syndrome Day | — |
| 22 Mar | World Water Day | — |
| 23 Mar | World Meteorological Day / Shaheed Diwas (India) | Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev executed, 1931 |
| 24 Mar | World Tuberculosis Day | Robert Koch's discovery, 1882 |
| 27 Mar | World Theatre Day | — |
Important Days in April 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr | Utkal Divas (Odisha Day) | Odisha formed, 1936 |
| 2 Apr | World Autism Awareness Day | — |
| 5 Apr | National Maritime Day | SS Loyalty's voyage to London, 1919 |
| 7 Apr | World Health Day | WHO founded, 1948 |
| 10 Apr | World Homoeopathy Day | Samuel Hahnemann's birth anniversary |
| 11 Apr | National Safe Motherhood Day | Kasturba Gandhi's birth anniversary |
| 14 Apr | Ambedkar Jayanti | — |
| 18 Apr | World Heritage Day | — |
| 21 Apr | Civil Services Day | — |
| 22 Apr | Earth Day | — |
| 23 Apr | World Book and Copyright Day | — |
| 24 Apr | National Panchayati Raj Day | 73rd Amendment came into force, 1993 |
| 25 Apr | World Malaria Day | — |
| 26 Apr | World Intellectual Property Day | — |
| 29 Apr | International Dance Day | — |
Important Days in May 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May | International Labour Day / Maharashtra Day / Gujarat Day | States formed, 1960 |
| 3 May | World Press Freedom Day | — |
| 8 May | World Red Cross Day | Henry Dunant's birth anniversary |
| 10 May | Mother's Day (2026) | Second Sunday of May |
| 11 May | National Technology Day | Pokhran-II tests, 1998 |
| 12 May | International Nurses Day | Florence Nightingale's birth anniversary |
| 15 May | International Day of Families | — |
| 17 May | World Telecommunication and Information Society Day | — |
| 18 May | International Museum Day | — |
| 20 May | World Bee Day | — |
| 21 May | Anti-Terrorism Day (India) | Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary |
| 22 May | International Day for Biological Diversity | — |
| 31 May | World No Tobacco Day | — |
Important Days in June 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jun | World Milk Day / Global Day of Parents | — |
| 5 Jun | World Environment Day | UNEP |
| 7 Jun | World Food Safety Day | — |
| 8 Jun | World Oceans Day | — |
| 12 Jun | World Day Against Child Labour | — |
| 14 Jun | World Blood Donor Day | Karl Landsteiner's birth anniversary |
| 17 Jun | World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought | — |
| 21 Jun | International Day of Yoga (12th) / World Music Day / Father's Day (2026) | Father's Day = third Sunday of June |
| 23 Jun | International Olympic Day | IOC founded, 1894 |
| 25 Jun | Samvidhan Hatya Diwas | Emergency declared, 1975 (day notified in 2024) |
| 26 Jun | International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking | — |
| 27 Jun | MSME Day | — |
| 29 Jun | National Statistics Day | P. C. Mahalanobis's birth anniversary |
Important Days in July 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul | National Doctors' Day / CA Day / GST Day | Dr B. C. Roy's birth and death anniversary; ICAI founded 1949; GST launched 2017 |
| 11 Jul | World Population Day | — |
| 15 Jul | World Youth Skills Day | — |
| 18 Jul | Nelson Mandela International Day | — |
| 26 Jul | Kargil Vijay Diwas | Operation Vijay, 1999 |
| 28 Jul | World Hepatitis Day / World Nature Conservation Day | — |
| 29 Jul | International Tiger Day | — |
Important Days in August 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Aug | Friendship Day (India, 2026) | First Sunday of August; the UN's International Day of Friendship is 30 July |
| 6 Aug | Hiroshima Day | 1945 |
| 7 Aug | National Handloom Day | Swadeshi Movement launched, 1905 |
| 9 Aug | Quit India Day / Nagasaki Day / International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples | — |
| 12 Aug | International Youth Day / World Elephant Day | — |
| 14 Aug | Partition Horrors Remembrance Day | Notified in 2021 |
| 15 Aug | Independence Day (80th in 2026) | — |
| 19 Aug | World Humanitarian Day / World Photography Day | — |
| 20 Aug | Sadbhavana Diwas | Rajiv Gandhi's birth anniversary |
| 23 Aug | National Space Day | Chandrayaan-3 landing, 2023 |
| 29 Aug | National Sports Day | Major Dhyan Chand's birth anniversary |
Important Days in September 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Sep | Teachers' Day (India) | Dr S. Radhakrishnan's birth anniversary |
| 8 Sep | International Literacy Day | — |
| 14 Sep | Hindi Diwas | Hindi adopted as official language, 1949 |
| 15 Sep | Engineers' Day (India) / International Day of Democracy | M. Visvesvaraya's birth anniversary |
| 16 Sep | World Ozone Day | Montreal Protocol, 1987 |
| 21 Sep | International Day of Peace | — |
| 27 Sep | World Tourism Day / World Rivers Day (2026) | Rivers Day = fourth Sunday of September |
| 28 Sep | World Rabies Day | Louis Pasteur's death anniversary |
| 29 Sep | World Heart Day | — |
Important Days in October 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | International Day of Older Persons | — |
| 2 Oct | Gandhi Jayanti / International Day of Non-Violence | — |
| 5 Oct | World Teachers' Day / World Habitat Day (2026) | Habitat Day = first Monday of October |
| 8 Oct | Indian Air Force Day | IAF formed, 1932 |
| 9 Oct | World Post Day | UPU founded, 1874 |
| 10 Oct | World Mental Health Day | — |
| 11 Oct | International Day of the Girl Child | — |
| 15 Oct | Global Handwashing Day / World Students' Day (India) | A. P. J. Abdul Kalam's birth anniversary |
| 16 Oct | World Food Day | FAO founded, 1945 |
| 24 Oct | United Nations Day | UN Charter came into force, 1945 |
| 31 Oct | Rashtriya Ekta Diwas | Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary |
Important Days in November 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov | National Cancer Awareness Day | Marie Curie's birth anniversary |
| 9 Nov | National Legal Services Day | — |
| 10 Nov | World Science Day for Peace and Development | — |
| 11 Nov | National Education Day | Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's birth anniversary |
| 14 Nov | Children's Day (India) / World Diabetes Day | Nehru's birth anniversary; Frederick Banting's birth anniversary |
| 15 Nov | Janjatiya Gaurav Divas | Birsa Munda's birth anniversary |
| 16 Nov | National Press Day / International Day for Tolerance | Press Council of India began work, 1966 |
| 19 Nov | World Toilet Day | — |
| 21 Nov | World Television Day | — |
| 26 Nov | Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) / National Milk Day | Constitution adopted, 1949; Verghese Kurien's birth anniversary |
Important Days in December 2026
| Date | Day | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Dec | World AIDS Day | — |
| 2 Dec | National Pollution Control Day | Bhopal gas tragedy victims (1984) |
| 3 Dec | International Day of Persons with Disabilities | — |
| 4 Dec | Indian Navy Day | Operation Trident, 1971 |
| 7 Dec | Armed Forces Flag Day | — |
| 10 Dec | Human Rights Day | UDHR adopted, 1948 |
| 11 Dec | International Mountain Day | — |
| 14 Dec | National Energy Conservation Day | — |
| 16 Dec | Vijay Diwas | 1971 war victory |
| 18 Dec | Minorities Rights Day (India) | — |
| 22 Dec | National Mathematics Day | Srinivasa Ramanujan's birth anniversary |
| 23 Dec | Kisan Diwas | Chaudhary Charan Singh's birth anniversary |
| 24 Dec | National Consumer Day | Consumer Protection Act, 1986 |
| 25 Dec | Good Governance Day | Atal Bihari Vajpayee's birth anniversary |
| 26 Dec | Veer Baal Diwas | Sahibzadas of Guru Gobind Singh |
Important Days and Themes 2026 (Official Themes, Month-Wise)
These are the 2026 themes announced by the body that runs each day. Exams quote them word for word, so learn the exact wording.
| Date | Day | 2026 theme | Announced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb | World Wetlands Day | Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage | Ramsar Convention |
| 28 Feb | National Science Day (India) | Women in Science: Catalysing Viksit Bharat | Department of Science and Technology |
| 3 Mar | World Wildlife Day | Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods | UN / CITES |
| 8 Mar | International Women's Day | Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls | UN Women |
| 21 Mar | International Day of Forests | Forests and Economies | UN Forum on Forests / FAO |
| 22 Mar | World Water Day | Water and Gender (campaign: "Where water flows, equality grows") | UN-Water |
| 23 Mar | World Meteorological Day | Observing Today, Protecting Tomorrow | WMO |
| 7 Apr | World Health Day | Together for health. Stand with science | WHO |
| 22 Apr | Earth Day | Our Power, Our Planet | EARTHDAY.ORG |
| 22 May | International Day for Biological Diversity | Acting locally for global impact | Convention on Biological Diversity |
| 31 May | World No Tobacco Day | Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction | WHO |
| 5 Jun | World Environment Day | Climate Action (#NowForClimate); host country Azerbaijan (Baku) | UNEP |
| 7 Jun | World Food Safety Day | From burden to solutions: safe food everywhere | WHO / FAO |
| 21 Jun | International Day of Yoga (12th) | Yoga for Healthy Ageing | Ministry of Ayush / UN |
| 8 Sep | International Literacy Day (60th anniversary) | Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity | UNESCO |
| 16 Sep | World Ozone Day | Global action for a cooler planet (10 years of the Kigali Amendment) | UNEP Ozone Secretariat |
| 27 Sep | World Tourism Day | Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism; host El Salvador | UN Tourism |
| 5 Oct | World Teachers' Day | Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures | UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, Education International |
| 10 Oct | World Mental Health Day | Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change | World Federation for Mental Health |
| 16 Oct | World Food Day | Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow. | FAO |
Themes for days still to come in November and December 2026 (such as World AIDS Day and Human Rights Day) are usually announced a few weeks before the date.
Most-asked 2026 theme facts: World Environment Day 2026 was hosted by Azerbaijan with a focus on climate action; International Yoga Day 2026 (the 12th) was on Yoga for Healthy Ageing; World Water Day 2026 was on Water and Gender; World Health Day 2026 asked people to stand with science.
Days With Changing Dates: 2026 Dates
| Day | Rule | Date in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mother's Day | Second Sunday of May | 10 May (Sunday) |
| Father's Day | Third Sunday of June | 21 June (Sunday) |
| Friendship Day (India) | First Sunday of August | 2 August (Sunday) |
| World Rivers Day | Fourth Sunday of September | 27 September (Sunday) |
| World Habitat Day | First Monday of October | 5 October (Monday) |
| World Kidney Day | Second Thursday of March | 12 March (Thursday) |
| World Sight Day | Second Thursday of October | 8 October (Thursday) |
| World Maritime Day | Last Thursday of September | 24 September (Thursday) |
Trick to Remember Important Days (Birth Anniversary Days)
Many Indian days honour a person's birth anniversary. Learn them as pairs:
| Person | Day |
|---|---|
| Swami Vivekananda (12 Jan) | National Youth Day |
| Subhas Chandra Bose (23 Jan) | Parakram Diwas |
| Sarojini Naidu (13 Feb) | National Women's Day |
| B. R. Ambedkar (14 Apr) | Ambedkar Jayanti |
| P. C. Mahalanobis (29 Jun) | National Statistics Day |
| B. C. Roy (1 Jul) | National Doctors' Day |
| Dhyan Chand (29 Aug) | National Sports Day |
| S. Radhakrishnan (5 Sep) | Teachers' Day |
| M. Visvesvaraya (15 Sep) | Engineers' Day |
| A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (15 Oct) | World Students' Day (India) |
| Sardar Patel (31 Oct) | Rashtriya Ekta Diwas |
| Maulana Azad (11 Nov) | National Education Day |
| Nehru (14 Nov) | Children's Day |
| Birsa Munda (15 Nov) | Janjatiya Gaurav Divas |
| Verghese Kurien (26 Nov) | National Milk Day |
| Ramanujan (22 Dec) | National Mathematics Day |
| Charan Singh (23 Dec) | Kisan Diwas |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee (25 Dec) | Good Governance Day |
Important Days MCQs for SSC and Bank Exams (with Answers)
Q1. National Science Day is celebrated on: (a) 28 February (b) 11 May (c) 22 December (d) 15 September Answer: (a) 28 February.
Q2. National Space Day in India is observed on: (a) 14 July (b) 23 August (c) 2 September (d) 15 August Answer: (b) 23 August.
Q3. On which date is National Statistics Day observed? (a) 29 June (b) 1 July (c) 11 July (d) 29 August Answer: (a) 29 June.
Q4. Mother's Day in 2026 falls on: (a) 3 May (b) 10 May (c) 17 May (d) 11 May Answer: (b) 10 May.
Q5. Rashtriya Ekta Diwas commemorates the birth anniversary of: (a) Subhas Chandra Bose (b) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (c) B. R. Ambedkar (d) Lal Bahadur Shastri Answer: (b) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Q6. World Ozone Day is observed on: (a) 16 September (b) 5 June (c) 22 April (d) 21 March Answer: (a) 16 September.
Q7. Which day is observed on 26 November? (a) Children's Day (b) Constitution Day (c) Navy Day (d) Human Rights Day Answer: (b) Constitution Day.
Q8. International Day of Yoga 2026 is the: (a) 10th (b) 11th (c) 12th (d) 13th edition Answer: (c) 12th (first observed in 2015).
Q9. Kisan Diwas (23 December) honours: (a) Lal Bahadur Shastri (b) Chaudhary Charan Singh (c) M. S. Swaminathan (d) Verghese Kurien Answer: (b) Chaudhary Charan Singh.
Q10. National Technology Day (11 May) marks: (a) Launch of Aryabhata (b) Pokhran-II nuclear tests (c) Chandrayaan-1 launch (d) First computer in India Answer: (b) Pokhran-II nuclear tests (1998).
Q11. Which country hosted World Environment Day 2026? (a) Saudi Arabia (b) Republic of Korea (c) Azerbaijan (d) India Answer: (c) Azerbaijan (Baku), with a focus on climate action.
Q12. What was the theme of International Day of Yoga 2026? (a) Yoga for One Earth, One Health (b) Yoga for Healthy Ageing (c) Yoga for Self and Society (d) Yoga for Wellness Answer: (b) Yoga for Healthy Ageing. "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" was the 2025 theme.
Q13. "Water and Gender" was the theme of which day in 2026? (a) World Water Day (b) World Wetlands Day (c) International Women's Day (d) World Environment Day Answer: (a) World Water Day (22 March).
Q14. The 2026 theme "Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism" belongs to World Tourism Day, observed on: (a) 27 September (b) 25 January (c) 18 April (d) 5 June Answer: (a) 27 September. The global celebration was hosted by El Salvador.
Important Days FAQs
Which important days are asked most in SSC and bank exams?
Days linked to people (Youth Day, Teachers' Day, Engineers' Day, Statistics Day), UN days (Environment, Water, Health, Yoga, Human Rights) and newer Indian days (National Space Day, National Startup Day, Janjatiya Gaurav Divas, Veer Baal Diwas).
What is the date of Mother's Day and Father's Day in 2026?
Mother's Day is on 10 May 2026 and Father's Day on 21 June 2026, the same day as International Yoga Day.
Which Independence Day is celebrated in 2026?
15 August 2026 was India's 80th Independence Day, and 26 January 2026 was the 77th Republic Day.
What are the important days and themes of 2026?
The main 2026 themes are: World Environment Day, Climate Action (host Azerbaijan); International Day of Yoga, Yoga for Healthy Ageing; World Water Day, Water and Gender; World Health Day, Together for health. Stand with science; International Women's Day, Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls. The full month-wise table is above.
Do I need to learn the themes of important days?
Themes are asked mainly in current-affairs sections for the current year. Learn the date and reason first, then the current year's theme, and check the exact wording from the organising body.
Is there an important days list 2026 PDF?
This page is a complete printable list; use your browser's "Save as PDF" option for an offline copy.
Related topics: revise fundamental rights articles 12 to 35, UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India 2026, classical dances of India and their states, musical instruments and their players, awards and honours 2026, books and authors 2026 and GI tags in India 2026 next.
Practice Next
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