National Unity Day:

                     

National Unity Day is celebrated in India on 31 October. It was introduced by the Government of India in 2014. The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar patel who had a major role in the political integration of India  

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, India's first Home Minister, played a crucial role in persuading many princely states to join the Union of India. Because of his efforts towards national integration, Vallabhbhai Patel is often referred to as the “Iron Man of India ''. To honour his legacy, the government in 2014 declared October 31, his birth anniversary, as the National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. 

In his memory, The Statue of Unity, a colossal symbol of India's unity, stands tall on the banks of the Narmada river in Vadodara, Gujarat. The statue was unveiled in 2018. This year we will celebrate Vallabhbhai Patel's 146th birth anniversary

                                              

                      Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi) is also known as "Bapu" or "Rashtrpita"and "The Father of Nation". The ideals of Mahatma Gandhi were Ahimsa (non-violence) andSatya (truth). He not only contributed to India's freedom struggle but also inspired peopleacross the world and raise the voice against discrimination of caste, colour, religion. He was a simple man with vast ideas and he always gives a message to others that "Be the change you wish to see in the world".He was born on 2nd October, 1869 in Porbandar, Gujarat. He pursued law for one year at the University of Bombay and later went to University College London and completed his graduation in 1891. After that, he started working in the Bar Council of England. And also went to South Africa, where he experienced racism.

Interesting facts about Mahatma Gandhi

➢ Mahatma Gandhi's mother tongue was Gujarati.

➢ He did his schooling at Alfred High School, Rajkot.

➢ His birthday (2nd October) is commemorated worldwide as International Day of Nonviolence.

➢ He was the youngest child of his parents. He had 2 brothers and 1 sister.

➢ Gandhi’s father was Hindu by religion and Modh Baniya by caste.

➢ Mahadev Desai was Gandhi’s personal secretary.

➢ Gandhi ji and famous author Leo Tolstoy interacted with each other through letters.

➢ Gandhi ji set up a small colony, Tolstoy Farm at an 1100 acre site, 21 miles from Johannesburg, South Africa for his colleagues in the Satyagraha struggle.

➢ In 1930, he led the Dandi Salt March, and in 1942, he launched the Quit India Movement during the freedom struggle.

➢ He not only fought for Independence but also demanded fair treatment for the untouchables, lower caste, and also done several fasts in support of them. He also called untouchables as Harijans meaning "children of God".

➢ Gandhi in 1982 is an epic historical drama film based on Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi won the Academic Award for the best motion picture.

➢ In 1930, he was the Time Magazine Man of the Year. He was a great writer and the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi have 50,000 pages.

➢ The country against whom he fought for India's Independence, Great Britain, released a stamp honouring him, 21 years after his death.

➢ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was not born with the title Mahatma. He was given the title to him by the Nobel Prize-winning Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore, according to some authors.

➢ It is said that Mahatma Gandhi's funeral procession was 8 kilometres long.

➢ Reserve Bank of India issued The Gandhi series banknotes by displaying a portrait of

Mahatma Gandhi since its introduction in 1996. The series issued in 1996 is of 10 and 500 rupee banknotes.

➢ In 1959, Gandhi Memorial Museum was established. It is located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India.

CBSE  Reading  Mission  2021-2023

About the CBSE Reading Mission

1.Stories and reading are an important part of a child’s growth and development. Reading literacy is not only a foundation for achievement in other subject areas within the educational system but also a prerequisite for successful participation in most areas of adult life. 

2.The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 emphasizes the need and the importance of well-stocked school libraries to attain the goal of foundational literacy and numeracy for all children by the year 2025. It recommends making available quality children's literature to build a culture of reading across the country 

3. The Central Board of Secondary Education, committed to this goal, intends to promote Reading Literacy among the learners. The Board is partnering with Pratham Books' StoryWeaver and CentralSquare Foundation to launch a two-year CBSE Reading Mission(2021-2023). 

4. NEP 2020, under this mission, the schools and teachers shall have access to a repository of quality English and Hindi children’s storybooks and supplementary resources for Classes I to VIII. 

5.The Reading Mission will help build a culture of reading and the wholesome development of students by enhancing their vocabulary, deriving connections between stories and their own lives, and exposing them to new ideas. We encourage all schools to participate actively and join CBSE in nurturing the next generation of readers and learners.

 Come, join us in nurturing the next generation of readers and learners! 

Tutorial :-How to enroll in Reading Programme 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zCda8PXmi-rovuYJ61ni0bw1vrvuC6ifxC2Z06CQYJg/edit#slide=id.gf09d7f2ded_0_58

Join the mission -Welcome to Pratham  books storyweaver 

https://storyweaver.org.in/about/campaigns/cbse-reading-mission 

CBSE READING MISSION HANDBOOK  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V_swtTHalI8q67frw6ZkiJxkMC4le10n/view?usp=drivesdk

 

 

  Teacher's Day Special 

  Thought for  the Day 

Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth.

                              Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 

                                          (1888-1975)                                  

As an academic, philosopher, and statesman, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) was one of the most recognized and influential Indian thinkers in academic circles in the 20th century. Throughout his life and extensive writing career, Radhakrishnan sought to define, defend, and promulgate his religion, a religion he variously identified as Hinduism, Vedanta, and the religion of the Spirit. He sought to demonstrate that his Hinduism was both philosophically coherent and ethically viable. Radhakrishnan’s concern for experience and his extensive knowledge of the Western philosophical and literary traditions has earned him the reputation of being a bridge-builder between India and the West. He often appears to feel at home in the Indian as well as the Western philosophical contexts, and draws from both Western and Indian sources throughout his writing. Because of this, Radhakrishnan has been held up in academic circles as a representative of Hinduism to the West. His lengthy writing career and his many published works have been influential in shaping the West’s understanding of Hinduism, India, and the East. In 1954, the Government of India honoured him with the Bharat Ratna, the highest honour of the country.

In 1963, he also received the Order of Merit and in 1975, the Templeton Prize. Before gaining Independence, he was addressed as Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and post-independence, he came to be known as Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Several times we came across the famous saying "When we think we know, we cease to learn." These types of words always motivate us to do higher learning in every phase of life, as learning is a life-long process. Inside us, the student will never fail if we have a teacher of par excellence, like Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. On Teachers Day we thank our teachers for all the efforts that  they put into us to make a successful people. Teachers play an important role in our lives. Without them, growth as an individual and in a career is not possible. On 5 September, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan is always remembered to mark a tribute to his great contribution to the nation

Interesting Facts about Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on Teachers Day:

 

1. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September, 1888 at Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu. His father and mother were Sarvepalli Veeraswami and Sitamma. His wife was Sivakamu, and he was the father of five daughters and one son.

2.   Throughout his academic life, he was awarded scholarships. He joined Voorhees College in Vellore but later moved to the Madras Christian College at the age of 17. In 1906, he had completed his Master's degree in Philosophy and became a professor.

3.   He was knighted in 1931 and since then till the attainment of Independence, he was addressed as Sir Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. But after independence, he came to be known as Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. In 1936, he was named as Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford. Also, elected as the Fellow of the All Souls College.

4.   He was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1946. He served as ambassador to UNESCO and later to Moscow.

5.   In 1952, he became the first Vice President of India and in 1962, he became the second President of independent India.

6.   He was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1954 and in 1961 the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. In 1963, he also received the Order of Merit and in 1975, the Templeton prize for promoting the notion of “a universal reality of God that embraced love and wisdom for all people”. And amazing is that he had donated the entire prize money to Oxford University.

7.   To join the University of Calcutta, Dr. Radhakrishnan left Mysore University. The students of Mysore University took him to the station in a carriage that had been decorated with flowers.

8.   From 1931-1936, he was the Vice-Chancellor at Andhra University, and from 1939-1948, he was the Vice-Chancellor at Banaras Hindu University. And at Delhi University, he was the Chancellor from 1953-1962.

 9.  Let us tell you that in the memory of Dr. Radhakrishnan, Oxford University started the Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships and the Radhakrishnan Memorial Award.

 10     He had founded Helpage India, which is a non-profit organisation for elderly and underprivileged people.

11.      Since 1962, Teachers' Day in India is celebrated on 5 September every year to pay tribute to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary.

  12.    One more thing which we can't forget about him is that when he became the President of India, he accepted only Rs 2500 out of Rs 10,000 salary and the remaining amount was donated to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund every month.

13.       He died on 17 April, 1975. 

"It’s the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom." – Michael Morpurgo We can’t forget such a humble man who had devoted his entire life to promoting the value of education and also gave Indians a new sense of esteem by gracefully interpreting Indian thought in western terms.

 "Teachers should be the best mind in the country ."

                     - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishna

 CBSE SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER & MARKING SCHEME FOR X & XII ( Exam 2021-2022) FOR TERM -1

 

National Sports Day 2021

     

National Sports Day 2021: It is observed on 29 August every year to commemorate the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Born on 29 August 1905 in present-day Prayagraj, UP, Major Dhyan Chand was the captain of the Gold medal-winning Indian hockey team at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Let us read more about National Sports Award, its history, significance, and Major Dhyan Chand.

 

National Sports Day 2021: History, Significance and a Tribute to Major Dhyan Chand

Sports are important for the physical and mental well being of humans. Individuals who play sports remain healthy. India has produced many sporting legends like PT Usha, also known as Udanpari, Sachin Tendulkar, also known as Master Blaster, and Major Dhyan Chand, also known as 'Hockey Wizard'. 

National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August every year to commemorate the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. This article sheds light on Indian hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, history and significance of National Sports Day. 

Major Dhyan Chand

Widely known as 'Wizard of Hockey', the greatest hockey player of India, Major Dhyan Chand Singh, was born on 29 August 1905 in present-day Praygraj, UP. After getting a basic education, Dhyan Chand joined the Indian army as a soldier in 1922.

Major Dhyan Chand was a true sportsperson and was motivated by Subedar Major Tiwari, who was himself a sports lover, to play Hockey. Dhyan Chand started playing hockey under his supervision.

Due to his outstanding performance in Hockey, Dhyan Chand was appointed as 'Lance Naik' in 1927 and was promoted to Nayak in 1932, and Subedar in 1936. The same year he Captained the Indian hockey team. He went on to become Lieutenant, Captain and was eventually promoted to Major.

Major Dhyan Chand's performance

Major Dhyan Chand was a great hockey player. If a ball stuck in his stick, it scored a goal. This was the reason that once his stick was broken during a match to check whether the stick has any magnet or something else inside it or not.

Major Dhyan Chand, was part of the three-time Olympic gold medalist Indian Hockey Team. At the Berlin Olympic Games of 1936, Dhyan Chand was elected the captain of the Indian Hockey team.

Major Dhyan Chand had scored more than 400 international goals in his career from 1926 to 1948 while scoring nearly 1,000 goals In his entire career. 

In a bid to pay tribute to such a legendary player, the Government of India decided to celebrate his birthday as the National Sports Day in 2012.

Before this recognition, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India in 1956, the third-largest civilian honour in India. 

National Sports Day Celebration

National Sports Day is celebrated extensively at the national level. It is organized every year in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President of India presents National Sports Awards to the outstanding players of the country. In 2020, the awards were presented virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Under the National Sports Award, players and former players are honoured with awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, and Dronacharya Award. Along with all these honours, the "Dhyan Chand Award" is also given on this day.

After the death of Major Dhyan Chand in 1979, the Indian Postal Department paid tribute to him and issued stamps in his honour. As a tribute to him, the National Stadium of Delhi has been renamed Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi.

National Sports Day: List of Awards

The following is the list of sports awards that are awarded on every National Sports Day, have a look!

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy

The Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy was founded in 1956–1957. It is awarded to a university for “outstanding performance in inter-university tournaments” over the previous year.

Arjuna Award

The Arjuna Award was founded in 1961. It is awarded to athletes who have shown “constant great performance” over the previous four years. “A bronze statue of Arjuna, a certificate, ceremonial dress, and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh” are included in the award.

Dronacharya Award

The Dronacharya Award, founded in 1985, honors trainers who “create medal winners at prestigious international championships.” “A bronze statue of Dronacharya, a certificate, ceremonial robe, and a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh” are included in the award.

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (Now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award)

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna was founded in 1991–1992. It is awarded to athletes for their “most excellent performance by a sportsperson” during the previous four years. “A medallion, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs. 25 lakh” are included in the award.

Dhyan Chand Award

The Dhyan Chand Award was founded in 2002. It is awarded to persons who have made a “lifetime contribution to the growth of sports.” “A Dhyan Chand statue, a certificate, ceremonial robe, and a monetary prize of ten lakh rupees” are included in the award.

Rashtriya Khel Prahotsahan Award

The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was founded in 2009. It is awarded to private and public organizations, as well as individuals, who have “played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development” over the last three years.

                                   Rakshabandhan 

           

 

Rakshabandhan Celebrated on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Sravana (July/August), this festival celebrates the love of a brother for his sister. On this day, sisters tie rakhi on the wrists of their brothers to protect them against evil influences, and pray for their long life and happiness. They in turn, give a gift which is a promise that they will protect their sisters from any harm. Within these Rakhis reside sacred feelings and well wishes. This festival is mostly celebrated in North India. 

The history of Rakshabandhan dates back to Hindu mythology. As per Hindu mythology, in Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, Draupadi, wife of the Pandavas had torn the corner of her sari to prevent Lord Krishna's wrist from bleeding (he had inadvertently hurt himself). Thus, a bond, that of brother and sister developed between them, and he promised to protect her. 

 One of the most popular stories of Raksha Bandhan in India is linked to the Mughal period when there was a struggle between Rajputs and the Mughals. Folklore has it that when the widowed Empress of Chittor, Karnavati, saw crisis in her state, she sent a Rakhi to Mughal emperor Humayun and sought help to protect her state against the attack of Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. According due respect to the thread that Karnavati had sent, Humayun immediately sent his army to Chittor to protect her 

Raksha Bandhan also finds its links to the birth of Goddess Santoshi, and the relationship Goddess Laxmi and King Bali shared among many other fables of similar nature. There is also a belief that Raksha Bandhan was even followed by Lord Yama (God of Death) and his sister Yamuna (river). Yamuna tied Rakhi to Yama and bestowed immortality. 

It is also a great sacred verse of unity, acting as a symbol of life's advancement and a leading messenger of togetherness. Raksha means protection, and in some places in medieval India, where women felt unsafe, they tie Rakhi on the wrist of men, regarding them as brothers. In this way, Rakhi strengthens the bond of love between brothers and sisters, and revives the emotional bonding