Author and Books

1. The White Tiger - अरविन्द अडिगा

2. Corruption and Corporate Governance in India : Satyam, Spectrum and Sundaram - सुब्रमण्यम स्वामी

3. Listening to Gras Hoppers - अरुंधती राय

4. Wolf Haal - हिलैरी मेंटल

5. 2 States - चेतन भगत

Country Symbols

Country : Symbol

India : Royal Bengal Tiger

China : Dragon

Russia : Brown Bear

USA : Bald Eagle

Spain : Red Carnation

Japan : Cherry Blossom

England : Rose

Australia : Golden Wattle Flower

South Africa : Blue Crane

Denmark : Beach Tree

Colombia : Orchid

Canada : Maple Leaf

Greece : Olive Branch

Significance of Signs and Symbols

Symbol : Meaning

Red triangle : Family Planning

Red cross : Hospital/Ambulance

Red light : Danger/Emergency

Green Light : Line clear signal

Olive branch : Peace

Black Flag : Demonstration of protes

Dove : Peace

Black Flag : Demonstration of protest

Red Flag : Sign of danger, revolution

Yellow Flag : Displayed by ship with infectious disease on board or ship in quarantine

White Flag : Truce

Tricolour : National Flag of India

Union Jack : National Flag of UK

Lotus : Culture and civilization

Wheel : Progress

Flag flown half mast : National mourning

Flag flown upside down : Distress

A blind-folded woman holding a balance : Justice

National Emblems

Country : Emblem

India : Sarnath Lion Capital

Australia : Kangaroo

Bangladesh : Water Lily

Canada : White Lily

Debmark : Beach

France : Lily

Germany : Corn Flower

Iran : Rose

Ireland : Sham Rock

Italy : White Lily

Japan : Chrysanthemum

Pakistan : Crescent

Spain : Eagle

Sri Lanka : Sword & Lion

Russia : Sickle and Hammer

United Kingdom : Rose

USA : Golden Rod

New Zealand : Silver Fern

Official Publication of Different Countries/Organisations

Publication======Issued/Released By
Blue Book.....Report by the British Government

Green Book....Government of Italy and Iran

Grey Book.....Japanese and Belgium Government

Orange Book...Government of the Netherlands

White Book....Official publication of Germany, Portugal and China

White Paper(Shwet Patrika)...Issued by the Government of India

Yellow Book...Issued by the Government of France

Economic Survey...Ministry of Finance(Government of India)

Report on Currency and Finance...Reserve Bank of India

Wholesale Price Index...Ministry of Industry

National Accounts Statistics...Central Statistical Organisation

National Animal and IndianNational Symbols

The Tiger(Panthera Tigris) is the National Animal of India. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes.

Lion was the National Animal of India till 1972. Later on, itwas replaced by Tiger.

National Bird : Peacock

National Flower : Lotus

National Tree : Banyan

National Fruit : Mango

National Game: Hockey

National River : Ganga

National Calender

National Calender is based on Saka Era(began on 78 A.D.) with Chaitra as its first month and Phalguna as its last month with a normal year of 365 days adopted from march 22, 1957 along with Gregorian Calender.

Chaitra 1, falls on March 22 normally and on March 21 in leap year.

National Song

"Vande Matram" is the National Song of India, which was composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterji, Orginally in Sanskrit.

It was adopted on January 24, 1950, providing it equal status with National Anthem Jana gana mana.

It is taken from his novel Anand Math published in 1882. Its English translation was done by Sri Aurobindo.

It was sung for the first time at the Congress Session of 1896.

National Anthem

The song Jana gana mana is the National Anthem of India which, was composed originally in Bengali.

It was adopted by Constituent Assembly on January 24, 1950 in its Hindi version.

The song Jana gana mana was first published in January, 1912 under the title 'Bharat Vidhata' in Tattva Bodhini Patrika.

The song was translated in English in 1919 with the title "Morning song of India".

It was first sung at the Calcutta Session of Congress on December 27, 1911.

Playing time of full version of National Anthem is 52 seconds while it is 20 seconds for first and last line of the stanza.

National Flag

• It was adopted by Constituent Assembly of India on July 22, 1947.



• A tricolour flag was first accepted by the Indian National Congress in 1931, having Charkha in place of todays's Chakra.



• It is a horizontal tricolour of deep Saffron at top (Stands for courage, sacrifice and renunciation), White at middle(Shows truth and purity in thoughts), dark green at the bottom (Symbol of life abundance and prosperity). A Wheel(Chakra) in centre of the white strip is the symbol of progress and movement.



• Supreme Court declared the right to hoist flag as a Fundamental Right under Article 19(i)(a) of the Constitution in 2002.