Important books and their writers

Name of the Book Author

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Mark Twain

Ain-i-Akbari Abul Fazal

Alchemist, The Paulo Coelho

Alice in the Wonderland Lewis Carroll

All’s Well that Ends well William Shakespeare

An American Tragedy Theodore Dreiser

An idealist view of life Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

Anand Math Bankim Chandra Chatterjee

Androcles and the Lion George Bernard Shaw

Ape and Essence A. Huxley

Apple Cart George Bernard Shaw
Arabian Nights Sir Richard Burton
Area of Darkness V.S. Naipaul
Arthashastra Kautilya
Arms and the man George Bernard Shaw
Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne

As you like it William Shakespeare

Autobiography of an Unknown Indian Nirad C. Choudhury

Babur-nama Babur
Between the Lines Kuldip Nayar
Bharat Bharati Maithili Sharan Gupt
Bitter Sweet Noel Coward
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
Broken Wing Sarojini Naidu
Bunch of Old Letters, A Jawaharlal Nehru
Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer

Chitra Rabindranath Tagore

Comedy of Errors William Shakespeare

Coolie Mulk Raj Anand

Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky

Das Capital Karl Marx

David Copperfield Charles Dickens

Descent of Man Charles Darwin

Dilemma of Our Time Harold Joseph Laski

Discovery of India Jawaharlal Nehru

Divine Life Swami Siv Ananda

Doctor’s Dilemma George Bernard Shaw

Doctor Zhivago Boris Pasternak

Don Juan Lord Byron

Ends and Means Aldous Huxley

Farewell to Arms, A Ernest Hemingway
First Among Equal Jeffrey Archer
For whom the Bell Tolls Emest Hemingway
Freedom at Midnight Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre
Future Shock Alvin Toffler
Geet Govind Jaya Dev
Gitanjali Rabindranath Tagore
Gita Rahasya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Glimpses of World History Jawaharlal Nehru
Godan Munshi Prem Chand
Golden Threshold Sarojini Naidu

Golden Gate Vikram Seth

Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell
Gora Rabindranath Tagore
Grammar of Politics Harold Laski
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Gulliver’s Travels Jonathan Swift
Hamlet William Shakespeare
Harsha Charita Bana Bhatt
Heat and Dust Ruth P. Jhabwala
Hindu View of Life Dr. S. Radhakrishnan

Importance of Being Earnest Oscar Wilde

India Divided Rajendra Prasad
India Wins Freedom Maulana Abul Kalama Azad
Indian Home Rule M. K. Gandhi
Indian Philosophy Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
Invisible man H. G. Wells
Iron in the Soul Jean-Paul Sartre

Natya Shastra Bharat Muni

Nine Days Wonder John Masefield
Odyssey Homer
Oliver Twist Charles Dickens
Origin of Species Charles Darwin

Othello William Shakespeare

Panchatantra Vishnu Sharma

Passage to England, A Nirad C. Choudhary

Paradise Lost John Milton

Passage to India, A E. M. Forster

Patriot, The Pearl S. Buck

Post Office Rabindranath Tagore

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

Raghuvamsa Kalidas

Ram Charita Manas Tulsidas

Ramayan Valmiki

Ratnavali Harsha Vardhan

Ritu Samhara Kalidas

Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare

Savitri Sri Aurobindo Ghose
Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen
Satanic Verses, The Salman Rushdie
Shahnama Firdausi
Shakuntala Kalidas

Sunny Days Sunil Gavaskar

Tale of Two Cities, A Charles Dickens
Tempest, The William Shakespeare
Three Musketeers Alexander Dumas
Time Machine H. G. Wells
To Live or Not to Live Nirad C. Choudhary
Triumph John Kenneth Galbraith
Twelfth Night William Shakespeare
Twenty Years After Alexander Dumas
Two Leaves and Bud Mulk Raj Anand
Vinay Patrika Tulsidas
Vish Vriksha Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Voice of Conscience V. V. Giri
Wake up India Annie Besant
War and Peace Leo Tolstoy
Wealth of Nations Adam Smith
Wonder what was India A. L. Basham
Yam Mahadevi Verma
Fdirst sports achievement for India
Achievement Sportsperson

The first Indian to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games KD Jadhav

The first Indian to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games Abhinav Bindra

The first Indian woman to win an individual medal at the Olympic Games Karnam Malleswari

1st Indian to win Olympic medals at two consecutive Olympic Games Sushil Kumar

The first Indian to become a world champion in billiards Wilson Jones

The first Indian gymnast to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games Ashish Kumar
The youngest Indian to captain its test cricket team Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi

The first Indian to swim across the English Channel Mihir Sen (1958)

The first Indian woman (also Asian woman) to swim across the English
Aarti Saha (1959)
Channel

The first woman in the world to swim the seven seas Bula Chaudhary

The first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games Kamaljit Sandhu

The first Indian women athlete to win a medal at a world event (Bronze at
Anju Bobby George
World Athletics Championship, 2003)
1st recipient of Dhyanchand Lifetime
Aparna Ghosh
Achievement Award

1st Indian recipient of International Cricket

Council's Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy (also the first Rahul Dravid
in the world)

1st Indian recipient of Wisden Leading Cricketer

Virender Sehwag
in the World
 First sports achievement for the
world Achievement Sportsperson

The first person in the world to run the 100 m race in under 10 seconds Jim Hines (USA) (1968)

The first and the only woman in the world to run the 100 m race in under 10.5 seconds
Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) (1988)
(10.49 seconds)

The first person in the world to run the 200 m race in under 20 seconds Tommie Smith (USA) (1968)

The first person in the world to run the 1,600 m race in under 4 minutes Roger Bannister (U.K.) (1954)

The first person in the world to run the 5,000 m race in under 13 minutes Said Aouita (Morocco) (1987)
The first person in the world to run the 10,000 m race in under 30
Taisto Maki (Finland) (1939)
minutes

The first person in the world to jump over 8 metres in long jump Jesse Owens (USA) (1935)

The first person in the world to clear over 7 feet in high jump Charles Dumas (USA)(1956)

The first person in the world to clear over 6 meters in pole vault Sergei Bubka (Ukraine)(1985)

The first woman in the world to clear over 5 meters in pole vault Yelena Isinbayeva (Russia)(2005)
The first team to win the FIFA World Cup Uruguay (1930)

The first team to win the FIFA Women's World Cup USA (1991)

The first team to win the Hockey World Cup Pakistan (1971)

The first team to win the Women's Hockey World Cup Netherlands (1974)

The first team to win the Cricket World Cup West Indies (1975)

The first team to win the Women's Cricket World Cup England (1973)

The first team to win the World T20 Cricket Championship India (2007)

The first team to win the Davis Cup USA (1900)

The first team to win the Fed Cup USA (1963)

The first team to win the Merdeka Cup Hong Kong (1957)

The first team to win the Ryder Cup USA (1927)

The first team to win the Thomas Cup Malaysia (1949)

The first team to win the Uber Cup USA (1957)

The first team to win the Sudirman Cup Indonesia (1989)

The first person to swim across the English Channel Mathew Webb (UK, 1875)

The first woman to swim across the English Channel Gertrude Ederle (USA, 1926)
 State animals and symbols
S.No. States Animal Bird Tree Flower Butterfly

1. Andhra Pradesh Blackbuck Indian Roller Neem Water lily *

2. Arunachal Pradesh Mithun Great Hornbill Hollong Foxtail Orchid *

3. Assam Indian One-horned Rhino White-winged Wood Duck Hollong Foxtail Orchids *

4. Bihar Gaur Indian Roller Peepal Kachnar *

5. Chhattisgarh Wild Buffalo Hill Myna Sal Indian Laurel *

6. Delhi Nilgai House sparrow Gulmohar Alfalafa *

7. Goa Gaur Black Crested Bulbul Matti Plumeria Rubra *

8. Gujarat Asiatic Lion Greater Flamingo Banyan Marigold (Galgota) *

9. Haryana Blackbuck Black Francolin Peepal Lotus *

10. Himachal Pradesh Snow Leopard Western Tragopan Deodar Rhododendron *

11. Jammu & Kashmir Hangul Black necked Crane Chinar Rhododendron *

12. Jharkhand Elephant koel Sal Palash/Parrot Tree

13. Karnataka Elephant Indian Roller Sandal wood Lotus Southern Birdwing

Kanikonna/Golden Shower
14. Kerala Elephant Great Hornbill Coconut *
Tree

15. Madhya Pradesh Swamp Deer Paradise Fly catcher Banyan Palash/Parrot Tree *

16. Maharashtra Giant Squirrel Green Imperial Pigeon Mango Jarul Blue Mormon

17. Manipur Sangai Mrs. Hume's Pheasant Toon Siroi Lily *

18. Meghalaya Clouded Leopard Hill Myna Gamari Lady Slipper Orchid *

Serow
19. Mizoram Mrs. Hume's Pheasant Iron Wood Red Vanda *

20. Nagaland Mithun Blyth's Tragopan Alder Rhododendron *

21. Orissa Elephant Peacock Banyan Ashoka *

22. Punjab Blackbuck Northern Goshawk Sheesham Gladious *

23. Rajasthan Chinkara Indian Bustard Khejri Rohira *

24. Sikkim Red Panda Blood Pheasant Rhododendron Noble Orchid *

25. Tamil Nadu NilgiriTahr Emerald Dove Palmyra Palm Kandhal *

26. Telangana Spotted Deer (Jinka) Indian Roller (Paalapitta) Shami (Jammi chettu) Tanner’s Cassia *

27. Tripura Phayre'sLangur Green Imperial Pigeon Agar Nageshwar *

28. Uttarakhand Musk Deer Himalayan Monal Burans Brahm Kamal Common Peacock

29. Uttar Pradesh Swamp Deer Sarus Crane Ashok Brahm Kamal *

30. West Bengal Fishing cat White-throated King Fisher Devil’s Tree Shephali *
 Awards and their importance
1. Oscar – Film
2. Dada Sahib Phalke – Film
3. Grammy – Music
4. Pulitzer – Journalism and Literature
5. Arjun – Sports
6. Bowelay – Agriculture
7. Kalinga – Science (by UNESCO)
8. Dhanwantri – Medical Science
9. Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar – Science
10. Nobel Prize – (6 Different Categories) Peace, Literature, Economics, Physics, Chemistry, Medical
Science
11. Abel – Maths
12. Merlin – Magic
13. Bharat Ratna – Art, Science, Public Service, Sports
14. Vyas Samman – Literature
15. Bihari Award – Literature
16. Saraswati Samman – Literature
17. Man Booker – Literature
18. Vachspati Samman Sanskrit – Literature
19. ParamVir Chakra – Military
21. Dronacharya Award – Sports Coaches
22. Sahitya Akademi Award – Literary
23. Kalidas Samman – Classical Music, Classical Dance and Arts (Madhya Pradesh)
24. Tansen Award – Music
25. Pampa Award – Highest literary award of Karnataka
26. Kanakshree Award – Literature awards by Karnataka
27. Awadh Samman – Government of Uttar Pradesh
28. Gomant Vibhushan Award – the highest civilian honour of the State of Goa
29. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award – Sports (by Punjab Government)
30. Nandi Awards – Telgu Cinema (by Andhra & Telangana Government)
31. Tansen Samman – Classical Music (Madhya Pradesh)
32. Kabir Samman – literature (Madhya Pradesh)
33. Kumar Gandharva Award – Classical Music (Madhya Pradesh)
34. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna(RGKR) – Sports
35. Indira Gandhi Prize – Peace, Disarmament and Development
36. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize – Humanity ,Social Activities
37. Anand Coomaraswamy Fellowships – Literature
38. Padma Vibhushan— Second degree honour.
39. Padma Bhushan— Third degree honour.
40. Padma Shri— Fourth degree honour.
41. ParamVir Chakra— Highest military award
42. MahaVir Chakra–second highest military
43. Vir Chakra– Third in precedence in the awards for wartime gallantry.
44. Ramon Magsaysay Award(Philippines) – The awards are given in six categories
45. Aga khan Architecture Award– Architecture
 Important days in a year
Date Day Remarks

Jan 12 National Youth Day Birthday of Swami Vivekananda

Jan 15 Army Day Field Marshall K.M. Cariappa took over the command of Army on this day in 1949 from the British.
Jan 25 National Voters' Day With effect from 2011

Jan 27 International Holocaust The largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, was liberated by Soviet troops on Jan 27, 1945.
Day

Jan 30 Martyr's Day Martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi

Feb 14 St. Valentine's Day -

Feb 28 National Science Day Marks the discovery of Raman Effect in 1928 by C.V. Raman

Mar 8 International Women's -

Day

Mar 15 World Consumer Day President John F Kennedy formally addressed the issue of consumer rights on this day in 1963.
 WHO was formed on this day in 1948, but
Apr 7 World Health Day the first World Health Day was observed in
1950.

Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet Cosmonaut made

Apr 12 International Day of Human Space Flight
the first space flight on this day in 1961.

May 1 International Worker's Day -

JH Dunant, the man behind Red Cross was

May 8 International Red Cross Day
born on this day in 1828.

Nuclear tests at Pokhran carried out in

May 11 National Technology Day
1998 on this day.

Former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi was

May 21 Anti-terrorism Day
assassinated on this day in 1991.

Jun 5 World Environment Day -

Jun 21 International Yoga Day -

Jul 1 National Doctors Day (India) Birthday of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Ray

Jul 11 World Population Day Inspired by 5 Billion Day in 1987

Jul 12 Malala Day Birthday of Malala Yousafzai

Jul 20 International Moon Day Landing of Apollo 11 on moon in 1969.

Establishment of the International Chess

Jul 20 World Chess Day
Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924.

Aug 6 Hiroshima Day Bombing of Hiroshima on 6 Aug, 1945

Launching of Swadeshi Movement on 7

Aug 7 National Handloom Day
Aug, 1905

Aug 9 August Kranti Diwas Launch of Quit India Movement in 1942

Commemorates the day when 22 aid

Aug 19 World Humanitarian Day workers were killed in a bombing at the
UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003
Aug 20 Sadbhawna Diwas Birthday of Shri Rajiv Gandhi (1944)

Aug 29 National Sports Day Birthday of Shri Dhyanchand (1905)

Sep 5 Teacher's Day Birthday of Dr. Radhakrishanan (1888)

Sep 8 International Literacy Day -

Hindi accorded the Official language status by

Sep 14 Hindi Diwas the Constituent Assembly on this day in 1949.

Sep 15 Engineers' Day Birthday of Sri M Visvesvaraya.

Statutes of United Nations World Tourism

Sep 27 World Tourism Day Organisation adopted on this day in 1980.

Oct 2 International Non-violence Day Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi (1869)

Oct 8 Indian Air Force Day IAF was officially established on this day in 1932.

Food and Agricultural Organisation was founded

Oct 16 World Food Day on this day in 1945.

Charter of the United Nations came into force on

Oct 24 United Nations Day this day in 1945.
Oct 31 Rashtriya Ekta Diwas Birth Anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Birthday of Shri Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888), the

Nov 11 National Education Day
first Education Minister of India.

Nov 14 Children's Day Birthday of Shri Jawaharlal Nehru (1889)

Nov 19 National Integration Day Birthday of Smt Indira Gandhi (1984)

Nov 26 Constitution Day (India) Constitution of India was adopted on this day (1949)

Birthday of Shri Verghese Kurien, Father of White

Nov 26 National Milk Day (India)
Revolution in India
Dec 1 World AIDS Day -

Commemorates the courageous attack on the Karachi

Dec 4 Navy Day harbour during the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 in
Operation Trident.

Dec 7 Armed Forces Flag Day -

Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed
Dec 10 Human Rights' Day
and adopted on this day in 1948.

Marks India's victory over Pakistan in the Indo-Pak war

Dec 16 Vijay Diwas
in 1971.

United Nations adopted and promulgated the

Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to
Dec 18 Minorities Rights Day
National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities
on this day in 1992.

Dec 24 National Consumers' Day -

Dec 25 Good Governance Day Birthday of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee