Know India

Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year in India, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K. M. Cariappa's becoming the first Indian Commander-in-Chief in 1948. The day is celebrated in the form of parades. In 2008, the 60th Army Day was celebrated. Looking back from the current day, when the Indian Army projects power and sinew, it becomes difficult to remember the kind of fledgeling it was in 1947 Grit and experience affect the growth of an institution. Fighting four major wars, insurgency and other low intensity wars has indeed made it an eminently and effficient battle trained, war machine. The basic responsibility of the Army is to safeguard the territorial integrity of the nation against external aggression. Due to the country’s long borders encompassing different geographical and climatic conditions such as desert terrain on the west, snow-covered mountains in the north and thick rainfed mountainous jungles in the east, the Army has to constantly prepare itself for diverse challenges.

Nalanda University in India dates back to 427, when it was founded for Buddhist studies. It is believed to be one of the oldest institutions and the first residential International University in the world. The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar,about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a center of learning from 427 CE to 1197 CE partly under the Pala Empire It has been called "one of the first great universities in recorded history.

Some remains of Nalanda University: Image 1

Nalanda was one of the world's first residential universities, i.e., it had dormitories for students. In its heyday it accommodated over 10,000 students and 2,000 teachers. The university was considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks. The library was located in a nine storied building where meticulous copies of texts were produced.

The Government of India has the sole right to mint coins. The responsibility for coinage vests with the Government of India in terms of the Coinage Act, 1906 as amended from time to time. The designing and minting of coins in various denominations is also the responsibility of the Government of India. Coins are minted at the four India Government Mints at Mumbai, Alipore (Kolkata), Saifabad(Hyderabad), Cherlapally (Hyderabad) and NOIDA (UP).Besides minting coins, the mints at Mumbai and Hyderabad also make coin blanks. Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata mints have gold assaying facilities and the Mumbai mint produces standardised weights and measures. Commemorative coins are made at Mumbai and Kolkata. Kolkata has the facilities for making medallions too. The NOIDA mint was the first in the country to mint coins of stainless steel.

The Supreme Court of India came into existence on 26th January 1950, the day when an independent India joined the comity of nations as a Sovereign, Democratic Republic. Its inaugural session took place on January 28, 1950, in the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament Building, New Delhi. The Federal Court of India had its inaugural in 1937 in the same chamber where it sat for 12 years until the Supreme Court replaced it. The Chamber remained the seat of the Supreme Court until 1958, till it acquired a building of its own, located on the Mathura Road in New Delhi. The building is shaped to project the image of scales of justice. The Central Wing of the building is the Centre Beam of the Scales. In 1979, two New Wings - the East Wing and the West Wing - were added to the complex. In all there are 15 Court Rooms in the various wings of the building. The Chief Justice's Court is the largest of the Courts located in the Centre of the Central Wing.

The Sepoy Mutiny in 1857.