SSC CGL 2024 Tier-I · 24 September 2024, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 2 of 99

Text as printed on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; answer per SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 10 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. The questions and options here are reproduced as printed on a candidate's own response sheet for this shift — the Commission's text, unchanged. Each answer is SSC's tentative key as marked on that sheet; SSC allowed challenges to it and never publishes a final key. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

In India, Teachers’ Day is celebrated annually on September 5 to mark the birthday of:

(a)APJ Abdul Kalam
(b)Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
(c)Subash Chandra Bose
(d)Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Answer

Why

Correct — D. Teachers' Day in India is fixed to 5 September, the birthday of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born on that date in 1888.

Radhakrishnan was a philosopher before he was a politician, and the story attached to the day is that when students asked to celebrate his birthday he asked that it be kept for teachers instead.

India has observed the day since 1962, the year he became President. The person the date honours is option (d).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
APJ Abdul Kalam — APJ Abdul Kalam was born on 15 October, which is observed as World Students' Day, not Teachers' Day. He was a teacher by inclination, which is exactly what makes this the most tempting wrong pick.
(b)
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel — Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born on 31 October, marked as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas or National Unity Day. Nothing in his public life attaches to 5 September.
(c)
Subash Chandra Bose — The paper spells him Subash Chandra Bose. Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, observed as Parakram Diwas, so his anniversary falls in winter and not in September.

Concept

India pegs several national days to birth anniversaries, and SSC tests the pairing rather than the person.

Radhakrishnan is the strongest of them: born 5 September 1888, he was India's first Vice-President and its second President, and he taught philosophy at Mysore, Calcutta and Oxford before entering public office.

The recurring exam pattern is a date on one side and a name on the other, with three other well-known names attached to three other well-known dates.

Note that India's Teachers' Day is a national observance, not the international one. UNESCO's World Teachers' Day falls on a different date, and a question that says "in India" is signalling which of the two it wants.

Key facts

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5 September 1888, and India has observed Teachers' Day on that date since 1962.
He was India's first Vice-President from 1952 to 1962 and its second President from 1962 to 1967.
He was among the first recipients of the Bharat Ratna in 1954, along with C Rajagopalachari and CV Raman.
UNESCO's World Teachers' Day is 5 October, a month after the Indian Teachers' Day.

Study next

National days pegged to birth anniversaries and the person each honoursThe office of Vice-President of India and the holders who went on to become PresidentBharat Ratna recipients from the first years of the award

Common traps

5 September is the Indian Teachers' Day and 5 October is World Teachers' Day, and the two are one month apart by design.
Children's Day on 14 November is Nehru's birthday, and it is the other date students blur into this one.
Radhakrishnan was Vice-President first and President second, so a question about the first Vice-President has the same answer.

SSC builds these from an anniversary. Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on 15 November was asked at 25 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.8 (keyed Birsa Munda), and Gandhi's birth year at 13 Sep 2024, 12:30, GA Q.18 (keyed 1869).

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.