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SECTION D · GENERAL KNOWLEDGE · TOPIC 2

Icons & Symbols of India 🇮🇳

Every symbol of our nation carries a meaning. For a Sainik School candidate these are not just exam facts — they are the things you will stand and salute every morning.

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Part 1 · Flag & Emblem

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Part 2 · Living Symbols

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Part 3 · Anthem & Awards

1

The National Flag & Emblem 🚩

🇮🇳 The Tiranga, part by part

Length : width = 3 : 2

Saffron (top)

Strength, courage and sacrifice

White (middle)

Peace and truth · carries the Ashoka Chakra

Green (bottom)

Faith, fertility and growth

Ashoka Chakra

Navy blue wheel with 24 spokes — the wheel of law (dharma), meaning life is in movement and there is death in stagnation

Key facts: The flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947. Its design is based on the Swaraj flag made by Pingali Venkayya. The chakra is taken from the Lion Capital of Ashoka.

🦁 The National Emblem

• Adapted from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.

• It has four lions standing back to back — but only three are visible in the picture.

• Below is a wheel, with a bull on the right and a horse on the left.

• Adopted on 26 January 1950, the day India became a Republic.

सत्यमेव जयते

"Satyameva Jayate"

= Truth alone triumphs

Taken from the Mundaka Upanishad and written below the emblem in Devanagari script.

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Game 1 — The Flag & Emblem

2

Living Symbols of India 🐅

Learn these as a set — one question from this list appears almost every year.

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Game 2 — Match the National Symbol

3

Anthem, Song & Awards 🎵

🎵 National Anthem

Jana Gana Mana

• Written by Rabindranath Tagore
• Adopted on 24 January 1950
• Playing time about 52 seconds
• We stand at attention while it is played

🎶 National Song

Vande Mataram

• Written by Bankim Chandra Chatterji
• Taken from his novel Anandamath
• It has equal status with the anthem

🏅 Awards a Sainik School student should know

Bharat Ratna

India's highest civilian award

Param Vir Chakra

India's highest wartime gallantry award

Ashoka Chakra (award)

Highest peacetime gallantry award

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna

India's highest sporting honour

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The most common wrong answer in India

Many books say hockey is India's national game. In fact the Government of India has clarified that no game has been officially declared the national game of India. Hockey is often called our national game out of affection and history, but it has never been officially notified.

If an option says "India has no declared national game", that is the correct one.

📌 A few more you should know

🗓️ National calendar — Saka calendar (first month Chaitra)

₹ Currency symbol — designed by D. Udaya Kumar, adopted 2010

🕊️ Father of the Nation — Mahatma Gandhi

📜 The Constitution came into force — 26 January 1950

🎂 Independence Day — 15 August 1947

🦁 Emblem adopted — 26 January 1950

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Game 3 — Flip & Learn

Tap each card to check yourself.

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Topic Mock Test

12 AISSEE-style questions on the icons and symbols of India. 🍀

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