1. National Flag – Tiranga The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour
of deep saffron at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is 2:3. In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra with 24 spokes and it was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947. The flag was designed by Pingali Venkayya. 2. National Emblem – State Emblem of It is an adaptation of the Lion Capital of India Ashoka at Sarnath, preserved in the Varanasi Sarnath Museum in India. It was adopted on 26 January 1950, the day that India became a republic. 3. National Calendar – Saka Calendar The National Calendar of India was adopted on 22 March 1957. The calendar is based on the Saka Era with Chaitra as its first month and Phalgun as the last month. The year comprises of 12 months and 365 days. The national Calendar of India is used along with the Gregorian calendar. 4. National Anthem – Jana Gana Mana It was composed originally in Bengali by Rabindranath Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950. It was first sung on 27 December 1911 at the Kolkata Session of the Indian National Congress. 5. National Song – Vande Mataram Bankim Chandra Chatterjee composed originally in Sanskrit stotra in 1870s and included it in his novel “Anandamath” personifying India as a mother goddess and inspiring the activists during the Indian Independence Movement. It was adopted as the National song of India in 1950. 6. Oath of Allegiance – National Pledge It is commonly recited by the Indians in unison at public events, especially in schools, and during the Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations. The pledge was originally composed in Telugu language by writer Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao in 1962. It was adopted as the National Pledge of India in 1965. 7. National Flower – Indian Lotus Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India. India is rich in flora. Currently available data place India in the tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. 8. National Fruit – Mango Mango (Mangifera indica) originated in India and the country is home to more than 100 varieties of the fruit. 9. National River – Ganga Ganga is the longest river of India with the most heavily populated river basin in the world. The river is revered by Hindus as the most sacred river on earth. 10. National Tree – Indian Banyan Indian banyan (Ficus bengalensis) root themselves to form new trees and grow over large areas. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. 11. National Animal – Bengal Tiger It is the largest carnivore is found only in the Indian subcontinent and can be found in most regions of the country. 12. National Aquatic Animal – River Gangetic dolphin is said to represent the Dolphin purity of the holy Ganga River as it can only survive in pure and fresh water. 13. National Bird – Indian Peacock On February 1, 1963, The Government of India has decided to have the Peacock as the national bird of India. 15. National Microbe Lactobacillus Lactobacillus is a type of bacteria. These are "friendly" bacteria that normally live in our digestive, urinary, and genital systems without causing disease. Lactobacillus is also in some fermented foods like yogurt and in dietary supplements. 16. National currency – Indian Rupee Indian Rupee is the official currency of the Republic of India. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the Reserve Bank of India. The Indian rupee symbol is derived from the Devanagari consonant "र" (ra) and the Latin letter "R" was adopted in 2010.