World Standards Day is celebrated internationally each year on October 14th. The day honours the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within standards development organizations such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardization to the global economy.

October 14 was specifically chosen to mark the date, in 1946, when delegates from 25 countries first gathered in London and decided to create an international organization focused on facilitating standardization.^[2] Even though ISO was formed one year later, it wasn’t until 1970 that the first World Standards Day was celebrated. Each year, ISO determines a theme based on a current aspect of standardization.

Around the globe, various activities are chosen by national bodies to commemorate the date. The United States holds a U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day on October 13th. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC), Canada’s national accreditation body, celebrates World Standards Day together with the international community. The SCC publishes its annual issue of CONSENSUS magazine on World Standards Day, as well as hosts events or plans other initiatives on this date.

It’s more than a game, it’s your life

Safer Internet Day is organised by Insafe (an organisation co-funded by The European Union) each year in February to promote safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially amongst children and young people across the world.

The topic for 2011 is “our virtual lives” around the slogan ” It’s more than a game, it’s your life“.

In 2010 Safer Internet Day was celebrated through over 500 events in 65 countries all over the world.

For more information and resources please see  Insafe toolkit.

Holiday Date	Purpose	Day
26-Jan-11	Republic Day	Wednesday
2-Mar-11	Mahashivratri	Wednesday
12-Apr-11	Ram Navmi	Tuesday
14-Apr-11	Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti	Thursday
22-Apr-11	Good Friday	Friday
15-Aug-11	Independence Day	Monday
31-Aug-11	Ramzan Id	Wednesday
1-Sep-11	Ganesh Chaturthi	Thursday
6-Oct-11	Dasera	Thursday
26-Oct-11	Diwali Amavasya(Laxmi Puja)	Wednesday
27-Oct-11	Diwali (Balipratipada)	Thursday
7-Nov-11	Bakri Id	Monday
10-Nov-11	Gurunanak Jayanti	Thursday
6-Dec-11	Moharram	Tuesday

Indian Army celebrates January 15 every year as Army Day to commemorate the Day, when Gen (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Armed Forces after Independence, taking over the command of Armed Forces from Gen Sir F R R Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, in 1949.K M Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Armed Forces.

10 December 2010 — On this day in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which has become a universal standard for defending and promoting human rights. Every year on 10 December, Human Rights Day marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration. It is celebrated around the globe that “All human beings are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms”.

This year’s commemoration highlights and promotes the achievements of human rights defenders who fight to end discrimination. Human rights defenders protest abuses of human rights, advocate for justice and seek to protect the victims of human rights violations. They demand accountability for perpetrators and transparency in government action. In so doing, they are often putting at risk their own safety, and that of their families.

World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. It is common to hold memorials to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS on this day.

Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.

History of World Aids Day

World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland

HIV: The basics

HIV is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system – the body’s defence against diseases. Get the basic facts about HIV.

Make a pledge and join people all over the world making a difference on 1 December 2010.

source : http://worldaidsday.org

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.

World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. This year sees the second of a five-year campaign that will address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes.

Today ,14th November is celebrated as the Children’s day in India.

Universally, Children’s Day is celebrated on 20th November, every year. This date was chosen as a day to celebrate childhood.The date 20th November, was chosen as it marks the anniversary of the day in 1959, when the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly adopted. In 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed on the same date, which has been sanctioned by 191 states, ever since.

However, while 20th November is universally celebrated as Children’s Day, in India this day has been preponed to 14th November, the date that marks the birth anniversary of independent India’s first Prime Minister – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

About Jawahar Lal Nehru

On November14, 1889, a son was born to an eminent lawyer, Motilal Nehru and his wife Swaroop Rani at Allahabad. They named him Jawaharlal. He was a brilliant, kindhearted child who was greatly loved by all.

His father wanted to give him the best education and hence sent him to England for his M.A. from Cambridge. The British ruled India at that time. When he returned to India, young Jawaharlal realized that he wanted to help the poor and the downtrodden. He took part in the Freedom Struggle of India and became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi who had just returned from South Africa at that time. When India gained its independence, he became the first Prime Minister of free India.

He was a perfect blend of eastern philosophical values and western scientific thinking and encouraged technological progress. But he was also a man of letters and a great poet and wrote some famous works like, Glimpses of World History and Discovery of India. His letters to his daughter, Indira, were also compiled into a book and reflects his philosophical outlook, his compassion and above all, his tender heart.

The Birth of Chacha Nehru

Chacha Nehru as the children fondly referred to him, was fond of both children and roses. In fact he often compared the two, saying that children were like the buds in a garden. They should be carefully and lovingly nurtured, as they were the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow. He felt that children are the real strength of a country and the very foundation of society. He was the beloved of all the children who gave him the endearing name of Chacha Nehru.

What is Software Freedom Day?

Software Freedom Day is a worldwide celebration of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Our goal in this celebration is to educate the worldwide public about the benefits of using high quality FOSS in education, in government, at home, and in business — in short, everywhere!

It is being celebrated   on the 3rd Saturday of  September every year

The non-profit organization Software Freedom International coordinates SFD at a global level, providing support, giveaways and a point of collaboration, but volunteer teams around the world organize the local SFD events to impact their own communities.

Objectives

1. to celebrate software freedom and the people behind it

2. to foster a general understanding of software freedom, and encourage adoption of free software and open standards

3. to create more equal access to opportunities through the use of participatory technologies

4. to promote constructive dialogue on responsibilities and rights in the information society

5. to be inclusive of organizations and individuals that share our Vision

6 .to be pragmatic, transparent, and responsible as an organisation

Since 1995, on 16 September each year, the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer is celebrated. This date has been designated by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution 49/114, to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

This commemoration around the world offers an opportunity to focus attention and action at the global, regional and national levels on the protection of the ozone layer. All Member States are invited to devote this special day to promotion, at the national level, of concrete activities in accordance with the objectives and goals of the Montreal Protocol and its Amendment.