Chaitra 1 of the national calendar based on the Saka Era corresponds to which one of the following dates of the Gregorian calendar in a normal year of 365 days?

The correct answer is A. Chaitra 1 of the Indian national calendar falls on 22 March in a common year and 21 March in a leap year. The Calendar Reform Committee under Meghnad Saha adopted this Saka-based calendar with effect from 22 March 1957, and it is used for official purposes such as Gazette notifications and All India Radio announcements.

• B (15/16 May) is wrong. No month beginning of the Saka year falls here.
• C (31/30 March) is wrong. It is too late by about nine days.
• D (21/20 April) is the trap. That date is Vaisakha 1, the start of the second month, which is why Baisakhi falls around 13 or 14 April, not Chaitra 1.

The core concept is the reform of a multi-regional calendar into a national standard, which links to the Indian heritage and culture segment and to the theme of national integration in Mains GS-I.

Trap: candidates remember the Baisakhi or Vaisakha date from festivals and pick D, forgetting that Chaitra is the first month of the Saka year.