Today’s Motto: ‘Everyone needs to be the hero of his own story’

This is Your Day-TODAY: Take a Determined Step Forward and Make History ! 

On this day, 24 Feb….
(Observed  as Central Excise Day to mark the 1944 establishment of the Central Excise and Salt Act).

1739 – Battle of Karnal: Iranian ruler Nader Shah decisively defeated the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. This victory led to the plundering of Delhi and the theft of the Peacock Throne and the Koh-i-Noor diamond, severely weakening the Mughal Empire.

1822 – The world’s first Swaminarayan temple was inaugurated in Ahmedabad. It remains a major spiritual landmark.

1871 – Charles Darwin’s Descent of Man was published in London.

1924 – U.S. Navy officials and the media witnessed the 95-sec flight of the latest design of a helicopter built by Henry Berliner. It reached a height of 15-ft and could manoeuvre in a radius of 150-ft, at a speed up to about 40 mph.

1931 – The Fields Medal was established to recognise outstanding contributions to mathematics. It was conceived since there was no Nobel Prize for mathematicians.

1938 – DuPont began commercial production of nylon toothbrush bristles for the so-called “Miracle Tuft Toothbrush.” (Before 1938, the world relied on toothbrush bristles of neck hairs from wild swine from Siberia, Poland and China).                                                                                            1944 – Central Excise Act: The Central Excise and Salt Act was passed. It was a key piece of legislation for the regulation and production of salt and other goods.

1948 – The State of Junagarh, whose accession to India was protested by Pakistan in the UN Security Council, voted in favour of India in a popular referendum held on 20 February 1948. Sardar  Patel was  the  main  artitect of this referendum.

1949 – “The first recorded man-made object (two-stage rocket) to reach extra-terrestrial or outer space” was launched from New Mexico.

1961 – The state  of Madras  was renamed as Tamil Nadu on recommendation by the Govt. under CM K Kamraj and bill passed by the Assembly. Tamil had been an ancient  culuture and language. The had ben developed as coastal  habitat since 385,000 years by Tamil speaking Dravidian people ruled by Pandyas, Pallavas and Vijaynagara empire between 14th to 17th century , then by Muslims raiders and Christians.   Ancient Shore temple in Mallapuram. (pic crdedit-flickr.com and wikimedia.org)

1974 – Pakistan officially recognises Bangladesh.                                                                                      2000 – The Subrahmanyam Committee report  on Kargil  war tabled in the Lok Sabha. The panel concluded that the Pakistan intrusion in Kargil took the Indian security establishment by  surprise.                                                                                                                                                                                                  2001 – Pakistan agreed to negotiate nuclear deterrence with India after defeat in Kargil war of 1999.                          2010 – India’s master-blaster Sachin Tendulkar scored the first double century (200 off 147 balls) in One Day International cricketagainst South Africa in Gwalior. 

2014 – A 4.4 billion-year-old Crystal is discovered to be the oldest known fragment from the earth’s crust.

2022 – Russian Prersident Vladimir Putin announces the start of a three day “special military operation” in Ukraine to “demilitarize” the country. Moments before Russia launched a full-scale pre-dawn and invasion by land, air and sea, with bombings in several cities. Putin claimed he wouldn’t like Ukraine to join NATO alliance.

Born…. 1924 – Talat Mehmood -Most popular  Ghazal singer and  known for evergreen   tragedy songs of Haqeeqat, Sujata, Devdas, Baaz, Sone ki Chidiya, Ek Gaon ki Kahani, Dile-Nadaan, Waris  etc. He was awasrded Padma Bhushan in 1972 and a Filmfare (video credit-Shemaroo Filmi Gaane). 

1948 – Jayaram Jayalalitha,  popular Tamil  heroine, politician  and  former chief minister of Tamil Nadu. She co-founded the AIADMK alongwith  legendary actor and CM of Tamil Nadu MG Ramachandran.  She was CM for about 14 years and is one of the richest politicians of the country. 27 Kg of Gold and ornaments, 1,116 kg silver were found from her possession and 1,526 acres of land in her name on Bengaluru court orders. More properties are reported to be in possession of her longtime secretary Sasikala.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         1963 – Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Popular Bollywood  film and theatre person known  for epic romantic and historic drama films such as Heeramandi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, and Bajirao Mastani etc.  Bhansali is a screen scriptwriter, producer and  director recognized for his signature opulent sets and star-studded casts. He has won National Film Award 5 times and  a Padma Shri  award.

1972 – Pooja Bhatt. Elder daughter of  famous  film director/producer  Mahesh Bhatt and  former Bollywood actor. She’s known for bold  roles in  Sadak, Paap, Jakham, Paap, Tamanna etc. She won Filmfare award on debut in Dil Hai ki Maanta Nahin and has 2 National Film  awards, Zee Cine (1), Screen Award and Bengal film award in her kitty.

RIP…. Rukmini Devi (Arundale), dancer and choreographer of the Indian classical dance form of Bharat Natyam. She travelled across the globe to popularise Bharatnatyam as a mode of Bhakti instead of  Shringara  in the West and choreographed  dance sequences  on epics Ramayana,  Shri Krishna  and other Hindu  folklores. She married a British educator and theosophist George Arundale in 1920  and established a Bharat Natyam school  under Kalakshetra Foundation. she was honoured with  Padam Bhushan in 1956 and Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 1957.   (pic credit-punjabibio.com).

2018 – Sridevi (Kapoor), legendary film actress often called the “first female superstar” of Indian cinema.  She debutede in a child role at age 4 and as female lead at age 13 thru’  Tamil film  Moondru Mudichu. She worked in about 50 Tamil films and entered Hindi cinema thru’ Solvan Saal in 1979  followed by Himmatwala, Mawali, Tohfa, Maqsad. He blockbusters were Mr. India, Chandni, Sadma, Nagina, Chaalbaaz,  Lamhe, English Winglish etc. She won  Padma Shri, National  Film awards, Order of Afghanistan,  several Filmfare, Nandi and State Film awards.                      You may have known…. Based on the most recent available data (2023-2025), India’s literacy rate has increased significantly from the 2011 census figures, while global rankings show several countries with 100% literacy and others with low literacy rates.
India Literacy Rates (2023-2025 Updates)
As of 2023–24, India’s literacy rate has risen to approximately 80.9%. The literacy rate for males is over 80% (some sources indicate 84.7% to 87.2%). Female literacy rate has increased to over 65% (with some projections indicating 70.3% to 74.6%). Kerala continues to have the highest literacy rate (over 94-96%), while Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, or Rajasthan are often cited as having the lowest.                                                                                                                                                                              {Compiled by Lt. Gen. (R)  Raj Kadyan}