National Symbols of India — Complete List for UPSC — UPSC Notes

🦁 Flora & Fauna Symbols

High-yield trap: India has NO officially declared national sport (confirmed by RTI, 2020). Hockey is often mistaken for national sport — it is NOT.

#	Symbol	Name	Scientific / Detail	Key Exam Note
1	National Animal	Bengal Tiger	Panthera tigris tigris	Declared under Project Tiger, 1973. Previously the Lion was the national animal.
2	National Bird	Indian Peacock	Pavo cristatus	Designated 1963. National bird of India since 26 Jan 1963.
3	National Flower	Lotus	Nelumbo nucifera	Sacred in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Also the flower of goddess Lakshmi.
4	National Fruit	Mango	Mangifera indica	Called "King of Fruits". Cultivated in India for over 5,000 years.
5	National Tree	Indian Banyan	Ficus benghalensis	Also called "Kalpavriksha" (wish-fulfilling tree). Symbolises immortality.
6	National River	Ganga	—	Declared National River in 2008. Flows ~2,525 km within India.
7	National Aquatic Animal	Gangetic Dolphin	Platanista gangetica	Designated 5 October 2009. Freshwater dolphin; blind; found in Ganga-Brahmaputra system.
8	National Heritage Animal	Indian Elephant	Elephas maximus indicus	Designated 22 October 2010. Project Elephant launched 1992.

🏛️ State & Identity Symbols

#	Symbol	Name / Description	Adopted	Key Exam Note
1	National Flag	Tiranga — Saffron (top), White (middle with Navy Blue Ashoka Chakra, 24 spokes), India Green (bottom). Ratio 3:2.	22 July 1947	Designed by Pingali Venkayya. Must be made of Khadi only (Flag Code of India, 2002).
2	State Emblem	Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath. Four lions (3 visible); Dharma Chakra at centre; bull (right), horse (left).	26 January 1950	Motto "Satyameva Jayate" inscribed below in Devanagari script. Governed by State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2005.
3	National Anthem	Jana Gana Mana — by Rabindranath Tagore. First sung: 27 December 1911 (INC session, Calcutta). Full version: ~52 seconds.	24 January 1950	Constituent Assembly adopted it on 24 Jan 1950. Only first stanza is the National Anthem.
4	National Song	Vande Mataram — by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (novel Anandamath, 1882). First sung at INC session 1896.	24 January 1950	Has equal status with Jana Gana Mana. Only the first two stanzas are the National Song. Not an anthem — no mandatory standing required by law (unlike the Anthem).
5	National Motto	Satyameva Jayate (सत्यमेव जयते) — "Truth Alone Triumphs"	26 January 1950	Source: Mundaka Upanishad (verse 3.1.6). Written in Devanagari below the State Emblem.
6	National Currency Symbol	₹ (Indian Rupee)	15 July 2010	Designed by D. Udaya Kumar, IIT Bombay. Combines Devanagari "Ra" (र) and Latin "R". Adopted by Government of India on 15 July 2010.
7	National Calendar	Saka Calendar (Shalivahana Saka). Chaitra is the 1st month. Year generally begins 22 March (23 March in leap years).	22 March 1957	Adopted 22 March 1957. Used alongside Gregorian calendar for official purposes. Saka Era begins 78 CE.
8	National Sport	None officially declared	—	Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports confirmed via RTI (2020) that India has not declared any game as its national sport. Hockey is a common misconception.

🚩 National Flag — Key Facts

Colour (Top band)

India Saffron (Kesaria)

Symbolises courage and sacrifice

Colour (Middle band)

White

Symbolises peace and truth; carries Ashoka Chakra

Colour (Bottom band)

India Green

Symbolises faith and fertility

Ashoka Chakra

24 spokes, Navy Blue

Represents the wheel of Dharma (law)

Aspect Ratio

3:2 (Length : Width)

Specified by Bureau of Indian Standards

Material

Khadi only

Flag Code of India, 2002; polyester allowed for machine-made flags since 2022 amendment

Designed by

Pingali Venkayya

Andhra Pradesh; the original INC flag design

Adopted

22 July 1947

By Constituent Assembly; 24 days before Independence