Prelims 2004 · archive
MediumConsider the following statements:
- 1.The Islamic Calendar is twelve days shorter than the Gregorian Calendar.
- 2.The Islamic Calendar began in AD 632
- 3.The Gregorian Calendar is a lunar calendar
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
The Islamic (Hijri) calendar is purely lunar, so its year is about 11 days shorter than the solar Gregorian year, which is close to statement 1. The Hijri era began in 622 CE and the Gregorian calendar is solar, so statements 2 and 3 are wrong.
- ✓ 1. A lunar year is about 354 days against about 365 for the solar year, a difference of about 11 days; 'twelve' is a loose round-up and this is the only claim that holds.
- ✗ 2. The Hijri era began in 622, when the Prophet went to Medina, not in 632.
- ✗ 3. The Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar.
Remember · Hijri calendar: purely lunar, begins 622 CE, about 11 days shorter than the solar year.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Themes in World History, Ch 2 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Curiosity, Ch 11 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India, Part I, Chapter 5 “A solar year is about 365.25 days long, while a lunar year is about 354 days long. The difference of 11 days”
- NCERT Class 11 · Themes in World History, Chapter 2 “Prophet Muhammad goes to Medina; the beginning of the Hijri era ( 622)”
- NCERT Class 8 · Curiosity, Chapter 11 “The Gregorian calendar, widely used today, is a solar calendar.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2004, General Studies paper. UPSC did not publish an answer key for 2004: the answer shown is the generally accepted one, and the sources above explain the facts behind it. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 24 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·