Police Commemoration Day2026 · Date · History
India’s Press Information Bureau documents Police Commemoration Day on 21 October and its connection to the 1959 Hot Springs police sacrifice.
About Police Commemoration Day
Police Commemoration Day is observed annually on October 21 across India’s police organizations.
Press Information Bureau records trace the recurring observance to a January 1960 conference decision following the deaths of ten police personnel at Hot Springs in Ladakh on October 21, 1959.
Why Police Commemoration Day matters
The day remembers police personnel who died in the line of duty.
The historical event at Hot Springs supplies the date rationale, while the recurring observance itself comes from the later 1960 administrative decision.
History of Police Commemoration Day
On October 21, 1959, a police patrol at Hot Springs in Ladakh was attacked and ten personnel were killed.
In January 1960, the Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories decided that October 21 would henceforth be observed as Commemoration Day in Police Lines throughout India.
PIB states that Police Commemoration Day has been observed across the country since 1960.
PIB also documents later national-level commemoration at the Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri and the development of the National Police Memorial.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories
January 1960 conference decision on Police Commemoration Day
First documented observance
PIB states that Police Commemoration Day has been celebrated across the country since 1960 following the January 1960 decision.
PIB records that a national-level Police Commemoration Day parade began at the Police Memorial in Chanakyapuri.
Government of India / police organizations
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
How to Observe Police Commemoration Day
Use October 21 for the annual observance.
Keep the 1959 Hot Springs event separate from the January 1960 decision that created the recurring commemoration.
Describe the remembrance neutrally and avoid extending the source record into broader geopolitical claims.
For current ceremonies, rely on current Government of India information while keeping the documented 1959 and 1960 history distinct.
Police Commemoration Day Facts
Police Commemoration Day is observed on October 21.
The date is tied to the Hot Springs incident of October 21, 1959.
A January 1960 conference of state and Union Territory police leaders decided that October 21 would henceforth be observed as Commemoration Day.
PIB says the day has been celebrated across India since 1960.
Later national-level ceremonies are documented at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Remembrance Civic Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Press Information Bureau (opens in a new tab)
Press Information Bureau (opens in a new tab)
Press Information Bureau — Police Commemoration Day (opens in a new tab)
National Government
Press Information Bureau — Police Commemoration Day 2025 (opens in a new tab)
National Government
Press Information Bureau — Police Commemoration Day to be observed tomorrow; national-level parade since 2012 (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is Police Commemoration Day?
21 October annually The documented recurrence rule is: 21 October.
Does Police Commemoration Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is Police Commemoration Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: India / national police remembrance observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes Police Commemoration Day?
The reviewed sources identify Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories as the proclaiming or establishing body.
Is Police Commemoration Day international or country-specific?
This observance is specific to India. Its fuller verified scope is: India / national police remembrance observance.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is Police Commemoration Day in India?
It is observed annually on October 21.
Why is October 21 used?
The date commemorates the police personnel killed at Hot Springs in Ladakh on October 21, 1959.
When was the recurring observance established?
PIB records that the Annual Conference of Inspectors General of Police of States and Union Territories decided in January 1960 that October 21 would henceforth be observed as Commemoration Day.
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