On March 4, 1849, India's oldest higher education institute, Bethune College was established as a pioneer of women’s education in the country. The college was founded as the Calcutta Female School in 1849 by John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune, with financial support from Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee, a taluqdar and one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group. The school started in Mukherjee's home in Baitakkhana, with 21 girls enrolled at first. The following year, enrolment rose to 80. The college is located in Kolkata, West Bengal, and is affiliated with the University of Calcutta.
The 1951 Asian Games, officially known as the First Asian Games, was a multi-sport event celebrated in New Delhi, India, from March 4 to 11, 1951. Nearly 57 different events were held, where around 500 athletes participated. The event was actually scheduled for 1950, but due to delays in preparation, they were postponed to 1951.
On this day in 1961, INS Vikrant, the first Indian aircraft carrier was commissioned. The aircraft played a very important role during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. India purchased the carrier in 1957 and its construction was completed in 1961. It was decommissioned in 1997 and preserved thereafter for 15 years till 2012.
In 1972, National Safety Day was commemorated for the first time on the National Safety Council's founding day. On March 4, 1966, the Ministry of Labour and Employment established the council to develop and implement a voluntary routine in the areas of safety, health and the environment. It is celebrated with the goal of raising awareness and commitment to working safely.
