List of Important Days in September 2023

Have a look at the detailed list of Important Days in September 2023. The General Awareness section is one of the important sections in any competitive exam. The static part of General Knowledge weighs more than 50% of the General Awareness section. Therefore, one has to focus on its various sub-topics and Important Days is one such sub-topic.

1. Dadabhai Naoroji birth anniversary: 4 September

Born on 4 September 1825, Dadabhai Naoroji was the first person to estimate the national income of India in 1867.
He was a moderate leader and the first Asian to become a British MP.
He presided over three sessions of Congress. They are the Calcutta session in 1886, the Lahore session in 1893 and the Calcutta session in 1906.
He proposed the theory of economic drain. He is also known as "Grand Old Man of India" and the official Ambassador of India.
Book: Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (published in 1901).

2. Teacher’s Day: 5 September

The birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan has been celebrated as a teacher’s day since 1962.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was 2nd President of India and the first Vice President of India.
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1954 and Templeton Prize in 1975.
His philosophy was based on Advaita Vedanta and he wrote books such as the philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, The Hindu View of Life, Recovery of Faith.
Teacher’s Day is celebrated to honour contributions of teachers.

Attempt Quiz - Important Days In September

3. International Day of Charity 2023: 5 September

International Day of Charity is celebrated annually on 5 September.
It marks the death of Mother Teresa, who got a Nobel Prize in 1979 for her work on poverty.
She was born as Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 and came to India in 1928.
She started the Order of Missionaries of Charity in Kolkota (Calcutta) in 1950 and died on 5 September 1997.
United Nations General Assembly declared 5 September as International Day of Charity in 2012.

4. International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies 2023: 7 September

On 19 December 2019, UNGA adopted a resolution to observe an international day of clean air for blue skies.
The first International Day of Clean Air for blue skies was observed on 7 September 2020.
The day stresses on the need to raise public awareness at every level regarding air pollution and its impact and also to improve air quality.
Only 12% of the cities in the world meet WHO standards on air quality.
92% of the world population is exposed to polluted air causing around 7 million premature deaths every year.
Theme 2020: “Clean Air for All”
Theme 2021: "Healthy Air, Healthy Planet"
Theme 2022:
"The Air we Share"
Theme 2023: "Together for Clean Air"

5. International Literacy Day 2023: 8 September

Every year on 8 September, International Literacy Day is observed.
It is observed to raise awareness about literacy as a human right and to encourage the creation of a more literate society.
On 26 October 1966, UNESCO declared September 8 as International Literacy Day. In 1967, first International Literacy Day was celebrated.
This day was included under the UN’s program for achieving Sustainable Development Goals in 2015.
On 8 September, a conference was organized in person and online in Paris, France at the global level.
According to UNESCO, at least 760 million youth and adults globally lacked basic literacy skills in 2020.
Over 265 million children are out of school and 22% of them are of primary school age.
773 million adults still lack basic literacy skills.
SDG-4: Quality Education
Theme 2020: “Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond”
Theme 2023: "Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies".

6. World First Aid Day 2023: 9 September

World First Aid Day is observed every year on the second Saturday in September. The first treatment given to a patient is called first aid.
This year, it is being celebrated on 9 September.
It is celebrated to provide first aid training to prevent injuries and save lives in critical situations.
The theme of World First Aid Day 2023 is "First Aid in the Digital World".
In 2000, the World First Aid Day was first observed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
Every year many people and animals die due to a lack of timely first aid assistance. First Aid plays an important role in saving the life of the victim.

7. International Day to Protect Education from Attack 2023: 9 September

For the first time, International Day to Protect Education from Attack is being celebrated on 9 September.
Theme 2023: "Armed conflicts: When the noise of guns silences education"
Theme 2020: “Protect Education, Save a Generation”
In May 2020, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution and proclaimed 9 September the International Day to Protect Education from Attack.
According to the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA), there have been more than 11,000 attacks on education in 36 countries in the last five years.
Education is a basic human right.
UNESCO:
- It is one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations that aims to promote world peace through international cooperation in education, science and culture.
- Established: 1945
- Members: 193 countries
- Its headquarters is located in Paris, France.
- Director-General: Audrey Azoulay

8. World Suicide Prevention Day 2023: 10 September

It is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by WHO.
It is celebrated to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented.
WHO had launched a “40 seconds of action” campaign to increase awareness about the scale of suicides all over the world.
The main focus of this day is to create awareness about ways and measures to prevent suicide and mental health.
“Creating hope through action” is the triennial theme for World Suicide Prevention Day from 2021 – 2023.

9. National Forest Martyrs Day 2023: 11 September

Every year on September 11, National Forest Martyrs Day is observed.
This day is celebrated to honor the sacrifices made by individuals for the preservation of forests and wildlife.
It also aims to raise awareness about the importance of conserving our forests, wildlife, and natural resources.
However, the history of this day can be traced back to the Khejarli massacre in 1730.
In 1730, the historic Khejarli massacre occurred within the Marwar Empire when Maharaja Abhay Singh of Rajasthan ordered the cutting of trees in the Bishnoi village of Khejarli to obtain wood for a new palace.
The Bishnoi community led by Amrita Devi strongly opposed this action and was ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the forest. Lastly, the decision was revoked.
In memory of the sacrifices made by the Bishnoi community, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change chose 11 September to observe National Forest Martyrs' Day in 2013.

10. United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation 2023: 12 September

It is celebrated annually to mark the adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action for Promoting and Implementing Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (BAPA) in 1978.
United Nations Day for South-South Cooperation celebrates economic, social, and political developments made by the regions and countries of the South.
It highlights UN efforts to work on technical co-operation among developed countries.
Theme 2023: “Solidarity, Equity and Partnership: Unlocking South-South Cooperation to Achieve the SDGs”.

11. Hindi Diwas (India): 14 September

Hindi Diwas is celebrated annually in India on 14 September.
It commemorates the adoption of Hindi as the official language of India.
The Constitutional provisions of Official Language were passed Constituents Assembly on 14 September, 1949 and Hindi became the official language of India.
In the list of most spoken languages of the world, Hindi comes in fourth place after Mandarin, Spanish, and English.
World Hindi Day is celebrated on 10th January.
Theme 2023 for World Hindi Day: “Hindi – Traditional Knowledge to Artificial Intelligence”

12. Engineer’s Day 2023: 15 September

It is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s greatest engineer Sir M Vishweshvaraya.
He constructed many dams in India including the Krishna Raja Sagara dam.
He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Engineers Day 2022 theme was “Engineering for A Healthy Planet – Celebrating the UNESCO Engineering Report.”
World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development is observed on 4 March.

13. International Day of Democracy 2023: 15 September

International Day of Democracy presents an opportunity to urge all governments to respect their citizen’s rights to active, substantive, and meaningful participation in democracy.
The First International Day of Democracy was celebrated in 2008.
SDG 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
Theme 2019: Participation
Theme 2022: “The importance of media freedom to democracy, peace, and delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals”
Theme 2023: "Empowering the next generation"

14. World Ozone Day 2023: 16 September

World Ozone Day is a celebration of the remarkable Montreal Protocol that was signed by many countries to protect the ozone layer.
The ozone layer is the shield of gas that protects the Earth from the harmful UV rays of the sun.
The depletion of ozone layer can cause skin cancer in humans and the destruction of the ecosystem.
Montreal Protocol has led to the phase-out of 99% of the Ozone Depleting Substances.
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol which aims at phasing down HFCs, can avoid up to 0.4° C rise in the earth’s temperature by the end of this century.
Theme 2023: "Montreal Protocol: fixing the ozone layer and reducing climate change"

15. M.S. Subbulakshmi birth anniversary: 16 September

She was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.
She became the first Indian Musician to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1974).
She has also acted in Tamil films. Her debut film- was Sevasadanam.
Awards:
- Padma Bhushan (1954)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1956)
- Padma Vibhushan (1975)
- Kalidas Samman (1988)
- Bharat Ratna (1998)

16. World Patient Safety Day 2023: 17 September

The first World Patient Safety Day is being observed on 17 September 2023 to increase public awareness and spur global action to promote patient safety.
On 29 May 2019, 72^nd World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to observe World Patient Safety Day annually on 17 September.
The day recognizes patient safety as a global health priority and calls for action by all countries and stakeholders to improve patient safety.
134 million adverse events occur each year due to unsafe care in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to 2.6 million deaths annually.
4 out of 10 patients are harmed in the primary and ambulatory settings.
Theme 2020: "Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety."
Theme 2023: "Engaging patients for patient safety"

17. International Equal Pay Day 2023: 18 September

International Equal Pay Day was celebrated for the first time on 18 September 2020.
The day highlights the efforts of achieving equal pay for equal work.
On 15 November 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to observe 18 September as International Equal Pay Day.
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
Theme 2022: "Equal pay for work of equal value"
Related facts:
- Women earn only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men, creating a lifetime of income inequality between men and women.
- Women are mostly concentrated in low-paid, low-skill work with high job insecurity and are under-represented in decision making roles.
- One of the most vulnerable migrant worker groups is domestic workers who are mostly women.
- Nearly 65% of people above retirement age without any regular pension are women.

18. World Alzheimer’s Day 2023: 21 September

World Alzheimer’s Day is celebrated annually on 21 September.
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that leads to dementia.
German psychiatrist and pathologist, Alois Alzheimer described it for the first time in 1906.
Its symptoms are memory related difficulties, mood swings, and disorientation.
It may be inherited genetically or caused by head injuries, depression, and hypertension.

19. International Day of Peace 2023: 21 September

International Day of Peace is celebrated to strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and people.
International Day of Peace was started in 1981. In 2001, it was designated as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
Theme 2023: "Actions for peace: Our ambition for the #GlobalGoals"

20. World Rhino Day 2023: 22 September

Every year 22 September is celebrated as World Rhino Day.
It was first announced by WWF-South Africa in 2010.
Kevin Pietersen a famous cricketer has collaborated with National Geographic for a document Web series “This Rhino: India” to create awareness of protecting One-horned Rhinos in India.
One-horned Rhinos are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

21. International Day of Sign Languages 2023: 23 September

International Day of Sign Languages is celebrated on 23 September to mark the establishment of the World Federation of the Deaf in 1951.
2019 Theme: "Sign Language Rights for All!"
2020 Theme: "Sign Languages are for Everyone!"
2022 Theme: "Sign languages unite us!"
2023 Theme: "A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Anywhere!"
There are approx. 72 million deaf people in the world and more than 80% of them live in developing countries using more than 300 different sign languages.
The day is annually celebrated to raise awareness regarding the importance of sign language for deaf people.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes and promotes the use of sign languages.

22. September 24: National Service Scheme Day

NSS was formally launched on 24th September 1969, the birth centenary year of Gandhiji, hence, the day is celebrated every year as NSS day.
Aim of NSS- Develop student’s personality through community service
The motto of NSS- “NOT ME BUT YOU”
Logo of NSS is based on Rath Wheel of Konark Sun Temple (The Black Pagoda), Orissa.

23. World Maritime Day 2023: 24 September

The celebration of World Maritime Day 2023 will be held at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London.
The theme provides an opportunity for world leaders from shipping and other sectors to reflect on the work done so far and the urgent steps needed for a sustainable future.
Theme: “Sustainable shipping for a sustainable planet."

24. Birth Anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya: 25 September

He joined the RSS in 1942 and remained a pracharak till the end.
He has been the President of Bhartiya Jana Sangh.
Many government schemes and programmes have been named after him like Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana, Den Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, etc
He is known for his philosophy of integral humanism.
In February 2020, the tallest statue of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was unveiled by PM Modi.

25. Birth Anniversary of Satish Dhawan: 25 September

Indian Mathematician and aerospace engineer
Father of Experimental Fluid Dynamics research in India.
Third Chairman of ISRO - 1972
The satellite launch centre at Sriharikota was renamed to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre to honour his contribution to the Indian Space Programme.
Awards- Padma Vibhushan (1981) and Padma Bhushan (1971)

26. International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons 2023: 26 September

The day provides an opportunity to educate the people and national leaders about the benefits of eliminating nuclear weapons.
Mobilize international efforts towards achieving the common goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world.
"The only sure way to eliminate the threat posed by nuclear weapons is to eliminate the weapons themselves." - UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
26 September was declared as International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in 2013.

27. World Tourism Day 2023: 27 September

Its purpose is to create awareness among the global community of tourism’s social, cultural, political, and economic value.
Despite the fact that tourism generates 10% of world jobs, its role in job creation is often undervalued.
UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) expects tourism to grow at an average of 3% annually until 2030.
Related SDGs:

SDG 8: Inclusive and sustainable economic growth and employment
SDG 12: Sustainable consumption and production

28. International Day for Universal Access to information 2023: 28 September

On 17 November 2015, a resolution was adopted by UNESCO declaring 28th September as International Day for Universal Access to Information.
On 15 October 2019, UN General Assembly adopted 28 September as International Day for Universal Access to Information.
SDG 16.10- Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.
Theme: “Access to information in times of crisis”

29. Bhagat Singh birth anniversary: 29 September

He was a socialist revolutionary and Indian freedom fighter.
In March 1926, Naujawan Bharat Sabha was founded by him. Along with other leaders, he also founded the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. He also served as secretary of Kirti Kisan Party
In December 1928, Bhagat Singh and Shivaram Rajguru confused John Saunders with James Scott and fired on him to take revenge of the death of Lala Lajpat Rai.
In April 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs inside Central Legislative Assembly.
Along with Sukhdev and Shivaram Rajguru, he was hanged on 23 March 1931.

30. Lata Mangeshkar birth anniversary: 28 September

Lata Mangeshkar is an Indian playback singer, who received Bharat Ratna in 2001.
She received Padma Bhushan in 1969, Padma Vibhushan in 1999, and Officer of the Legion of Honour by France in 2007.
She has sung in more than 36 regional languages from India and foreign countries.
After M. S. Subbulakshmi, she is only the second vocalist to receive Bharat Ratna.

31. World Rabies Day 2023: 28 September

World Rabies Day is celebrated to raise awareness about Rabies prevention and highlight the progress in defeating this disease.
It also marks the death anniversary of Louis Pasteur, who developed the first rabies vaccine.
Rabies is a viral disease transmitted from animals to humans.
Theme: “End Rabies: Collaborate, Vaccinate”

32. World Heart Day 2023: 29 September

A global campaign to highlight that by controlling risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, etc. at least 80% of the premature deaths from CVDs can be avoided.
Cardiovascular Diseases including heart disease and stroke accounts for 17.9 million deaths globally.
World leaders committed to reducing global mortality from Non-Communicable Diseases by 25% by 2025.

33. International Translation Day 2023: 30 September

International Translation Day is celebrated annually on 30 September, the day dedicated to St. Jerome.
St. Jerome is considered the patron saint of translators.
He translated the Bible from Greek manuscripts of the New Testament into Latin.
He died on 30 September 420.
International Translation Day is an opportunity to honor the role of language professionals in connecting nations and fostering peace.

34. World Rivers Day (fourth Sunday of September)

It was for the first time celebrated in 2005.
Water for Life Decade was launched by United Nations General Assembly in 2005.
World Rivers Day is celebrated to make people aware of important rivers.
Water Action Decade, 2018-2028 was launched by UN General Assembly on 22 March 2018.

35. World Deaf Day (last Sunday of September)

It is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September
It draws the attention of people and authorities towards the achievements and challenges of the deaf community.
The last full week of September is every year celebrated as International Week of the Deaf.