Important Days in September (India)

As per NFHS-5 (National Family Health Survey 2019–21), India's adult literacy rate is approximately 77% (women: 70%, men: 84%). The New Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) emphasises foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) through the NIPUN Bharat Mission, targeting universal basic literacy for Grade 3 students by 2026–27. The National Literacy Mission (Sakshar Bharat) has improved literacy significantly.

Article 343 of the Indian Constitution designates Hindi written in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, adopted on September 14, 1949. English continues as an associate official language for 15 years (extended further). Article 351 directs the Union to promote Hindi. The 8th Schedule lists 22 officially recognised languages (not Hindi only).

Sir M. Visvesvaraya (born September 15, 1861) was awarded Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) by the British in 1915, and India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1955. He designed the flood protection system at Hyderabad, the Krishna Raja Sagara Dam, and many landmark engineering projects. He lived to 101 years. Engineers' Day celebrates his legacy.

Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times (1937, 1938, 1939, 1947, and 1948) but was never awarded it — considered by many a serious omission. In 1948, the Nobel Committee declined to award the prize and publicly stated that they regretted Gandhi's assassination made it impossible to give it to him posthumously. Geir Lundestad (Nobel Committee Secretary) later called this the greatest error.

Operation Polo (September 13–17, 1948) was the Indian military action that forced the Nizam of Hyderabad to surrender and sign the Instrument of Accession on September 17, 1948. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ordered the operation despite the Nizam's attempts to seek UN intervention. Hyderabad was the largest princely state in India and joined the Indian Union as a result.

The Taj Mahal — a white marble mausoleum built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (died 1631) — is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was completed around 1653 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983). It is considered the finest example of Mughal architecture and is one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World.' India receives about 10 million foreign tourists annually.

Bombay College of Pharmacy (BCP), founded in 1957, is one of India's oldest and most prestigious pharmacy institutions. The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), established under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, regulates pharmacy education and the profession across India. India is a major producer of generic medicines — the 'Pharmacy of the World' — with about 3,000 pharmaceutical companies.

POSHAN Abhiyan (PM's Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) was launched on March 8, 2018, with the goal of reducing stunting, wasting, low birth weight, and anaemia among children under 6, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. India has the world's highest number of stunted children. The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme also addresses malnutrition.

Apsara, India's first nuclear research reactor (and Asia's first), went critical on August 4, 1956, at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, Mumbai. It was designed and built entirely by Indian engineers under Dr. Homi J. Bhabha. The Atomic Energy Commission of India was set up in 1948. India's nuclear programme developed under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE, 1954).

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on September 16, 1987 — which is why World Ozone Day is September 16. India signed the Montreal Protocol in 1992. The protocol has been successful in phasing out CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and other ozone-depleting substances. The ozone layer is expected to recover to 1980 levels by 2050–2070.

India has approximately 18 million deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals — the second highest in the world after China. Indian Sign Language (ISL) is used by the deaf community. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) under the Ministry of Social Justice trains ISL interpreters. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 2016, officially recognises Indian Sign Language.

President's Rule (State Emergency) is imposed under Article 356 of the Constitution when the constitutional machinery in a state fails. The President takes over the governance of the state on the Governor's report. The Sarkaria Commission (1983) and the Bommai case (1994 Supreme Court) set important guidelines on the use of Article 356 to prevent its political misuse.

India's first general elections were held from October 1951 to February 1952. About 176 million voters were eligible, with a turnout of ~45%. The Indian National Congress won a landslide victory, and Jawaharlal Nehru became India's first elected Prime Minister. Sukumar Sen was India's first Chief Election Commissioner, who supervised this massive exercise.

Mahalaya marks the end of Pitru Paksha and the beginning of Devipaksha — heralding the arrival of Goddess Durga for Navratri (Durga Puja). In Bengal, Mahalaya is celebrated with recitations of 'Mahishasuramardini' from All India Radio (a tradition since 1931, narrated by Birendra Krishna Bhadra). Durga Puja (celebrated especially in West Bengal) is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, and was hanged on March 23, 1931 — at the age of 23 years and approximately 5 months. Despite his young age, he is one of the most celebrated revolutionary freedom fighters. His ideology was socialist and nationalist. He famously threw a non-lethal bomb in the Central Legislative Assembly (April 8, 1929) with Batukeshwar Dutt to 'make the deaf hear.'

India's National Policy for Senior Citizens (NPSC) 2011 defines senior citizens as those aged 60 years and above. India has approximately 140 million senior citizens (2021) — expected to reach 340 million by 2050. Key schemes: Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), Senior Citizens Savings Scheme (SCSS), and AYUSHMAN Bharat for those above 70.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) provides health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization. It covers heart surgeries, cancer treatment, organ transplants, and more. With over 55 crore beneficiaries from economically vulnerable families, it is the world's largest government-funded health insurance scheme.

Bhagat Singh was associated with the 'Kirti' (Labour) magazine — the publication of the Kirti Kisan Party (Worker Peasant Party) — in which he wrote revolutionary articles. He also wrote the famous essay 'Why I Am an Atheist' while in prison (1931). His intellectual writings reveal a deep commitment to socialist ideology. He was also a voracious reader of Marx, Lenin, and Trotsky.

Prathibha Nandakumar from Karnataka became India's first deaf-blind person to earn a postgraduate degree (Master of Arts in Kannada, 2009) from the University of Mysore. She communicates through hand touch (tactile sign language). The National Association for the Blind (NAB) and Helen Keller Institute for Deaf and Deafblind (HKIDB) support India's deaf-blind community.