World Tourism Day is celebrated annually on September 27 to promote and raise awareness about the importance of tourism, both economically and socially. It was established by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) in 1980 and has been celebrated every year since then.

• For World Tourism Day 2023, UNWTO highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for people, for planet and for prosperity.
• World Tourism Day 2023 will be a call to action to the international community, governments, multilateral financial institutions, development partners and private sector investors to unite around a new tourism investment strategy.
• This World Tourism Day 2023, the UNWTO,  under the theme “Tourism and green investment” highlights the need for more and better-targeted investments for the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN roadmap for a better world by 2030. 

South Korea will stage its first large-scale military parade in a decade on Tuesday, with weapons ranging from ballistic missiles to attack helicopters rolling through Seoul in a show of force as it takes a tougher stance against North Korea.

• The parade marks the country's Armed Forces Day, normally a muted event relative to the massive events the North has staged under leader Kim Jong Un that include strategic weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
• The full-day event in Seoul will feature thousands of troops and South Korea's home-grown tanks and self-propelled artillery as well as attack aircraft and drones, joined by 300 of the 28,500 U.S. soldiers based in the country, the Defence Ministry said.
• South Korea last held a military street parade in 2013.

In a major decision to boost health services for citizens of Bihar, the state government has decided to provide free of cost treatment to the patients in state's premier medical institution Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna.

• All medical services including surgery, medical investigation and bed charges of general wards will not cost anything to the patients. 
• The people will, however, require paying only for the registration fee and beds in private and luxury wards.
• IGIMS, an autonomous medical institutions, currently charges for all medical interventions and starts treatment of critical patients only after deposit of advance like private hospitals, starting from Rs. 20,000 for ICU and medicine charges.

A three day event, IPACC, IPAMS and SELF-2023, organised by the Indian Army with the US Army as the co-host culminated today in New Delhi. The event witnessed participation from 30 countries.

• 18 countries were represented by Chiefs of their respective Armies and 12 countries were represented by Heads of Delegations. The event provided an opportunity for the delegates to exchange ideas and views on security and other contemporary issues of mutual interest, with core efforts directed to promote ‘Peace and Stability’ in the Indo-Pacific region.
• The event commenced with a call-on by General Randy George, the Chief of Staff (COS) of the US Army to General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Indian Army on 25 th September 2023.
• Both Chiefs discussed issues of mutual interest and shared views on contemporary issues.
• On the 26 th September 2023, the Chiefs and the Heads of Delegations laid wreath at the National War Memorial paying homage to our fallen heroes. 
•  This was followed by a Joint Press Brief by the COAS Indian Army and COS of the US Army. The COAS Indian Army remarked that the region is not only a cauldron of cultures, histories, resources and opportunities but also a theatre of complexities and challenges. 

Poonawalla Fincorp Limited, a non-banking finance company promoted by Cyrus Poonawalla group, announced that it has received permission from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue a co-branded credit card in partnership with IndusInd Bank.

• The company plans to launch this credit card within the next three months.
• Abhay Bhutada, Managing Director of Poonawalla Fincorp, expressed optimism about the partnership with IndusInd Bank.
• He said that this collaboration would be a game-changer and would add a new dimension to their range of financial products for India's tech-savvy and financially astute customers. He assured that the company believes in ethical lending with complete transparency and no hidden charges while engaging with its customers.

September 28 is World Rabies Day, a global health observance started in 2007 to raise awareness about the world’s deadliest infectious disease and bring together partners to enhance prevention and control efforts worldwide.

• World Rabies Day is an opportunity to reflect on how rabies impacts your community and other communities around the world. 
• This year’s World Rabies day theme, “Rabies: All for 1, One Health for All” in reference to Alexandre Dumas’s famous novel, builds on the 2022 success of One Health, taking it a step further to focus more on collaboration, equality, and the strengthening of health systems. 
• The WHO has set a goal of eliminating dog-mediated human rabies by 2030. The strategic advisory group of experts of the WHO needed the current scenario of the health-seeking behaviour of exposed individuals and the use of rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin in rabies-endemic countries. 

International Day For Universal Access To Information (IDUAI) is observed on 28 September and highlights the advantage of having constitutional, statutory, or policies that guarantee the public to access information for saving lives, building trust, and helping in the formulation of sustainable policies. Therefore the day focuses on the importance of access to information. With this an individual and make informed decisions. 

• The day also draws attention to people's fundamental right to seek, receive, and impart information. Nowadays media plays a crucial role in providing information to people. 
• The global celebrations of International Day For Universal Access To Information (IDUAI) 2023 in Oxford, United Kingdom on 28 September 2023 will centre around the theme of "the importance of the online space for access to information."

Infosys, an Indian multinational leader in digital services and consulting, has announced their collaboration with Microsoft to bring together their respective artificial intelligence (AI) abilities to accelerate the adoption of AI solutions across multiple industries.

• These solutions will leverage Infosys Topaz, Azure OpenAI Service and Azure Cognitive Services. These will enhance Infosys’s capabilities and help customers transition more easily from digital to AI solutions, which will accelerate their efficiency, decrease their turn-around time and open useful new business models.
• Generative AI has opened up new avenues of AI applications across various industries, and Infosys aims to provide services and platforms in multiple areas, including semantic search, document summarization and marketing content creation, among many others.
• According to the company, “the integrated solutions will accelerate rapid democratization of data and intelligence that will help businesses increase productivity and drive new revenue growth.”

Search giant Google is celebrating its 25th birthday today with a special doodle. Google Inc. was incorporated on September 4, but for more than a decade the company has celebrated its birthday on September 27.

• The company took a "walk down memory lane" and showcased different doodles to mark this special occasion. 
• Today's ( 27th September) Google Doodle comes with a GIF which turns 'Google' into 'G25gle'. The tech firm said that it was using this day as a "time to reflect" while being oriented towards the future. 
• Google was founded by doctoral students Sergey Brin and Larry Page who met in Stanford University's computer science program in the late 90s. 
• "As they made meaningful progress on the project, they moved the operation to Google's first office - a rented garage. On September 27, 1998, Google Inc. was officially born," it read. 

World Maritime Day is celebrated on the last Thursday of every September, and this year, it falls on September 28, 2023.

• This special day is dedicated to honoring the dedicated and tireless efforts of individuals working in the international maritime industry.
• The term ‘maritime’ itself traces its origins back to the Latin word ‘maritimus,’ which means ‘of the sea.’ 
• World Maritime Day serves as a beacon, shedding light on the invaluable contributions made by maritime officers, service agents, and seafarers to our daily lives.
• Life at sea is undeniably demanding. It involves long and arduous hours, often accompanied by precarious pay, and the emotional strain of being separated from loved ones for extended periods. 
• The tradition of observing World Maritime Day began in 1978, and it continues to be celebrated every year on the last Thursday of September.
• This date is not chosen randomly; it holds historical significance as it coincides with the establishment of the International Maritime Organization in 1958.

In a recent development, the United States has expressed its concern to Sri Lanka about the impending arrival of a Chinese research vessel, raising similar concerns shared by India. During a meeting between US Under Secretary and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister at the UN General Assembly session in New York, the topic of the Chinese research ship ‘Shi Yan 6’ came to the forefront.

• The Chinese research vessel ‘Shi Yan 6’ has stirred concerns due to its upcoming visit to Sri Lanka, with both the US and India voicing objections.
• The ship is described as a “scientific research vessel” equipped with a 60-member crew, conducting research in oceanography, marine geology, and marine ecology. While Beijing sought Colombo’s permission for the ship’s docking, the final date and port remain uncertain.
• The vessel is expected to collaborate with Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) during its stay.

On the auspicious occasion of World Tourism Day 2023, Kongthong Village, East Khasi Hills district, has been bestowed with the prestigious title of “Best Tourism Village 2023” at the esteemed National Tourism Awards, a commendation presented annually by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.

• The grand ceremony took place on Wednesday at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• The distinguished award was presented to Kongthong Village by V. Vidyavathi, IAS, the esteemed Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, recognizing the village’s outstanding efforts in promoting tourism and preserving cultural heritage.
• Kongthong Village of Khat-ar shnong also known as the Whistling Village of India, has been a shining beacon in the tourism sector. In an era when people generally communicate through mobile phones, video chats, and text messages, the people of Kongthong communicate among themselves through whistling and using different musical tunes to call each other. This is a tradition that has been alive since time immemorial. This unique method of communication makes this isolated village renowned around the world.
• The National Tourism Awards, 2023 programme organized at Bharat Mandapam by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, to mark the World Tourism Day, 2023. Kongthong Village, Meghalaya, has been awarded the bronze medal for Best Tourism Village, 2023 by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The award was received by Bah Rothell Kongsit of Kongthong village at New Delhi today.