Oldest Person of the World, also the Last Living Male of the 19th Century

The oldest person of the world, Jiroemon Kimura, 116 years Japanese man became the last male of the 19th century in the world. Jiroemon Kimura was given the title of last male alive to be born in the 19th century after the death of Barbados in the third week of May 2013 at the age of 113 years and 90 days.

Gerontolgy Research Group at University of California, Los Angeles found out that as far as female were concerned, there are in all 21 women born before 1 January 1901 and they are still alive. Most of these 19th century women are in Japan and US, while others are in Canada and Europe. But amongst the male, Jiroemon Kimura is the only alive person of 19th century.

Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897. He has lived to witness the reigns of four kings as well as 61 Japanese prime ministers. In the year 1962, i.e., at the age of 65 years, he retired from the Japanese post office after serving 45 years in the office.

At present, he lives in Kyotango. The oldest living woman of the world, Misao Okawa, 115 years old is also from Japan.

India, USA and Australia joined Hands to develop Climate-resilient Crops

India, the United States and Australia in the third week of May 2013 came together to develop new climate-resilient varieties of rice and wheat, two of the major crops in the world.The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will work in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) and India's Vibha Agrotech.This collaboration will seek to develop new rice and wheat varieties having greater tolerance to drought and salinity. Now, farmers can have more stable production in wake of sudden drought and salt water intrusion.

The new technology will be first developed in Australia and India, but it will be made available to developing countries in South Asia and at world level where adverse climate conditions impact cereal yields, so that farmers could have a good harvest, even as climate change creates more unpredictable growing environments.

The ambitious program is part of Feed the Future, the US Government's global hunger and food security initiative.

NTR Literary Award presented to Noted Oriya writer Manoj Das

Manoj Das, the Noted Oriya writer on 28 May 2013 was presented the NTR National Literary Award.

The NTR National Literary Award was chosen by the jury of NTR Vignana Trust, headed by its chairperson N. Lakshmi Parvati which carries a cash prize of 1 lakh Rupees and citation.  The award recognises Das’s contribution to literature, both in Odiya and English. 

Manoj Das was also conferred with Padma Sri award and had his stories figured in the compilation of best literary works released in the US.

The award is instituted in memory of the actor-turned-politician who made a mark for his struggle to protect Telugu pride. He has penned down his first novel at the age of 14.

The award is coincidently given to Manoj Das on the same day which is marked by the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister and Telugu Desam founder Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao.

IMF lowered its Forecast for China's Economic Growth Rate at 7.75 Percent

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 29 May 2013 lowered its forecast for China’s economic growth at 7.75 percent for the year 2013 citing a weak world economy and exports. Earlier, it had forecasted 8 percent growth. Annual economic growth of China fell to 7.8 per cent in 2012, the slowest since 1999, because of its decreasing export demand and increasing costs, the euro-zone debt crisis and uncertainty over the US economic recovery.

China is world’s second largest economy. The IMF advised that China should put priority on reining in social financing growth, or else the country's fast credit supply may fuel inflation in future.

Baleshwar Aggarwal, the veteran journalist passed away at 91

Baleshwar Aggarwal, the veteran journalist as well as the secretary general of Antar Rashtriya Sahyog Parishad (ARSP) died on 23 May 2013. He was 91 years of age. 

About Baleshwar Aggarwal

• Baleshwar Agrawal was born on 17 July 1921 in Balasore, Odisha. 
• He was the former Managing Editor of the Hindustan Samachar, the Hindi news agency. 
• He held post of ARSP secretary general ever since it was incepted in 1978.
• He had close relations with the Non-Resident Indians.

UIDAI Inaugurated Three New Aadhaar-Enabled Services for Online Identity Authentication

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on 25 May 2013 inaugurated three new Aadhaar-enabled services- e-KYC, OTP (one time pin) authentication and Iris authentication, which would in turn help the residents of India in authenticating their identity anywhere and anytime via any digital platform. 

Apart from this, the UIDAI also announced establishing around 300 permanent enrolment centres, also called Aadhaar Kendras. By September 2013, number of Aadhaar Kendras will increase to around 1000. These centres would help those residents in enrolling which were left during the camps being organised by registrars in past. The centres will also help in facilitating biometric and demographic update. 

About e-KYC service

Among the three services, e-KYC service will help the individuals in authorizing the service providers so that they can receive electronic copy of their identity proof along with the address. This particular service can be installed by various agencies for verifying the identity as well as address of the residents. Only the information such as Name, Address, Gender, Mobile Number, Date of Birth and Photograph, which is accumulated during enrolment of Aadhar, will be shared and that too with the permission or request of Aadhaar number holder.

About OTP (one time pin) authentication

The OTP service, on the other hand, allows Aadhaar based authentication of the residents by making use of the mobile phone anytime and anywhere. This can be done on the self service mode without making the use of biometric authentication device. Under this service, the digital platform of the authority will not share the demographic details, unlike e-KYC service. 

About Iris authentication

Iris authentication will help the residents in authenticating the identity for availing this Aadhaar-enabled service by facilitating the combination of Aadhaar number as well as the Iris image. Just like the OTP (one time pin) authentication, the authority will also not share the demographic details of the resident.

Valuemart Gold and Jewels Launched Gold Coins with Sachin Tendulkar’s Face and Signature

The limited edition gold coins with Sachin Tendulkar’s face and signature engraved on them were launched on 13 May 2013 by Valuemart Gold and Jewels on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. 

About the limited edition gold coins

• A total number of one lakh limited edition Sachin Tendulkar gold coins were launched by Valuemart Gold and Jewels. 
• Each coin weighs 10 grams.
• The price of each 24 karat gold coin is 34000 Rupees.
• The limited edition special gold coin can be had from valuemartgold.com as well as jewellery stores in India.
• Valuemart Gold and Jewels also additionally signed Sachin Tendulkar as the brand ambassador for time duration of three years in February 2013.

Sachin Tendulkar Announced Retirement from Twenty20 Cricket Format

Sachin Tendulkar announced retirement from Twenty20 cricket format on 26 May 2013, immediately after Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings to lift the title of Pepsi Indian Premier League 2013 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This means that IPL Season 6 was the last IPL season played by Sachin Tendulkar. 

Some Important Facts

• Sachin Tendulkar was the captain of Mumbai Indians team in 2010. 
• He has represented this franchise in 86 matches in all and finished with 2529 runs. These runs include one century and 14 half-centuries. 
• Sachin Tendulkar played the last game for Mumbai against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium on 13 May 2013. He was injured thereafter. 
• Twenty20 cricket is the second format from which he announced his retirement. Earlier in December 2012, he had announced retirement from the One-Day Internationals. 
• He also has the unbroken record of 15837 test runs as well as 18426 ODI 

NASA's Observatory discovered Exotic Neutron Stars

Scientists from the NASA Obsevatory in the month of May 2013 have found that magnetars — the dense remains of dead stars that erupt periodically with bursts of high-energy radiation may be more diverse and common than earlier considered. 

It is found that when a massive star runs out of fuel, its core collapses to form a neutron star, which is an ultra-dense object about 16 to 24 kilometres wide. The gravitational energy released in this process blows the outer layers away in a supernova explosion and leaves the neutron star behind. 

Most magnetars have extremely high magnetic fields on their surface that are ten to a thousand times stronger than for the average neutron star. 

As per the observations it was show that the magnetar known as SGR 0418+5729 (SGR 0418 for short) does not fit that pattern. It has a surface magnetic field similar to that of mainstream neutron stars.
 
The researchers monitored SGR 0418 for over three years using Chandra, ESA’s XMM-Newton as well as NASA’s Swift and RXTE satellites. 

They were able to make an accurate estimate of the strength of the external magnetic field by measuring how its rotation speed changes during an X-ray outburst. 

These outbursts are likely caused by fractures in the crust of the neutron star precipitated by the buildup of stress in a relatively strong, wound-up magnetic field lurking just beneath the surface.
 
What are Neutron Stars?

A neutron star is a very small and dense star made up of almost completely of neutrons. It is a very large nucleus held together by gravity. It has a radius of about 10 kilometres (6 mi) and a mass from about 1.4 to 5 times the mass of the Sun.

They are usually what is left of very big stars that have exploded (these are called supernovas). Some are what happen to white dwarfs (small stars) that have got a lot of extra mass.Neutron stars usually turn very fast, taking from 0.001 second up to 30 seconds to turn.

Most neutron stars are spinning rapidly — a few times a second — but a small fraction have a relatively low spin rate of once every few seconds, while generating occasional large blasts of X-rays.

India and Saudi Arabia to further Strengthen Counter-terrorism Cooperation

India and Saudi Arabia on 26 May 2013 decided to further strengthen and deepen their counter-terrorism cooperation.  This was decided during the 4-day visit of External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid to Saudi Arabia. The counter-terrorism issue is emerging as a key area of cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia. 

Saudi Arabia deported deported Abu Jundal, wanted in the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack about a year back. Saudi is concerned about the rise of extremism in the region, including in Pakistan, notwithstanding their close ties.

Both nations discussed the menace of terrorism the world continues to face and agreed to further strengthen our counter-terrorism cooperation which is an essential element of the Riyadh Declaration signed in 2010. 

India held talks with Saudi Arabia on a number of issues including the controversial 'Nitaqat' law, counter-terrorism measures and energy security. Saudi Arabia also tried to allay India's fears over the Nitaqat law and stated that the procedures are being taken in the best interest of Indian workers.The Nitaqat law and the ongoing drive to identify workers who are overstaying in the Arab Kingdom was one of the main area of focus during the talks held between the two nations.

Khurshid's visit is the first by an Indian External Affairs Minister in the last five years to Saudi Arabia, India's biggest supplier of oil.

Union Govt to roll out 43000-cr Ruppes Green Corridor for Renewable Energy

Union Government plans to roll out a 43000-crore rupees green energy corridor project to facilitate the flow of renewable energy into the national grid. 

The blueprint for the project has already been submitted to the Power Ministry by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL). For implementation, the project would be split into intra- and inter-State.

 About Green Energy Corridor

• The green energy corridor is aimed at synchronising electricity produced from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, with conventional power stations in the grid. 
• Germany has committed developmental and technical assistance of 1 billion Pounds for the project. 

The Government is aimed at strengthening the distribution network across the country making it smart to handle fluctuations after seeing the massive grid failure happening round the nation. 

As per the Central Electricity Authority, India has 27541.71 MW of installed renewable capacity excluding hydro power stations. The country has a total installed capacity of 223625.60 MW as on  30 April 2013.

India is already in talks with Germany for making its grid compatible for distributing renewable energy. Germany has smart grids that integrate renewable energy into the national grid

Defence Ministry inauguarated the First Fighter Aircraft base at Thanjavur

Defence Ministry on 27 May 2013 inaugurated the first fighter aircraft base at Thanjavur in southern India. Su-30MKI combat aircraft will be stationed here.Thanjavur airbase can be another strategically important airbase of the Indian Air Force. IAF can protect vast area of interests by stationing frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi at Thanjavur.

The setting up of the premier fighter base is important because of current geo-political scenario and threat perception in the Indian peninsula and in the Indian Ocean.

The Year 2013 declared as Water Conservation Year-2013

The decision to declare the year 2013 as Water Conservation Year 2013 was approved by the Union Cabinet of India on 9 May 2013. A number of mass awareness activities will be undertaken during Water Conservation Year 2013 with emphasis on sensitizing the masses on water related issues, encourage them to conserve and use it judiciously. 

The policies and programmes of the Ministry of Water Resources will be propagated to create a sustainable society and economy. 

An effective and sustained mass awareness programme will be launched with the involvement of all stakeholders to achieve the objectives identified in the National Water Policy, 2012 and National Water Mission. 
 
Water as a Natural Resource

Water is a natural resource, fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development. It is also a scarce resource. India has more than 18 percent of the world`s population, but has only 4 percent of world`s renewable water resources with 2.4 percent of world`s land area. There are further limits on utilizable quantities of water owing to uneven distribution over time, as 75 percent of annual rainfall is received in just four months. Also region wise it varies from 10 cm rainfall in Rajasthan to 1000 cm in North Eastern Region. In addition, there are challenges of frequent floods and droughts in one or the other part of the country. With a growing population and rising needs of a fast developing nation as well as the given indicators of the impact of climate change, per capita availability of water is likely to go down from 1545 cubic metre per year in 2011 to 1341 cubic metre per year in 2025. The increasing demand of water for various purposes will further strain with the possibility of deepening water conflicts among different user groups as drinking water need is going to rise by 44 percent, irrigation need by 10 percent, industry need by 81 percent respectively by 2025. 

National Water Policy
In view of this, the Ministry had prepared National Water Policy (2012), which was adopted by the National Water Resources Council headed by the Prime Minister on 28 December 2012. This takes cognizance of the existing situation; proposes a framework for creation of a system of laws and institutions and a plan of action with a unified national perspective. Hence, there is a need for greater awareness on water conservation for optimal usage of the existing resources. 

What is Water Conservation
Water Conservation is also the key objective of the National Water Mission which is one of the eight National Missions under the National Action Plan for Climate Change. This envisages conservation, minimizing wastage and ensuring more equitable distribution of water resources both across and within States through integrated water resources development and management. 

How Water Resource Management Should be Done
The effective water resources management must be underpinned by knowledge and understanding of the availability of the resource itself, the uses to which water is put and the challenges facing the users of water at all levels of stake holders. This can be done by creating mass awareness about the fact that water conservation is the immediate need of the hour.

Reliance Jio Infocomm and Vodafone Joined Consortium to set up Under-Sea Cable System

Telecom carriers Reliance Jio Infocomm, Dialog Axiata from Sri Lanka, Vodafone Group of the UK, Omantel from Oman, Etisalat from the UAE and Telekom Malaysia from Malaysia on 30 April 2013 formed a consortium to set up Bay of Bengal Gateway (BBG) submarine cable system to connect Singapore and Malaysia to the Middle East while connecting India (Mumbai and Chennai) and Sri Lanka. The length of the cable system is 8000 kilometres.

The concerned parties signed the construction and maintenance agreement(C&MA) and the supply contract for BBG in Kuala Lumpur. The cable system has been designed in such a way so that it could provide upgradable and transmission facilities by having 100 Gbps capability. The cable system is likely to carry commercial traffic by the end of 2014.

This new cable system will help end the monopoly of some existing players operating in this region as well as reduce infrastructure cost for the consortium partners.

BBG can be considered an extraordinary opportunity for business growth because it will help support current and future high capacity requirements from the neighbouring areas of the region and Internet applications of next generation.

Lifetime ban on Pervez Musharraf for Contesting Elections

The High Court in the northwestern city of Peshawar on 30 April 2013 imposed a lifetime ban on former President Pervez Musharraf from contesting elections. It was the first time a court in Pakistan had declared a citizen ineligible from contesting elections for life.
Musharraf returned in March 2013 after nearly four years of self-imposed exile to contest May 11 general election.

The court observed that Musharraf abrogated the Constitution twice.  The first was when he carried out a coup to oust a democratically elected government.The second time when he declared emergency in 2007 and detained 60 judges.
Musharraf had filed nominations from four constituencies namely Chitral, Karachi, Kasur and Islamabad.

Haryana won the Third Hockey India Senior Women National Championship

Haryana on 30 April 2013 defeated Railways 4-1 to win the third Hockey India Senior Women National Championship at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College, Lucknow.

Railways scored their opening goal through Amandeep Kaur in the 15th minute. Haryana scored through Udita (34th, 65th min) and Narinder (47th, 49th min) to win the match.

Jharkhand defeated Punjab 2-1 to finish third in the championship. Jharkhand scored through Ebha Kerketta and Basanti Kachhap.

Abdul Hamid was sworn in as Bangladesh President to replace Zillur Rahman

Parliamentary Speaker Abdul Hamid was on 24 April 2013 sworn in as Bangladesh President to replace Zillur Rahman, who died in March 2013. Abdul Hamid is the 20^th President of Bangladesh. He will hold the ceremonial position for a five-year term.

Hamid was the acting President since 14 March 2013 when Rahman went for medical treatment to Singapore. He is a former lawyer. He was elected to Parliament seven times from the Kishoreganj Constituency. He is a member of the Awami League.