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- The World Bee Day is celebrated every year on May 20 to commemorate the birthday anniversary of beekeeping pioneer Anton Janša. The theme for World Bee Day 2019 was “Save the Bees”. The day was proclaimed by UNGA in December 2017. About 33% of world’s food production depends on bees thus they are vital for preservation of biodiversity, ecological balance in nature and helpful in reducing pollution.
- The University Grants Commission (UGC, the higher education regulator) has directed universities and higher educational institutions (HEIs) in India to observe 21 May as Anti-Terrorism Day so as to wean youth away from terrorism. ‘21 May’ which is observed as Anti-Terrorism Day throughout India marks the death anniversary of former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated in 1991 at an election rally near Chennai by a women suicide bomber from Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, a separatist Sri Lankan Tamil outfit).
- The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is celebrated every year on May 21. The year 2019 has been declared ‘International Year of Indigenous Languages’ by UN General Assembly, so as to bring awareness to importance of linguistic diversity. The day was proclaimed by UNGA in December 2002.
- Japan’s Second Highest National Award called ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’is conferred upon former Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran for his contributions in strengthening strategic ties and enhancing mutual understanding between India and Japan. He served as India’s Foreign Secretary from year 2004 to 2006. The award was established by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875.
- The Malawian soldier Chancy Chitete will be honoured with the United Nation’s (UN) highest peacekeeping award “Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage”. The late UN peacekeeper from Mali is being honoured for his “brave and selfless” action demonstrated in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The award was established in 2014 and is named after Captain Mbaye Diagne of Senegal, who served with former UN Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) during 1994 genocide.
- The World Metrology Day is observed every year on 20 May to commemorate the anniversary of signing of Metre Convention in Paris on 20 May, 1875 , by which International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) was created. The theme for WMD 2019 was “The International System of Units – Fundamentally better.” The convention is also called ‘Treaty of the Metre’.
Jokha Alharthi - Oman author Jokha Alharthi on May 22, 2019, became the first Arabic-language writer to win the prestigious ‘Man Booker International Prize 2019’ for her novel “Celestial Bodies”. She the first female writer from Oman to have her work translated into English. The book was translated by UK-based translator, Marilyn Booth. The novel confronts Oman’s history of slavery, which was abolished in the country only in 1970.
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