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Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Bhagalpur woman, 120, stirs debate over world's oldest person claim
1 2 Bhagalpur: A frail woman from Bhagalpur is shaking up global age records. Asha Devi, born on Jan 1, 1905 — if her voter ID is to be believed — is listed as 120 years old in the draft electoral rolls published by the Election Commission of India. Her astonishing age came to light during the special intensive revision (SIR) of the voter list. Booth level officer Farzana Khatoon verified her details at booth number 292, Middle School Feku Tola (north part) and the electoral registration officer confirmed the entry. In official records, she is the wife of late Chalitar Mandal and a resident of Srimatpur Kali Prasad village under the Pirpainti (SC) assembly constituency. Before her name surfaced, 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka of Japan, born on May 23, 1908, was recognised as the world's oldest living woman and person, following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera. Itooka's age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group and confirmed by Guinness World Records. Asha Devi's claim, however, remains unverified beyond voter list documentation and Bhagalpur DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary's statement. On Wednesday, the DM said he had verified Asha Devi's Aadhaar card, which records her date of birth as Jan 1, 1905. Her appearance in the electoral rolls ignited an online stir after a social media post alleged she had become a voter for the first time at 120 — a claim she rejects outright. "Sabhhay din vote delo chhiye (I have been voting for a long time)," she said in Angika language. Asha Devi attributed her longevity to a simple, stress-free life and frugal eating. Her daily routine includes 'sattu' — roasted gram flour mixed with water and a pinch of rock salt — and a diet dominated by goat's milk and 'roti'. "She took to goat milk in her early days," said panchayat member Md Kabil Hussain, citing her family's account. Widowed in 1995, when her husband died at the age of 90, she has led her family for three decades. She had five sons — three of whom have passed away — and two daughters, along with 13 grandsons, nine granddaughters and several great-grandchildren. Though her children live separately, they remain closely connected and care for her. Her mind remains alert and most of her teeth are original, something she credits to brushing with a neem twig. "That's the secret to her teeth and gum health," Hussain said. She draws a monthly pension of Rs 1,100 under the Mukhyamantri Vridhjan Pension Yojana. "Khoob jiyo… khoob jiyo dher din," she blessed CM Nitish Kumar and the state govt, thankful for the recent hike from Rs 400. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bhagalpur's 120-year-old voter's age verified: Dist administration
Bhagalpur: Amid controversy over age of voters over a century found during ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Bhagalpur district administration pulled all stops to verify the age of voter Asha Devi, who was reported to be 120-year-old in the draft electoral roll. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Election officials and booth level officers (BLOs) again visited the village of Asha Devi to verify her age and collect other details. Following the probe, electoral registration officer (ERO) of 154 Pirpainty (SC) assembly constituency-cum-deputy collector land reforms (DCLR), Kahalgaon, came out with a report on Tuesday ascertaining the age of Asha Devi as 120-year-old. The ERO-cum-DCLR said that 120-year old Asha Devi, was born on Jan 1, 1905 and is wife of Chalitar Mandal, a resident of Feku Tola at Srimatpur Kali Prasad village under Pirpainti (SC) assembly constituency, and she is an active voter. The ERO said, BLO Farzana Khatoon, who again verified the details, stated that Asha Devi is a voter at booth number 292 at Middle School Feku Tola and has a Aadhaar card and she is placed in serial number 296 of part 235 of the electoral roll dated Jan 7. Talking to this newspaper on Wednesday, Bhagalpur DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary said he checked the Aadhaar of Asha Devi in which her date of birth is mentioned as Jan 1, 1905. The BLO Farzana Khatoon again visited Feku Tola at Srimatpur Kali Prasad village and made available Aadhaar and photo of Asha Devi to the election officials. It is a matter of pride that 120-year old Asha Devi is a voter, he said, adding the controversy over her age was being created unnecessarily.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Supercentenarians' puzzle EC;124-year-old turns out to be 35
1 2 3 Patna: Bihar's ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has produced a mix of bafflement, amusement and embarrassment — from confirmed cases of voters aged well over a century to a clerical blunder that turned a 35-year-old into a supposed 124-year-old icon of political protest. According to the Election Commission , officials engaged in the SIR drive recently identified two women electors who are 120 and 119 years old, living in Bhagalpur and Gopalganj districts respectively. In Bhagalpur's Pirpainti assembly constituency, 120-year-old Asha Devi was found "alive, with wrinkles all over her face" after initial doubts about her age. Deputy election officials ordered a verification, during which BLO Farzana Khatoon checked her Aadhaar card and spoke to villagers. "During the inquiry, Asha Devi was found alive, and her age is 120," Khatoon wrote in her report. Similarly, in Gopalganj's Barauli constituency, 119-year-old Manturia Devi's age was confirmed through physical verification in the presence of the BLO and an observer. The assistant electoral registration officer stated in his letter that her reported age "was found correct". Interestingly, Ethel Caterham, a 115-year-old British woman, currently holds the title of the world's oldest living person. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret Lives of the Romanovs — the Last Rulers of Imperial Russia! Learn More Undo But if these centenarians are challenging Japan's life expectancy records, another case in Siwan has turned into a comedy of errors. Minta Devi of Daraundha constituency, celebrated by opposition MPs as a "124-year-old voter" during their "vote-chori" protest in Parliament, is in fact just 35. Her apparent longevity was the result of a voter ID slip that recorded her birth year as 1900 instead of 1990. "This is purely the fault of the Election Commission," she told a television news channel. "My year of birth is 1990 and I submitted the documents online, but now everyone is asking about my age." She admitted she had not checked her card when it arrived. "When the controversy broke out, I took out the card and found '15-07-1900' printed as my date of birth," she said. Her husband's name had even been placed in the 'house number' field. Siwan DM Aditya Prakash called it a "typographical error" caused when "she cited 1990 as her year of birth and this changed to 1900 due to a typo error by the computer operator". The correction, he said, "will be done within a week". Deputy election officer Sohail Ahmad confirmed she had applied through Form 6 and assured the error "will be disposed of within the stipulated time." Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
