Blog

The fifth edition of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) will be held in Jaipur in November with more than 4,000 students expected to take part in the competition, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced on Wednesday. Poornima University and Rajasthan University will jointly host the Under-25 multi-sport Games which will see participation of more than 200 Universities. Like previous editions, there will be at least 20 disciplines on the KIUG 2025 programme.

“I am extremely happy to announce that the Khelo India University Games will take place in Rajasthan in November 2025. These Games are for under-25 athletes and will be coming after the under-18 Khelo India Youth Games that took place in Bihar in May this year. These Games offer great opportunity for athletes who seek a national platform to impress our numerous scouts eyeing the best talents in the country,” said Union sports and youth affairs minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

“Worldwide, university students dominate multi-sport events. In Rajasthan, we hope to see some quality performances as we expect the athletes will be at their peak.”

Chandigarh University had won the team championships at KIUG 2024, co-hosted by Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Tripura.

Lovely Professional University came second while Amritsar’s Guru Nanak Dev University was third.

A total of 770 medals — 240 gold, 240 silver and 290 bronze — were on offer in the 2024 edition, held in North-east India for the first time.

Over 200 universities competed for 11 days in the KIUG 2024 with around 4,500 athletes taking part in 20 sports.

Dave Parker, a seven-time Major League Baseball All-Star and two-time World Series champion outfielder and designated hitter, died on Saturday. He was 74. His passing after a battle with Parkinson’s disease was announced by MLB and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the team where he began his 19-year MLB career in 1973. Parker was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Classic Era Committee last December and will be inducted posthumously on July 27 in ceremonies at Cooperstown, New York.

Parker batted .290 with 2,712 hits, 339 home runs and 1,493 runs batted in for his career playing for the Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.

Parker spent 11 seasons with the Pirates, helping them to a World Series crown in 1979 and earning the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1978. He was a three-time Gold Glove award fielder and two-time NL batting champion while with Pittsburgh.

He captured another World Series title with the Athletics in 1989, serving mainly as a designated hitter.

Parker, nicknamed “The Cobra,” grew up in Cincinnati near the Reds’ ballpark and joined his hometown club as a free agent in 1984, spending four seasons with Cincinnati.

After two weeks of intense tackles and spectacular tries, it all comes down to the inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL) grand finale as the Chennai Bulls take on the Delhi Redz in what promises to be a fiery battle. Chennai Bulls enjoyed a dominant 31-12 win over Bengaluru Bravehearts in the semi-final but it wasn’t so straightforward for the Delhi Redz side. They managed to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad Heroes 14-7 in a match that went right down to the wire, before Patrick Odongo scored a last-second try for the Redz.

Chennai Bulls are in an incredible vein of form with the likes of Terry Kennedy, Joseva Talacolo and Va’aufauese Apelu-Maliko playing an exceptional brand of rugby. Indian players such as Aryan Dixit, Muhammad Jasim EP, and Shahnawaz Ahmed too have made their presence felt.

Statistically, the Bulls are overall second in the league when it comes to tries, conversions, points scored and tackles made with 37, 25, 235 and 181 respectively.

Delhi Redz have had an incredible arc in the GMR RPL. Despite finishing fourth in the league with three wins, two draws and five losses, the Redz have beaten the strongest team of the tournament in their last game to seal a spot in the final.

Matias Osadczuk, Matteo Graziano, Patrick Odongo and Jordon Conroy have made stand-out contributions to the Redz. Indian players like Rajdeep Saha, Deepak Punia and Sunil Chawan too have had a memorable season so far.

Delhi Redz will look to cause another upset in the final as they face a tough challenge in Chennai Bulls who have already beaten them twice in the tournament so far.

The only thing that stands between a winner and a loser is an ‘excuse’ to do something or not. For Ashok Parmar, the ‘reason’ to make a difference and inspire a generation was bigger than an ‘excuse’. Despite using a prosthetic leg, Ashok, who is also an Adani Group employee, his determination remained unwavering. Surrounded by the clatter of weights and the hum of encouragement, Ashok toiled hard in the gym, with eyes on the ultimate prize in the Gujarat State Sub-Jr Junior Senior & Masters Man & Women Classic Benchpress & Deadlift Championship.

For Ashok, it wasn’t just about lifting weights but also lifting spirits, redefining possibilities, and inspiring a nation. On June 29, Ashok did the unthinkable as he clinched a gold medal in the Gujarat State Bench Press & Deadlift Championship, while competing in the general category, and brought the ultimate prize home.

Mr. Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group, also lauded Ashok for his generation-inspiring achievement.

“Adanian Ashok Parmar did not need a separate category. He stood shoulder to shoulder with every competitor in the Gujarat State Bench Press & Deadlift Championship and walked away with Gold. Yes, Ashok is a Differently Abled Adanian. But then, we don’t ask for exceptions – we redefine what’s possible

Delhi Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra today announced a relief and rehabilitation package for the artisans impacted by the recent fire at Dilli Haat INA.

A fire broke out on the evening of April 30 at Dilli Haat INA, gutting 24 artisan stalls and leaving several craftsmen without a source of livelihood. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had earlier committed a financial relief of Rs 5 lakh for each affected artisan.

Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra today confirmed that the proposal has received formal approval and a total relief package of Rs 1.20 crore will soon be disbursed among the 24 affected artisans.

In addition to the financial aid, the Delhi government has also announced logistical support for the craftsmen. As part of the rehabilitation effort, the 24 artisans will be allotted stalls at Dilli Haat INA free of cost for a period of six months, from July 1 to December 31, 2025. The allotment will be conducted via a lottery system to ensure fairness and transparency.

Delhi and adjoining NCR witnessed light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds on Monday morning, pushing the temperatures several degrees down and rendering the air cleaner.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded widespread precipitation across various parts of Delhi-NCR from Sunday night. Safdarjung, the city’s base observatory, recorded 14 mm rainfall in the 24 hours until 8.30 am on Monday. Palam and Lodi Road logged 16.2 mm and 17.3 mm of rainfall respectively during the same period.

As per the IMD’s three-hourly rainfall data, Najafgarh saw the highest spell at 5.5 mm between 2.30 am 5.30 am on Monday, followed Safdarjung at 4.4 mm rainfall, and Palam, Pusa and Narela at 1 mm rain each.

The rainfall led to a notable drop in day temperatures on Monday. According to the IMD, the minimum temperature recorded at 8.30 am at Safdarjung station was 24 degrees Celsius, 3.9 notches below the season’s average.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) today notified orders issued by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on June 19, aimed at promoting ease of doing business in the national capital.

These orders exempt a wide range of establishments – including swimming pools, restaurants, hotels, motels, guest houses, discotheques, video game parlours, amusement parks and auditoriums – from the requirement of obtaining licences from Delhi Police.

According to officials, the MHA notification comes following the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who ensured speedy clearance of the proposal forwarded by Delhi Police.

The police had earlier referred the Lt Governor’s reform directives to the MHA for a formal notification.

While partial liberalisation of licensing norms for some of these categories had taken place in October 2023 – also on the initiative of Lt Governor Saxena – the current move does away with police licensing requirements entirely for these sectors, officials said.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is seeking to rename the Old Delhi Railway Station to Maharaja Agrasen Railway Station – in honour of the legendary leader who is revered as a symbol of non-violence, peace, and social justice. The Chief Minister wrote to the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging his intervention in the proposal.

In the letter dated June 19, Ms Gupta said the move would serve as a “fitting tribute” to Maharaja Agrasen.

“I am writing to respectfully request your kind consideration for renaming the Old Delhi Railway Station in honour of Maharaja Agrasen, a revered historical figure whose legacy has had a profound impact on the socio-economic development of India, particularly in Delhi. Renaming the station as Maharaja Agrasen Railway Station would serve as a fitting tribute to his enduring contributions and would deeply resonate with the sentiments of millions of Delhi residents who hold him in the highest esteem,” the Chief Minister wrote.

She mentioned that Maharaja Agrasen is widely regarded as a symbol of social justice, economic foresight, and community welfare. “His countless followers and descendants continue to play a pivotal role in shaping Delhi’s economic and cultural landscape,” she said.

The Delhi Police has stepped up security after jailed gangster Neeraj Bawana was granted parole for a day to visit his ailing wife at a Shadipur hospital on Tuesday, a police source said.

Multiple security layers have been deployed to escort Bawana, who is currently lodged in Tihar Jail, the source said.

“Multiple teams have been positioned along the route from Tihar Jail to the hospital to prevent any untoward incident and any gang-related threats,” he added.

Security arrangements have been tightened and elaborate plans are in place to ensure no breach of law and order. Bawana’s movement will be closely monitored by special units and district police personnel, he said.

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 25.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, with the weather office predicting light to moderate rain.

Relative humidity was recorded at 85 per cent at 8.30 am.

A yellow alert (Be Aware) has been issued for Delhi. The IMD has forecast a generally cloudy sky with light to moderate rain, thunderstorms, and lightning.

The maximum temperature is expected to settled at 32 degrees Celsius.

The air quality index (AQI) was in the satisfactory category with a reading of 65, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 satisfactory, 101 and 200 moderate, 201 and 300 poor, 301 and 400 very poor, and 401 and 500 severe.