Khelo India University Games: Rajasthan’s Pooja Bishnoi made history in Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2025 by winning the medal of the event for the hosts in cycling.Pooja’s victory in the women’s elite 30 km individual time trial along the Jaipur-Agra Highway was not only a victory over the other participants but also over the adversity of different kinds, as she won a silver medal in the event. Pooja Bishnoi, a 22-year-old from a small village in Bikaner and the daughter of a farmer, wearing bib number -44, wasn’t just another athlete in the lineup. She was a story of grit and defiance-someone who had pedaled her way through obstacles far greater than steep roads or tight curves. By the end of the event, she would become the first athlete to win a medal for Rajasthan, the host state, at the seventh edition of the Games, representing Maharaja Ganga Singh University. The women’s Elite 30 km individual Time Trial began with the explosive start typical of competitive cycling—but the surprise came early. Pooja surged ahead, finishing the first lap of 10 kms in the lead. Her rhythm was firm, her posture unshaken, and her confidence infectious. Coaches along the track exchanged startled glances; spectators leaned forward as if their collective breath might push her further. It seemed a story waiting to turn into an upset. But cycling is a sport where experience often proves decisive. Riding for Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, the seasoned Meenakshi Rohilla—an international cyclist from the National Centre of Excellence, Patiala, with medals from the Asia Cup and Asian Championships—began pulling ahead in the subsequent laps.

Nine people were tragically killed when a gas cylinder exploded at a jewellery shop in Bikaner, police said. The blast caused massive destruction to the shop and nearby areas, leaving residents shocked and panicked. Emergency services, including firefighters and medical teams, rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations and provide immediate assistance to the injured. Authorities have cordoned off the area and are investigating the exact cause of the explosion. Preliminary reports suggest that the cylinder may have leaked, triggering the blast, but police are examining all possibilities, including safety violations. Local residents described hearing a loud bang followed by a cloud of smoke and debris, adding that the shop was crowded at the time of the incident. Officials have expressed condolences to the families of the victims and urged shop owners and the public to follow safety measures when handling gas cylinders to prevent such disasters in the future. The incident has raised concerns about safety protocols in commercial establishments, and further investigations are ongoing.

Two days after the decomposed bodies of 67-year-old retired army officer Gopal Verma and his 62-year-old wife Nirmala Verma were found in their locked home in Bikaner’s Muktaprasad Colony, police Friday arrested three people, including a couple who once lived in the house as tenants.Police said the murder was carried out by six people, including the couple, the woman’s father and brother, and two others who were hired by the father from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on July 13 between 9pm and 10pm.The accused strangled the elderly couple and fled with jewellery and cash, the exact amount of which is yet to be established.IG Bikaner Om Prakash said that those arrested have been identified as Arun Kumar, 28, a resident of Dharma Nagar Dwar, Naya Shahar in Bikaner; Rohit Bansal, 24, from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh; and Priya Sisodia, 23.Police said Priya lived with Arun in a live-in relationship in Vermas’ house as tenants during Dec, Jan and Feb. Her father, Karmaveer Sisodia, and brother, Priyanshu, often visited them and stayed in the house from time to time. They befriended the elderly couple, claiming they were performing occult practices to help them, and gradually gained the couple’s trust.Add SP Bikaner Saurabh Tiwari said that the gang conspired to rob the couple after learning that they lived alone.

To make weather forecasting more accurate across the country, 81 new Doppler radars are to be installed in the country by next year, including four in Rajasthan. At present, Rajasthan has only one Doppler radar, which is in Jaipur. The four new radars will be installed in Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Udaipur and Sriganganagar. This was shared by deputy director general of the meteorological department, Gajendra Kumar, in an exclusive conversation with TOI during his two-day visit to Jaisalmer. He said the expansion was aimed to ensure that no area is left out of accurate weather forecasting. Kumar said the Doppler radars, with a range of about 250 km, will determine the exact position, direction, speed and intensity of moving objects in the sky using radio electromagnetic transparency waves in their system. He said the system uses the “Doppler effect” (change in frequency) to provide real-time data on speed and intensity of rain, clouds, cyclones and storms. He said so far there was limited information for forecasting thunderstorms, but with Doppler radars, accurate and quick information can be obtained on where thunderstorms are formed, the storms emanating from them, and rainfall and lightning strikes caused by them. He said thunderclouds can be tracked to understand where they are moving and raining, or will possibly rain.

A total of 30 tableaux including 17 states and Union Territories, 13 Ministries will roll down the Kartavya Path in New Delhi during the 77th Republic Day parade on January 26. With a broad theme of ‘Swatantrata ka Mantra: Vande Mataram’ and ‘Samriddhi ka Mantra: Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, the tableaux will showcase a unique mix of 150 years of national song Vande Mataram and the nation’s rapid progress on the back of the growing self-reliance across sectors, dipped in its rich and vibrant cultural diversity. The list of the participating tableaux is as follows: