Local Round-up: Indian shooter Manu Bhaker scripts history, Assam's Maidam's UNESCO recognition and more!

Local Round-up brings to you what's happening across the country in the travel, food, infrastructure, sports, and herein, we have curated for you, the updates from the weekend and the initial of this week. So, read these out below. 

Manu Bhaker scripts history by becoming the first Indian woman shooter to claim an Olympic medal

22-year-old Manu Bhaker, won the bronze in the 10m air pistol competition in Paris Olympics on Sunday, making her the first Indian woman shooter to win a medal at an Olympic Games. Bhaker secured third place on the podium with 221.7 points, defeating fierce competition from South Korean rivals Y.J. Oh and Y.J. Kim. This was also India's first medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. 

GROWTH, India's fully robotic telescope captured a huge asteroid

Last night, the GROWTH-India Telescope caught this 116m, building-sized asteroid on its closest approach to earth! We tracked the rapid motion of the asteroid as it zipped across the sky at just 10x lunar distance. The rapid motion makes background stars look like streaks. pic.twitter.com/gbbT8yxqsP

— Varun Bhalerao (@starlabiitb) July 26, 2024

According to the Times of India, an asteroid the size of a building was photographed by the fully robotic telescope - GROWTH - India Telescope at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Ladakh as it got closer to Earth. Varun Bhalerao, an astrophysicist at the Space Technology and Astrophysics Research (STAR) lab at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay mentioned on his X (formally Twitter), "Last night, the GROWTH-  India Telescope caught this 116m, building-sized asteroid on its closest approach to earth! We tracked the rapid motion of the asteroid as it zipped across the sky at just 10x lunar distance. The rapid motion makes background stars look like streaks."

Himachal government to close about 100 schools due to non-enrolment of students 

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the Himachal Cabinet on Thursday, July 25 decided to close ten middle schools and eighty-nine government elementary schools that were empty. The move is to combine the Government Middle Schools with three kilometres or less distance and the Government Primary Schools with two kilometres or less distance.

President Draupadi Murmu to launch book on Maharashtra Legislative Council today

President of India Draupadi Murmu will launch the book "Necessity and Importance of Upper House" at the state legislature’s Central Hall to mark the centenary of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) on July 29 (today). During the inaugural event, a few members of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly will also receive prizes from President Murmu for "Outstanding Speech" and "Outstanding Parliamentarian." Earlier, the President received the first copies of four books from the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Vistara becomes first Indian airline to introduce free 20-minute wi-fi on international flights

The joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines has declared the launch of free Wi-Fi on all of its international flights using Airbus A321neo and Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The service allows customers to receive one-time passwords via email, facilitating the purchase of extended in-flight Wi-Fi services during the active session.

Assam’s Charaideo Maidam added to the UNESCO World Heritage list

The Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty in Assam, India, has been inscribed on the World Heritage List at the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, being held in New Delhi. This site in Assam became the 43rd UNESCO World Heritage Site from India. Expressing the joy, PM Modi in an X (formally Twitter) said, "The Maidams at Charaideo showcase the glorious Ahom culture, which places utmost reverence to ancestors. I hope more people learn about the great Ahom rule and culture. Glad that the Maidams join the #WorldHeritage List."

India now has 1.4 Lakh registered start-ups, Maharashtra tops the list

The number of startups in India has increased to more than 1.4 lakh, highlighted Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada, in Rajya Sabha. In a written answer to the house on Friday, the minister stated that Maharashtra leads the list of States and Unions with 25,044 registered startups that have been recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). With 15,019 registered firms, Karnataka comes in second, followed by Delhi with 14,734 startups. With 13,299 businesses, Uttar Pradesh has taken fourth place; Gujarat, with 11,436 startups, comes in fifth.

Kala Ghoda streets to become pedestrian-only during weekends from September

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to restrict automobile traffic on weekends by making Kala Ghoda's internal roadways "pedestrian-only." Senior city officials stated that although the project's goal is to eventually "pedestrianize" the lanes and permanently restrict automobiles, it will first be tested out on weekends to see how the public reacts and to acquaint tourists with the idea. BMC officials further stated that the beautification plans' civil construction is scheduled to start following the monsoon.