Good morning, Bengaluru!
⛈️ Today’s weather: Light winds with thundery showers.
🧐 Did you know? The Presidential Tower in Yeshwanthpur, built over 5 acres, is supposedly the tallest residential tower in the city.
📝 Circular for Wrong Way Driving
The KSRTC issued a circular for drivers to strictly follow traffic rules or face action.
Story so far: After instances of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation’s (KSRTC) buses driving on the wrong lane, particularly on the new Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway, the road transport authority issued a circular asking the drivers to strictly follow traffic rules. Contravention of the rules will provoke stern measures.
- Commuters on the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway have complained of KSRTC buses taking U-turns and moving to incorrect lanes to avoid tolls.
- KSRTC officials have emphasised that this isn’t a regular issue with the bus drivers. In fact, the traffic police have praised the corporation’s efforts to minimise traffic violations.
Why it matters? Reports have emerged of the KSRTC buses mowing down people. There have also been a few fatal accidents on the expressway that have necessitated KSRTC officials to sensitise drivers.
🏏 Royal openers
On Sunday, the Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven runs.
Story so far: This Indian Premier League (IPL) season has seen some stellar performances by the opening batters of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). Sunday’s match was a close call between the two, with RCB defeating RR by seven runs.
- Faf du Plessis has had a prolific season and is the top-run scorer in the league with 405 runs. Virat Kohli has scored 279 runs overall.
- The RR openers aren’t very behind. Jos Buttler has scored 244 runs, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has 227 runs against his name.
Tell me more? Before the game on Sunday, Du Plessis and Kohli had a 90-plus stand and two-century partnerships. Buttler and Jaiswal had opened five times in six matches with three over-80 stands.
- Previously, RCB and RR have met 27 times. While RCB has triumphed 13 times, RR has won on 12 counts.
🤡 Bhandutva’s medical clowning
A theatre group has started medical clowning to help cheer up patients and the hospital staff.
Story so far: Whoever said laughter is the best medicine wasn’t just clowning. A city-based theatre group, Bhandutva, specialises in clowning, particularly medical clowning. Practising the use of laughter as a healing technique, the group of eight takes its task of figuratively tickling the patients and medical professionals seriously.
- Medical clowning involves behaving or performing in a comical way that generates laughter and cheers up people undergoing medical treatment. It lifts the hospital staff’s spirits too.
- While 90% of the act is improved, Bhandutva also rehearses different situations. They have also performed for kids in Bengaluru’s orphanages.
The journey: Bhandutva began as a production for a play revolving around clowning in 2022. Later, they started performing in public. But it wasn’t all smooth as they couldn’t make people laugh initially. But after several dejections, they finally cracked the code of clowning.
🔋 First commercial Li-ion cell manufacturing
A Bengaluru-based startup has launched India’s first manufacturing facility for Li-ion cells.
Story so far: On Friday, city-based Log9 Materials, a battery-technology and deep-technology startup, launched India’s first commercial lithium-Ion (Li-ion) cell manufacturing facility. It will make batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).
- The manufacturing line holds an initial capacity of 50 MWh. It will produce lithium-titanate oxide and lithium-iron-phosphate cells. They suit Indian operating conditions.
- Log9 has deployed around 3,000 batteries in EVs. They have traversed roughly 5.5 million kilometres.
Why it matters? The startup’s work is seen as a great stride toward sustainability as it will facilitate a smooth transition to EVs. Log9 has expanded across more than 20 cities, including Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Do you think chess is a sport?
- Yes, I think chess is a sport.
- No, I don’t consider chess a sport.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
Who’s your favourite sportsperson, and why?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The pandemic exposed gaping holes in Bengaluru’s health infrastructure.
- Virat and Anushka visit CTR to relish Bengaluru’s famous dishes.
- After being hospitalised in Bengaluru, Kumaraswamy cancelled his schedule.
- The Centre has written to 8 states, including Karnataka, over a rise in Covid-19 cases.
- The Cubbon Park police arrested two people for stealing cricket kits from the Delhi Capitals IPL team.
That’s it for today. Have a great day!