Morning Brief: Indian Railways To Flag Off Ramayana Express Today; ISRO Set To Launch Satellite For J&K, Northeast; And Other News 

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news brief for today.

The Indian Railways will today launch the Ramayana Express, which will take pilgrims to destinations associated with the life of Lord Ram mentioned in Ramayana. It will take 16 days to complete the journey spread over India and Sri Lanka. After departing from Delhi, the train will make its first stop in Ayodhya, followed by halts at other destinations of the Ramayana circuit, including Nandigram, Sitamarhi, Janakpur, Varanasi, Prayag, Shringverpur, Chitrakoot, Hampi and Rameshwaram. In Sri Lanka, it will cover Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Colombo and Negombo.

The train will have will have the capacity to accommodate 800 passengers. The India leg of the tour is priced at Rs 15,120 per person. The Sri Lanka tour will cost Rs 36,970 per person. Those opting for the Sri Lanka leg of the Ramayana Yatra will have to take a flight to Colombo from Chennai. The package will cover meals, accommodation, wash and change facilities and sight-seeing arrangements.

ISRO To Launch Satellite Meant For J&K, Northeast

A communication satellite, specifically meant for the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and the Northeast region, will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) today. The launch, part of the ‘Digital India’ mission of Prime Minister Modi, will provide high-speed internet to the region. The satellite, called GSAT-29, will also be used as a platform for testing new space technologies. ISRO Chief K Sivan said the “satellite will also carry three demonstration technologies — Q and V bands, optical communication and a high-resolution camera”. It will be the second developmental flight of GSLV Mark-III. The launch has been deferred by 12 hours due to bad weather as a result of cyclonic storm Gaja.

ISRO will launch its heaviest communication satellite, GSAT-11, on 4 December. The 5.7 tonnes, which was earlier recalled from French Guiana to check for any possible anomalies, will be launched onboard Ariane-5 vehicle. Chandrayaan-II mission (India’s second Moon mission), which involves a soft landing on the lunar surface, is likely to be launched by the space agency on 3 January.

RBI To Inject Liquidity Worth Rs 12,000 Crore On 15 November

Amid an ongoing stand-off with the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will buy government securities to inject Rs 12,000 crore into the market. The securities will be bought by the central bank on 15 November, amid serious concerns of a liquidity crisis in the economy triggered by a series of defaults by group companies of Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services.

The RBI will purchase government securities maturing in 2021 and bearing an interest rate of 8.79 per cent, 2022 (6.84 per cent), 2024 (8.40 per cent), 2027 (8.24 per cent) and 2033 (6.57 per cent). Auction results will be announced on the same day and payment to successful participants will be made the following day.

Flipkart's Binny Bansal Resigns After Sexual Assault Accusation: Report

Binny Bansal, the head of the Flipkart Group, has resigned after an internal probe into “serious personal misconduct”, the main shareholder of Flipkart, Walmart, said on Tuesday. He has been accused of sexual assault, reports said, adding that a Bansal has denied the allegations in a letter sent to Flipkart employees. The investigation into the allegations, completed by an independent law firm, is said to have ended without finding evidence to support the accusations against Bansa.

75 Busiest Stations To Get 100-Feet Tricolours

The Indian Railways will install tricolours, at least 100-feet tall, at 75 busiest stations (A-1 category) in the country by the end of this year. The Railway Board had decided to go ahead with this plan on 22 October and instructions have been issued to the concerned zonal railways. The cost of the work will be listed under the umbrella work of ‘soft upgrades improvement at stations’.

Mumbai, which has headquarters of the Central and Western Railway, houses seven A-1 category stations - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Mumbai Central and Bandra Terminus. Officials are currently identifying places to install the flags.

From Swarajya

Should Tatas, With Challenges In Cars And Steel, Be Making A Vanity Purchase Of Jet Airways? The question the Tatas need to ask themselves is not whether the Jet acquisition is good for the industry, but whether this low-margin business is worth the heartburn.

Is It A Crime To Speak Of Islamist Atrocities? Karnataka Journalist Arrested After Speech Against Tipu Sultan: Journalist Santhosh Thammaiah’s arrest for listing Tipu Sultan’s atrocities has sparked an uproar in Karnataka, calling this a clear violation of the right to free speech.

Thanks To SIPs, Retail MF Investors Are Proving To Be Smarter Than FPIs: The Indian retail investor is no longer a skittish duck trying to time entry and exit according to market moods. Another interesting facet is that she is getting smarter than the other smarts.  The current rally is a tribute to her.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

If you’d like to support Swarajya’s heritage program, please consider taking a sponsorship plan. It’s a great way to help us fight the destruction of our cultural inheritance. Click here for more details.