Morning Brief: No US Trump On Triumf As India, Russia Decide To Sign S-400 Deal; India’s Shortest Passenger Train Service To Be Taken Off Rails; And More

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

No US Trump On Triumf As India And Russia Decide To Sign S-400 Deal

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday that India and Russia will sign the S-400 Triumf air-defence systems deal during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to New Delhi for a summit later this week, Reuters has reported. Putin will be in New Delhi for the 19th Indo-Russian summit on 5 October. Ignoring pressure from the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the purchase on 26 September, Times of India reported.

This development comes after the US said, according to a Reuters, that it can’t guarantee a waiver from sanctions if India purchases weapons from Russia. Under US’ sanctions on Russia, any country engaging with Moscow’s defence sector could face secondary sanctions from Washington. India was hoping to get a waiver from the US for the deal. A new US defence legislation has authorised President Donald Trump to exempt countries. The Donald Trump administration, last week, imposed sanctions on China for buying S-400 systems from Russia.

India’s Shortest Passenger Train Service Likely To Be Taken Off Rails

The country’s shortest railway service, which connects CHT station (on Willingdon Island, home to the Cochin Port Trust and the Southern Command of the Indian Navy) and Kochi’s Ernakulam Junction, is likely to be taken off rails soon. The services, which uses a Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit train with three coaches to cover a distance of 9 km with one stoppage in 40 minutes, was introduced less than a week ago. According to The Indian Express, the Railways may stop the service due to the abysmally low number of passengers.

The CHT station was built by the British and opened for public use in 1943. Before it lost its glory in the 90s, it was one of Kerala’s most important railway terminals. In the 70s and 80s, the station had at least 16 long-distance trains from destinations such as Bombay, Madras and Howrah. To preserve its rich history, the Indian Railways may start a heritage service to the station.

India Gets Its First Soil Moisture Map

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) and IIT Gandhinagar have prepared India’s first soil moisture map at the end of this year’s monsoon season. The map provides a country-wide soil moisture forecast at seven and 30-day lead times. The map, called ‘Experimental Forecasts Land Surface Products’, is available on the IMD’s website. It uses the ‘Variable Infiltration Capacity’ model to provide moisture prediction. The map has become operational on an experimental basis and will be improved based on the inputs from the stakeholders.

According to the map, soil moisture deficit is likely in Gujarat, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh. In areas such as western Uttar Pradesh, Bundelkhand and Chhattisgarh, soil moisture conditions is likely to be normal or surplus at the start of the rabi sowing season. With moisture forecast available, farmers can experiment with different seed varieties.

Women Protest Against Sabarimala Verdict

Thousands of women came out on the streets of Pandalam on Tuesday to protest and express their dismay at the Supreme Court’s verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple. Protests were also organised in other parts of Kerala. Women came out chanting Ayyappa keerthanams , The Indian Express reported, adding that the erstwhile royal family of Pandalam had called the protest march and named it ‘Naamajapa Yatra’. According to R R Varma, a member of the erstwhile royal family, 50,000 people turned up for the march.

Participants said the march was organised to protect the ‘Ayyappa Dharma’ and the ritualistic tradition at Sabarimala. They rejected the claim that the temple discriminates against women and pointed out the fact that scores of female devotees above the age of 50 and below the age of 10 had been undertaking the Sabarimala pilgrimage for many years. Hindu outfits and political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, stayed away from the protest march and have not yet organised any open agitation against the apex court verdict.

New Dwarf Planet Spotted At The Fringe Of The Solar System

A tiny new dwarf planet has been spotted at the outer edge of our solar system. The planet, which is two and a half times further from the Sun than Pluto, has been named ‘The Goblin’. At its most distant, the Goblin is 2,300 times farther from the sun than Earth. It has an elongated 40,000-year orbit and never comes closer to the Sun than about 65 astronomical units. The planet, found as part of the ongoing effort to find Planet Nine, has a 300-kilometre diameter.

According to reports, the planet is too faint to see for 99 per cent of its orbit. However, astronomers caught the planet using the Subaru 8-meter telescope in Hawaii when it was moving towards its closest approach to the sun.

From Swarajya

To Go Boldly Where Many Have Gone Before: It is in India’s interest for ISRO to replicate Mangalyaan’s success with Gaganyaan’s human mission by 2022, and prepare for the next milestone: an Indian crew on the moon.

Why Coal Sector Efficiency Gains Since 2014 Should Be Acknowledged: Coal sector reform and fine-tuning of CIL operations are key, while imports for the economy as a whole are not going away anytime soon.

A Snapshot Of The Bear Run In Indian Stock Markets: Amidst the lacklustre sentiment prevailing on Dalal Street, investors need to be patient and focus on the long-term opportunities that the stock market offers.

This Group Of Swachhata Volunteers Is Putting Clean India To Work In Agra: There is an inspiring cleanliness drive underway in Agra––driven by a group of volunteers that is committed to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

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