NASA has selected an initial team of 18 astronauts, including Indian-American astronaut <keyword id="4626895" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Raja-Chari">Raja Chari</keyword>, to form the <keyword id="10408823" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="artemis-team">Artemis Team</keyword> and help pave the way for the next lunar missions, including sending the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface in 2024. Vice President of the US Mike Pence introduced the members of the Artemis Team on Wednesday during the eighth National Space Council meeting at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. "I give you the heroes who will carry us to the Moon and beyond -- the Artemis Generation," said Vice President Mike Pence. "It is amazing to think that the next man and first woman on the Moon are among the names that we just read. The Artemis Team astronauts are the future of American space exploration -- and that future is bright." The astronauts on the Artemis Team come from a diverse range of backgrounds, expertise, and experience. The agency's modern lunar exploration programme will land the first woman and next man on the Moon in 2024 and establish a sustainable human lunar presence by the end of the decade. NASA said it will announce flight assignments for astronauts later, pulling from the Artemis Team. The US space agency said that additional Artemis Team members, including international partner astronauts, will join this group, as needed. Chari joined the astronaut corps in 2017. A colonel in the US Air Force, he was raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He received a bachelor's degree in astronautical engineering and a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics. The US Naval Test Pilot School graduate worked on F-15E upgrades and then the F-35 development programme, before coming to NASA. His father Sreenivas V. Chari immigrated from Hyderabad. "We are incredibly grateful for the president and vice president's support of the Artemis programme, as well as the bipartisan support for all of NASA's science, aeronautics research, technology development, and human exploration goals," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "As a result, we're excited to share this next step in exploration -- naming the Artemis Team of astronauts who will lead the way, which includes the first woman and next man to walk on the lunar surface." The astronauts of the Artemis Team will help NASA prepare for the coming Artemis missions, which begin next year working with the agency's commercial partners as they develop human landing systems; assisting in the development of training; defining hardware requirements; and consulting on technical development. "There is so much exciting work ahead of us as we return to the moon, and it will take the entire astronaut corps to make that happen," Chief Astronaut Pat Forrester said. "Walking on the lunar surface would be a dream come true for any one of us, and any part we can play in making that happen is an honour." The Artemis Team members also include Joseph Acaba, Kayla Barron, Matthew Dominick, Victor Glover, Warren Hoburg, Jonny Kim, Christina Hammock Koch, Kjell Lindgren, Nicole A. Mann, Anne McClain, Jessica Meir, Jasmin Moghbeli, Kate Rubins, Frank Rubio, Scott Tingle, Jessica Watkins and Stephanie Wilson. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-desi-gps-finally-joins-china-russia-and-the-us-after-a-two-year-long-wait/articleshow/79656300.cms">India’s desi-GPS is now in the same league as the US, Russia and China — can scan 1,500 kilometres beyond its own borders</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/canada-has-enough-covid-19-vaccine-doses-to-cover-each-citizen-five-times-over-while-the-fate-of-67-poor-countries-remains-undecided/articleshow/79645493.cms">Canada has enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover each citizen five times over while the fate of 67 poor countries remains undecided</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/farmers-plan-to-block-delhi-jaipur-and-delhi-agra-highways-starting-december-12-and-start-nationwide-protests-on-december-14/articleshow/79644167.cms">Farmers call for nationwide protest on December 14 — plan to block Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways starting December 12</a>

Indian-American astronaut Raja Chari shortlisted by NASA to land on the Moon by 2024

New Delhi, Nov 14 () Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) on Thursday reported 21.07 per cent rise in its consolidated net profit to Rs 280.35 crore for the second quarter ended September 30.
The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 231.55 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal, RInfra said in a BSE filing.
Its total income during July-September quarter declined to Rs 6,357.97 crore, as against Rs 7,182.76 crore in the year-ago period.
Total expenses rose to Rs 5,835.40 crore during the quarter as against Rs 5,760.16 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
"Over 61,700 new households added in Delhi Discoms i.e. BRPL and BYPL," RInfra said, adding that the total households stand at 43.2 lakh.
During the quarter under review, revenue to the tune of Rs 284 crore came from road projects, an increase of 7 per cent against the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal.
The revenue from Mumbai Metro One grew by 10 per cent year-on-year to Rs 92 crore.
"All the 16 Lenders of Reliance Infrastructure signed the Inter Creditor Agreement (ICA) on July 6, 2019. Company achieved standstill for 180 days as per ICA. Company plans to implement its Resolution Plan well within this period by monetising assets," the company said in a statement.
The sale of Delhi Agra (DA) toll road for enterprise value of Rs 3,600 crore to Cube Highways and Infrastructure III Pte Ltd is on track for closure, it added.
RInfra is one of the major infrastructure companies, developing projects through various Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) in several high growth sectors such as power, roads and metro rail in the infrastructure space and defence sector.
RInfra through its SPVs has executed a portfolio of infrastructure projects such as a metro rail project in Mumbai on build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis; ten road projects on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. NAM BAL

RInfra Q1 net profit up 21 pc at Rs 280 cr

<ul><li><keyword id="896278" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-IT-services-companies">Indian IT services companies</keyword> <keyword id="6354512" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys">Infosys</keyword> and <keyword id="141968" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HCL-Tech">HCL Tech</keyword> may see their stocks increase by more than 50% in the coming year, according to Edelweiss.</li><li>The current ‘tech upcycle’ could also put mid-cap stocks like MindTree and L&amp;T Infotech on the road to becoming large caps by 2035.</li><li>The surge of growth is pegged on the faster-than-expected recovery of the BFSI vertical, the prioritisation of spending on cloud services and the reduction of costs due to most employees working from home. </li></ul>The COVID-19 pandemic may have wreaked havoc on many industries but the IT sector exhibited extraordinary perseverance. Edelweiss estimates that despite the rally seen over the last three months, the best is yet to come. And, <keyword id="4126021" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-IT-stocks">Indian IT stocks</keyword> like Infosys, HCL Tech and TCS are most likely to reap the benefits. “Among mid-caps, we believe Mindtree and L&amp;T Infotech might well be the large caps of 2035 (perhaps much like Infosys and TCS, respectively),” said the analysts’ December report on the IT sector. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Target Price </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Projected upside </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Eclerx </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,536 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">96.70% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HCL Tech </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,480 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">72.90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Infosys </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹1,850 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">63.10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">LTTS </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,740 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">52.10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TCS </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,000 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">46.90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mindtree </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2,044 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">42.10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">L&amp;T Infotech </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹4,197 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.5pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.5pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">28.50% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Edelweiss Research This is because ‘clients are more determined to spend than ever before,’ according to Edelweiss. This is further bolstered by the fact that the IT companies themselves are gaining on margins with employees working from home. Most companies will have a larger than usual budget for tech upgrades Companies don’t normally carry over their budget allocation for IT into the next year. But this time around, they’re making an exception. Majority of IT departments are likely to carry forward any of the unused technology budgets from 2020 into 2021, according to Edelweiss. That means next year, most clients of IT services companies will have a significant amount to spend in addition to traditional allocation for technology upgrades. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Quarter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TCS’ Total Contract Value </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Infosys’ large deal signings </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY20 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$5.7 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$2.7 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY20 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$6.4 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$2.8 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q3 FY20 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$6 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$1.8 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q4 FY20 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$8.9 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$1.7 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q1 FY21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$6.9 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$1.7 billion </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 FY21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$8.6 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$3.2 billion </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Respective company reports “[This implies] FY22 revenue growth for Indian technology companies can be comfortably in the 12–14% range or even more,” said the report. The best phase of the ‘tech upcycle’ The surge in spending on technology upgrades has been dubbed the ‘tech upcycle’. It’s a result of the increase in online activity during the coronavirus pandemic. Back in June, the upcycle was just kicking off and the most expansive phase — when the money actually starts rolling — is yet to begin. This is called the ‘squeeze up’ phase of the cycle. <div type="image" title="Copy of canara bank" msid="79659488" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The share prices of HCL Tech, Infosys and TCS over the last six months&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Why will some companies gain more than others? According to Edelweiss, all IT companies have something to gain from the increased spending on digital that will flow in. But, some will gain more than others depending on where their focus lies within the digital space. For instance, spending on cloud technology is more important than investing in non-cloud digital services. “Cloud has clearly taken precedence in spends as clients now increasingly and strongly-than-ever believe that they need an agile IT infrastructure to manage variable data loads,” notes the report. With companies like HCL Tech, Infosys and TCS being the strongest contenders for cloud technology right now, they have the most to gain. Another positive for these companies is that the BFSI segment, in particular, is witnessing decade-high budgetary allocations to upgrade its technology. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76334123" title="TCS, Infosys, HCL Tech and others will gain from Microsoft, Amazon and Google spending more on technology" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> IT sector gains aren’t without its risks The IT sector may be on the precipice of massive growth but the risks have never been higher. A serious data breach — keeping in mind that the number of cyberattacks on companies during the last six months has been increasing — could have a serious impact on client trust and customer confidence. The depreciation of the dollar versus the rupee could also moderately affect growth and the resulting earnings estimates of IT companies, according to Edelweiss. And, while it is true that technology spends are stepping up, the North American market is an exception to that rule. Since most clients within the US are already digitally savvy, their budgets for IT may be slashed. <keyword id="6357549" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-IT-companies">Indian IT companies</keyword> may bear the brunt since, for most, the majority of their revenue comes from customers in the US. Lastly, while the BFSI sector is racing to catch up, it also means there’s a higher risk of companies within that vertical declaring bankruptcy. If a large enough BFSI client was to go bust, it wouldn’t impact the whole industry, but the IT services company providing services would be in for a rough ride. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-desi-gps-finally-joins-china-russia-and-the-us-after-a-two-year-long-wait/articleshow/79656300.cms">India’s desi-GPS is now in the same league as the US, Russia and China — can scan 1,500 kilometres beyond its own borders</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/canada-has-enough-covid-19-vaccine-doses-to-cover-each-citizen-five-times-over-while-the-fate-of-67-poor-countries-remains-undecided/articleshow/79645493.cms">Canada has enough COVID-19 vaccine doses to cover each citizen five times over while the fate of 67 poor countries remains undecided</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/farmers-plan-to-block-delhi-jaipur-and-delhi-agra-highways-starting-december-12-and-start-nationwide-protests-on-december-14/articleshow/79644167.cms">Farmers call for nationwide protest on December 14 — plan to block Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Agra highways starting December 12</a>

One research firm says shares of Infosys, HCL Tech, and TCS may see another surge — here's why

New Delhi, May 2 () As the government readied trains to transport migrant workers to their homes in distant corners, Dharamveer and Tabarat Mansoor gave up on the battle of life, one collapsing while cycling from Delhi to Bihar and the other as he headed from Maharashtra to Uttar Pradesh.Sheer fatigue felled them both, as it did so many other stranded migrants who set off for home, hundreds, sometimes thousands, of kilometres away, desperate to be with their families in the prolonged lockdown that left them with no money, no jobs and no roof over their heads.Home beckoned. But they never did get there.Some bought cycles with their little savings and others just set off on the long walk, in shoes with paper thin soles or flip flops, their few belongings packed into backpacks or unwieldy bundles.On Friday night, the first special train ferrying over 1,200 stranded migrants from Telangana reached Hatia in Jharkhand from where the state government took them to their respective districts in sanitised buses in accordance with COVID-19 protocols. Sometime around then, 32-year-old Dharamveer was declared brought dead at a hospital in Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. He began cycling, along with other labourers like him, from Delhi to Khagaria in Bihar, about 1,200 km away, on April 28, police said. "On Friday night, they halted at the Delhi-Lucknow highway in Shahjahanpur. When Dharamveer's condition deteriorated, the labourers took him to the medical college where he was declared brought dead," Circle Officer (city) Praveen Kumar said.The day before, 50-year-old Tabarat died in Sendhwa in Madhya Pradesh after cycling over 390 kilometres to get home from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra to Maharajganj in Uttar Pradesh, about 1,600 km away. "He died on Thursday near Sendhwa in Barwani possibly due to fatigue and heart attack," said Ramesh Pawar who was with him. Recapping the arduous journey, he said the group of 11 had left on their cycleson April 25 to get to Maharajganj. Those accompanying him wanted to take his body to Maharajganj but police did not give permission given the ongoing lockdown restrictions and he was buried in Sendhwa, his desire to go home unfulfilled. As lakhs of daily wagers and other migrants undertook epic journeys to reach home -- walking, cycling and hitching rides when they could -- in the absence of any public transport, the outskirts of many cities like Delhi and Mumbai teemed with people. The nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, was first extended till May 3 and then on Friday till May 17 with a few relaxations built in. The unprecedented move to stem the spread of COVID-19 triggered possibly the biggest movement of people since Partition.Some made it, some are still on their way and some just gave up somewhere in between, their stamina unable to keep pace with their will to get to their families. Their tragedies found wide echo across India.Twelve-year-old Jamlo Kadam, who was making a 150-km trip on foot from Telangana where she worked in a chilli farm to Bijapur in Chhattisgarh, was one of the youngest victims.She started walking on April 15 and died tantalisingly close to her village on the morning of April 18, an official told . "The distance between the place in Telangana where she worked and Bijapur is 150 kilometres and she died some 50 kilometres away from her village." "Her samples tested negative for coronavirus and she may have died due to electrolyte imbalance," a health official added.Insaf Ali, 35, was even closer. He reached his village in Uttar Pradesh's Shravasti district but did not make it home.Ali walked or hitched 1,500 km from Mumbai to Shravast, the Indian Express reported. He worked as a helper to a mason in Mumbai before the lockdown and reached Mathkanwa village where he was quarantined early on Monday morning this week. By noon, he was dead. The media recorded several such stories, of workers desperate to be with their families in the uncertain days of a pandemic but dying before they reached their destination.The first reported casualty of this exodus was 39-year-old Ranveer Singh, who worked as a delivery boy for a restaurant in Delhi and died in Agra after walking for over 200 km to Morena in Madhya Pradesh The autopsy revealed a heart attack, triggered by exhaustion due to the arduous long walk, as the cause of death, the Times of India reported.Then there was 62-year-old Gangaram Yelenge who died in Surat after walking from a hospital to his house for around eight kilometres as no vehicle was available.Logesh Balasubramani, 23, trekked from Nagpur on his way home to Namakkal in Tamil Nadu but breathed his last while resting at a shelter home in Secunderabad, NDTV reported.Satya, who was part of the group of 26 that set off on the march from Nagpur, said they had walked for three days with random strangers giving them food and sometimes a ride.Hundreds of miles from southern Secunderabad, three people succumbed to extreme cold in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Express reported that they were attempting to reach their home in Jammu through a perilous hilly route after being denied passage from the Jawahar Tunnel.Some working migrants lost their lives in accidents. In Madhya Pradesh, three labourers sleeping on the roadside after residents of their village refused them entry due to fears of the spread of the coronavirus, were mowed down by a truck. In Hyderabad, seven migrant workers and an 18-month old baby were killed when their vehicle was hit by a truck. In another incident, four migrant workers from Rajasthan were crushed to death and three seriously injured when a tempo ran over them as they were walking along a highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district.Researchers Thejesh GN, Kanika Sharma and Aman estimate that there have been over 300 "non-virus deaths", including from suicides, denial of medicare, hunger and financial distress, since the lockdown began. "We have been tracking newspapers, online news portals, and social media to compile such deaths due to the lockdown across India, in a handful of languages -- primarily English, Hindi and few vernaculars (Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali, Odiya, and Malayalam)," Aman, assistant professor at the Jindal Global School of Law, told . "It must be understood these deaths are likely an underestimate: only a fraction of deaths as per reported by the media and we may have missed some deaths reported in local media as well," he said. MG MIN MINMIN

Lockdown deaths: Of those who never reached home

On August 16th, a day after India’s 71st Independence Day, Atal Bihari <keyword id="40921" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vajpayee">Vajpayee</keyword>, the former Prime Minister, passed away in New Delhi at the age of 93. Vajpayee led the central government from 1998 to 2004, and till date is the only Indian Prime Minister from a party other than the Congress to complete a full term. The former <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> leader is set to be joined in this regard by current PM Narendra Modi, when the latter completes his term in May next year. Vajpayee has long been credited with moderating the BJP’s political position with his centrist <keyword id="35497" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="policies">policies</keyword> and socioeconomic reforms, thereby offering voters a viable national alternative to the Congress. A nine-time member of the Lok Sabha and two-time Rajya Sabha MP, he leaves a lasting legacy, and will be remembered for a slew of progressive and bold policies. Here are five of them:- Privatisation Vajpayee made privatisation a key component of his economic agenda when he set up the disinvestment ministry in 1999. Over the course of his tenure as PM, he oversaw the divestment of government holdings in more than 30 non-strategic public-sector companies such as VSNL, Maruti, Hindustan Zinc and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. What makes this policy all the more impressive is that Vajpayee had to overcome a considerable amount of opposition, not only from rival parties but from within his own Cabinet to implement it. Nuclearisation In May 1998, a month after his government came to power, Vajpayee ordered the commencement of five nuclear tests in Rajasthan’s Pokhran district. The move, which signalled India’s nuclear ambitions, drew the ire of Western powers, but it also highlighted India’s ability to defend itself from its neighbour Pakistan, which was building its own nuclear capability at the time. He always maintained that India would not use nuclear weapons first, stating that they would never be “weapons of aggression”. <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom">Telecom</keyword> Upon his death, Vajpayee was hailed as “the father of modern telecom in India” by leaders in the industry. Under his National Telecom policy, which was introduced in 1999, Vajpayee opened up the sector and implemented a number of structural reforms such as making mobile service providers offer services on a revenue share basis as opposed to a fixed-fee arrangement. This led to a reduction in call rates, a dramatic surge in mobile subscribers and encouraged competition among telecom operators. Roads and infrastructure While Vajpayee was prime minister, he launched a number of massive infrastructure projects to develop India’s roads and railway network. His government approved and funded the operations of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which completed the first phase of the Delhi Metro in 2006. He also championed the Golden Quadrilateral scheme, a project to link all four of India’s major urban centers - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata - by highways. Most importantly, though, was his Pradhanmantri Gramin Sadak Yojna scheme to improve road connectivity in India’s rural regions. <keyword id="45865" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indo-Pak">Indo-Pak</keyword> relations and Kargil Vajpayee made a number of steps to cement ties with Pakistan, such as the establishment of the Delhi-Lahore bus service in February 1999. He took the bus to Lahore and met with Nawaz Sharif, who was the leader of Pakistan at the time. Their meeting culminated in the signing of the Lahore Treaty, which outlined the country’s plans to steer clear of nuclear warfare. The goodwill was shortlived, however. A full-scale war took place in Kargil the following June. In July 2001, Vajpayee pushed for a peace summit with his new Pakistani counterpart, Pervez Musharraf in Agra. An agreement never materialised over the course of the summit, but not for his lack of trying.

Here are 5 policies that former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be remembered for

Local residents got a visual treat after a <keyword id="889685" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mirage-2000">Mirage 2000</keyword> fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) landed very briefly on the Yamuna Expressway near Delhi today morning. 
 
The jet, which flew from Gwalior, test-landed on the Expressway as part of a drill for emergency landings on national highways at 6.40 am. 
"The aircraft made a practice approach on the highway, coming down to a height of 100 metres before landing off the next approach," said an IAF statement. 
 
Several IAF personnel were present at the spot. While a makeshift Air Traffic Control was set up, bird-watchers, fire engines and rescue vehicles were on alert. 
 
Officials said the drill was to come out with possible landing strips on the national highway for fighter planes in case of emergencies. 
 
A spokesperson said the test-landing was a capability demonstration and IAF has plans to activate more such stretches on highways in the future. 
 
Meanwhile, the IAF also coordinated with the Uttar Pradesh Government and district officials in cities of Agra and Mathura. 
 
This was first of its kind for defence aviation in the country as in India, very few roads are available for such landings because of traffic, pedestrians and animals. 
 
Here is the video: 
 
 
(Image: Indiatimes, Video: Times Now)

Fighter jet lands on the Expressway to Taj

In a bone chilling incident, police rescued as many as 100 men, women and children, who were found packed inside a windowless shipping container on a truck plying on Agra-New Delhi highway. 
 
Residents and police officials were astonished when they heard helpless voices coming from inside a container pleading for someone to rescue them. 
 
People were startled when they first heard humans shouting and knocking from inside the container. The truck, however, managed to travel five more kilometres and negotiate two major crossings, including Sultanganj and Bhagwan Talkies, before policeman Raj Narain Uttam, guarding the western point of the crossing at Khandari, gauged that there was something wrong about the vehicle. 
 
Times of India reported Uttam had spotted desperate hands waving from some small openings on top of the container. By then, the voices were screaming so loud that they could be heard above the horns of vehicles passing by. 
 
He ordered the driver to stop the vehicle but he allegedly kept going until the policeman chased the truck for 500m before flagging it down. 
 
When the driver opened the container's doors, policemen and onlookers were shocked to see over 100 people were packed close to one another in the airless box in the steaming heat. 
 
Of the nearly 50 children inside, several had lost consciousness due to the heat (well above 40 degrees Celsius, not counting the suffocating conditions inside the box) and humidity. The others, ranging in age from 2 to 14 years and mostly dressed in single pieces of cloth, were barely able to stand when they were freed. 
 
"I cried when I saw the children, trapped inside the container, shouting for help. When the driver opened the doors, it felt like we were standing near a ball of fire. The people inside, packed along with their belongings, were wet with sweat, thirsty from the hours of confinement and helpless. No one had come to their aid even though they had been shouting and banging on the walls for hours," Uttam told TOI. 
 
The news daily reported that the group turned out to be agricultural labourers being taken to work from Khaga in Fatehpur district to Govardhan in Mathura, a distance of more than 400 km, to sow rice. They had hired the container truck (HR55 M 9234) for Rs 2,000 and had been shut in with no respite for hours. The journey had started from Khaga on Sunday night. The driver stopped the truck thrice during the trip, which had been on for about 12 hours. 
 
"We managed to endure being locked during the night but after sunrise, the condition inside the vehicle became terrible. We asked the driver to open the doors but he refused and locked them from the outside," said Raju, one of the labourers. 
 
"We have seized the truck and the driver Deepak has been booked for cruelty," said Ashok Kumar, CO Hariparwat, told TOI. 
 
(Image: automotive logistics magazine)

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