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India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-15 successfully launched

November 11, 2015

Bengaluru, Nov 11: India’s latest communication satellite GSAT-15 was successfully launched by Ariane-5 rocket in the early hours on Wednesday from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.

GSATThe European launcher blasted off at 03:04am (IST) and hurled the GSAT-15, designed to deliver telecommunications services, as well as dedicated navigation-aid and emergency services, into space in a flawless flight.

The satellite was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) after its co-passenger Arabsat-6B (BADR-7) was injected into space.

“Arianespace successfully launched two satellites this evening (local time): Arabsat-6B (BADR-7) for the operator Arabsat, and GSAT-15 for Isro (Indian Space Research Organisation),” Arianespace said.

GSAT-15, weighing 3,164 kg at lift-off, is a high power satellite being inducted into the INSAT/GSAT system. It carries a total of 24 communication transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS-Aided GEO Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands, Isro said adding that it is the third satellite to carry GAGAN payload after GSAT-8 and GSAT-10, which are already providing navigation services from orbit.

It also carries a Ku-band beacon as well to help in accurately pointing ground antennas towards the satellite.

GSAT-15 is the 19th payload launched by Arianespace for Isro.

Speaking at Kourou, Isro Satellite Centre (ISAC) director M Annadurai said, “GSAT-15 satellite signal has been acquired by Master Control Facility at Hassan (in Karnataka). The initialisation commands are in process and the satellite health is hail and healthy.”

He said the launch of GSAT-15 will enable ISRO to provide continuity of service to Indian users in Ku-band and the navigation payload GAGAN of GSAT-15 will provide in orbit backup to ensure safety of life navigation services in civil aviation sector as well as other location based services to various services in the Indian region.

Annadurai also said other two communication satellites GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 are getting ready for launch by Ariane vehicle in the next year.

“The realisation of both the satellites are in very advanced stage.”

The launch was telecast live by Doordarshan. GSAT-15 brings in Ku-band capacity to augment as well as provide replacement to indigenous operational satellite capacity, Isro said.

“The launch of GSAT-15 will be one more step towards further strengthening the satellite navigation infrastructure and sustaining the communication infrastructure in the country,” Isro chief AS Kiran Kumar said in a recorded video message.

Indian satellite’s co-passenger Arabsat-6B, lofted for Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space as part of a turnkey contract with Saudi Arabia-based Arabsat, was also launched by Ariane 5 VA-227.

According to Arianespace, Arabsat-6B, to be renamed BADR-7 once in orbit will provide broadcast, broadband and telecommunications services over the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia.

Ariane 5 mission had a total payload lift performance of 9,810kg. This includes the two satellites’ mass at liftoff -5,798kg for Arabsat-6B and 3,164kg for GSAT-15 - along with launcher integration hardware and Ariane 5’s dual-passenger deployment system.

The GAGAN payload in GSAT-15 provides the Satellite Based Augmentation System, through which the accuracy of the positioning information obtained from the GPS satellites is improved by a network of ground based receivers and made available to the users in the country through geostationary satellites, Isro said.

In the next few days, the MCF at Hassan will perform the initial orbit raising manoeuvres using the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of the satellite to take it to its intended space home.

With the designed in-orbit operational life of 12 years, GSAT-15 will be positioned at 93.5 degree east longitude and co-located with INSAT-3A and INSAT-4B satellites.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

Kochi, Jul 30: The Kerala High Court on Thursday refused to grant the extension for the stay of a 74-year-old US citizen, Johnny Paul Pierce, who had earlier said that he felt safer to remain in India than in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The single-judge bench of Justice CS Dias, which considered the writ petition, observed that the grant or extension of visa to foreign nationals fall exclusively within the domain of the Government of India (GoI) and that judicial review in such matters is minimal.

The power of the GoI to expel foreigners is absolute and unlimited, the bench said.

"In view of the categoric declaration of law by the Supreme Court, the plea of the petitioner to permit him to stay back in India cannot be accepted, as it falls within the purview of the guidelines and the discretion of the Government of India," the order said.

"The petitioner cannot be heard that the guidelines/policies/regulations formulated by the Government of India, that an American national though has been granted a visa having validity of five years has to leave India within 180 days, is irrational or unreasonable," it added.

The High Court, which was hearing a plea to permit the US citizen to stay in India for a further period of six months, said that the petitioner does not have a case that there is an infraction of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.

"The petitioner was well aware of the visa conditions when he arrived in India, and it is too late in the day for him to raise a grievance on the visa conditions," the bench said noting that the petitioner's love for India was heartening.

The High Court also directed the Foreigners Registration Officer to consider the petitioner's representation within a period of two weeks in accordance with the applicable guidelines and policies.

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News Network
March 9,2020

Mumbai, Mar 9: India's Yes Bank will not be merged with State Bank of India, which is set to infuse funds in the beleaguered lender, the newly appointed administrator leading the rescue plan said in a television interview on Monday.

"There is absolutely no question of a merger," Prashant Kumar, the administrator, told the CNBC TV18 channel.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday took control of Yes Bank, after the lender - which is laden with bad debts - failed to raise the capital it needs to stay above mandated regulatory requirements.

Placing Yes Bank under a 30-day moratorium, the central bank imposed limits on withdrawals to protect depositors and said it would work on a revival plan. The move spooked depositors, who rushed to withdraw funds from the bank.

Kumar, a former finance chief at SBI, assured depositors their money was safe and that the moratorium on Yes Bank might be lifted much before the deadline on April 3 and normal banking operations might resume as early as Friday.

He also mentioned that the withdrawal limit of Yes Bank may be removed by March 15, 2020.

SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said on Saturday the state-run bank would need to invest up to 24.5 billion rupees ($331 million) to buy a 49% stake in Yes Bank as part of the initial phase of the rescue deal, adding that the survival of troubled lender was a "must".

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Agencies
July 13,2020

Jaipur, July 13: Amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan, a crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will be held at the chief minister's residence here on Monday.  

The Congress has issued a whip to all party legislators mandating their presence during the meeting which will be convened at 10.30 am by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has made it clear that he is not going to attend the meeting.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him.  

By doing so, he has openly displayed rebellion against the leadership of Gehlot.

However, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Avinash Pande has said that 109 MLAs have expressed confidence in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state and have signed a letter in support.

Pande said a whip had been issued asking all the MLAs to attend the CLP meeting and that action will be taken against those who skip it.

In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72.

The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters.

BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs in the assembly.

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