DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2024, LUCKNOW, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES Consequences are bound to be drastic: Gyanvapi panel to SC RBIholdskeyrate,lowersgrowth forecast,movestoboostliquidity FY25 GDP projection slashed to 6.6% and inflation forecast raised to 4.8% EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 6 OPPOSING PETITIONS challenging the constitutional validity of the Places of Worship Act, the management committee of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi has approached the Supreme Court, saying that the “consequences” of allowing them “are bound to be drastic”. In an intervention application, the mosque committee pointed to the violence in Sambhal,UttarPradesh,wherea courtpermittedthesurveyof the ShahiJamaMasjidbyallowingan application for the appointment of a survey commissioner, the CRR CUT TO 4%, WILL RELEASE `1.16 LAKH CRORE HITESH VYAS MUMBAI, DECEMBER 6 Mosque committee referred to the Sambhal violence very day the suit was presented, in ex parte proceedings. “The incident led to widespreadviolenceandhasclaimed, as per reports, at least six citizens’ lives. The declaration IN LINE with expectations, the ReserveBankof India(RBI)Friday lowered the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points (bps) to 4percenttoboostliquidityinthe financialsystem,evenasthesixmember Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) left the repo rate — the key policy rate — unchanged at 6.5 per cent for the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Jinns, gold and a ‘black magic’ gang: Murder of an NRI businessman BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY 11th consecutive time. The rate-setting panel, however,slashedtheGDPgrowthestimate to 6.6 per cent in FY2025 from 7.2 per cent projected earlier and revised upwards the consumer price index-based inflation (CPI), or retail inflation, forecast to 4.8 per cent for the current fiscal from 4.5 per cent estimated earlier. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, while announcing the policy, said, “To ease the potential RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday. PTI liquidity stress, it has now been decided to reduce the cash reserve ratio of all banks to 4 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) in two equal tranches of 25 bps each with effectfromthefortnightbeginning December 14, 2024 and December 28, 2024.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E E X P L A I NE D OPPOSES CHALLENGE TO 1991 ACT `6.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 What CRR ● cut means THE MOVE to cut the CRR — the percentage of a bank’s total deposits that it is required to maintain in liquid cash with the RBI as a reserve — will free up Rs 1.16 lakh crore to the banking system, augmenting the lendable resources of banks. REPORTS, PAGE 15 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DECEMBER 6 FOR SEVERAL months, ‘Jinnumma (Jinn Mother)’ had been conducting rituals at Gulfbased businessman Abdul Gafoor’s house in Kerala’s Kasaragod district to cure his wife Shareefa, who suffered from back pain and depression. Onthenightof April13,2023, Jinnumma and her associates went to Gafoor’s house when all his relatives were away and told him that he also needed to un- RAJYASABHAChairmanJagdeep Dhankhar announced in the House Friday that “a wad of currencynotes”wasrecoveredfrom a seat allotted to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi at the closing of the House Thursday, triggeringanuproarandawarof words between BJP and Oppositionmembers,leadingto adjournment of the Upper House. Singhvi termed the “recovery” of cash from his seat as dergo some of these rituals as part of their efforts to “exorcise thejinn”thattheyhadconvinced him was the cause of his wife’s suffering. They then covered his CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 1 KILLED IN ‘BRAWL’ ON VARANASI-BOUND TRAIN HASHIMPURA CASE: SC GRANTS BAIL TO 8 CONVICTS PAGES 4, 8 NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 6 AMID THE strain in ties between the two countries, India announced Friday that Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will be visiting Bangladesh on December 9 for “consultations”. The visit comes days after New Delhi urged Dhaka to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and other minorities there following reports of violence against them. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said, “The Foreign Secretary is scheduled to visit Bangla- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 6 NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 6 INSIDE SHUBHAJIT ROY A protest at West Bengal’s Hili over alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. PTI desh for Foreign Office Consultations on December 9. This is part of our structured interactions with the Bangladesh side.” Lastweek,Bangladeshpolice arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 new KVs, 13 in J&K; 28 Navodayas, N-E focus NIKHILA HENRY The four accused were arrested on Thursday Visit comes amid strain in ties following violence against Hindus there, protests Uproar in House as Dhankhar says ‘wad of cash’ found on Singhvi seat Central school push: 85 Congress MP says not his money, demands probe SHAJU PHILIP Foreign Secy going to Bangladesh on Dec 9 for consultations: India PM Narendra Modi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar, Speaker Om Birla and former President Ram Nath Kovind at an event at Parliament House to pay tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary. ANI “bizarre”anddemandedaprobe. Dhankhar said the cash was found during a routine “antisabotage” security check of the Chamber. “Apparently, a wad of currency notes was recovered by CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE UNION Cabinet on Friday approvedRs8,231croreforwhat may be the largest expansion of centralschoolsinadecade,sanctioning 85 new Kendriya Vidyalayas(KVs)and28Jawahar NavodayaVidyalayas(JNVs).The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir will receive the highest number of new KVs (13), while Arunachal Pradesh will get the most JNVs (8). KVs are intended for children of central government and defence employees. JNVs, on the other hand, are residential schools (from Class VI to XII) established in rural districts to nurture talented students from rural areas. Currently, apart from those newly approved by the Union CabinetonFriday,thereare1,256 functional KVs and 653 functional JNVs. The 85 new central schools will be established over a period of eightyearsstartingfrom202526, while the 28 JNVs will be set up over five years from 2024-25 to 2028-29. Collectively, these schoolsareexpectedtocreateadditional enrollment capacity for CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow