Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India.
1.) Modi still topper among the Indian middle class
Prime Minister Narendra Modi still holds sway over members of his core constituency -the urban salaried, especially those living in India's seven biggest cities. The government's overall approval ratings are still running high almost two years after the Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept to power at the head of a robust majority, according to the findings of an Economic Times-TNS survey. That's despite getting caught up in various controversies and the failure to make progress on key elements of its reform agenda.
The government has an overall approval rating of 86% on economic performance, while 62% say that it has delivered on job creation and 58% expect the future to be better. In other words, they still believe that `achhe din aaney wale hain'.
2.) AICTE to Reserve 10 Seats for J&K in All Institutes
At a time when Kashmiri students are pitted against the non-Kashmiris in NIT Srinagar, the All India Council of Technical Education has decided to rework the scholarship scheme for J&K students. The Economic Times reports that from this academic session, the AICTE will allow up to 10 students, instead of just two, from the region to study at an institute outside the state.
The move is aimed at ensuring that students do not feel “isolated“ on a faroff campus. The AICTE is cautious that the upper ceiling must be 10 so that there is no “bunching“ of students, or “incidents“ like the cricket-cheering controversy at a Meerut institute in 2014.
3.) Machine in the driver's seat, Metro goes hi-tech
Even as the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation hurries to complete the third phase of Delhi Metro's expansion before the year ends, it will start testing cutting edge driverless trains from July. These trains are equipped with cameras and sensors that stand in for human operators. However, for a year after their deployment, they will run with human assistants on board, The Times of India reports.
The newly-built coaches were launched on Wednesday at Mukundpur depot, which has been constructed specifically with the driverless trains in mind. DMRC managing director Mangu Singh announced that trial runs of the Unattended Train Operations (UTO) would start on line 8 (Janakpuri West to Botanical Garden) on July 1, followed by line 6 (ITO to Kashmere Gate section) the same month, and line 7 (Mukundpur to Shiv Vihar) from October 16.
4.) Now, a mini-GMAT for working professionals
Coming to the aid of thousands of working professionals who want that coveted MBA tag, the Graduate Management Admission Council has come up with an exclusive entrance test for them, as reported by The Times of India. The council regulates admissions to over 2000 B-schools, including the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and London School of Business.
The entrance test, Executive Assessment (EA), which will give professionals access to seats for an Executive MBA in B-schools, will be easier compared to the regular GMAT and it will be only for candidates who have work experience of over eight years.
5.) US busts education, job scam; desis among 1,000 to be deported
Nearly 1,000 'students', mainly from India and China, will have to return home long-faced after US authorities announced on Tuesday that they had busted a thriving education and foreign worker visa scam by setting up a phoney university to entrap operators, The Times of India reports.
Twenty-one brokers, recruiters and employers from across America, who allegedly conspired with more than 1,000 foreign nationals to fraudulently maintain student visas and obtain foreign worker visas through the phoney “pay to stay“ New Jersey college set up by homeland security authorities, were arrested this morning by federal agents, the US justice department has revealed.
6.) 32-year-old cricketer from Gujarat is Oman's captain
Ajay Lalcheta, the 32-year-old native of Porbandar, has been named the captain of Oman's national cricket team. Lalcheta, a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, had earned praise when underdogs Oman stunned Ireland in ICC World T20 qualifiers in Dharamsala in March.
India's ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had termed “golden“ Lalcheta's miserly first over to Ireland captain William Porterfield. Lalcheta's immediate challenge would be the upcoming World Cricket League to be held in UK's Jersey. Ajay Lalcheta, 32, the new captain of Oman, will face his next big test in the World Cricket League in Jersey , a British island off the coast of Normandy , France. The event will be played between May 21 and 28 and will feature six teams -Oman, Jersey, Tanzania, Nigeria, Guernsey and Vanuatu, the Times of India reports.
7.) After six decades, India to get new safety standards for milk
India is set to get new national milk safety standards after 60 years that will standardise outdated benchmarks for determining adulteration, include sources such as camel and yak and incorporate flavoured and fortified milk. Under current guidelines set in 1954, only milk from cow, sheep, buffalo and goat is considered, The Hindustan Times reports.
Close to 70% of milk sold in India is considered adulterated as it doesn’t conform to standards for fat and solid non-fat (SNF) content — including vitamins and minerals — that vary from state to state. This is a problem, experts say, as not conforming to fat standards is not a healthhazard—whichiswhatadulteration implies. Also, hybrid cattle and environmental changes have rendered the old standards useless.
8.) Low occupancy slows down luxe trains
The Palace on Wheels cancelled a trip for the first time in 34 years last week for lack of passengers. But it is not the only one faltering: four out of five iconic trains, that are claimed to be the last word in opulence and luxury in India, are burdened by low occupancy and high haulage charges (over Rs 80 crore in 5 years).
Faced with a dip in occupancy in luxury trains, the tourism and railway ministries are now working together over a series of initiatives, including offering INR rates to foreigners. Though the niche segment of travellers the trains target is inflation-proof, high haulage charges, lack of adequate publicity and the perception that the trains are too expensive for Indians have led the uberluxurious trains on a journey to nowhere, sources told the Times of India.
9.) Free ration scheme gets EC nod
Giving a shot in the arm to the Oommen Chandy government, the Election Commission (EC) has lifted the ban it had imposed on the launch of the free ration scheme announced in the 2016-17 budget.
The commission has permitted the government to go ahead with the scheme subject to the condition that no new beneficiary would be brought under its ambit.
The budget proposal was to provide free ration to all below the poverty line (BPL) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families through ration shops, the Hindu reported.
10.) Panama papers: Mystery offshore firm was part of 2010 IPL Pune franchise bid, closed days later
A 10-member consortium, which bid unsuccessfully for the Pune IPL team in March 2010, included an offshore company which, according to Mossack Fonseca documents investigated by The Indian Express, was acquired for unknown beneficiaries in December 2009.
“The consortium,” according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by 10 members in March 2010, “have formed a company P-Vision Sports Private Limited in which the parties will invest and own shares in the company for the purpose of operating the IPL franchise on successfully winning the bid”.
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