Here are some important reports from the biggest newspapers of India.
1) Jat stir: Haryana govt 'ignored' more than 100 alerts on possible violence
More than 100 intelligence alerts were allegedly ignored by the Haryana government since June last year, leading to large-scale violence in February during a fortnight-long agitation by Jats seeking reservation in government jobs, multiple sources told Hindustan Times.
The fresh revelations come before a one-member commission of former IPS officer Prakash Singh submits its report - likely by April-end - on alleged lapses by police and civil officials during the Jat stir. Singh had told HT this week that police inaction during the initial days of the agitation was "deliberate". The violent quota agitation by the community that constitutes 26% of the state's 2.64-crore population left at least 30 people dead and more than 320 injured.
2) Kerala DGP: Didn't want PM in Kollam when we were busy in rescue-relief
The Kerala Director General of Police objected to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kollam within hours of the explosion at a temple during a fireworks display Sunday that left over 100 dead and nearly 400 injured. DGP T P Senkumar told The Indian Express on Thursday that the entire police department was busy in rescue and relief work and the visits by Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meant that they had to ensure their "safety and security" as well.
"I did object to the idea of the Prime Minister visiting the region within 12 hours of the accident. I told them it would be better for the PM to visit the spot a day after the disaster. But the PM wanted to visit that day itself. Our entire force had been working from early morning, engaged in rescue and relief work. So much work was still left and all of them were tired because there was no provision of even drinking water. We had to make arrangements for the safety and security of Prime Minister Modi and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi too," he said.
3) UPA-I tried to dismiss Mulayam Singh Yadav govt, says H R Bhardwaj
At a time when the Congress is targeting the BJP-led government at the Centre for imposing President's Rule in Uttarakhand and earlier in Arunachal Pradesh, H R Bhardwaj, who was law minister in the UPA-I government, has said that the Congress leadership wanted to dismiss the then Mulayam Singh government in Uttar Pradesh in 2007 over alleged corruption, but he did not agree.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Bhardwaj said he was "eased out" because he "did not toe the Congress line" on "several matters" — particularly on UP and the 2G spectrum allocation. Bhardwaj was not included in the UPA-II Cabinet — he was made Karnataka Governor instead.
4) When a gunshot in Manipur killed a father's dream in Haryana town
On January 15, 1985, Rishi Ram held two celebrations at home — to mark Army Day and the birth of his son. From that day, his family members recall, the Subedar Major's only dream was to see his son become an army officer.
The dream came alive 21 years later, when Amit Deswal was commissioned to the Regiment of Artillery on June 10, 2006. And it died this Wednesday, when Major Deswal of 21 Para was killed in an encounter with Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) insurgents in Manipur's Tamenglong, as reported in The Indian Express.
5) Kerala's deaf and mute innovator makes ultra-light two-seater aircraft
For 45-year-old Saji James, sky indeed seems to be the limit. The deaf and mute seventh class dropout is a crafty innovator who built an ultra-light two-seater aircraft, and was even featured by Discovery Channel for his skill. Hailing from the remote village in Thodupzuha in Idukki, James not only assembled the aircraft but flew it himself.
It took James three attempts to build the aircraft. In his first attempt, he managed to build a frame and other equipment of the aircraft. He later he fitted it with a motorcycle engine, but couldn't fly it. "He sold his second aircraft to an engineering college for Rs 1.50 lakh and completed the third one called Saji-X Air with this. A retired wing commander S K J Nair helped him realise his dream," said James' wife, Maria. Since he doesn't have a pilot licence, James couldn't fly the craft higher than 30 feet, as reported in the Hindustan Times.
6) How to tackle monkeys, stray dogs? Parliament panel seeks advice
Some MPs have united to tackle a common adversary of many lawmakers: the Capital's simians.And it's no monkey business. For years, efforts to make Lutyens' Delhi a monkey-free zone have all but failed. The simians managed to enter, literally, the corridors of power in various Bhavans, North and South Block, and other government offices apart from finding shelter in New Delhi's green cover.
The House committee of the Rajya Sabha, responsible for allotment and maintenance of its MPs' accommodation, wants to take a different approach to tackle the problem of monkeys and also stray dogs. As per report in Hindustan Times, it has sought public opinion and experts' views to prepare a report after "studying in detail" the issue.
7) No service tax on passport, driving licence
The ministry of finance (MoF) has granted business entities exemption from service tax on certain services provided by the government and local authorities. These include various registration services and the ones where the gross amount payable by a business entity does not exceed Rs 5,000. If such a service is received on a continued basis (like payments made monthly), the annual payment must not exceed Rs 5,000 to avail service tax exemption.
The Finance Bill, 2016 had broadened the scope of service tax. From April 1, 2016, a business entity having a turnover of Rs 10 lakh or more had to pay service tax at 15% for services (unless specifically exempt) provided by the government or local authorities.
8) Water levels in 91 major reservoirs alarmingly low
Water levels in major reservoirs of the country are alarmingly low, weekly data released by Central Water Commission (CWC) shows. CWC, a technical organisation under the aegis of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, monitors live storage status of 91 major reservoirs in the country, as per report in The Hindu.
Live storage capacity of these reservoirs is 157.799 BCM (Billion Cubic Meters), which is 62 per cent of the live storage capacity that is estimated to have been created in India. 'Live storage' is the portion of the reservoir that can be utilised for flood control, power production, navigation and downstream releases. As per the latest report released on April 13, 2016, live storage available in these reservoirs is 35.839 BCM, which is 23 per cent of the total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The report states that current storage is 67 per cent of the storage of corresponding period of last year and 77 per cent of storage of average of last ten years. Experts attribute the depleting water levels in reservoirs to two years of poor rainfall in the country.
9) New team to handle top-secret files
Faced with a growing number of leaks and indiscipline in the Home Ministry, the Union government is drawing up a list of people who will handle "top secret" work and the personnel would be chosen irrespective of their ranks, a top government official told The Hindu.
An official said the decision comes after a file pertaining to a high-profile case went missing last month. The file was traced and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against the official who had "walked away" with the file.
10) Dynamic pricing: How consumer internet companies change prices in real time with sophisticated algorithms
Ever alighted from a swanky new car to buy fruits from the vendor at a market and discovered that you are paying a premium compared to someone who arrived on foot? If so, you were given a glimpse of what is known as 'dynamic pricing,' a craft when the street-vendor practices it and nearly an art form when it is determined by complex computer algorithms, as reported in The Economic Times.
Let us suppose friends are reacting to a group message that says "Let's plan a trip to Ladakh in July." They all log in to their digital devices to check airfares, only to realise that rates fluctuated by a few thousands rupees each time a new search was made for flights. What was happening to the excited friends was that an algorithm detected a spike in incoming requests for a particular flight, causing air fares to rise. In industry parlance, this is 'price optimisation' or the determination of fare based on real-time demand.
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