Supreme Court Ended Impunity for Armed Forces
• The army and the paramilitary cannot use ‘excessive and retaliatory force’ during counter-insurgency operations ini disturbed areas, the Supreme Court rule on July 9, 2016.
• The court also asked for details of over 1500 alleged fake encounters in Manipur, which has seen protests for years against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA that gives the army sweeping emergency powers.
• The encounters, which allegedly took place over the last two decades, should be investigated by an independent agency, the court said.
• A petition against these encounters was filed a few years ago by an Imphal-based human rights organisation and relatives of those who died.
DRDO Signed Pact with IITs for Centre for Propulsion Technology
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on July 8, 2016 signed an agreement with MT-Bombay and Madras to establish a bi-nodal ‘Centre of Propulsion Technology’ (CoPT) at the two institutions.
• The initiative is aimed at achieving synergy between DRDO and Indian Institutes of Technology for channelising the research efforts towards developing products and related critical aerospace technologies.
HEALTH & NUTRITION
Scientists Discovered another Type of Zika-transmitting Mosquito
• Brazilian scientists have identified another type of Zika-transmitting mosquito.
• It was announced that researchers found the presence of the Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito infected by the Zika virus in three out of 80 groups of mosquitoes analysed up until now on July 24, 2016.
• The Culex quinquefasciatus is known in Brazil as the domestic mosquito and in Recife, where the majority of Zika cases in the country have been registered, the population of this mosquito is estimated to be 20 times larger than that of the Aedes aegypti.
• The current study is very relevant since the control measures of the vectors are different. Brazil is currently, in a state of health emergency due to the increase in detected microcephaly cases in newborns, attributed to the Zika virus.
Bengaluru-based Startup Launched India’s First Smart Glucometer
• Marrying user-centric design and smart technology, Cooey released India’s first IOT glucometer that wirelessly syncs data with a smartphone on July 10, 2016.
• The blood glucose levels are measured through a drop of blood on a strip in the smart glucometer and the data Is. automatically logged.
• Complete access to history, patterns, spikes and other data to track the progress of the patient is available, can be shared with the doctor through whatsapp, text message or e-mail, allowing enormous convenience.
• Cooey’s Smart Glucometer is a small, pocket-sized device that is portable, connects to a smartphone using the 3.5 mm headphone jack and transfers the readings automatically into the Cooey application.
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INFORMATION-TECHNOLOGY
TRAI Launched App to Check Real-time Internet Speed
• Indian telecom regulator TRAI launched an application to help consumers check real-time internet speed on their handsets and report the same to the regulator on July 6, 2016.
• The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will use the data collected from subscribers to fix new Quality of Service (QoS) norms for which the process will start in coming months.
• In 2014, the TRAI had issued norms under which it asked telecom operators to indicate minimum download speed that can be provided to consumers. However, telecom operators have complained to the regulator that as per ‘law of physics’ they cannot ensure minimum speed.
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