1. Exams to be held online if COVID-19 situation doesn’t normalize: DU
University of Delhi’s (DU) undergraduate and postgraduate courses may conduct their examinations online through an Open Book Examination (OBE) Format if the COVID-19 situation does not return to normal. In addition to this, DU has also decided to all final year UG and PG examinations, including those for students of the School of Open Learning and the Non-Collegiate Women Education Board, will commence from 1 July 2020.
2. IIT Kanpur develops COVID-19 disinfectant tunnel for use in public places
The Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur has developed a new low-cost efficient disinfection process chamber for installation at public places such as markets, malls and offices. Till now, disinfection tunnels have already been placed at a few locations in Gorakhpur and Gautam Buddh Nagar. The tunnel is prepared by a team of faculty members from the computer science field, industrial and management engineering (IME), biosciences and bio-engineering (BSBE) departments. Each chamber unit developed has cost team less than Rs 50,000.
3. Mallya might return to India in 28 days, as all legal options of UK to escape, exhaust
Businessman, Vijay Mallya has now been denied the permission to appeal to the Supreme Court of UK against a High Court order that upheld a 2018 ruling to extradite him to India to face charges related to fraud resulting from the collapse of his company Kingfisher Airlines that now is rendered obsolete.
The decision of the Supreme Court has now exhausted all his legal options to challenge the extradition. Under the India-UK Extradition Treaty, the UK Home Office of minister Priti Patel will now soon formally certify the court order for Vijay Mallya to be extradited to India within 28 days.
4. Blind people gifted with sight as scientists draw shapes on their brains
Researchers have come up with a technique of drawing symbols like letters and shapes, directly on the human brain by making the use of electrical stimulation. This enables people who have lost sight, interpret the shapes as “sights.” This newly developed technology bypasses the human eye and the optic nerve and makes use of electricity to stimulate implanted electrodes at the visual cortex, situated at the back of the brain.
5. Sophie Turner’s baby bump seen in a picture
A picture showing Shopie Turner’s baby bump has confirmed that she and her husband Joe Jonas are pregnant and will be having their first baby together. The picture that confirmed the actress’s pregnancy was confirmed was taken when the couple was out for a walk during the lockdown period.
6. Apple acquires virtual reality event startup NextVR for $10 mn
Tech giant, Apple has confirmed that it has purchased virtual reality company NextVR, which specializes in recording live events like concerts and sports matches to be experienced in VR. According to Bloomberg the company also modified its official website and read “We’re heading in a new direction,” and the company thanked its “partners and fans around the world for the role you played in building this awesome platform for sports, music and entertainment experiences in virtual reality.”
7. World Bank extends help of $1bn to India to help fight COVID-19
The World Bank has approved to help India fight COVID-19 by offering it a $1 billion loan. This decision is made keeping in mind India’s efforts for providing assistance to the vulnerable and weaker section of its population. This loan will be released to India in 2 phases where, in the first phase, an immediate allocation of $750 million for the fiscal year 2020 will be made, and in the second phase, $250 million will be made available for the fiscal year 2021.
8. Facebook Messenger Room launched in US, Mexico and Canada
The new Facebook Messenger Room has made its way in the US, Mexico and Canada for all the users. This video chat feature will be be made available to the entire world by the next week. Messenger Rooms operate similarly like Zoom. A major difference in both, however, is that for messenger room all you need to get started is a URL. Having an account is not required. Rooms can host up to 50 participants and can be used free of cost.
9. ‘Heat resistant’ coral developed by researchers to fight reef bleaching
Australian scientists have developed a way to protect the coral reefs from the devastating effects of bleaching by making them more heat-resistant. Rapidly rising sea temperatures are making corals excrete tiny algae that live inside them. This process turns the corals white and starves them. To protect the corals from this, researchers have created a lab-grown strain of microalgae that has the required power to tolerate the heat.
10. Those outside without mask to be fined up to Rs 41 lakh: Qatar
On Thursday, the Qatar Interior Ministry has made wearing masks mandatory to go outside, starting from Sunday, and those and those found without a mask will be subjected to a fine of up to 2,00,000 riyals (around Rs 41 lakh). Those found violating these rules could also be jailed up to three years, or either of those punishments confirmed the ministry’s Twitter account.
