Sentence accused if there is eyewitness, weapon recovery not needed: SC (GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Supreme Court said an accused in a murder case can be convicted even in the absence of recovery of the crime weapon, if there is direct evidence in the form of an eyewitness.
- It set aside the June 2018 verdict of the Madras High Court which had acquitted three accused in a murder case.
Key Highlights:
- A bench of Justices said the submission by the counsel for the accused that the original informant and other independent witnesses have not been examined and recovery of weapon not been proved, and so the accused should be acquitted cannot be accepted.
- The bench noted that one of the prosecution witnesses was an eyewitness and he fully supported the case.
- As per settled position of law, there can be a conviction on the basis of the deposition of the sole eyewitness, if the said witness is found to be trustworthy and/or reliable, it said, adding, there is no reason to doubt the credibility or reliability of the eyewitness in the case.
Case before SC:
- Quashing the High Court judgement which had acquitted the accused, the bench restored the trial court verdict that convicted and sentenced them to life imprisonment.
- The bench noted that the accused, who were arrested in August 2013, were tried for committing murder of a man.
- According to the prosecution, the accused had obstructed the car, in which the victim and others were travelling, and assaulted him due to which he sustained injuries and died on the spot.
- After the trial court convicted the three accused, they approached the high court which acquitted them.
Judgement:
- While allowing the appeals filed by the state, the apex court directed the accused to surrender within six weeks before the court concerned or jail authorities to undergo the sentence.
- The bench directed that if the accused do not surrender within the time stipulated, the court concerned or superintendent of police will take them into custody to serve out the sentence.
DENV-2
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- The DENV-2 variant of dengue has been rapidly spreading in several parts of India for the past few months. The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) has declared DENV-2 as a 'public health emergency'.
- The DENV-2 strain can be recognised by the early onset of severe symptoms. If the DENV-2 dengue virus is not treated on time, it can increase the chances of complications like dengue shock syndrome (DSS) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF).
- The DENV-2 variant has caused a rapid surge in dengue fever and death cases in Panchkula, Haryana.
What is dengue?
- Dengue is a vector-borne disease or viral infection which is transmitted by mosquitoes caused by four serotypes of dengue viruses (DENV) -- DENV 1, DENV 2, DENV 3 and DENV 4, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
Dengue symptoms:
- The symptoms of dengue include high fever, vomiting, headache, rashes and muscle and joint pain.
- The dengue symptoms start to appear at least thirteen to fourteen days after the infection. The dengue virus causes a severe flu-like illness marked by extreme fatigue and painful joints.
- The disease occurs in two forms: dengue fever, a severe, flu-like illness, and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever (DHF), a more severe form of the disease, which may cause death.
Transmission:
- Dengue is a viral mosquito-borne disease which is transmitted primarily by a female mosquito, AedesAegypti, and to some extent by A. albopictus.
- The human infections occur due to the bite of an infected mosquito (which is picked up while biting a dengue-infected person) and are sustained by human-mosquito-human transmission.
- A patient who has recovered from one serotype remains immune against it but is vulnerable to attack from the other three. Infection by other serotypes increases the risk of developing severe dengue.
Burden of Cases:
- A timely response is necessary for mitigating the social and economic costs of a dengue outbreak. Cases of vector-borne diseases are usually reported between July and November, but the period may stretch till mid-December.
- A person can be infected with dengue as many as four times due to the existence of different strains and subsequent infections are often more severe.
- Dengue infects about 390 million people a year globally and at least 96 million require treatment.
Tests:
- There are two kinds of tests for dengue -- direct tests, done through ELISA, to detect the presence of antibodies for dengue and a dengue PCR, which detects the genetic material of the dengue virus.
Dengue cure and treatment:
- The dengue virus requires strong management by medical professionals as there is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue. In fact, early detection of the disease, precautionary measu and access to proper medical care lowers the fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1 per cent.
- Dengue is a threat to almost half of the world's population and in some cases, the disease develops into dengue haemorrhagic fever, which leads to a sharp fall in blood platelets and can be life-threatening.
Indias submarine-launched ballistic missile test
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- Recently, the INS Arihant carried out a successful test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal.
- The nuclear-powered submarine carried out the launch “very high accuracy”.
Significance:
- The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability
- SSBN programme is a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability.
- A “robust, survivable and assured retaliatory” capability is in sync with the country’s policy to have ‘credible minimum deterrence’ that underpins its ‘no first use’ commitment.
India’s SSBNprogramme:
- India’s nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) programme is a closely guarded project.
- INS Arihant was the first boat under the SSBN project that was reportedly followed by another boat, INS Arighat.
- Indian ballistic missile submarines may now be able to target China and Pakistan from underwater locations when deployed,
- The launch further shows the home-made INS Arihant class submarines are operational ‘in all respects’.
About ‘INS Arihant’:
- INS Arihant is the first of three indigenously built nuclear submarines.
- The INS Arihant is designed to carry 12 K-5 or four K-4 missiles.
- The K-4 missile underwent its maiden test in January 2020 from a fixed underwater pontoon on the east coast. India is also working on a nearly 5,000-kilometre range missile called the K-5.
- The 6,000-tonne vessel was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project at the Ship Building Centre in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
Induction:
- INS Arihant, based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine, was launched on July 26, 2009, the anniversary of Vijay Diwas (Kargil War Victory Day), by then prime minister Manmohan Singh.
- It was commissioned in 2016 by then defence minister Manohar Parrikar after a series of sea trials.
- Its induction into the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) was one of the biggest developments for the armed forces in the last decade.India completed the nuclear triad with its induction.
Nuclear triad:
- India is among just six countries in the world to have the capability to fire a nuclear missile from land, air and undersea.
- The others being the United States, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom.
Researchers detect barium in atmospheres of 2 exoplanets
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, scientists have detected barium in the upper atmosphere of two giant exoplanets for the first time, noted a new study. Barium, two and half times heavier than iron, is the heaviest-ever detected element.
WASP-76b & WASP-121b:
- These exoplanets are two ultra-hot Jupiters; WASP-76b and WASP-121b which orbit their host stars WASP 76 and WASP 121.
- The former is about 640 light-years away from the Earth and the latter around 900 light-years away.
- Ultra-hot Jupiters are a class of hot gaseous planets that matches the size of Jupiter. But they have short orbital periods, unlike Jupiter.
- Both WASP-76b and WASP-121b complete one orbit in two days. Surface temperatures in these bodies reach as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius.
- These bodies have unique features owing to their high temperatures. For instance, WASP-76b experiences iron rain.
Heavy elements:
- Scientists from Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Germany detected barium using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope located in the Atacama Desert, northern Chile.
- The scientists confirmed the presence of hydrogen, lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, vanadium, chromium, manganese and iron in the atmosphere of the WASP-76 b, in addition to barium.
- In WASP 121b, they confirmed the presence of lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron and nickel.
- Additionally, the team found elements such as cobalt and strontium. They also found indications of titanium in the exoplanet.
- The presence of heavy elements at high altitudes in the atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters indicates that some unique atmospheric dynamics are at play.
Barium:
- This discovery of barium is surprising because heavy elements like barium are expected to quickly fall into the lower layers of the atmosphere, given these exoplanets have high gravity.
- Barium salts are used in fireworks to generate green lights.
Way Forward:
The researchers hope that their study encourages more researchers to explain the presence of these elements in the upper layers of the atmosphere.
