CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• The Indian naval vessel INS Teg recently conducted a successful rescue mission, saving nine sailors from the Comoros-flagged oil tanker MT Falcon Prestige, which had capsized near the coast of Oman. Among the rescued were eight Indian nationals and one Sri Lankan.
• About INS Teg:
  • INS Teg (F45) is the lead ship of a trio of guided missile frigates developed under Project-17A, constructed by the Russian shipyard Yantar. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on April 27, 2012, INS Teg belongs to the modified INS Talwar-class, originally derived from the Russian Krivak III-class frigates.
• Key Features of INS Teg:
  • Weighing 3,970 tonnes, INS Teg is armed with eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, each capable of striking targets up to 290 km away.
  • The frigate spans 125 meters in length and supports operations of anti-submarine helicopters or early-warning aircraft from its deck.
  • INS Teg can achieve speeds of up to 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) and operates effectively within a range of 4,500 nautical miles (8,334 km).
  • Designed with stealth technology, the frigate minimizes radar cross-section, infrared, magnetic, and acoustic signatures, along with underwater noise emission, enhancing its stealth capabilities.

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• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has maintained its growth projection for India's GDP at 7% for the current fiscal year.
• About Asian Development Bank (ADB):
  • Established on December 19, 1966, ADB serves as the primary multilateral development bank dedicated to the Asia-Pacific region.
  • It aims to foster a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, with a commitment to eradicating extreme poverty in the region.
• Functions:
  • ADB provides assistance to its developing member countries, private sectors, and public-private partnerships through grants, loans, technical assistance, and equity investments to promote social and economic development.
  • To maximize its impact, ADB facilitates policy dialogues, offers advisory services, and mobilizes financial resources through cofinancing operations involving official, commercial, and export credit sources.
  • Headquarters: Manila, Philippines.
• Membership:
  • Membership in ADB is open to members and associate members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East, as well as other regional and non-regional developed countries that are members of the U.N. or its specialized agencies.
  • Since its inception with 31 members, ADB's membership has grown to encompass 68 countries, including 49 from Asia and the Pacific and 19 from outside the region.

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• A newly discovered microcontinent has been identified in the Davis Strait, situated between Canada's Baffin Island and Greenland.
• About the Davis Strait Proto-Microcontinent:
  • This microcontinent was recently uncovered within the Davis Strait, a significant body of water that separates Baffin Bay from the Labrador Sea, linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
  • The Davis Strait itself formed millions of years ago as tectonic plates shifted, reshaping the Earth's crust and leading to the development of a thick continental crust beneath the ocean surface.
  • Named the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent, this geological feature is characterized by a 19–24 km thick continental crust surrounded by two narrower bands of thinner (15–17 km) continental crust.
• Key Features of the Davis Strait:
  • Known as the northern extension of the Atlantic Ocean, the Davis Strait lies north of the Labrador Sea, spanning between southwestern Greenland and southeastern Baffin Island in Canada's Nunavut territory.
  • It serves as a vital part of the Northwest Passage route, facilitating maritime navigation between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
  • Baffin Bay, positioned between Greenland's west coast and Baffin Island, acts as a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean and a small sea of the North Atlantic.
  • During winter, the Davis Strait is mostly impassable due to heavy ice cover, floating icebergs, and dense fog.
  • The strait spans approximately 400 miles (650 km) north to south and varies from 200 to 400 miles in width, with water depths ranging from 1000 to 2000 meters, shallower compared to the southern Labrador Sea.

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• Recently, India's External Affairs Minister reiterated India's steadfast support for Mauritius regarding the Chagos Archipelago, aligning with its longstanding stance on decolonization.
• About the Chagos Archipelago:
  • The Chagos Archipelago is a group of islands located in the central Indian Ocean, approximately 1,000 miles (1,600 km) south of the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent.
  • Established as a British overseas territory on November 8, 1965, the archipelago includes several key islands such as Diego Garcia atoll, Danger Island, Egmont Islands, Eagle Islands, Nelsons Island, and Peros Banhos atoll. Notably, Diego Garcia houses a strategically significant US military base.
  • Climate: The islands experience a tropical marine climate characterized by high temperatures and humidity, moderated by trade winds blowing over the region.

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• Recently, the Supreme Court clarified that for Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to apply, there must be a shared intention among all co-accused individuals, indicating a collective purpose and plan.
• About Section 34 of the IPC:
  • Section 34 of the IPC addresses situations where several persons act in furtherance of a common intention.
  • It states, "When a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons shall be liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone."
  • This provision establishes joint liability for a criminal act, departing from the fundamental principle in criminal law that holds individuals responsible only for their own actions, not those of others.
  • Section 34 does not define a specific offence but rather provides a rule of evidence. It asserts that if two or more persons commit a crime with a common intention, each of them will be held equally liable.
  • The punishment under Section 34 corresponds to the offence committed. For instance, if murder is committed with a common intention, each person involved would be liable under both Section 302 (murder) and Section 34 of the IPC.
  • Section 34 is instrumental in attributing individual accountability in cases where proving individual culpability for actions committed in furtherance of a shared objective is challenging.
  • Importantly, Section 34 does not require each accused to participate actively in every aspect of the criminal act. As long as there is a mutual intention and active involvement in the overall commission of the crime, each individual will bear equal responsibility.