Mass Coral Bleaching in Lakshadweep Sea

• In the Lakshadweep Sea, extreme heatwaves combined with marine heatwaves have caused mass coral bleaching episodes. These have occurred around the Indian coast.

Heatwaves Toll on Lakshadweep’s Coral:

• The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) of ICAR carried out surveys on a number of the Lakshadweep Islands.
• According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Degree Heating Week (DHW) indicator in Lakshadweep has risen above 4 °C-weeks.
• The region’s marine ecosystems are seriously threatened by the significant risk of coral bleaching that this increase in DHW levels presents.
• If DHW rises above 12 °C-weeks, it may cause an unparalleled biodiversity crisis that results in the extinction of many species.
• Since October 2023, extended maritime heatwaves have significantly stressed coral reefs, aggravating the bleaching phenomenon.

Lakshadweep’s Coral Treasure:

Agatti Reef

• Agatti Island is located in the Arabian Sea and is a part of the Lakshadweep archipelago.
• Due to its vast coral reefs, the island is a well-liked location for scuba divers and snorkelers.
• Numerous coral species, including giant corals like Porites, branching corals like Acropora, and table corals like Acropora Hyacinthus, make up the coral reefs surrounding Agatti Island.
• These corals create complex reef structures that serve as a home and food source for a wide variety of marine life.

What causes Coral Bleaching?

• Under circumstances such as extreme heat, pollution, or elevated ocean acidity, the zooxanthellae begin generating reactive oxygen species that are detrimental to the corals.
• Because corals are unable to create their own food, they expel the algae that gives their polyps color, exposing their light white exoskeleton and causing coral hunger.
• Coral death may result from severe bleaching and extended stress in the external environment.

Which of the following have coral reefs? 2014

1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

West Nile Fever Outbreak in Kerala

• The resurgence of West Nile fever cases in the districts of Thrissur, Malappuram, and Kozhikode was revealed by the Kerala government.
• The first incidence of West Nile fever was identified in Kerala in 2011, and a six-year-old child from Malappuram died from the disease in 2019.

West Nile Fever: What Is It?

• The West Nile Virus (WNV), which is spread by bites from infected Culex mosquitoes, is the cause of West Nile fever.
• The WNV is a single-stranded RNA virus that is spread by mosquitoes.
• The World Health Organization states that it is a member of the family Flaviviridae, specifically the Japanese Encephalitis antigenic complex, under the flavi-virus genus.

How does it spread?

• The virus is spread by infected mosquitoes between humans and animals, particularly birds, which serve as the virus’ reservoir host.
• When mosquitoes bite on infected birds, they contract the virus, which stays in their blood for a few days.
• Eventually, the virus enters the salivary glands of the mosquito.
• The virus may be transferred into humans and animals during subsequent blood meals (when mosquitoes bite), where it can proliferate and potentially cause disease.
• In addition, blood transfusions, mother-to-child transmission, and laboratory exposure are three more ways that WNV can spread.
• It is unknown if humans or animals who are afflicted can contract it through touch.

Symptoms of WNV infection:

• For eighty percent of those affected, the disease presents no symptoms.
• The remaining individuals experience what is known as severe West Nile disease or West Nile fever.
• Fever, headache, exhaustion, body aches, nausea, rash, and swollen glands are among the symptoms in about 20% of cases.

Consider the following statements: 2017

1. In tropical regions, Zika virus disease is transmitted by the same mosquito that transmits dengue.
2. Sexual transmission of Zika virus disease is possible.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

DRIP PRICING

Recently, the Center issued a warning on “drip pricing,” claiming that it may surprise customers with “hidden charges.”

Context:

• The Department of Consumer Affairs advised those who require assistance with “drip pricing” to contact NCH 1915 or send an email to 8800001915.

About DRIP PRICING

• Businesses that employ drip pricing only reveal a portion of a product’s price (also known as the “headline price”) at first.
• Further fees are progressively disclosed to the customer as they move through the purchasing process.
• This method may result in “hidden charges” that catch customers off guard.

Key Points:

• First Advertisement: Businesses may run an advertisement with a base price that excludes all required fees, including credit card, booking, and service charges.
• Incremental Disclosure: At the time of purchase, the buyer is informed of any additional expenditures, which may be inevitable, one at a time or “dripped” in.
• Common Use: This payment method is frequently used for various online transactions, as well as in the travel and hospitality sectors.
• Customer Impact: For customers who anticipate knowing the entire cost up front, it may make comparison shopping challenging and lead to annoyance.
• An illustration of drip pricing would be an airplane ticket that is advertised without including luggage fees.

Custodial Death

The need of taking a “more rigorous approach” is something that the Supreme Court has highlighted while evaluating bail requests from police personnel accused in situations involving deaths that occur in custody.

Context:

• Given that a police officer may have greater clout than the average individual, the Supreme Court has overturned a police constable’s bail decision in a case involving a death in custody.

Custodial Death:

• A death that happens while a person is in the care of law enforcement or a correctional facility is referred to as a custodial death.
• It can happen for a number of reasons, including abuse by the government, excessive force, or neglect.
• Custodial violence is defined as the crime committed by a public servant against an arrested or detained individual while they are in custody, according to the Law Commission of India.

Constitutional Framework Related to Custodial Death:

• The right to life and personal liberty, including the prohibition against torture and other cruel, inhuman, or humiliating treatment or punishment, is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
• Article 20 protects the accused—whether a foreign national, citizen, or legal entity such as a corporation or company—from arbitrary and excessive punishment. Three clauses in that regard are found in it: Article 20(1) prohibits ex post facto laws, Article 20(2) forbids double jeopardy, and Article 20(3) prohibits self-incrimination.
• The court in Selvi v. State of Karnataka noted that the state could not subject someone to a polygraph, brain mapping, or narco-analysis test without that person’s consent.

Legal Protections Associated with Custodial Death:

• According to Section 24 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, no confessions made by suspects under duress from law enforcement agents would be allowed in a court of law. The main goal of this section is to stop the accused from employing coercion to force confessions against his will.
• The Indian Penal Code (IPC) criminalizes inflicting voluntary or severe harm on someone in order to get information or a confession. Sections 330 and 331 specifically address this.
• In 2009, safeguards were added to Section 41 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to ensure that: Arrests and detentions for questioning have justifiable grounds and documented procedures; arrests are transparent to the public, family, and friends; and there is legal representation for protection.

International Conventions Against Custodial Torture:

• A clause in the 1948 International Human Rights Law shields individuals from torture and other forms of forced disappearance.
• The 1945 United Nations Charter mandates that prisoners be treated with dignity. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights all clearly outline prisoners’ fundamental freedoms and human rights, even in the face of incarceration, according to the Charter.
• A clause in the International Human Rights Law shields individuals from torture and other forms of forced disappearance.
• The United Nations General Assembly enacted the Nelson Mandela Rules of 2015, which forbid torture and other forms of ill-treatment and require that detainees be treated with inherent dignity.
• The United Nations Convention Against Torture (UNCAT) is a global human rights agreement that falls under the jurisdiction of the UN and attempts to outlaw torture as well as other instances of cruel, brutal, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Way Forward to Combat Custodial Torture:

• Enhancing Legal Frameworks by passing comprehensive laws that specifically make torture in custody illegal, as the Supreme Court did in the Prakash Singh Case of 2006. In order to enhance law enforcement, the SC ordered the division of the roles of investigation and law enforcement, the creation of National Security Commissions, and the establishment of State Security Commissions (SSCs) with participation from civil society.
• by making certain that claims of torture while in custody are promptly and impartially investigated.
• by adding a stronger emphasis on respect for human rights and dignity in police training programs.
• through encouraging law enforcement organizations to have a professional, empathetic, and accountable culture.
• By putting in place monitoring procedures to effectively track and handle instances of torture committed while a person is in custody.
• enabling human rights organizations and civil society to actively fight for the rights of torture victims incarcerated. Any complaint should be open to investigation by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), even if a year has passed after the alleged violation of human rights. Its jurisdiction ought to be extended, subject to suitable procedures, to cases involving the military forces violating human rights.
• by offering victims and their families support and legal counsel.
• through working together to seek justice and restitution with international human rights bodies and organizations.