Topic 1: Fourth Mass Coral Reef Bleaching Event Soon
Introduction : When corals are stressed by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This is known as Coral Bleaching.
Recent Issue Regarding Coral Bleaching
- The world is on the verge of a fourth mass coral bleaching event that could see wide swathes of tropical reefs die, including parts of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
- Marine biologists are on high alert following months of record breaking ocean heat fuelled by climate change and the El Niño climate pattern.
- The previous coral bleaching events occurred in 2010 and 1998.
What are Corals?
- Corals are invertebrate creatures that form are a part of the Cnidaria, a vast and colorful group of fascinating creatures.
- Every coral animal is referred to as a polyp, and the majority of them reside in colonies, which are made up of hundreds to thousands of genetically similar polyps. Budding is the process by which the original polyp creates duplicates of itself, forming the colony.
- Within the tissues of these polyps resides microscopic algae known as zooxanthellae. There is a mutualistic relationship between the algae and corals. The zooxanthellae get their photosynthesis-related substances from the coral.
- In return, the zooxanthellae provides the coral with organic substances produced from photosynthesis, like carbohydrates, that is used by the coral polyps for the production of their calcium carbonate skeletons.
What are coral reefs?
- Millions of small polyps combine to produce massive carbonate structures that make up coral reefs. The only visible living structure from space, coral reefs are the largest living structure on Earth.
- Reef-building corals are unique to shallow tropical and subtropical waters, however corals, in general, can be found in both shallow and deep water throughout the world's oceans. This is because the algae that live in their tissues demand water that is between 22 and 29°C in temperature and requires light for photosynthesis.
Types of Coral Reefs
- Atoll, Barrier, and Fringing coral reefs are the three main varieties of coral reefs.
- The Fringing reef is the most prevalent kind of reef. This kind of reef grows straight out from the land toward the sea. Along the shoreline and on nearby islands, they serve as borders.
- An atoll is created when a volcanic island that has submerged completely below sea level has a bordering reef that keeps growing upward from it. Atolls often have an open lagoon in the center and are round or oval in shape.
- Similar to fringing reefs, barrier reefs border a shoreline, but they are divided from the land by a large body of water rather than growing straight out from the shore.
Causes of coral bleaching
- Warm Sea Temperature: Sea temperatures rise and coral reefs are destroyed by natural disasters like El Nino and marine heatwaves. A slight increase in the water temperature harm corals.
- Extreme low tides: Coral bleaching can occur when corals are exposed to excessive amounts of sunlight and UV radiation.
- Ocean acidification: Although the oceans are carbon sinks, they become increasingly acidic as a result of increased carbon dioxide levels. Because of this rise in ocean acidity, corals are unable to form the calcareous skeletons that are necessary for their survival.
- Ocean pollution: As nutrient concentrations rise, excessive phytoplankton growth results, drawing in a growing amount of marine life that could strain the reefs.
- Sedimentation: When silt and other materials from high rates of land erosion seep into ocean waters, it results in sedimentation and turbidity. Corals are often suffocated by siltation, and turbidity lowers light availability, which may inhibit photosynthesis and growth.
- Anthropogenic threat: The growth of industrial regions close to coral ecosystems, pollution from agricultural and industrial runoff, overfishing, and coral mining all have a negative effect on coral reefs.
Why is coral health important?
- Marine diversity: A wide variety of marine organism species rely on coral reefs for reproduction, food, and shelter. While robust marine life depends on healthy corals, a decline in coral cover can cause the marine line to disappear, upsetting the balance of the food chain.
- Tourism: Well-maintained coral reefs make for desirable travel destinations, and bleaching can have a detrimental impact on the local economy.
- Fishing: The seasonal movement of fish species depends on corals for fishing communities. A decline in fishing will result from unhealthy corals, which will have an effect on economic activity.
- Coastline protection: Coral reefs protect coastlines by absorbing constant wave energy from the ocean, thereby protecting people living near the coast from increased storm damage, erosion, and flooding.
Global initiatives for coral reefs protection
- Sustainable ocean initiative : To provide a global platform to build partnerships and enhance capacity to conserve and sustainably use marine and coastal biodiversity in a holistic manner.
- UN Environment global coral reef partnership: It works in partnership with Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans and other institutions on joint development of tools and methods that enable ecosystem based approaches to coral reef management;
- International coral reef initiative : A global partnership for the preservation of the world's coral reefs and associated ecosystems.
Way forward
- For coral reefs to be managed effectively, an integrated coastal management strategy is necessary. It is necessary to take action to shield them from human activity.
- Fishing operations that harm corals should be prohibited, and overexploitation of corals should be closely monitored.
- There should be limits on the pollution produced by chemicals, fertilizers, industrial wastes, and human sewage. It should be forbidden for boats to anchor in places with coral reefs.
Conclusion
Ecosystem equilibrium can be upset when coral-dominated reefs quickly give way to algae-dominated ones as a result of widespread bleaching occurrences. It might take decades or more to reverse this process, which would have devastating effect on the delicate balance of marine life and the reliance of humans on these ecosystems.
Topic 2 : For the Gaya Lals of today
Introduction : The purpose of the anti-defection provision mentioned in the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution is to stop political defections brought on by the promise of office, financial gain, or other similar factors. Parliament passed the Anti-defection law in 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1985, and it was reinforced in 2002.
Recent issue regarding the tenth Schedule
- Petitioners have raised issue regarding the Tenth Schedule, stating that it must be replaced to ensure that anyone who changes party affiliation resigns and seeks re-election.
- Earlier several issues have been raised on different grounds regarding its working.
About Anti - Defection law
- Members of Parliament (MPs) and legislators are subject to penalties under the anti-defection law if they desert from one party to another.
- In 1985, Parliament introduced it as the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution.
- Its goal was to prevent lawmakers from switching parties in order to stabilize administrations.
- The 52nd Amendment Act, 1985, added the Tenth Schedule, also referred to as the Anti-Defection Act, to the Constitution.
- It establishes the procedures for disqualifying elected officials for defecting to a different political party.
- It was a reaction to the numerous state administrations that party-hopping MLAs had overthrown following the 1967 general elections.
- It does, however, spare a group of MPs and MLAs from the consequences of defection when they merge or join another political party. Furthermore, political parties that support or welcome legislators who defect are not penalized.
- A 'defection' by one-third of the elected members of a political party was deemed a 'merger' under the 1985 Act.
- However, this was altered by the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003, which states that in order for a "merger" to be recognized by the law, at least two-thirds of the party's members must support it. Members who are legally disqualified may run for office in the same House from any political party.
Which are the grounds for being disqualified?
- If a political party member who has been elected willingly leaves the party.
- If he votes in that House or abstains from voting without first getting authorization, in defiance of any directive from his political party or anybody else with the appropriate authority.
- His party or the designated person must not excuse him from voting within 15 days of the incident in order for him to be disqualified.
- If a member who was elected independently decides to join a political party.
- In the event that a nominated person joins a political party after the six-month period has passed.
Issues with the Anti-Defection law
- Undermining Parliamentary and Representative Democracy: Following the Anti-defection law's journey, MPs and MLAs are no longer free to vote independently and must blindly obey party directives.
- The Anti-Defection law has disrupted the accountability chain by holding lawmakers primarily accountable to their political party.
- The Speaker's role is controversial as the law is unclear regarding how soon the House Chairperson or Speaker must act in anti-defection cases.
- It takes six months or even three years in certain circumstances. Certain matters are resolved after the period has ended.
- No Recognition of Split: The anti-defection statute made an exception for anti-defection verdicts as a result of the 91st amendment. The amendment, however, recognizes a "merger" rather than a "split" in a legislative party.
What are the Various Proposals Concerning the Anti-Defection Law?
- The Election Commission has proposed that in cases involving defection, it should have the last say.
- There are many who contend that defection petitions ought to be heard by the President and the Governors.
- The Supreme Court has recommended that Parliament establish an unbiased and expeditious independent tribunal to hear defection cases, to be chaired by a former higher judiciary judge.
- Several experts have declared that the law is ineffective and suggested that it be repealed. A former vice president, has proposed that it should only be used to save administrations against motions of no confidence.
Way Forward
- The attempt to find a legal solution to what is ultimately a political matter is the root cause of the issue.
- The party should fortify their internal structures if voters leaving their party is a problem that threatens the stability of government.
- Laws governing political parties in India is desperately needed. A law like this should improve intra-party democracy, subject political parties to the Right to Information (RTI), etc.
- The scope of the anti-defection law can be limited to those laws where the defeat of the government can result in a loss of confidence, so as to protect representative democracy from the harmful effects of the law.
Conclusion
To sum up, it is imperative that the 10th Schedule be regulated and that appropriate operating guidelines that respect accountability and openness in a democracy be followed. Nevertheless, this provision should also support governmental stability, which would reduce corruption and direct legislators' attention toward governance.