IASbaba's Daily Current Affairs Analysis
Archives
(PRELIMS Focus)
International Air Transport Association (IATA): Global Airline Industry Body
Economy
Why in News?
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) opposed a proposal to temporarily discontinue 265 of Mumbai airport’s 770 weekly international departure slots from 25 October 2026. The proposal was linked to Terminal 1 redevelopment and the transition of some domestic operations. The Ministry of Civil Aviation subsequently asked the airport operator to defer the plan and consult stakeholders on alternatives.
Key Facts about IATA
- Established: 19 April 1945, Havana, Cuba.
- Headquarters: Montreal, Canada.
- Nature: Global trade association representing airlines; not a UN specialised agency.
- Membership: Over 370 airlines from more than 120 countries, representing approximately 85% of global air traffic.
- Mission: To represent, lead and serve the airline industry.
Major Functions
- Develops common industry standards for airline operations, ticketing, baggage and cargo.
- Facilitates airline financial settlement systems.
- Publishes the Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) for air transport.
- Represents airline interests in discussions with governments and aviation authorities.
IATA vs ICAO
| IATA | ICAO |
| Airline trade association | UN specialised agency |
| Founded in 1945 | Established under the 1944 Chicago Convention |
| Represents airlines | Coordinates international civil aviation standards among states |
| Headquarters: Montreal | Headquarters: Montreal |
Source/Reference:
Hidimba Temple: A Unique Pagoda-Style Temple in Himachal Pradesh
Art & Culture
Why in News?
President Droupadi Murmu visited the historic Hidimba Temple in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, on 7 October 2026 during her three-day visit to the state.
Key Facts
- Location: Dhungri, Manali, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh.
- Built: 1553 CE, during the reign of Kullu ruler Bahadur Singh.
- Dedicated to: Hidimbi (Hidimba), wife of Bhima, one of the five Pandavas in the Mahabharata.
- Local significance: Worshipped as the presiding deity of Manali.
- Setting: Surrounded by a dense forest of deodar trees, locally associated with Dhungiri Van Vihar.
Architectural Features
- Style: Pagoda-style architecture, uncommon among Indian temples but found in Himalayan regions and Nepal.
- Structure: Distinctive wooden temple with a four-tiered roof, supported by wooden pillars.
- Materials: Primarily wood and stone, with deodar wood used extensively.
- Craftsmanship: Intricate carvings on wooden walls, doors and windows depict animals, plants, musicians and mythological scenes.
Sources:
JOSH Teams: Youth-Led Community Action for TB Elimination
Science & Technology
Why in News?
On 8 October 2026, the Union Health Minister launched JOSH (Joint Squad for Health) Teams under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to strengthen youth-led community mobilisation for tuberculosis (TB) elimination. In the first phase, the initiative covers 55 districts across 11 States and Union Territories.
Key Features
-
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Collaborating ministries: Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of Defence.
- Composition: Each team comprises five MY Bharat volunteers and five National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, led by a designated Class-I officer at the block/ward level.
- Major functions:
-
- Spread awareness about TB symptoms, prevention and early diagnosis.
- Encourage timely treatment and completion of prescribed medication.
- Address myths, stigma and discrimination associated with TB.
- Connect vulnerable individuals with healthcare services.
- Digital support: A dedicated JOSH Teams feature on the TB Mukt Bharat App supports implementation and monitoring.
Static–Dynamic Linkages
- TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan: India’s national effort to eliminate TB ahead of the global 2030 target.
- WHO End TB Strategy: Global framework aimed at ending the TB epidemic by 2030.
- Ni-kshay: India’s digital platform supporting TB patient notification and programme monitoring.
- Community participation: JOSH reflects a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to public health.
Sources:
Garo Tribe: Culture, Distribution and Sixth Schedule Governance
Indian Society
Why in News?
The Meghalaya Cabinet approved a second six-month extension of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) on 7 October 2026, delaying elections until 2027. The delay is linked to earlier law-and-order disturbances, constituency delimitation and revision of electoral rolls.
Key Facts about the Garo Tribe
- Major habitat: Garo Hills region of Meghalaya, particularly West Garo Hills, East Garo Hills and South Garo Hills; also found in neighbouring Assam and Bangladesh.
- Self-designation: A’chik.
- Language: Garo, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman language family.
- Traditional social structure: Predominantly matrilineal—descent and inheritance are traced through the female line.
- Traditional religion: Songsarek; many Garos today follow Christianity.
- Festivals: Wangala, the post-harvest festival dedicated to the Sun-god Misi Saljong, is a major cultural celebration.
- Livelihoods: Agriculture, traditionally including shifting cultivation, alongside settled farming and other occupations.
Constitutional and Administrative Linkage
- GHADC: A district council established under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Constitutional provisions: Article 244(2) and Article 275(1) are relevant to tribal administration and grants.
- Composition: 30 seats—29 elected and one nominated by the Governor.
- Sixth Schedule: Provides for Autonomous District Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
Sources:
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV): A Threat to Wild Carnivores
General Science
Why in News?
A three-year-old tigress being treated for suspected Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) infection died at Kanha Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, on 6 October 2026. Biological samples were sent for laboratory examination. The incident highlights the risk of infectious diseases spreading from domestic or free-ranging dogs to wild carnivores.
About Canine Distemper
- Causative agent: Canine distemper virus, an enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus belonging to the genus Morbillivirus, family Paramyxoviridae.
- Nature: Highly contagious, potentially fatal viral disease.
- Hosts: Domestic dogs, ferrets and several wild carnivores, including tigers, lions and other susceptible mammals.
- Transmission: Primarily through respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected animals or their secretions.
- Affected systems: Respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems.
- Symptoms: Fever, nasal discharge, coughing, diarrhoea, muscle twitching, seizures and neurological impairment.
- Treatment: No specific cure; treatment is supportive. Vaccination is the principal preventive measure for domestic dogs.
Ecological Significance
- Domestic and free-ranging dogs can act as reservoirs and sources of infection for wildlife.
- CDV outbreaks can threaten vulnerable carnivore populations and complicate wildlife conservation.
- Dog vaccination, disease surveillance and responsible management of free-ranging dogs around protected areas can reduce transmission risks.
Source/Reference:
(MAINS Focus)
Are Legal Guarantees Insufficient in Abolishing Untouchability?
GS II – Polity and Governance / GS I – Society
Caste Discrimination, Constitutional Rights, and Social Reform
Introduction
In August 2026, the performance of a “purification” ritual by certain Hindu groups in Uttarakhand—at the location where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who belongs to a Dalit community, addressed a public rally—led to a national conversation on untouchability. The Uttarakhand BJP chief defended the ritual as meant to “cleanse” the area of the ideas Kharge was espousing. An FIR was registered after sustained campaign. This raises a fundamental question: Are legal guarantees insufficient in abolishing untouchability? Valerian Rodrigues and Disha Wadekar discuss, arguing that legal guarantees are necessary but not adequate.
The Two Dimensions of Untouchability
Ambedkar’s Approach
- Abolition of Untouchable Practices: Legal regime to checkmate obvious practices.
Gandhi’s Approach
- Social Conscience: Needs to change.
The Reality
- Legal Regime: Came after Independence.
- Social Conscience: Remains frozen.
The Nature of Law: What It Can and Cannot Do
Disha Wadekar’s Argument
- Law’s Limitations: Formal law is not an embodiment of perfection meant to rectify an imperfect society.
- Law of Caste: Has been in operation for thousands of years.
- Legal Consciousness: Shaped by everyday experience of law; contextual, individualistic, social.
- The Break: The only break to the law of caste has been the formal rule of law.
- Emancipatory for Dalits: The rule of law regime was emancipatory.
- Question: Is it sufficient to annihilate caste?
What the Legal Regime Has Achieved (Valerian Rodrigues)
- Checkmated: Wider and obvious practices of untouchability.
- Provided Instruments: For conscious sections of Dalits and non-Dalits to fight.
- Decline: Preventing access to wells, public places, institutions, and violence against Dalit workers has declined a lot.
- Counterfactual: We do not know what would have happened without it.
The Evolution of Discrimination
Traditional Forms
- Obvious Practices: Access to wells, public places, institutions; violence.
Reactionary Forms (Disha Wadekar)
- Social Mobility: Dalit mobility has increased; led to discontent among oppressor communities.
- Reservation Hatao Andolan: One instance.
- Newer Atrocities: “How dare you sit next to me?” or “How dare you share the same privilege?”
Notions in the Mind (Valerian Rodrigues)
- Ambedkar’s Insight: Untouchability is “notions in the mind,” instilled in both Dalits and non-Dalits.
- Missed Opportunity: Practices from 1939-1949 to reopen Indian society and make this an internal value were not embraced.
- Intermingling: Inter-dining and inter-marriages have disappeared from public spaces.
- Need: Institutions and practices that do not allow such notions to take root in children.
Reimagining Law: Beyond Carceral Regimes
Limits of Criminal Law (Disha Wadekar)
- Stricter Punishments: Do not have presumed results in gender crimes, caste crimes, other social crimes.
- Judicial Actors as Social Actors: Criminal law regime does not change the mindset of judges; can become counterproductive.
- Marginalised Communities: Increasingly not relying on carceral regimes.
Beyond Criminal Law
- Civil Law and Civil Remedies: Unexplored arena; burden of proof is not as high.
- POSH Act: Example of civil remedy for gender discrimination.
- Localised Dispute Resolution: Sharia adalats; Gram Sabhas as centres for dispute resolution.
Way Forward: Social Reopening
The “Common” (Valerian Rodrigues)
- Forgotten: There is something called the “common” that needs reinforcement.
- Textbooks: Can be changed a great deal.
- Teacher Training: At the lowest level can be changed.
- Urban Planning: Dalits often made to congregate into certain spaces; must be broken.
Breaking Normalcy
- Separate Anganwadis, Water Taps: Normalcy of “Dalits should have their own” must be broken.
- Assault on Untouchable Practices: Requires social reopening.
State and Non-State Actors
- State’s Role: Encourage social reopening.
- Beyond State: Non-state actors need to be made alive to the problem.
- Conducive Setting: Current setting in India is not conducive.
Conclusion
Are legal guarantees insufficient in abolishing untouchability? Yes—necessary but not adequate. The legal regime has checkmated obvious practices and provided instruments for Dalits and non-Dalits to fight. But social conscience remains frozen; untouchability is “notions in the mind.” Discrimination has evolved into reactionary forms as Dalit social mobility has increased. Criminal law’s carceral potential has limits; stricter punishments do not change mindsets of judicial actors who are also social actors. Beyond criminal law, civil remedies and localised dispute resolution mechanisms offer unexplored possibilities. Ultimately, abolishing untouchability requires social reopening—reinforcing the “common,” changing textbooks and teacher training, breaking the normalcy of separate spaces, and making both state and non-state actors alive to the problem. Legal guarantees are necessary; but without social change, they remain insufficient.
Practice Question
- Legal guarantees are necessary but not adequate to abolish untouchability; social conscience must change alongside law. Critically examine the interplay between law and social change in addressing caste discrimination in India. (250 words, 15 marks)
As Yemen's Old Conflict Flares Up, A Test for the Mecca Pact
GS II – International Relations
West Asian Geopolitics, Maritime Chokepoints, and Regional Alliances
Introduction
Yemen’s long war has flared again, this time as a spillover of the US-Iran conflict. Fighting along the Red Sea coast has intensified as Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces seek to secure the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—through which roughly 12% of global maritime trade passes—while the Iran-backed Houthis have struck Saudi airports and oil facilities. With traffic through the Strait of Hormuz restricted, the Red Sea route matters more than ever for energy exports, raising the stakes well beyond Yemen. But it is the Yemeni people, worn down by more than a decade of war, who will continue to suffer the most. The conflict is also the first real test of the Mecca Pact.
The Renewed Conflict: Context and Dynamics
The 2022 Truce and Its Collapse
- UN-Brokered Truce (2022): Largely froze fighting; gave Houthis time to regroup.
- Houthi Actions: Began targeting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea amid the Gaza war.
- Failed Campaigns: US and British strikes (2024), sustained US bombing (2025), Israeli strikes on Houthi ports—failed to defeat them.
- Truce Shattered: July 2026.
Intertwined Conflicts
- Iran and Yemen: Now intertwined.
- Tehran’s Interest: Escalation in Yemen suits Tehran—can use Houthis to gain leverage over regional chokepoints.
- Complication: Sustained war would complicate a US-Iran settlement.
Humanitarian Cost
- Yemeni People: Worn down by more than a decade of war; continue to suffer the most.
Strategic Significance: Maritime Chokepoints
Bab el-Mandeb Strait
- Traffic: ~12% of global maritime trade.
- Contest: Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces seek to secure it; Houthis threaten it.
Strait of Hormuz
- Restricted Traffic: Makes Red Sea route more important for energy exports.
- Stakes: Raised well beyond Yemen—global energy security.
Chokepoint Leverage
- Tehran’s Strategy: Use Houthis to gain leverage over the region’s chokepoints.
- Global Impact: Energy exports, maritime trade, and supply chains at risk.
The Mecca Pact: A Test
The Alliance
- Mecca Pact: Saudi-led alliance; first real test in Yemen.
- Emergency Meeting: Held in Riyadh this week.
Pakistan and Turkey’s Stance
- Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif: Pakistan and Turkey have a “presence in theatre,” but only Saudi troops engaged in combat.
- No Appetite: Neither Turkey nor Pakistan has shown much appetite to be part of an anti-Houthi offensive.
- Tehran’s Red Lines: Islamabad knows offensive support would cross Tehran’s red lines.
Limits of the Pact
- Political Backing: May offer Riyadh some political backing.
- Unlikely to Deter: Unlikely to deter the Houthis.
- Military Force: Can impose costs, but cannot by itself neutralise the group or resolve the long-running conflict.
Way Forward
Political Resolution
- Distant: A political resolution between the Houthis and the Yemeni government looks distant.
- Alternative: Another prolonged military campaign would be far worse.
Diplomatic Engagement
- US-Iran Settlement: Complicated by sustained war in Yemen.
- Regional Dialogue: Need for dialogue involving Saudi Arabia, Iran, Yemeni factions, and regional powers.
Humanitarian Imperative
- Yemeni People: Must be prioritised; humanitarian access, aid, and protection.
- Reconstruction: Long-term commitment to rebuilding Yemen.
India’s Interests
- Energy Security: Red Sea route matters for India’s energy imports.
- Diaspora: Large Indian diaspora in West Asia.
- Maritime Security: Freedom of navigation in Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz.
- Diplomacy: India can play a constructive role in promoting dialogue and stability.
Conclusion
Yemen’s long war has flared again as a spillover of the US-Iran conflict. With the Strait of Hormuz restricted, the Red Sea route and Bab el-Mandeb Strait matter more than ever for energy exports. The Mecca Pact faces its first real test—but neither Turkey nor Pakistan has shown much appetite for an anti-Houthi offensive, and the pact is unlikely to deter the Houthis. Military force can impose costs but cannot neutralise the group or resolve the conflict. A political resolution looks distant, but another prolonged military campaign would be far worse. It is the Yemeni people who will continue to suffer the most. A political resolution between the Houthis and the Yemeni government remains distant—but it is the only path to lasting peace.
Practice Question
- The renewed conflict in Yemen, intertwined with the US-Iran rivalry and the strategic significance of maritime chokepoints, poses a test for the Mecca Pact. Critically examine the geopolitical dynamics of the Yemen conflict and suggest a way forward for regional stability. (250 words, 15 marks)
https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/yemen-war-red-sea-us-iran-conflict-10913063/
