UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS — 25 OCTOBER 2026
1. Why Sensitive Legal Language Matters
(POLITY AND GOVERNANCE) (TH) The Karnataka High Court has directed Family Courts to replace ‘visitation’ with ‘parenting time’ in child-custody cases. The order adds to a wider push by the Supreme Court to make judicial language free of stereotypes.
Sensitive legal language means words in judgments, orders and pleadings that avoid stereotypes and protect dignity — for example, ‘survivor’ in place of ‘prosecutrix’.
Constitutional and legal basis
- Articles 14, 15 and 21: Equality, non-discrimination and dignity (see Right to Equality).
- Article 51A(e): Fundamental duty to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
- Survivor-centred laws: POCSO Act 2012, POSH Act 2013, and in-camera rape trials under Section 366(2), BNSS 2023.
Milestones in judicial language reform
| Year | Step | Key point |
| 2021 | Aparna Bhat v. State of MP | Barred stereotyped reasoning and bail conditions like tying a rakhi in sexual-offence cases |
| 2023 | Handbook on Combating Gender Stereotypes | Glossary of unjust terms with alternatives (e.g. ‘unwed mother’ → ‘mother’) |
| 2024 | Nipun Malhotra v. Sony Pictures | Creative freedom does not cover mocking persons with disabilities |
| 2026 | Handbook on Judgments and Gender | Revised guide; ‘survivor’ for ‘prosecutrix’, ‘bodily autonomy’ for ‘modesty’ |
| Oct 2026 | Karnataka HC order | ‘Parenting time’ in place of ‘visitation’ |
Words in judgments ➜ Shape reasoning ➜ Affect outcomes & trust ➜ Dignity in justice
Why ‘visitation’ matters
‘Visitation’ casts a parent as a guest in the child’s life and reinforces the idea that mothers nurture while fathers only pay. ‘Parenting time’ recognises shared responsibility.
Challenges
- Statutory gap: Sections 74 and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 still use ‘modesty’.
- Surface change: Swapping words may leave ‘rape myths’ and ‘real victim’ stereotypes intact.
- Local languages: Trial courts work in many languages; one English glossary is not enough.
- Bench diversity: Few women judges in the higher judiciary (see Women and society).
Way forward
- Training: Judicial academies to audit judgments for stereotypes.
- Law reform: Replace ‘modesty’ with ‘bodily autonomy’ in the BNS.
- Vernacular glossaries: High Court circulars for regional-language equivalents.
📖 Read More: Right to Equality • Equality, Empowerment and Women-led Development • Important Cases and Judgements
2. Cutting Dependence on Foreign Tech
(SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) (TW) India relies heavily on foreign technology in satellite communications, navigation, cloud computing and defence. Recent events — from conflicts abroad to satellite-internet licensing at home — show how such dependence can be used as leverage.
Where dependence bites
| Area | Risk |
| Satellite internet | Control of beams and access can stay with a foreign operator; services can be throttled in a crisis |
| Navigation | Reliance on foreign systems like GPS during conflict |
| Cloud | Data on foreign-owned platforms may not ensure digital sovereignty |
| Defence | Imported engines and components expose programmes to foreign policy shifts |
- Satellite licensing: India’s conditions for satellite internet include data localisation, lawful interception, routing through Indian gateways and an area-wise ‘kill switch’ (report).
- Lesson from Ukraine: Its forces depend on a foreign satellite network whose speed limits it does not control.
Foreign platform ➜ Single point of control abroad ➜ Leverage in crisis ➜ Strategic vulnerability
India’s building blocks
| Domain | Indigenous option |
| Payments | UPI by NPCI — independent of global card networks |
| Navigation | NavIC regional system (see Satellite navigation) |
| Government cloud | MeghRaj, run through NIC |
| Operating system | BOSS Linux by C-DAC |
Way forward
- Risk-based self-reliance: Prioritise defence, cyber, chip design and strategic satellite services (see Semiconductors).
- Safeguards: Security audits and local data rules for foreign digital infrastructure (see Data localisation).
- Open, not closed: Collaborate globally where it speeds innovation; avoid blanket protectionism.
📖 Read More: Space Security and Strategic Competition • Digital Infrastructure in India • Data Localisation and Privacy Issues
3. Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network
(ENVIRONMENT) (DTE) Yak herders from Bhutan, India and Nepal launched the first Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network on 23 October 2026 at Bhutan’s ninth Royal Highland Festival, to protect herding livelihoods and high-altitude rangelands.
About the network
| Feature | Details |
| Members | Yak Federation of India, Bhutan Yak Federation, Yak and Chauri Farmers Federation Nepal |
| Secretariat | Bhutan |
| Origin | Idea from 2016 under ICIMOD’s Kangchenjunga Landscape initiative |
| Aims | Advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity building and cross-border cooperation |
- Why it matters: Rangelands cover over 60% of the Hindu Kush Himalaya and support about 25–30 million people.
- Threats: Shrinking pastures, climate change, wildlife attacks, loss of yak genetic diversity and youth migration.
Yak in India
| Fact | Details |
| Population | About 58,000 (20th Livestock Census, 2019) |
| Food animal | Approved by FSSAI in 2022 |
| Research | ICAR–National Research Centre on Yak, Dirang (Arunachal Pradesh) |
| Wild yak | Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List |
Healthy rangelands ➜ Viable herding ➜ Herders stay ➜ Living mountain culture
ICIMOD (1983, Kathmandu) has eight member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
📖 Read More: Biosphere Reserves in India • Introduction to Indian Agriculture
4. World Iodine Deficiency Day
(SOCIAL JUSTICE) (NOA) On World Iodine Deficiency Day (21 October), the Health Ministry urged citizens to use iodised salt in moderation. Iodine is vital for thyroid function, brain development and growth.
Iodine deficiency disorders
- Goitre: Enlarged thyroid gland.
- Hypothyroidism: Slowed metabolism, fatigue, weight gain.
- In pregnancy: Risk of cretinism, stillbirth and learning disabilities in children.
India’s response
National Goitre Control Programme (1962) ➜ Universal salt iodisation policy ➜ Renamed NIDDCP (1992) ➜ Monitoring salt quality
- NIDDCP: National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme — ensures iodised salt, lab monitoring and awareness.
- Balance: Use iodised salt, but limit total salt to protect heart health (see Health and Nutrition).
📖 Read More: Health and Nutrition • Major Human Diseases