Why it is in the news
A 9 October 2026 debate in The Hindu between political theorist Valerian Rodrigues and Supreme Court lawyer Disha Wadekar asked whether legal guarantees are enough to abolish untouchability. It was prompted by a “purification” ritual at Ramlila Maidan, Haldwani (Uttarakhand), held after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who is Dalit, addressed a rally there in August 2026.
The exam angle
Issue: Seventy-six years after Article 17, why does the purity–pollution idea keep coming back in new forms, and can criminal law alone dismantle it?