The annual Amarnath Yatra, which is currently underway and will continue until August 9 this year, is sustained by thousands of families — ponywalas and their sure-footed mountain horses from Anantnag, pithoos who carry heavy loads for miles, tent owners who provide shelter from the extreme climate, and drivers who help ferry everything from diesel generators to oxygen cylinders. Meet the generations of men drawn from the remote villages of Anantnag district who are making the gruelling climb a little easier, and continue to symbolise the ‘insaaniyat’ of Kashmir, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.

With that, let’s move on to the top 5 stories from today’s edition:

🚨 Big Story

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Exactly a month after Air India flight AI 171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick — crashed moments after take-off, killing 241 of the 242 people onboard and many on the ground, the preliminary investigation report has revealed that the Boeing 787-8 aircraft’s engine fuel control switches transitioned from ‘RUN’ to ‘CUTOFF’ position within a second of each other moments after lift-off. According to the report released by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), one of the pilots can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he cut off the fuel, to which the other pilot responded by saying that he did not.

Hours after the preliminary report on the worst aviation disaster involving an Indian airline in four decades was released, Boeing, in a statement, said that it will continue to provide all support required for the probe. Air India, too, acknowledged the report, saying that it was “working closely with stakeholders, including regulators”.

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According to pilots and experts, these switches are usually moved only when the aircraft is on ground — to start the engines before departure and to shut them down after landing. Movement of either of the switches during the flight would be required only in the event of corresponding engine failing or suffering enough damage that would require shutting off fuel supply to it to ensure flight safety. What is the significance of the fuel control switches for engine performance? We explain.

⚡ Only in Express

‘Who-after-Mirabai?’ It’s a question that has grappled Indian weightlifting for long, prompting the athlete and her coach to work on the goal. Since September last year, they have been on a country-wide search, going to some of the remotest villages with rich weightlifting traditions — from Kurundwad, a tiny town on the banks of the Panchganga river in Maharashtra, to the ancient Assamese city of Sivasagar, famous for its palaces and temples. The Indian Express travels to their academy in UP, where 43 children from across the country have been lifting clean — and dreaming big.

💡 Express Explained

Appearing before the Joint Committee of Parliament on ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, four former Chief Justices of India on Friday red-flagged the vast powers that the Election Commission holds in the proposed law for holding simultaneous polls. Former CJIs J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud expressed doubts whether the power of EC to decide if simultaneous polls can be delayed for a state is constitutionally permissible. However, it is learnt that Justice Chandrachud told the committee that the EC’s powers might suffer from constitutional infirmities. We explain.

✍️ Express Opinion

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In our Opinion section today, Madhu Bhavaraju explains how the terms used to describe different generations, Millennials, Gen Z, Boomers, were born from Western economic, social, and political events, and they don’t account for the complex social, economic and cultural factors that play out in India. He writes: “We need a generational framework that reflects our own reality. One that is shaped by Independence and post-Independence idealism, by black-and-white Doordarshan and colour cable TV, by the 1991 liberalisation and the 2010s internet boom.”

🍿 Movie Review

Wondering what to watch this weekend? We’ve got you covered! Vikrant Massey and Shanaya Kapoor-starrer Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan has hit the theatres, bringing with it a reminiscent of Ruskin Bond’s short story, ‘The Eyes Have It,’ where both protagonists are visually impaired, with a twist. Here we have one who genuinely can’t see, and another is only trying it on, both on their way to Mussoorie. In her review, Shubhra Gupta writes that the film “wants to be a love story which makes us laugh and cry, but by the time it gets to where it needs to reach, we have moved through many other emotions, disbelief and exasperation jostling for top position.”

That’s all for today. Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time,

Ariba