2 October 2026
The World Health Organization released its Global Health Estimates covering the years 2000 to 2023.
Global life expectancy stood at 73.3 years in 2023, against 73.4 years in 2019.
Healthy life expectancy was 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below the 2019 figure.
Noncommunicable diseases caused 74 per cent of all deaths in 2023, up from 58 per cent in 2000, and eight of the ten leading causes of death were noncommunicable diseases.
Ischaemic heart disease remained the single largest killer with about 9.5 million deaths and 210 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023.
Dementia moved up to fifth place among causes of death from nineteenth in 2000.
The age-standardised burden of depressive disorders rose by about 20 per cent and of anxiety disorders by about 45 per cent between 2019 and 2023.
Life expectancy (2023):
73.3 years
Healthy life expectancy (2023):
62.8 years
Share of deaths from NCDs:
74 per cent
Deaths from ischaemic heart disease:
about 9.5 million
Why it matters for exams: Global health indicators and WHO datasets are a standing source of questions on health and human development.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DALY Disability-Adjusted Life Year — One DALY is one year of healthy life lost, counting both early death and years lived in poor health.
NCD Noncommunicable disease — A disease that is not passed from person to person, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes.
2 October 2026
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs released $160 million for twelve of the most underfunded crises in the world, of which $150 million came from the Central Emergency Response Fund.
UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said money alone would not be enough and that leaders must open access and remove obstacles.
Five of the twelve crises are Afghanistan, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
Unlocking access in the ten contexts flagged by the relief chief would open the way to assistance for 11 million people.
A further $10 million is set aside for people with disabilities in the same twelve crises.
The General Assembly created the fund in 2005, and it has since channelled some $10.2 billion in more than 117 countries and territories, with an annual funding target of $1 billion.
Allocation:
$160 million
Crises covered:
12
Set aside for people with disabilities:
$10 million
Fund created by the General Assembly:
2005
Why it matters for exams: CERF and OCHA are standard questions on the UN humanitarian system and its funding.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CERF Central Emergency Response Fund — A UN pooled fund that releases money quickly for sudden or neglected emergencies.
OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — The UN Secretariat office that coordinates international relief and manages CERF.
2 October 2026
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk told a session in Geneva that the war in Ukraine is a human rights catastrophe that is growing and intensifying by the week.
His office verified 15,280 civilians killed and injured in Ukraine in the first eight months of this year, an average of more than 400 every week and 55 per cent more than in the same period in 2025.
The use of aerial glide bombs in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions killed and injured nearly 2,500 civilians in those eight months, 62 per cent more than a year earlier.
Air raid alerts in Kyiv were active for 33 hours during one 48-hour period in the week before the briefing.
An estimated 2,000 people are trapped in Oleshky without running water, electricity or gas.
Mr Türk called for confidence-building measures including local ceasefires, an end to attacks on energy infrastructure and a full exchange of prisoners of war.
Civilian casualties in eight months:
15,280
Rise over the same period in 2025:
55 per cent
Casualties from glide bombs:
nearly 2,500
Why it matters for exams: The war in Ukraine and the UN human rights machinery are central to international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN body that monitors and reports on human rights worldwide, based in Geneva.
Glide bomb Guided glide bomb — An ordinary bomb fitted with wings and guidance so an aircraft can release it far from the target.
2 October 2026
The World Food Programme warned that renewed conflict in Yemen has triggered a surge in hunger with consequences for the wider region.
Fighting between Government forces and Houthi rebels along the southwestern coast has forced nearly 150,000 people from their homes and disrupted markets.
More than 18 million people nationwide face acute food insecurity and some 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished.
Nearly three out of four households in accessible areas are unable to meet their basic needs.
The fighting has cut off access to parts of Taiz and Hudaydah, preventing the agency and its partners from reaching some 350,000 people.
At least 3,700 Yemenis have crossed the Bab al-Mandab Strait to seek shelter in Djibouti.
The agency noted that Bab al-Mandab, the Black Sea and the Strait of Hormuz are all under pressure at the same time.
Newly displaced:
nearly 150,000
Facing acute food insecurity:
more than 18 million
Acutely malnourished children under five:
some 2.2 million
Crossed to Djibouti:
at least 3,700
Why it matters for exams: Yemen, the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint and global food security link geography with current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WFP World Food Programme — The UN agency that delivers food assistance in emergencies and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020.
Bab al-Mandab Bab al-Mandab Strait — The narrow strait between Yemen and Djibouti linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
2 October 2026
The World Health Organization said repeated delays in bringing medicines, prosthetics and other supplies into Gaza risk serious consequences for patients.
Approved aid can enter the Strip only through Kerem Shalom, while Rafah is open for limited movement of people including patients travelling for treatment abroad.
At least four other entry points remain closed: Kissufim, Gate 96, Erez and Erez West.
Over six months one shipment of prosthetics and assistive devices was rejected four times, while almost 87 per cent of medicines were approved and just over 1 per cent rejected.
The agency asked for unimpeded and predictable entry of health supplies at scale and for a multi-crossing model.
Almost two million people need shelter against the cold and the risk of flooding as winter begins.
Mine action partners said they still lack the permissions and equipment to remove unexploded ordnance hazards identified in the rubble during 37 assessment missions.
Crossing open for aid:
Kerem Shalom
Medicines approved:
almost 87 per cent
People needing shelter:
almost two million
Mine assessment missions:
37
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian access, crossings and WHO's role in conflict zones are frequently examined.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Dual use Dual-use goods — Items that can serve both civilian and military purposes, and are therefore often restricted at borders.
2 October 2026
The International Maritime Organization said three hijacked ships have been freed after months in captivity off Somalia.
Five seafarers died during the operation to free the HONOUR 25 in Somali waters on 29 September, and several other crew members were seriously injured.
The other two vessels released were the SEAMULL, also known as SIBU 1, and the MT EUREKA, all three seized between April and August.
In total 44 seafarers were freed and their governments are arranging repatriation, while 22 seafarers remain captive aboard the ASANA.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said seafarers should not have to lose their lives for the service they provide for the world.
He pointed to the EUNAVFOR Aspides and Atalanta operations as important for maritime security in the region and to a proposed Group of Friends of Safety and Security of Shipping and Seafarers.
Seafarers freed:
44
Seafarers still captive:
22
Seafarers killed in the HONOUR 25 operation:
five
Ships released:
three
Why it matters for exams: Piracy off Somalia, the IMO and naval operations in the Indian Ocean are regular topics in security and geography papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
IMO International Maritime Organization — The UN agency for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of pollution from ships.
Operation Atalanta European Union Naval Force Operation Atalanta — The EU naval mission launched to counter piracy off the Horn of Africa.
1 October 2026
The United States National Park Service confirmed that the Holei Sea Arch in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean.
The 90-foot arch was still standing on Wednesday 23 September and had collapsed by Sunday night 27 September.
The exact time of the collapse is unknown and it could have occurred while the park was temporarily closed during Tropical Storm Nolo.
Seismic activity from the 2018 Kilauea eruption had damaged the nearby cliffs.
New cracks prompted the closure of the original viewing area in January 2020, and surf from Tropical Storm Darby later broke off a chunk of rock from the lower part of the arch.
The park service warned that cliff edges in the area are unstable and can collapse without warning.
Height of the arch:
90 feet
Last seen standing:
Wednesday 23 September
Found collapsed by:
Sunday night 27 September
Park:
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Why it matters for exams: Sea arches are a textbook landform of marine erosion, and this is a dated real-world example.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Sea arch Sea arch — A natural rock bridge formed when waves cut through a headland from both sides.
Stack Sea stack — The isolated pillar of rock left standing after a sea arch collapses.
Background
Enlargement happens when new countries join the European Union, and it has taken place several times in the Union's history.
Any European country can join the EU if it fulfils the membership criteria, also known as the Copenhagen criteria.
The criteria require stable institutions that can guarantee democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the protection of minorities.
They require a functioning market economy and the ability to cope with the competitive pressure of the EU market.
They also require the ability to take on the obligations of EU membership, including the capacity to implement all EU law.
The accession process has three main steps: Candidacy, Membership negotiations and Accession.
A country wishing to join submits a membership application to the Council of the EU, which asks the European Commission to check whether the applicant can fulfil the criteria; all EU Member States must agree before candidate status is granted.
During membership negotiations the candidate prepares to implement EU laws and standards, known as the acquis, and the accession treaty must be approved by the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament before being signed and ratified by all EU Member States and the candidate country.
Membership criteria:
The Copenhagen criteria
Steps in the accession process:
Candidacy, Membership negotiations, Accession
Application goes to:
The Council of the EU
Body of EU laws and standards:
The acquis
Accession treaty approved by:
European Commission, European Council and European Parliament
Why it matters for exams: The Copenhagen criteria and the acquis are the two terms most often tested on EU enlargement.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Copenhagen criteria The EU's membership criteria — They cover political stability, a functioning market economy and the ability to take on EU obligations.
Acquis The body of EU laws and standards — A candidate country must prepare to implement it during negotiations.
Accession treaty The treaty setting the terms of a country's EU membership — It names the date on which the country officially joins.
Background
In July 1944, one year before the end of World War II, delegates from 44 countries met for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
The conference aimed to create the framework for post-war international economic cooperation and reconstruction.
Its intellectual leaders were John Maynard Keynes, Adviser to the Treasury in the United Kingdom, and Harry Dexter White, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the United States.
The conference resulted in the formation of two institutions, the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is the World Bank.
Most of the time at the conference went to the IMF Commission under Harry Dexter White, while the World Bank Commission's work occurred only in the last few days.
The World Bank's articles of agreement, primarily drafted by John Maynard Keynes, covered rebuilding war-devastated economies and increasing the economic development of developing countries.
The Bank's first loan was to France, and the first loan to a non-European country was to Chile in 1948 for $13.5M USD for hydroelectric power generation.
The International Finance Corporation was established in 1956 and the International Development Association was created in 1960 for less creditworthy members.
Conference held:
July 1944, at the Mount Washington Hotel, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Countries represented:
44
Institutions created:
International Monetary Fund and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
First non-European loan:
Chile, 1948, $13.5M USD
IFC and IDA created:
1956 and 1960
Why it matters for exams: The number of countries at Bretton Woods, the two institutions it created and Keynes's role are standard economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development — The institution created at Bretton Woods that is known as the World Bank.
IDA International Development Association — Created to provide resources for less creditworthy members.
Articles of agreement The founding charter of an international financial institution — The World Bank's were primarily drafted by John Maynard Keynes.
Background
Goal 6 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals is ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
1.8 billion people still do not have drinking water on-premises.
3.4 billion people, nearly half the world's population, still lacked safely managed sanitation, including 354 million who practiced open defecation.
Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene can save 1.4 million lives per year.
Better water, sanitation and hygiene could prevent the deaths of around 1,000 children under 5 per day.
Approximately 10 percent of the global population lives in countries with high or critical water stress.
Water-related disasters have dominated the list of disasters over the past 50 years and account for 70% of all deaths related to natural disasters.
44% of household wastewater is not treated properly, and 72% of all freshwater withdrawals are used by agriculture.
In July 2010 the United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to water and sanitation.
Without drinking water on-premises:
1.8 billion people
Lacking safely managed sanitation:
3.4 billion people, including 354 million practising open defecation
Lives that could be saved each year:
1.4 million
Share of deaths from natural disasters:
70% are water-related
Freshwater withdrawals used by agriculture:
72%
Right to water recognized:
July 2010, by the UN General Assembly
Why it matters for exams: These are the headline global water and sanitation figures the UN itself publishes, and SDG 6 is a standard question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SDG 6 Sustainable Development Goal 6 — Availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Safely managed sanitation Use of improved facilities where waste is safely disposed of or treated — A stricter measure than simply having a toilet.
Water stress Demand for water exceeding the available supply — About 10 percent of the world lives in countries with high or critical water stress.
Background
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six main bodies of the United Nations. All six were established under the UN Charter when the Organization was founded in 1945. ECOSOC has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues. It serves as the central mechanism for the activities of the UN system and its specialised agencies in those fields, and it supervises subsidiary and expert bodies. The United Nations describes it as its central platform for reflection, debate and innovative thinking on sustainable development.
Members:
54
Term:
Three years
Elected by:
UN General Assembly
Main bodies of the UN:
6
Why it matters for exams: The membership figure and term length of ECOSOC are standard objective questions on the UN's principal organs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council — The UN's principal organ for economic, social and environmental coordination.
Background
The Trusteeship Council is one of the six main bodies of the United Nations, established in 1945 by the UN Charter under Chapter XIII. It was created to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories placed under the administration of seven Member States, and to prepare them for self-government or independence. The Council suspended its operations on 1 November 1994, a month after the independence of Palau, the last remaining United Nations trust territory. By a resolution adopted on 25 May 1994 it amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually, agreeing instead to meet as occasion requires. It can now be convened by its own decision, by the decision of its President, or at the request of a majority of its members, the General Assembly or the Security Council. Its membership is the five permanent members of the Security Council: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Operations suspended:
1 November 1994
Trust Territories supervised:
11
Administering Member States:
7
Charter chapter:
Chapter XIII
Why it matters for exams: The suspension of the Trusteeship Council and its unusual membership are frequently asked when the UN's six principal organs are tested.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Trust Territory Territory under the International Trusteeship System — A territory placed under UN supervision to be prepared for self-government or independence.