25 September 2026
Culture Minister P.C. Vishnunath inaugurated the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) at Kairali Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram, on Friday, 25 September 2026.
He said the government is considering a special scheme to encourage young documentary filmmakers.
The scheme would bring together the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, film societies, universities and media institutions.
The minister said Kerala was the first state in the country to grant industry status to cinema.
Filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan was the chief guest at the inauguration.
The minister said 31 films selected for the festival had not received screening permission and that the government was pursuing legal steps to screen them.
Edition:
18th IDSFFK
Venue:
Kairali Theatre, Thiruvananthapuram
Inaugurated by:
P.C. Vishnunath, Culture Minister
Films without screening permission:
31
Why it matters for exams: State festivals, the bodies behind them and Kerala's cultural-policy firsts are regular Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IDSFFK International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala — Kerala's annual festival devoted to documentaries and short films, held in Thiruvananthapuram.
Industry status — Recognition that lets a sector be treated as an industry for government support and finance.
25 September 2026
The Kerala government issued an order decentralising the distribution of flood relief to the taluk level.
Until now, distribution had been handled through the district collectorates, where the large number of applications delayed verification and approval.
Under the new system, government funds go to the District Collectors and the Tahsildars transfer the money directly to beneficiaries' bank accounts.
C-DIT has been asked to change the software to suit the new distribution method.
The relief covers Rs 300 per day for a week for flood-hit families and Rs 10,000 for cleaning damaged houses, shops, industrial units and homestays.
Asianet Newsable reported that the taluk-level model follows the one used during the 2018-19 floods.
Distributing officer:
Tahsildars
Daily assistance:
Rs 300 per day for a week
Cleaning assistance:
Rs 10,000
Software changes:
C-DIT
Why it matters for exams: Disaster-relief administration and the roles of the collector and tahsildar are core topics in Kerala PSC and UPSC governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tahsildar — The revenue officer in charge of a taluk.
C-DIT Centre for Development of Imaging Technology — A Kerala government agency that develops software and digital services for departments.
DBT Direct Benefit Transfer — Payment of government benefits straight into the beneficiary's bank account.
26 September 2026
Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated initiatives of the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) at Kundara, near Kollam, on 26 September 2026.
He released the logo of 'Vanitham – She Mart Store', a women-led cooperative marketing venture, and launched NCCF's new 'Jana' brand products.
Sales of Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice and of onions at subsidised prices were launched, and free mini-seed kits were given to women farmers.
Shah said NCCF will open more than 25,000 retail outlets and that the blue economy holds immense potential for Kerala's cooperative sector.
According to Asianet Newsable, Shah said She-Mart will grow into a network of 300 outlets across Keralam, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and noted that Kerala has more than 23,000 cooperatives.
Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi and State Ministers M. Liju and P.C. Vishnunadh attended.
Venue:
Kundara, near Kollam
Organisation:
National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF)
NCCF retail outlets planned:
more than 25,000
She-Mart network planned:
300 outlets
Cooperatives in Kerala:
more than 23,000
Why it matters for exams: Cooperative-sector institutions such as NCCF, the Ministry of Cooperation and the blue economy are frequent UPSC and Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
NCCF National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India — The national apex body of consumer cooperatives, which also sells subsidised essentials such as Bharat Atta.
Blue economy — Economic activity based on oceans, coasts and other water resources, such as fisheries and shipping.
Sahkar se Samriddhi Prosperity through cooperation — The Union government's guiding slogan for the cooperative sector.
26 September 2026
India won silver in the women's 50m rifle three positions team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
The team of Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa K Vinod and Ashi Chouksey scored 1763.
China won gold with a Games record 1773 and Kazakhstan took bronze with 1754.
Kozhikode-based Vidarsa qualified sixth for the individual final with 588; Tilottama Sen qualified with 590.
It was Vidarsa's second medal of the Games, after silver in the 10m air rifle team event.
In the individual final, Tilottama Sen finished fourth and Vidarsa Vinod fifth, with Jiayu Han of China winning gold.
India's team score:
1763
Gold:
China, 1773 (Games record)
Bronze:
Kazakhstan, 1754
Vidarsa's qualification score:
588
Why it matters for exams: Medals won by Kerala athletes at major multi-sport events are a staple of Kerala PSC sports questions.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Rifle three positions — A shooting event fired from the kneeling, prone and standing positions.
26 September 2026
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, 26 September 2026, granted permission to 23 of the 31 films initially denied clearance for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
The 31 short films and documentaries had not received exemption from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance.
Screenings of the cleared films begin on Sunday, 27 September, at Kairali, Sree and Nila theatres in Thiruvananthapuram.
Organisers said it was the first time since the festival began in 2008 that so many selected films were dropped over clearance issues.
The News Minute reported that eight films still awaited approval.
At the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala, 19 films were denied and 13 were later allowed after the Kerala government wrote to the Union Government.
Films initially denied:
31
Films cleared:
23
Ministry:
Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Festival began:
2008
Why it matters for exams: Film certification, the CBFC and the Union-State interface on festivals link polity with Kerala's cultural institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CBFC Central Board of Film Certification — The statutory body under the I&B Ministry that certifies films for public exhibition.
Censor exemption — Permission to screen an uncertified film at a festival without CBFC certification.