29 September 2026
The Kerala Cabinet meeting of 23 September 2026 decided to dissolve the existing Loka Kerala Sabha and bring in a more efficient alternative mechanism for expatriate welfare. A sub-committee chaired by the Chief Minister, with the Ministers for Industries, Home, Health and Irrigation, will study and prepare a plan to convert the 'remittance economy' into an 'investment economy'. The Cabinet also decided that the state will submit proposals to the Centre on the Western Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area issue. The state government is now led by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan.
Cabinet meeting:
23 September 2026
Sub-committee chair:
Chief Minister
Why it matters for exams: Cabinet decisions on Kerala's expatriate policy and Loka Kerala Sabha are standard Kerala PSC current-affairs material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
The Kerala Cabinet on 23 September 2026 decided to give ₹8 lakh each to the families of those who lost their lives in the rain-related disasters in Malappuram, Idukki and Kottayam districts. Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan said nine deaths were covered, including a flash flood in the Kottapuzha river near Nilambur and landslides and other rain-related incidents in Idukki and Kottayam. The same meeting decided on a coordinated road safety campaign under the Transport Department, combining awareness with strict action against violations.
Aid per family:
₹8 lakh
Deaths covered:
9
Why it matters for exams: Disaster-relief packages and KSDMA-related decisions are frequent Kerala PSC current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSC
29 September 2026
Culture Minister P. C. Vishnunadh said on 25 September 2026 that the government is considering a special scheme to encourage young documentary filmmakers. He was inaugurating the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala at the Kairali Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. The scheme would bring together the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, film societies, universities and media institutions. The minister said 31 films selected for the festival had not received screening permission and the government is pursuing legal efforts to screen them. Adoor Gopalakrishnan was chief guest.
Festival edition:
18th
Films without screening permission:
31
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's cultural institutions, festivals and film policy are recurring Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSC
29 September 2026
The Sixteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly has been summoned to meet for its second session at 9.00 a.m. on Monday, 12 October 2026, according to the Kerala Legislature website. The session is scheduled from 12 to 29 October 2026. Its business is the supplementary demands for grants in the Revised Budget for 2026-27 and demands for excess grants for five financial years. The Legislature has also listed the days on which Ministers answer questions in this session.
Session starts:
12 October 2026
Session ends:
29 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Legislative session dates and the supplementary-grants procedure are standard polity content for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Kozhikode district administration's demography page gives the district's area as 2345 sq km.
The population of the district is listed as 30,86,293.
The literacy rate is given as 95.08%.
Kozhikode has 1 revenue division, 1 corporation and 7 municipalities.
The district is divided into 4 taluks, 12 blocks, 70 panchayats and 118 villages.
Area:
2345 sq km
Population:
30,86,293
Literacy rate:
95.08%
Panchayats:
70
Why it matters for exams: District area, population, literacy and administrative units are standard Kerala PSC recall questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The headquarters of Ernakulam district is Kakkanad and its geographical area is 2407 Sq.kms.
The district has a coastal line of 46 Kms, a water bodied area of 12,700 Hectares and forest land of 8,123 Hectares.
Its population is 32,82,388 - 16,19,557 male and 16,62,831 female.
The sex ratio is 1024 and per capita income is Rs.94392.
Ernakulam has 2 subdivisions, 7 taluks, 124 villages, 14 blocks and 84 panchayats.
It also has 1 corporation, 13 municipalities and 14 assembly segments.
Headquarters:
Kakkanad
Total population:
32,82,388
Geographical area:
2407 Sq.kms
Sex ratio:
1024
Per capita income:
Rs.94392
Why it matters for exams: Ernakulam's headquarters, population, sex ratio and administrative units are frequently asked in Kerala PSC district-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Alappuzha district administration gives its demography as per the provisional population figures of the 2011 Census.
The district's area is 1415 Sq Km.
Its total population is 2,127,789 - 1,013,142 males and 1,114,647 females.
The number of households is 534,994.
Density of population is 1504 persons per sq km and the sex ratio is 1,100 females per 1000 males.
Alappuzha has 2 revenue divisions, 6 taluks, 93 revenue villages, 12 block panchayats, 72 gram panchayats and 6 municipalities.
The district also has 33 census towns and 52 census villages.
Area:
1415 Sq Km
Total population:
2,127,789
Density of population:
1504
Sex ratio:
1,100
Households:
534,994
Why it matters for exams: Alappuzha's density and sex ratio are among the figures Kerala PSC uses to compare districts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Kerala Forest Department lists 18 sanctuaries in the state, covering 2156.21 sq km.
India has an extensive network of 573 wildlife sanctuaries spanning 123,762.56 sq km as of November 2023, which is 3.76% of the country's geographical area.
The earliest in Kerala's list was formed in 1950; the most recent is Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, formed in 2019 with an area of 227.970 sq km.
The smallest is Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary at 0.027 sq km, formed in 2004.
Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary (30.380 sq km, 2011), Choolannur Pea Fowl Sanctuary (3.420 sq km, 2007) and Kurinjimala Sanctuary (32.000 sq km, 2006) are among the newer ones.
Sanctuaries are legally protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
Each sanctuary is zoned into a core zone with no human interference, a buffer zone with controlled activities and a tourism zone within the buffer.
Sanctuaries in Kerala:
18
Combined area:
2156.21 sq km
Sanctuaries in India:
573
Newest in Kerala:
Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, 227.970 sq km
Smallest in Kerala:
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary, 0.027 sq km
Why it matters for exams: The count, total area and the oldest and newest sanctuaries in Kerala are repeat questions in Kerala PSC and UPSC environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Wayanad, Nilambur, Anamudi and Periyar are the four Elephant Reserves in Kerala, established in 2002.
The Wayanad reserve extends over 1200 sq km and covers Wayanad, Kannur and Kozhikkode districts.
Nilambur extends over 1419 sq km across Malappuram, Kozhikkode and Palakkad.
Anamudi covers 3728 sq km, and Periyar, at 3742 sq km, is the largest of the four.
The state total extent of the four reserves is 10089 sq km.
Elephant Reserves are notified after approval from a steering committee chaired by the MoEFCC, and they often overlap with existing tiger reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests.
India has 33 Elephant Reserves encompassing 80,777.778 square kilometers, and 150 elephant corridors have been identified and validated across 15 states.
Elephant Reserves in Kerala:
4
State total extent:
10089 sq km
Largest reserve:
Periyar, 3742 sq km
Elephant Reserves in India:
33
Elephant corridors identified:
150
Why it matters for exams: The names, districts and extents of Kerala's four elephant reserves are standard environment and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Kerala Forest Department lists two Biosphere Reserves in the state: Nilgiri and Agasthyamalai.
Nilgiri, also the first BR of India, extends into Karnataka, while Agasthyamalai stretches into Tamil Nadu.
The extent of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is given as 1455.40 Sq. Km, and the Kerala part includes Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Silent valley National Park and the Nilambur, Mannarkkad, Palakkad and Kozhikode forest areas.
The extent given for Agasthyamalai is 1828 Sq. Km, covering Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries along with the Achencoil, Thenmala, Konni, Punalur and Thiruvananthapuram divisions and the Agasthyavanam Biological Park Range.
The Biosphere Reserve concept was introduced by UNESCO under its Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB) during 1971.
A Biosphere Reserve is a voluntary, co-operative conservation area meant to protect biological and cultural diversity while promoting sustainable economic development.
Because they are relatively larger areas, biosphere reserves stand for landscape level conservation, beyond even state or nation borders.
Biosphere reserves in Kerala:
2
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve extent:
1455.40 Sq. Km
Agasthyamalai extent:
1828 Sq. Km
Concept introduced by:
UNESCO, Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB), 1971
Why it matters for exams: That Nilgiri is India's first biosphere reserve, and the extents of Kerala's two reserves, are recurring Kerala PSC and UPSC facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC