27 September 2026
The Kerala Finance Department has issued a government order giving special permission to use MLA constituency Asset Development Fund money of 2026-27 to buy new KSRTC buses.
Each MLA can fund a maximum of three buses.
The KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director was to give MLAs the cost statements by 30 September, and MLAs must send proposals to district collectors by 15 October.
District collectors grant administrative sanction within seven days of receiving a proposal.
KSRTC bears the whole cost of running the buses, including fuel, staff salaries and maintenance, and can redeploy them across services.
Maximum buses per MLA:
3
Proposal deadline to collectors:
15 October
Collector's sanction time:
7 days
Why it matters for exams: A fresh Finance Department order that links legislators' constituency funds to public transport is a typical Kerala PSC polity and administration question.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KSRTC Kerala State Road Transport Corporation — The state-owned corporation that runs public buses in Kerala.
Asset Development Fund MLA Constituency Asset Development Fund — A yearly fund through which each MLA proposes works that create public assets in the constituency.
30 September 2026
Kerala expects to end night-time power restrictions from 1 October after a month in which restrictions were imposed on 24 of 30 days.
Peak-hour shortage reached 611 MW on 29 September.
Short-term open access (STOA) availability rises from 200 MW in September to 600 MW from October, an addition of at least 400 MW.
The Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government has agreed to supply peak-time power in October according to Kerala's requirement; the price is not yet fixed, and a KSEB official said it might be slightly over Rs 10 per unit.
Payback power returned to other states, just under 4 million units a day in September, virtually comes to a stop in October.
STOA contracts from October:
600 MW (from 200 MW in September)
Peak-hour shortage on 29 September:
611 MW
Days with restrictions in September:
24 of 30
Why it matters for exams: A state-level power purchase and supply issue is a live Kerala governance topic, and terms like STOA and payback power appear in economy and administration questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
STOA Short-term open access — A way for a state to buy power for short periods from another supplier over the grid.
KSEB Kerala State Electricity Board — The state utility that generates, buys and distributes electricity in Kerala.
Payback power Power returned under a swap arrangement — Electricity a state returns later to another state that supplied it earlier under a swap.
30 September 2026
The Kerala government is to launch the Kerala Road Safety Mission, on the lines of the Kerala Literacy Mission, to cut road accidents with the larger goal of eliminating fatalities.
A high-level committee has been formed with the Chief Minister as chairman, the Transport Minister as vice-chairman and seven other ministers as members; Transport Minister C.P. John said the initiative is on the lines of the Literacy Mission.
The Home, Public Works, Health, General Education, Higher Education and Social Justice departments will be involved.
The Transport Department has sought legal advice on a proposal to tighten bail conditions for drunk driving and introduce measures such as vehicle seizure.
The mission's activities will be extended to panchayat level.
Vice-chairman of the committee:
Transport Minister C.P. John
Model for the mission:
Kerala Literacy Mission
Level of extension:
Panchayat
Why it matters for exams: A new mission headed by the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister's role are the type of administrative facts Kerala PSC asks about.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Bailable offence An offence for which bail is a matter of right — Drunk driving is bailable at present, so a person charged can claim bail as of right; the proposal is to tighten the conditions.
29 September 2026
A Division Bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K.V. Jayakumar, hearing a suo motu case, appointed former judge Justice V.G. Arun as observer for the 2026-27 melsanthi selection at the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple and the Malikappuram Temple. The Travancore Devaswom Board received 78 applications, 48 for Sabarimala and 30 for Malikappuram. Five Sabarimala and three Malikappuram applicants have been shortlisted for interview on 5 October at the Board headquarters. Marks must be entered in ball point pen and countersigned by the observer, and the proceedings must be video recorded. The Board must submit the mark lists, shortlist and proceedings recording in a sealed cover by 15 October, and the draw of lots may proceed only after the court reviews them.
Applications received:
78 (48 Sabarimala, 30 Malikappuram)
Interview:
5 October 2026
Sealed-cover deadline:
15 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: A recurring Kerala PSC topic: High Court supervision of the Travancore Devaswom Board's melsanthi selection.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Melsanthi Chief priest — The head priest of a temple, chosen for a one-year term at Sabarimala by a draw of lots.
Suo motu On its own motion — A case a court starts by itself without a petition from a party.
TDB Travancore Devaswom Board — The statutory body that administers Sabarimala and many other temples in southern Kerala.
30 September 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. heard public interest litigations on the composition of the Kerala State Waqf Board, led by WP(PIL) 135/2026. The Kerala government told the court on 30 September that the process to constitute the Board has been initiated and would be completed within two weeks. The Advocate General's recorded submission was that the process has already been initiated and an affidavit shall be filed after a fortnight; Onmanorama reports he also said the process had been completed at government level and was awaiting Cabinet consideration and approval. The petitions challenge the non-inclusion of non-Muslim members under the Waqf Act as amended in 2025. One petition also challenges the uploading of Munambam land details to the Centre's UMEED portal. The matter is posted after four weeks.
Case:
WP(PIL) 135/2026
Time stated for completing the process:
Two weeks
Next posting:
After four weeks
Why it matters for exams: Waqf law, Munambam land and the High Court's PIL jurisdiction are live polity topics for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A petition filed in court for a public cause rather than a private grievance.
UMEED portal Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development portal — The Centre's online portal on which waqf properties are registered.
Advocate General Advocate General of the State — The State's chief law officer who represents the Government in the High Court.
30 September 2026
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas dismissed WP(C) 22580 of 2026, Unaiz Kadumbottil v. Union of India, filed by an Indian citizen and his Pakistani wife. She had sought a tourist visa to attend her husband's brother's wedding and a long-term visa. The court held that granting a visa is a sovereign function and that no foreign national, even the spouse of an Indian citizen, has a vested right to demand permission to enter the country. It noted that an order of 25 April 2025 under Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946 suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals; the order revoked visas issued to Pakistani nationals, except medical, long-term, diplomatic and official visas, with effect from 27 April 2025. It also held that Article 14 can be claimed only within the territory of India, while a person is inside the country, and so not by the petitioner wife, who is outside it.
Case:
WP(C) 22580 of 2026
Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
Pakistani visas revoked with effect from:
27 April 2025
Why it matters for exams: Links Article 14, Article 21 and the Foreigners Act to the Union's power over immigration.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Foreigners Act, 1946 Foreigners Act, 1946 — The 1946 law under which the Centre regulated the entry and stay of foreigners; replaced from 1 September 2025 by the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025.
Sovereign function Sovereign function of the State — A function, such as immigration control, that belongs exclusively to the State.
Writ petition Writ petition (WP(C)) — A petition to the High Court under Article 226 to enforce a right.
30 September 2026
The Election Commission of India has removed the additional declaration form from the official voter service portal for states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has concluded, Kerala among them.
New voters in those states can now register with the standard Form 6 alone.
The declaration is still required in 13 states where the SIR is under way.
The Commission said no change was made to the statutory Form 6 itself; a separate Annexure-D had been attached to it during the SIR.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had earlier objected that the added declaration needed authorisation under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Form now needed for new voters:
Form 6
States where declaration still required:
13
Attachment used during SIR:
Annexure-D
Why it matters for exams: Electoral roll procedure, Form 6 and the rules governing voter registration are staple polity topics for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — A house-to-house revision of electoral rolls carried out by the Election Commission.
Form 6 Application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll — The standard form a new elector files to be registered as a voter.