1 October 2026
Justice Harisankar V. Menon of the Kerala High Court ruled on 28 September 2026 on a suo motu case that began with a breast cancer patient's plea about the cost of Ribociclib.
The court held that Section 100 of the Patents Act, 1970 lets the Central government make patented medicines and supply them to patients on a non-commercial basis when prices are exorbitant.
It did not order the Centre to act, saying whether to invoke Section 100 is a policy decision for the Central government.
The ruling also drew on Articles 21 and 47 of the Constitution.
Judge:
Justice Harisankar V. Menon
Provision:
Section 100, Patents Act, 1970
Drug in the case:
Ribociclib
Why it matters for exams: Patent law, public health and the Directive Principles meet in this ruling, a likely linking question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
2 October 2026
The Food Safety Department shut down 74 food establishments in Kerala and seized and destroyed 1,436.4 litres of cooking oil in a statewide drive against the repeated reuse of frying oil.
Under Operation Thelima, 142 special squads inspected 1,834 food establishments across all 14 districts on September 29 and 30.
Health and Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan said adjudication proceedings have been recommended against 19 establishments, and 147 improvement and rectification notices were issued on hygiene, licensing and food safety practices.
The squads began inspections at 4 p.m., when the preparation and sale of fried snacks increase, and targeted roadside eateries, tea shops, street food stalls and snack-making units.
Officials used Total Polar Compounds meters and mobile food testing laboratories, and 74 samples were tested on the spot.
Under food safety standards, cooking oil with a TPC level above 25 per cent cannot be used for preparing food.
Used cooking oil must be handed over to authorised agencies for biodiesel production.
Establishments inspected:
1,834
Establishments shut:
74
Cooking oil destroyed:
1,436.4 litres
TPC limit:
25%
Special squads:
142
Why it matters for exams: Food safety enforcement drives and the 25 per cent TPC limit are standard questions in Kerala PSC general awareness papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPC Total Polar Compounds — A measure of how far cooking oil has degraded from repeated heating.
Adjudication proceedings Adjudication proceedings — A quasi-judicial process under food safety law in which a designated officer decides on penalties.
2 October 2026
Sachin Kumar Yadav assumed charge as the Managing Director of the Kerala Fibre Optic Network, known as KFON, on Friday, October 2, 2026.
He is also the Director of the Kerala State IT Mission and holds additional charge as the Chief Executive Officer of Technopark and as the Director of the Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre.
KFON crossed the milestone of two lakh connections this month, with 2,00,073 connections as per the latest figures.
The connections include households, government offices, institutions and businesses, as well as free connections given to Below the Poverty Line families.
KFON's fibre network spans more than 34,505 km.
The network operates with the support of around 3,800 Local Network Providers.
KFON has extended services to both urban and rural areas, including remote and tribal regions.
Connections:
2,00,073
Fibre network:
more than 34,505 km
Local Network Providers:
around 3,800
Why it matters for exams: KFON's connection count, network length and the officer heading it are the kind of state-scheme facts Kerala PSC asks directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KFON Kerala Fibre Optic Network — The Kerala government's own optical fibre internet network.
LNP Local Network Provider — A local operator that delivers KFON connections to the end user.
KSRSEC Kerala State Remote Sensing and Environment Centre — A state agency that works on remote sensing and environmental studies.
2 October 2026
The second session of the Sixteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly will be held from October 12 to 29, according to the calendar of sittings issued by the Kerala Legislature Secretariat.
The session will have sittings on October 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, followed by a break from October 19 to 23.
The Assembly will take up the Supplementary Demands for Grants in the Revised Budget for 2026-2027.
It will also take up the Statement of Demands for Excess Grants for five financial years: 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
The calendar of sittings was issued by the Kerala Legislature Secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram.
The calendar states that it is liable to be varied according to the order of the day.
Session:
Second session, Sixteenth Kerala Legislative Assembly
Dates:
October 12 to 29
Break:
October 19 to 23
Excess grants:
five financial years
Why it matters for exams: The number of the Assembly, the session dates and the difference between supplementary and excess grants are standard polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Supplementary Demands for Grants Supplementary Demands for Grants — A request to the legislature for money beyond what the budget already sanctioned for the year.
Demands for Excess Grants Demands for Excess Grants — A request to regularise money already spent above the amount the legislature had voted for a past year.
Appropriation Bill Appropriation Bill — The Bill that authorises money to be drawn from the Consolidated Fund of the State.
2 October 2026
The Kerala government has doubled the compensation paid to farmers for crop damage caused by wildlife attacks.
Agriculture Minister T. Siddique said cocoa has been newly included in the list of crops eligible for compensation.
Under the revised scheme, ₹15 will be paid for each coconut that wild animals, including monkeys, carry away or destroy.
The decision followed discussions the Agriculture department held with the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister.
Forest Minister Shibu Baby John said the government plans to address the rising human-wildlife conflict in three ways and will pay compensation in a time-bound manner.
For mitigation, the forest areas of the State have been classified into 14 landscapes, covering 55 panchayats, where defensive measures will be carried out.
Marketing support will be promoted for crops that wild animals do not destroy.
A pilot project called 'Homestay Back Packing' will be started to link farmers living near forests to eco-tourism for additional income.
Rate for each coconut:
₹15
Crop newly included:
Cocoa
Forest landscapes:
14
Panchayats covered:
55
Why it matters for exams: The revised rate per coconut, the inclusion of cocoa and the 14 landscapes covering 55 panchayats are precise figures Kerala PSC can ask.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Human-wildlife conflict Human-wildlife conflict — Damage to life, crops or property caused when wild animals move into areas where people live and farm.
Landscape Landscape — A unit of forest and adjoining land treated together for planning conflict mitigation.
2 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, October 1, 2026, stayed further proceedings in the criminal trial in the 2019 rash driving case against IAS officer Sriram Venkitaraman, in which journalist K.M. Basheer died.
Justice G. Girish granted the interim stay on a petition filed by Basheer's widow Jaseela.
She had moved the court after her request to appoint Advocate Santhosh Kumar as Special Public Prosecutor to conduct the trial was rejected, and she sought to quash the government order rejecting the request.
She also sought a direction to the Additional Chief Secretary, Home department, to appoint the advocate.
The court called for the records that led to the government decision and directed the prosecutor to take instructions in the meanwhile.
The case has been posted to October 27 for further consideration.
The case is numbered WP(Crl.) 1485/2026 and is titled Jaseela C. v. State of Kerala and Ors.
Judge:
Justice G. Girish
Case number:
WP(Crl.) 1485/2026
Next hearing:
October 27
Why it matters for exams: The role of a Special Public Prosecutor and the High Court's power to grant an interim stay are frequently tested in judiciary and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Special Public Prosecutor Special Public Prosecutor — A lawyer appointed by the government to conduct the prosecution in a particular case.
Interim stay Interim stay — A temporary court order halting proceedings until the matter is decided.
2 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said in Kochi on Friday, October 2, 2026, that Keralam would set up model plants for plastic waste disposal and waste-to-energy conversion within two years.
He said two or three model plants were needed for plastic waste disposal and four or five for converting regular waste into power.
He was inaugurating the Local Self-Government Department's five-year campaign, 'Nirmalam - A New Era of Clean Keralam'.
The campaign aims to make Keralam completely waste-free by March 30, 2031, and is divided into three phases with specific targets and timelines.
Satheesan said large-scale waste management projects were being launched in Kozhikode and Kochi with the support of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and other agencies.
He said the Kochi Corporation had allotted another 12 acres for a new project.
He said the government would allocate the necessary funds to the Local Self-Government Department and cautioned local bodies against companies making exaggerated claims about foreign waste management technologies.
Local Self-Government Department Minister K.M. Shaji and Ernakulam Member of Parliament Hibi Eden also spoke at the function.
Campaign:
Nirmalam - A New Era of Clean Keralam
Waste-free target:
March 30, 2031
Plastic waste model plants:
two or three
Waste-to-power model plants:
four or five
Land allotted by Kochi Corporation:
12 acres
Why it matters for exams: The Nirmalam target date, the number of model plants and the departments involved are the specifics asked about state missions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LSGD Local Self-Government Department — The Kerala department that administers panchayats and municipalities.
Waste-to-energy Waste-to-energy — Converting non-recyclable waste into electricity or heat.
BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited — A central public sector oil company.
2 October 2026
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation will operate special inter-State services from October 14 to November 14 to meet the additional travel demand during the Mahanavami, Vijayadashami and Deepavali festive season.
The additional services will connect Bengaluru, Mysuru and Chennai with destinations in Keralam, and services will also run from depots in Kerala to those cities.
Services from Bengaluru have been arranged to Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Nilambur, Ponnani, Ernakulam, Changanassery, Pala, Alappuzha, Kollam, Punalur, Kottarakkara, Cherthala, Haripad, Kottayam, Adoor, Kannur, Payyannur, Kanhangad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Services will operate from Mysuru to Kannur and Madurai, and from Chennai to Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.
The Chennai-Ernakulam services will be operated using multi-axle air-conditioned buses.
On some routes the buses will operate on alternate days, and more buses will be deployed if the passenger rush increases.
Online reservation has been opened, and tickets can be booked on the website keralartc.com, through the 'Ente KSRTC Neo OPRS' mobile application, through WhatsApp ticketing on 9447071021, and at all KSRTC reservation counters.
Period:
October 14 to November 14
Cities connected:
Bengaluru, Mysuru, Chennai
WhatsApp ticketing:
9447071021
Why it matters for exams: Special festival transport arrangements and the dates they run between are routine current affairs questions for Kerala PSC.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
KSRTC Kerala State Road Transport Corporation — The state-owned bus transport corporation of Kerala.
OPRS Online Passenger Reservation System — The KSRTC system through which seats are booked in advance.
2 October 2026
The Kasaragod Weaving Cooperative Production and Marketing Society, an 88-year-old institution, now has only 30 weavers.
Until 1990 the society had around 500 weavers working 500 looms, with more than double that number engaged indirectly in ancillary work.
The Kasaragod Saree received its Geographical Indication tag in 2010 and is the only product from the district to have received one.
The society is operating at a loss of nearly ₹1.75 crore and pays 11.75 per cent interest on a ₹70 lakh loan taken from Kerala Bank, with a monthly interest liability of ₹60,000 to ₹65,000.
Its turnover fell from ₹85 lakh in 2015-16 to ₹60 lakh last year, and the turnover during the last Onam season was ₹12 lakh.
When the society called for weaving training this year to recruit 30 new weavers, only 10 responded and only 4 are still employed.
The society is yet to receive about ₹3 lakh from the government for fabric woven under the free school uniform scheme, under which the weaving rate was set at ₹57 per metre.
A ₹2 crore development project included in the Kasaragod Development Package could not be implemented because the society had to contribute 60 per cent of the funds.
GI tag year:
2010
Weavers now:
30
Weavers until 1990:
around 500
Accumulated loss:
nearly ₹1.75 crore
Turnover last year:
₹60 lakh
Why it matters for exams: The year of the Kasaragod Saree's GI tag and the fact that it is the district's only GI product are directly askable Kerala PSC facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GI tag Geographical Indication tag — A mark that ties a product to the place whose qualities or reputation it owes its character to.
Kasavu Kasavu (zari) — The golden thread border characteristic of Kerala handloom.
2 October 2026
The eight single-teacher schools, known as Multi Grade Learning Centres or MGLCs, that were still working in Kerala have been upgraded into government Lower Primary schools.
The upgrade was carried out as part of the government's first hundred-day programme.
General Education Minister N. Shamsudheen performed the State-level inauguration at the Melmuri alternative school at Kizhisseri in Malappuram, and Public Works Minister P.K. Basheer presided over the function.
The Minister said the system of single-teacher schools will no longer exist in the State and that all of these will work as fully equipped Lower Primary schools with modern facilities and teachers.
Five of the eight alternative schools are in Malappuram district, including Arimangalam, Thanur Kalamthuruthi, Wandoor Arimanal and Mancheri Tharikulam; the others are Aloor in Kasaragod, Kurathikudi in Idukki and Kalanki in Kannur, all in backward, hill and tribal areas.
The Minister said classrooms, a headmaster's room and the required teaching posts will be ensured in all these schools.
He said work is progressing to bring smart classroom facilities to 6,000 Lower Primary and Upper Primary schools in the State through 'Digital Square' and to include artificial intelligence and robotics in the high school curriculum.
He said about ten thousand students were given the chance to continue their studies by sanctioning 120 additional Plus One batches in Malabar along with special orders, and that the norm for a physical education teacher's post has been reduced from 500 students to 300.
Schools upgraded:
8
In Malappuram district:
5
Smart classroom target:
6,000 LP and UP schools
Additional Plus One batches in Malabar:
120
Revised norm for physical education teacher post:
300 students
Why it matters for exams: The end of the MGLC system, the number of schools upgraded and the districts involved are exactly the kind of education-policy facts Kerala PSC asks.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MGLC Multi Grade Learning Centre — A single-teacher school in which children of several classes learn together.
LP school Lower Primary school — A school covering classes one to four in Kerala.
Hundred-day programme Hundred-day programme — A set of targets a government commits to completing in its first hundred days.
Background
Why it matters now: Wayanad is in the news this week as the township for Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide survivors takes shape at Kalpetta.
The district came into being on 1 November 1980 as the 12th district of Kerala, when North Wayanad and South Wayanad were carved out and joined together.
When Kerala was formed in November 1956, Wayanad was part of Kannur district, and South Wayanad was later added to Kozhikode district.
Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja of Kottayam organised the Kurichiya tribals into a militia and fought the British in the Wayanad forests.
District formed:
1 November 1980
Order among Kerala districts:
12th
Why it matters for exams: District formation dates and numbering, and the Pazhassi revolt, are classic Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Why it matters now: the Wayanad tunnel road is under construction, with the first rock blast held in March 2026.
The twin-tube tunnel, about 8.11 km long, links Kozhikode and Wayanad on State Highway 83 and bypasses the Thamarassery Ghat road.
The Konkan Railway Corporation oversees construction, with Dilip Buildcon as the tunnel contractor.
Cross passages are placed every 300 metres for emergency evacuation.
Construction was inaugurated on 31 August 2025.
Tunnel length:
8.11 km
Cross passage spacing:
300 metres
State Highway:
SH 83
Why it matters for exams: Major road projects, their agencies and the ghat roads they bypass are common Kerala PSC infrastructure questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC