9 October 2026
Justice A Badharudeen of the Kerala High Court allowed a plea by advocate K M Shajahan and directed that an FIR be registered on the Enforcement Directorate report in the CMRL-Exalogic matter.
The court held that the police should register an FIR on the report instead of first conducting a preliminary inquiry.
The Enforcement Directorate report names former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and her husband P A Mohamed Riyas.
The report states that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited made payments of Rs 2.78 crore to Exalogic Solutions for IT consultancy services.
The State government had argued that the report was not enough for an FIR and that a preliminary inquiry was needed.
The detailed judgment is awaited.
Judge:
Justice A Badharudeen
Payment stated in the report:
Rs 2.78 crore
Why it matters for exams: High Court orders on when an FIR must be registered rather than a preliminary inquiry are a standing topic in Kerala PSC and UPSC polity and current affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FIR First Information Report — The first written record of information about a cognizable offence, registered by the police.
ED Enforcement Directorate — The central agency that investigates foreign exchange and money laundering matters.
CMRL Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited — A mineral processing company based in Ernakulam district.
9 October 2026
Chief Electoral Officer D Sajith Babu has directed district collectors to conduct a special voter enrolment drive across Keralam.
Digital help desks will function at village offices from October 15 to October 31.
The additional declaration form has been dropped, and applicants submit only online Form 6 through the Citizen Service portal or the Voter Helpline app.
An applicant must produce one of 12 documents proving photograph, age and address, and a person using Aadhaar must also submit another supporting document.
Booth level officers will visit households to complete the verification.
Electoral registration officers must check major differences between the electoral roll effective January 1, 2025 and the roll in force just before the Assembly polls.
A week-long Campus to Booth drive for college and higher secondary students begins on November 2 under the tagline Step Forward, Get Counted.
Help desk period:
October 15 to October 31
Documents accepted:
12
Campus to Booth start:
November 2
Why it matters for exams: Forms, officers and timelines of electoral roll revision are regularly asked in Kerala PSC general knowledge and UPSC polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CEO Chief Electoral Officer — The officer who supervises election work in a State on behalf of the Election Commission of India.
BLO Booth Level Officer — The local official who verifies voter details in a polling station area.
Form 6 Application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll — The form a new voter uses to apply for inclusion in the electoral roll.
SIR Special Intensive Revision — An intensive house-to-house revision of the electoral roll ordered by the Election Commission.
9 October 2026
The Kerala Police has formed a special task force named Speak Up to deal with domestic violence, and an order announcing its formation has been issued.
IG Ajeetha Begum leads the task force.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that over the past seven years 92 women have died in Kerala as a result of domestic violence.
A special control room will register complaints quickly, and complaints can be made through a digital helpline, WhatsApp and a dedicated mobile app.
The task force is to prevent domestic abuse and to provide legal assistance, counselling, safe accommodation and livelihood support.
Police intervention will give priority to the privacy of survivors.
Task force:
Speak Up
Head:
IG Ajeetha Begum
Deaths cited over seven years:
92
Why it matters for exams: Named State police initiatives and the officers heading them are common one-mark questions in Kerala PSC current affairs.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
IG Inspector General of Police — A senior rank in the State police hierarchy, above Deputy Inspector General.
9 October 2026
The Keralam State Youth Welfare Board has launched a portal named Scene Keralam through which young people can send ideas and suggestions directly to the State government.
Sports, Youth Affairs and Registration Minister O J Janeesh unveiled the portal's logo at a function in the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex in Thiruvananthapuram.
The portal is meant to create direct communication between the government and young citizens, including Gen Z and Generation Alpha, and to draw them into governance.
The initiative is part of the State government's 100-day action plan.
Janeesh said that youth determine the future of a nation.
Portal:
Scene Keralam
Launched by:
Keralam State Youth Welfare Board
Why it matters for exams: New State portals, the board that runs them and the minister who launched them are frequent Kerala PSC current affairs questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Gen Z Generation Z — The generation born roughly from the late 1990s to the early 2010s.
9 October 2026
The Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court, Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar, directed the Kerala Water Authority to carry out urgent repairs and strengthen its buildings along the Sabarimala pilgrimage route.
The buildings house the main booster stations at Neelimala Bottom, Neelimala Top and Appachimedu.
The repairs must be finished by November 10.
The Water Authority has proposed Rs 3.21 crore to rebuild the structures, and the court asked the government to sanction the project without delay so that the main work starts right after the pilgrimage season.
Kerala Highway Research Institute officials who inspected the buildings estimated Rs 10 lakh for temporary works such as supports for slabs and beams.
The Executive Engineer of the Sabarimala Development Project will monitor the work and a structural engineer will inspect the buildings at regular intervals.
The case is listed again on October 23.
Rebuilding proposal:
Rs 3.21 crore
Temporary works estimate:
Rs 10 lakh
Repair deadline:
November 10
Why it matters for exams: The Devaswom Bench and Sabarimala season preparations are standard Kerala PSC current affairs ground, and the figures are easily asked.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KWA Kerala Water Authority — The State body that supplies drinking water and runs water supply schemes in Kerala.
Devaswom Bench Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court — The special bench of the Kerala High Court that hears matters relating to Devaswom boards and temples under them.
9 October 2026
The National Highways Authority of India had decided to start toll collection at the Nattika plaza on NH 66 in Thrissur district from October 8.
Keralam Public Works Minister P K Basheer directed the District Collector to stop the collection temporarily.
Basheer said the work on the service road and the approach road to the bridge has not been completed.
The District Collector was directed to hold a meeting of all stakeholders and take a decision within a week.
Congress and Indian Union Muslim League workers had marched to the toll plaza at about 7.30 am before collection began.
Police removed some of those taking part, some policemen were injured, and a large police force remained deployed at the plaza.
Highway:
NH 66
Toll plaza:
Nattika, Thrissur district
Decision deadline:
Within a week
Why it matters for exams: Toll plazas on NH 66 and the division of work between NHAI and the State Public Works Department come up in Kerala PSC infrastructure questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
NHAI National Highways Authority of India — The central authority that develops and maintains national highways and collects user fees on them.
9 October 2026
A special bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice C Jayachandran directed the Kerala government to notify the proposed Anti-Ragging and Student Welfare Guidelines, 2026 within two weeks.
The notified guidelines must replace the words 'within, or without, any educational institution' in Clause 6 with 'within or outside, any educational institution'.
The direction came in a public interest petition filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, which sought a stronger legal framework against ragging.
The court noted that the State legislature has not yet amended the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 to match the proposed guidelines, which are to be followed pending legislation.
KeLSA asked for enhanced punishment and for ragging to be made a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
The Advocate General said such changes need an amendment to Section 4 of the Act and cannot be made through guidelines alone.
The matter is listed for further hearing on December 2.
Time given to notify:
Two weeks
Parent Act:
Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998
Next hearing:
December 2
Why it matters for exams: The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 and the difference between guidelines and statutory amendment are directly examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KeLSA Kerala State Legal Services Authority — The statutory body that provides free legal services and legal awareness in Kerala.
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A case filed for the benefit of the public rather than for a private grievance.
Cognizable offence Cognizable offence — An offence in which the police may register a case and arrest without a magistrate's warrant.
9 October 2026
A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M directed the Railways to prepare the detailed project report for the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line by October 14.
On that date the Railways must file an affidavit stating whether the report has been placed before the competent authority for approval and sanction.
The plea was moved by C N Vijayakrishnan, chairman of the Kozhikode-based Cancer and Allied Ailment Research Foundation, which runs the MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute.
He argued that Malabar needs railway connectivity and that the authorities had not considered his representations.
The Railways' affidavit of July 27, 2026 said the Railway Board had sanctioned a final location survey and that a LIDAR survey and a traffic survey were under way.
The proposed line would connect Nilambur in Keralam with Nanjangud in Karnataka.
Deadline for the report:
October 14
Route:
Nilambur to Nanjangud
Why it matters for exams: The Nilambur-Nanjangud proposal is a standing Kerala infrastructure question, and the stages from final location survey to detailed project report are often asked.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
DPR Detailed Project Report — The full technical and financial report prepared before a project is sanctioned.
FLS Final Location Survey — The survey that fixes the exact alignment of a proposed railway line.
9 October 2026
Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar of the Kerala High Court directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to file a detailed statement on each work to be completed for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, with the expected completion date and the measures to ensure quality.
The Board must also state the timeframe for each work and the mechanism that will ensure it finishes on time and to the required standards.
The Board must explain how the directions from the Chief Minister's high-level meeting of September 11 will be implemented and what steps will ensure compliance.
The court is hearing a petition it initiated on its own regarding activities at the Lord Ayyappa temple during the monthly poojas.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed that all pilgrimage-related preparatory works across departments be completed by October 31.
Several high-level meetings were held by the Chief Minister and State Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan to review preparations for the 2026-2027 Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Deadline for preparatory works:
October 31
High-level meeting:
September 11
Pilgrimage season:
2026-2027
Why it matters for exams: The Travancore Devaswom Board, the Devaswom Bench and the Sabarimala season calendar are recurring Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
TDB Travancore Devaswom Board — The statutory board that administers the Sabarimala temple and other temples of the former Travancore region.
Suo motu Suo motu — A proceeding a court begins on its own, without a petition from a party.
Background
Array
Origin:
More than 2,000 years ago
Actor training:
10 to 15 years
Longest performance:
Up to 40 days
Listing:
UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Why it matters for exams: UNESCO-recognised Indian art forms and Kerala's classical theatre traditions are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kuttampalam Temple theatre hall — The theatre building inside a Hindu temple where Kutiyattam is traditionally performed.
Hasta abhinaya Language of gestures — Expression through hand gestures, one of the two prominent modes of Kutiyattam acting.
Background
Array
District number:
12th district of Kerala
Taluks at formation:
Mananthavady, Sulthanbathery, Vythiri
Altitude:
700 m to 2100 m above mean sea level
Area under forest:
About 885.92 sq.km
Why it matters for exams: District formation order, taluks, name origin and crop profile of Kerala's districts are repeat Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Vayal Nadu Land of paddy fields — The phrase from which the name Wayanad is derived.
Background
Array
Founder:
Vallathol Narayana Menon
Co-founder:
Manakkulam Mukundaraja
Location:
Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur district, on the Bharathapuzha
Training system:
Gurukula Sampradaya
Why it matters for exams: Founders, location and disciplines of Kerala's major art institutions are frequent Kerala PSC culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Gurukula Sampradaya Traditional teacher-student residential system — The ancient mode of education that stresses a deep bond between teacher and student.