9 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced at the post-Cabinet press conference that a file adalat named 'Jana Sparsham' will review and settle files pending for years across government departments.
The adalat will be held from October 15 to December 31.
The Chief Minister also said that 568 of the 588 projects targeted in the government's first 100-day action plan have been completed.
The government also plans to study why files stall and to redesign the file-movement system.
Scheme name:
Jana Sparsham / ജനസ്പർശം
Duration:
October 15 to December 31 / ഒക്ടോബർ 15 മുതൽ ഡിസംബർ 31 വരെ
100-day plan projects completed:
568 of 588 / 588-ൽ 568
Why it matters for exams: Administrative-reform measures such as file adalats are a recurring Kerala governance topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
File adalat File adalat — A special drive in which officials meet to review and dispose of pending government files.
10 October 2026
Legal Metrology, Food Safety and Civil Supplies departments carried out joint surprise inspections at cinema theatres, on the instruction of Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob.
26 cases were registered, five show-cause notices were issued and fines of ₹62,000 were imposed.
Several theatres in Kozhikode, Kannur, Kottayam, Malappuram and Palakkad were found selling popcorn below the stated weight.
Inspections in some other districts found no irregularities.
Cases registered:
26
Fines imposed:
₹62,000
Show-cause notices:
5
Why it matters for exams: Consumer-protection enforcement by Legal Metrology and Food Safety is a staple Kerala governance topic.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Legal Metrology Legal Metrology Department — The department that checks weights, measures and packaged-commodity labelling.
10 October 2026
The Kerala Public Service Commission has published a revised rank list for the Chief post in the Kerala Planning Board after re-evaluation.
The earlier list had been published without evaluating the answers to 10 questions.
Shyam Krishnan, the complainant, moves from third place to first. Arun J Prathap, first on the earlier list, is now fifth.
The PSC plans to appoint Shyam Krishnan; Arun J Prathap's appointment recommendation is likely to be cancelled and the High Court informed.
Questions left unevaluated:
10
Shyam Krishnan's rank:
3 to 1 / 3-ൽ നിന്ന് 1
Arun J Prathap's rank:
1 to 5 / 1-ൽ നിന്ന് 5
Why it matters for exams: The PSC's evaluation process and its correction are directly relevant to Kerala PSC exam preparation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kerala PSC Kerala Public Service Commission — The constitutional body that recruits to Kerala government posts through tests and rank lists.
8 October 2026
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas of the Kerala High Court held that courts must appoint a guardian for a person with dementia or Alzheimer's if the condition worsens and the circumstances warrant it.
The petitioner, sister of a 93-year-old bedridden woman with advanced dementia and Alzheimer's, was appointed guardian to handle her sister's bank accounts.
The court directed the General Hospital, Ernakulam, to constitute a Medical Board to report on the patient's condition.
The guardian must file reports once in six months with the Registrar General of the High Court.
Patient's age:
93
Report to Registrar General:
Once in 6 months / ആറു മാസത്തിലൊരിക്കൽ
Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas / ജസ്റ്റിസ് ബെച്ചു കുര്യൻ തോമസ്
Why it matters for exams: Court rulings on guardianship and disability-related law are a recurring theme in polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article 226 Article 226 of the Constitution — The provision under which High Courts issue writs for enforcing rights and for other purposes.
Background
Travancore had a Public Service Commissioner whose duty was to select candidates for direct recruitment to posts under the Government. G.D. Nokes was appointed as the first Public Service Commissioner on 14th June, 1936. In Cochin a Staff Selection Board was constituted in 1936 for initial recruitment to lower posts, and in 1947 a three member Cochin Public Service Commission was constituted under an Act of the State Legislature. The Travancore-Cochin State was formed on 1st July, 1949, and a Public Service Commission for it was constituted by an Ordinance with three members including the Chairman. Its functions were generally the same as those laid down in the Government of India Act, 1935. With the formation of the State of Kerala on 1st November 1956, the Travancore-Cochin Public Service Commission was transformed into the Kerala Public Service Commission. The number of members was raised to five in 1959 and in stages to the present strength of eighteen in 2005. The Commission's office is at Thulasi Hills, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram.
First Public Service Commissioner, Travancore:
G.D. Nokes
Present strength of members:
Eighteen
Office:
Thulasi Hills, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram
Why it matters for exams: The Commission's own history page is the standard source for questions on the first Public Service Commissioner, the predecessor commissions and the present membership.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KPSC Kerala Public Service Commission — The constitutional body that conducts recruitment to posts under the Government of Kerala.
Staff Selection Board Staff Selection Board, Cochin — The body set up in Cochin to select candidates for initial recruitment to lower posts.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department lists 18 wildlife sanctuaries in the state, covering 2156.21 sq km. The oldest on the list is the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, 777.000 sq km, with a year of formation of 1950. The most recent is the Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, 227.970 sq km, formed in 2019. The largest after Periyar is the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary at 344.440 sq km, and the smallest is the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary at 0.027 sq km. Four sanctuaries on the list were formed in a single year, 1984: Shendurney, Chinnar, Chimmony and Aralam. The department notes that India has 573 wildlife sanctuaries spanning 123,762.56 sq km as of November 2023, which is 3.76 per cent of the country's geographical area.
Sanctuaries in Kerala:
18
Total area:
2156.21 sq km
Oldest in the list:
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, 1950
Most recent:
Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary, 2019
Why it matters for exams: The number of sanctuaries, their total area and the oldest and newest in the list are a standing question set drawn straight from the Forest Department's own table.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Wildlife sanctuary Wildlife sanctuary — A legally protected area notified for the conservation of wild species and their habitat.
Background
Two of the 18 sanctuaries in the Kerala Forest Department's list are bird sanctuaries. The Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary covers 25.000 sq km and its year of formation is given as 1983. The Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary covers 0.027 sq km and its year of formation is given as 2004. Mangalavanam is the smallest protected area in the department's sanctuary table. The department describes its sanctuaries as gene pools for a vast array of species and as ecological buffers that regulate water flow and prevent soil erosion.
Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary:
25.000 sq km, formed 1983
Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary:
0.027 sq km, formed 2004
Why it matters for exams: Pairing the two bird sanctuaries with their areas and years of formation is a common matching question in state examinations.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Bird sanctuary Bird sanctuary — A protected area notified mainly for the conservation of bird species and their habitat.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department describes Silent Valley National Park as a pristine tropical rainforest in the Nilgiri Hills of Kerala, renowned for its biodiversity. It was declared a national park in 1985. The department lists its endangered fauna as the lion-tailed macaque, scientific name Macaca silenus, the Nilgiri langur and the Malabar giant squirrel. The park is a stretch of tropical moist evergreen forest. It is one of a small group of national parks that the department says showcase the biodiversity of the Western Ghats.
Declared a national park:
1985
Hills:
Nilgiri Hills
Flagship species:
Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus)
Why it matters for exams: The year it became a national park and the lion-tailed macaque's scientific name are asked repeatedly in state and central examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Macaca silenus Macaca silenus — The scientific name of the lion-tailed macaque, an endangered primate of the Western Ghats.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department records that Eravikulam National Park was established in 1978 and spans approximately 97 square kilometers. It lies in the Idukki and Ernakulam districts of Kerala. The park is situated in the Kannan Devan Hills of the Western Ghats, with high-altitude grasslands and shola forests at elevations around 2,000 metres. It encompasses Anamudi Peak, which the department describes as the highest point in South India at 2,695 metres.
Established:
1978
Area:
approximately 97 square kilometers
Districts:
Idukki and Ernakulam
Anamudi Peak:
2,695 metres
Why it matters for exams: Anamudi's height and the two districts the park falls in are standard one-mark facts, and the department's own page states both.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Shola Shola forest — Patches of stunted montane evergreen forest found in the folds of high-altitude grassland in the Western Ghats.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department records three shola national parks, all in Idukki district. Anamudi Shola National Park covers 7.5 sq km and was declared a national park in 2003. Mathikettan Shola National Park spans 12.82 sq km and was declared a national park in 2003. Pampadum Shola National Park covers 1.32 sq km and was declared a national park in 2004; the department calls it the smallest national park in the state. The department says Anamudi Shola and Pampadum Shola are part of the larger Anamalai sub-cluster, which is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Smallest national park in Kerala:
Pampadum Shola, 1.32 sq km
Mathikettan Shola:
12.82 sq. km, declared 2003
Anamudi Shola:
7.5 sq. km, declared 2003
District:
Idukki
Why it matters for exams: Which national park is the smallest in Kerala, and which district holds the shola parks, are both straight recall questions from this table.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Anamalai sub-cluster Anamalai sub-cluster — A group of Western Ghats protected areas recognised by the department as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.