14 October 2026
The Keralam Home Department issued an order on October 8 sanctioning Rs 12.5 lakh as compensation to K K Surendran, who was a senior lecturer at the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Sulthan Bathery, in Wayanad.
The order directs the State Police Chief to release the amount to Surendran and to recover it from the personal assets of two former officers of the Sulthan Bathery police station, former Sub Inspector P Viswambaran and former Circle Inspector V Devaraj, jointly and severally.
Surendran was taken into custody on February 22, 2003, days after the February 19, 2003 police eviction operation at the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary, where Adivasi families led by the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha had set up shelters demanding land.
He was named in three criminal cases, received a clean chit from the CBI and was excluded from all three.
He had sued for Rs 15,00,647. The Sub Court, Sulthan Bathery, awarded Rs 5 lakh with 3 per cent annual interest; the Additional District Court-II, Kalpetta, dismissed the appeals of the State and the two officers and enhanced the award to Rs 12.5 lakh with 6 per cent annual interest.
The government decided to comply with the decree instead of filing further appeals.
Compensation:
Rs 12.5 lakh
Order issued by:
Home Department, October 8
Amount originally claimed:
Rs 15,00,647
Muthanga eviction:
February 19, 2003
Why it matters for exams: A rare instance of a State government recovering compensation for custodial torture from the personal assets of the officers held responsible.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DIET District Institute of Education and Training — A district-level teacher education institution.
14 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. has directed the Keralam government to give priority to a proposal to create 229 new posts in the State's consumer disputes redressal commissions.
The order was passed in Adv. J. Surya v. State of Kerala & Ors., W.P.(PIL) No. 53 of 2026, which raised the shortage of manpower and infrastructure that has left orders of the commissions unexecuted.
The Court recorded that an administrative sanction of Rs 1 crore was issued on 5 October 2026 for the scheme 'Modernisation and Strengthening of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and District Commissions'.
The Finance Department has sought a work study, details of permanent and temporary posts in the commissions and the source of funds before taking a final decision; the Court gave the State three weeks to furnish these particulars.
The Bench observed that it is the responsibility of the State Government to ensure that all required infrastructural facilities are provided in time.
The case has been posted to 2 December 2026.
New posts proposed:
229
Administrative sanction:
Rs. 1 crore (5 October 2026)
Time given to the State:
Three weeks
Next hearing:
2 December 2026
Why it matters for exams: Links consumer protection machinery with State administrative capacity, a recurring governance theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A petition filed in the public interest rather than for a personal grievance.
14 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. has directed the Union Government to review the proposal for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kerala and take necessary steps.
The direction came in WP(C) 18550/2024, AIIMS Kasargod Janakeeya Koottayma v Union of India and Ors., and a connected case, which seek an AIIMS for the State under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Deputy Solicitor General told the Court that the proposal is at the consultation stage, that a decision can follow only once the Government decides whether to continue PMSSY for the next five years, and that States with weaker healthcare infrastructure are being prioritised.
The Bench asked which criteria Kerala fails to meet, noted that AIIMS institutions exist in affluent parts of the country, and said it was not satisfied with the criteria placed before it.
It recorded that the proposal has been pending with the Ministry for almost ten years with little substantial progress beyond correspondence.
A memorandum seeking an AIIMS in Kozhikode district was submitted to the Union Health Minister; the matter has been posted after six weeks.
Case:
WP(C) 18550/2024
Scheme:
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana
Proposal pending for:
Almost 10 years
Next hearing:
After six weeks
Why it matters for exams: Connects a Kerala-specific demand with the national PMSSY framework for AIIMS institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PMSSY Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana — The central scheme under which new AIIMS institutions are set up and government medical colleges upgraded.
14 October 2026
The water level of the Sabarigiri Hydroelectric Project has dropped to 61 per cent, with the Thulam rains bringing no substantial inflow for a week.
The Pampa dam stands at 970.75 metres against a full capacity of 986.332 metres, and the Kakki-Anathode dam at 970.425 metres against 981.450 metres. Total inflow into the reservoirs was 2.616 million cubic metres.
Generation is being confined largely to peak load hours, with only one or two generators running at very low loads during the day; the downstream Kakakad project, which runs on water released from Sabarigiri, is also operating at reduced load.
In talks with NTPC in New Delhi, the State sought up to 300 MW from NTPC's Sinnar project in Maharashtra at Rs 5.18 per unit and faster completion of a 27 MW NTPC solar project at Kayamkulam.
A memorandum of understanding is expected between KSEB, NTPC and NTPC Green Energy Ltd for a proposed 2,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System at Kayamkulam, with two 80 MWh units at Pothencode and Sreekandapuram expected by March 2027.
Sabarigiri storage:
61%
Pampa dam level:
970.75 metres (full 986.332 m)
Sought from NTPC Sinnar:
Up to 300 MW at Rs 5.18 per unit
Proposed BESS at Kayamkulam:
2,000 MWh
Why it matters for exams: Reservoir levels, hydel generation and inter-State power purchase are standard Kerala economy and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BESS Battery Energy Storage System — Large battery installations that store electricity for release when demand peaks.
KSEB Kerala State Electricity Board — The State utility that generates, transmits and distributes electricity in Kerala.
14 October 2026
Justice A. Badharudeen of the Kerala High Court has said that the Kerala Public Service Commission's petition to quash the Crime Branch FIR did not require the investigation to be halted, as the Court has granted no stay.
The Crime Branch told the Court that ten questions carrying a total of 58 marks were left unevaluated, and that a later revaluation changed the rankings in the list.
The PSC sought more time to respond to the Crime Branch report, and the matter is to be taken up again after two days. Investigators are also examining the role of other PSC employees, and more than 150 complaints have been placed before the Special Investigation Team.
The recruitment concerned is for the post of Chief (Industry and Infrastructure Division) in the State Planning Board, notified in 2022, with a shortlist of ten candidates published in February 2025.
Earlier, on 5 October, the same judge asked the PSC why it was not cooperating with the investigation and questioned the maintainability of its writ petition; the Commission's counsel described the lapse as a clerical error caused by a computer problem.
Questions left unevaluated:
10
Marks involved:
58 marks
Complaints before the SIT:
More than 150
Judge:
Justice A. Badharudeen
Why it matters for exams: A live test of how far a constitutional recruitment body is open to criminal investigation, directly relevant to PSC aspirants.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FIR First Information Report — The first written record of information about a cognizable offence, registered by the police.
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team constituted to investigate a specific case or group of cases.
14 October 2026
Justice G. Girish of the Kerala High Court has allowed a revision petition filed by the parents of violinist Balabhaskar and ordered further investigation into his death.
The Court directed the CBI to entrust the further investigation to an officer of proven integrity, not below the rank of Additional Superintendent of Police.
The order, in K.C. Unni and Anr. v. State of Kerala and Ors., Crl.R.P. No. 214/2026, records that the agency treated earlier directions of 2022 in a casual and lackadaisical manner by deputing an Inspector for the further probe.
The Court held that the approach taken was inconsistent with Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which governs further investigation.
A coordinate bench had in 2022 pointed to twenty suspicious circumstances and ordered a further probe, including into whether a conspiracy lay behind the accident.
The car accident took place on 25 September 2018 while the family was returning from a temple in Thrissur; the couple's one-and-a-half-year-old daughter died at the scene and Balabhaskar died about a week later.
Case:
Crl.R.P. No. 214/2026
Judge:
Justice G. Girish
Minimum rank of new investigator:
Additional Superintendent of Police
Date of the accident:
25 September 2018
Why it matters for exams: A clear illustration of the High Court's supervisory power over further investigation under Section 173(8) CrPC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Section 173(8) CrPC Section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — The provision that permits further investigation after a report has been filed.
8 October 2026
A Kerala High Court Division Bench of Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar upheld the constitutional validity of Section 69 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925.
Section 69 provides that a will is revoked by the maker's marriage, except a will made in exercise of a power of appointment in the circumstances the section specifies; it applies to Christians, Parsis and Jews and not to Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jainas.
The court was hearing a suo motu civil reference and connected petitions, and answered both questions framed in the negative: the limited application does not violate fundamental rights, and Section 69 does not conflict with Section 20 of the Act.
It rejected the challenge under Articles 14 and 15 and found no manifest arbitrariness.
The court noted that the rule was adapted from the English Wills Act, 1837, on the premise that marriage changes a person's duties and priorities.
The Division Bench delivered the judgment on 8 October 2026; it was reported on 9 October and 12 October 2026.
Provision upheld:
Section 69, Indian Succession Act, 1925
Bench:
Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar
Articles on equality considered:
14 and 15
Source of the rule:
English Wills Act, 1837
Why it matters for exams: Tests personal-law differences, Articles 14 and 15, and the Indian Succession Act, 1925, all with a fresh High Court ruling.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Suo motu reference A matter taken up by the court on its own motion — Here a civil reference was made to examine the validity of Section 69.
Will Legal declaration of how a person's property is to be distributed after death — Under Section 69 a covered will is revoked when its maker marries.
8 October 2026
A Division Bench of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. set aside a Single Bench order on co-education at the Muslim Girls' Higher Secondary School, Erattupetta.
The Single Bench had directed the Erattupetta Municipality Secretary to grant approval within 3 days, failing which the school could proceed without it.
The writ appeal was filed by the manager of a nearby boys' school and another appellant.
The Bench sent the school's writ petition back to the Single Bench for fresh consideration, and the appellants and teachers of the nearby boys' school may implead themselves.
The school's petition challenges a government circular that requires local body approval for introducing co-education in single-gender schools.
As 28 boy students from Class 5 to Class 10 had already been admitted, the Bench ordered status quo until the writ petition is decided on merits.
The Division Bench passed the order on 8 October 2026; it was reported on 11 and 12 October 2026.
Bench:
Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S.
Approval deadline in the set-aside order:
3 days
Boy students already admitted:
28 (Class 5 to Class 10)
Interim direction:
Status quo
Why it matters for exams: Shows how school-level policy (a circular on co-education) is tested in court, a recurring Kerala PSC theme on education governance.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Status quo Existing position to be maintained — The 28 boy students already admitted stay in the school until the writ petition is decided.
Writ appeal Appeal to a Division Bench against a Single Judge's writ order — The nearby boys' school manager filed it against the Single Bench order.
14 October 2026
The Kerala High Court has designated advocate P.B. Menon as a Senior Advocate with effect from 12.10.2026.
The notification records that the Chief Justice and Judges resolved to designate him under Section 16(2) of the Advocates Act, 1961, read with Rule 2 of the High Court of Kerala (Designation of Senior Advocates) Rules, 2026.
Menon, who hails from Palakkad district and practises on the civil side in his hometown, began litigation in the early 1950s after graduating from Madras Law College, a career spanning about 76 years.
In 2023, at the age of 97, he entered the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving lawyer in the world.
Bar and Bench reports that the designation came on the initiative of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and was timed to his 100th birthday on 15 October, and that it may be the first time the Kerala High Court has designated a lawyer practising before mofussil courts as a Senior Advocate.
Effective from:
12.10.2026
Legal provision:
Section 16(2), Advocates Act, 1961
Guinness record year:
2023
Home district:
Palakkad
Why it matters for exams: Senior Advocate designation under Section 16 of the Advocates Act, 1961 is a standard polity and judiciary question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Mofussil court Mofussil court — A court outside the main metropolitan or High Court centre, usually a district or taluk court.
Background
Kasaragod district, at the northern end of Kerala, came into being on 24 May 1984.
It was formed on the basis of the order of 19 May 1984, GO (MS) number 520/84/RD, and comprised the Hosdurg and Kasaragod taluks, which were part of the undivided Kannur district.
After independence the area was a taluk on the southern edge of southern Karnataka, part of Madras state; following linguistic reorganisation Kasaragod taluk was merged with Malabar district, and the State of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956.
The district page records that E. M. S. Namboodiripad, the first Chief Minister of Kerala, was elected from the Nileswaram constituency in Kasaragod district.
It also records the Katakam Forest Satyagraha, held against the Forest Act adopted by the British: after Gandhiji's arrest in January 1932, the leaders entered the Reserve Forest and fasted in protest.
Poet Kuttamath was president of the welcome committee for the Congress meeting at Payyannur in May 1928, which Jawaharlal Nehru attended.
Came into being:
24 May 1984
Formation order:
GO (MS) 520/84/RD of 19 May 1984
Taluks at formation:
Hosdurg and Kasaragod
Parent district:
Kannur (undivided)
Seat of E. M. S. Namboodiripad:
Nileswaram
Why it matters for exams: District formation orders, parent taluks and links to the freedom struggle and the first ministry are standard Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Katakam Forest Satyagraha Protest against the Forest Act — Leaders entered the Reserve Forest and fasted after Gandhiji's arrest in January 1932.
GO (MS) Government Order (Manuscript) — The order that formed the district carries the number 520/84/RD.
Background
The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) is a multidisciplinary centre of excellence dedicated to research in tropical forests and forestry.
It was established in 1975 and has entered its 50th year of service.
It is located at Peechi P.O., Thrissur District.
KFRI became a constituent institution of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in 2002.
It is accredited as a research centre for PhD programmes by FRI University Dehradun, the University of Calicut and the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
KFRI also serves as the Secretariat for the international network TEAKNET, funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Established:
1975
Location:
Peechi, Thrissur District
Became a KSCSTE constituent institution:
2002
International network secretariat:
TEAKNET (FAO-funded)
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's research institutions, their founding years and locations are standard Kerala PSC questions on science and the environment.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSCSTE Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment — KFRI became its constituent institution in 2002.
TEAKNET International network on teak — KFRI serves as its Secretariat; it is funded by the FAO.
Background
Background to the Kerala High Court proceedings this week on the Crime Branch investigation into a State Planning Board recruitment examination conducted by the Kerala Public Service Commission.
The Kerala Public Service Commission was formed on 1 November 1956, when the State of Kerala came into being, by transforming the Travancore-Cochin Public Service Commission into it.
In Travancore, a Public Service Commissioner selected candidates for direct recruitment to government posts, and G.D. Nokes was appointed the first Commissioner on 14 June 1936.
In Cochin, a Staff Selection Board was set up in 1936 for initial recruitment to lower posts, and a three-member Cochin Public Service Commission was constituted in 1947 under an Act of the State Legislature.
After Travancore and Cochin merged on 1 July 1949, a three-member Commission including the Chairman was created by Ordinance, exercising broadly the functions set out in the Government of India Act, 1935; it continued under constitutional provisions from 26 January 1950.
The strength of the Commission was raised in stages — five members in 1959, seven in 1971, eight in 1981, nine in 1982, thirteen in 1983 and fourteen in 1984 — reaching the present strength of eighteen in 2005.
Formed:
1 November 1956
First Travancore Public Service Commissioner:
G.D. Nokes, 14 June 1936
Cochin Public Service Commission:
Three members, 1947
Present strength:
18 members (since 2005)
Why it matters for exams: The formation date, predecessor bodies and present strength of the Kerala PSC are directly asked in State examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSC