13 October 2026
The Kerala Government has sanctioned ₹63.37 crore to clear Supplyco's liability from paddy procurement. The money compensates mill owners who processed paddy procured through Supplyco in the 2022-23 season. Mill owners had asked for the out-turn ratio to be lowered from 68% to 64.5%, but the Centre did not agree. Under the central norm, mills must return 68 kg of rice from every 100 kg of paddy. Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob announced the sanction. The State will again ask the Centre to revise the ratio.
Amount sanctioned:
₹63.37 crore
Central norm (OTR):
68%
Ratio sought by mills:
64.5%
Why it matters for exams: Combines a State sanction, the out-turn ratio and Centre-State financial responsibility.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OTR Out Turn Ratio — The quantity of rice a mill must return from each quintal of paddy.
Supplyco Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation — The State agency that procures paddy and sells subsidised goods.
Background
National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC) is an institution of national importance set up by an Act of Parliament, the National Institute of Technology Act 2007, and is fully funded by the Government of India.
Originally established in 1961 as a Regional Engineering College (REC), it was transformed into a National Institute of Technology in 2002.
Its mandate is to provide higher technical education and conduct research in the various branches of Engineering, Science, Technology and Management.
The campus lies at the foothills of the Western Ghats, about 22 kilometres north-east of Calicut city in Kerala.
It stretches over a length of about 1.5 kilometres along the Calicut-Mukkam road, over an area of approximately 120 hectares.
The institute page notes that Calicut, also known as Kozhikode, found a place in world history with the discovery of a sea route to India in 1498 by the Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama.
Established as Regional Engineering College:
1961
Became an NIT:
2002
Legal basis:
National Institute of Technology Act 2007
Location:
About 22 km north-east of Calicut city
Campus area:
Approximately 120 hectares
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's institutions of national importance, their founding history and legal basis are regular Kerala PSC and UPSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Institution of national importance Status given by an Act of Parliament — NITC is one of the institutions set up by the National Institute of Technology Act 2007.
REC Regional Engineering College — The 1961 form of NIT Calicut before it became an NIT.
Background
In 1996 Kozhikode became the 5th IIM to be founded by the Government of India.
The inaugural batch of the PGP in Management began in 1997 with 42 students at the NIT-C campus.
In 2003 the institute moved to a new 97-acre hill-top campus in Kunnamangalam, Kozhikode.
In 2012 IIMK set up a satellite campus in Kochi for Executive Education.
In 2013 IIM Kozhikode inaugurated the first ever Indian Business Museum.
In 2015 IIM Kozhikode mentored the setting up of IIM Amritsar, the 15th IIM in the country.
Order among the IIMs:
5th
Founded:
1996
First PGP batch:
1997, 42 students at the NIT-C campus
Hill-top campus at Kunnamangalam:
97 acres, from 2003
IIM mentored in setting up:
IIM Amritsar (15th IIM), 2015
Why it matters for exams: The order of the IIMs and the founding milestones of Kerala's premier institutions are regular Kerala PSC and UPSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PGP Post Graduate Programme in Management — The flagship programme whose inaugural batch began in 1997 with 42 students.
IIMK Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode — The short form used on the institute's own growth-history page.
Background
The State Planning Board was first constituted in September 1967 with Chief Minister E M S Namboothiripad as its Chairperson.
Four non-officials and four officials were nominated as Members; M K Hameed was Vice Chairperson and Member for Industries and Infrastructure, with T P Kuttiamu (Irrigation) and Prof Joseph Mundassery (Education and Social Services) among the Members.
The Board was constituted for the formulation and evaluation of the State's Plan programmes on a scientific basis, and the Bureau of Economics and Statistics gave it research, library and administration facilities.
It was assigned the task of preparing the Annual Economic Review and undertook the preparation of the draft Fourth Five-Year Plan for the State.
In October 1968 it convened a Seminar whose papers and conclusions were published as Alternative Policies for the Fourth Five-Year Plan.
The Board was reconstituted in 1969 with Chief Minister C Achutha Menon as Chairperson, and that Board gave the State's Fourth Five-Year Plan (1969-1974) its final shape.
First constituted:
September 1967
First Chairperson:
E M S Namboothiripad, Chief Minister
First Vice Chairperson:
M K Hameed
Members at the start:
Four non-officials and four officials
Reconstituted under C Achutha Menon:
1969
Why it matters for exams: The Planning Board's first constitution, its chairpersons and the plans it shaped are recurring Kerala PSC questions on state administration.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Annual Economic Review Yearly report on the State's economy — The Board was assigned the task of preparing it.
Bureau of Economics and Statistics State government statistics office — It gave the Planning Board research, library and administration facilities.
Background
The Thrissur district profile calls it the cultural capital of Kerala, and the land of Poorams.
It is a revenue district in the central part of the State, spanning an area of about 3,032 km2 and home to over 10% of Kerala's population.
It is bordered by the districts of Palakkad and Malappuram to the north and Ernakulam and Idukki to the south; the Arabian Sea lies to the west and the Western Ghats stretch towards the east.
According to the 2011 Census the district has a population of 3,110,327, a ranking of 113th in India out of 640 districts.
The population density is 1,026 inhabitants per square kilometre, and the growth rate over 2001-2011 was 4.58%.
The sex ratio is 1109 females for every 1000 males, and the literacy rate is 95.32%.
Area:
About 3,032 km2
Population (Census 2011):
3,110,327
Rank among India's 640 districts:
113th
Sex ratio:
1109 females per 1000 males
Literacy rate:
95.32%
Why it matters for exams: Census 2011 figures such as population rank, density, sex ratio and literacy are standard Kerala PSC questions on the districts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Pooram Temple festival of Kerala — The district page calls Thrissur the land of Poorams.
Sex ratio Females per 1000 males — Thrissur records 1109 females for every 1000 males.
Background
Bounded by the Nilgiris hills on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, Malappuram literally means the land atop the hills.
Malappuram District was formed on 16th of June 1969, with Kozhikode and Wayanad districts to its north and Palakkad and Thrissur districts to its south.
The district has a geographical area of 3550 sq. kms, which is 9.13% of total area of the state and ranks 3rd in the state.
Malappuram consists of three natural divisions: lowland along the sea coast, midland in the centre and highland towards the east and north-east.
Four important rivers of Kerala flow through the district: the Chaliyar, the Kadalundippuzha, the Bharathapuzha and the Tirurpuzha.
The Chaliyar has a length of 169 KMs and originates from Illambaleri hills in Tamil Nadu, flowing into the sea at Beypore in Kozhikode district; the Kadalundippuzha has a course of 130 Kms and the Tirurpuzha is 48 Kms long.
Of these rivers only the Chaliyar is perennial and all the others get dried up in summer, which is why the district is prone to drought.
The district has a total forest area of 758.8684 Square km, of which 325.3261 Square km is reserve forests and 433.5423 Square Km is vested forests, protected by the Nilambur north and Nilambur South forest divisions.
Formed on:
16th of June 1969
Geographical area:
3550 sq. kms
Share of State area:
9.13%
Rank in the State by area:
3rd
Only perennial river:
Chaliyar
Total forest area:
758.8684 Square km
Why it matters for exams: Date of formation, area, rank and river systems of each Kerala district are repeatedly asked in Kerala PSC preliminary papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Perennial river A river that flows through the year — Among Malappuram's four rivers only the Chaliyar keeps flowing through the summer.
Vested forest Private forest vested in the State — Forest land that passed to the State from private hands and is now managed by the Forest Department.
Kayal Backwater — The brackish lagoons of the Tirur and Ponnani taluks that give fishing and navigation facilities.
Background
One of the first 16 Universities in India, the University of Kerala was founded in 1937, and was formerly called the University of Travancore in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
The University came into being by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who was also the first Chancellor of the University.
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was the first Vice-Chancellor.
The Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957) was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed University of Kerala.
Its earliest origins are traced to two institutions of modern learning: the University College, Thiruvananthapuram, initially founded as the Maharaja's Free School by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1834, and the Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838, which is now the oldest institution under the Kerala University.
Ten colleges within the State of Travancore, then affiliated to the Madras University, became the affiliated colleges of the University of Travancore.
In 1968 the University Centre at Kozhikode became a full-fledged university, the University of Calicut; CUSAT in 1971, Kerala Agricultural University in 1971 and Mahatma Gandhi University in 1983 were established later.
These developments have shrunk the jurisdiction of the University of Kerala to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta District.
Founded:
1937
Former name:
University of Travancore
First Chancellor:
Maharajah Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
First Vice-Chancellor:
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar
Law that renamed it:
Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957)
Oldest institution under it:
Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838
Why it matters for exams: The founding year, original name, first Chancellor and first Vice-Chancellor of Kerala's oldest university are standard Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Chancellor Titular head of a university — The ceremonial head of the University; the Maharajah of Travancore held the office first.
Diwan Prime Minister of a princely state — The head of the administration in Travancore; the Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar became the first Vice-Chancellor.
Affiliating university A university that affiliates colleges — A university that grants degrees to students of colleges affiliated to it rather than teaching them all itself.
Background
The Government of India decided to create a new category of languages as Classical Languages on 12th October 2004, declaring Tamil as Classical Language and setting criteria for the status.
A Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC) was constituted by the Ministry of Culture under Sahitya Akademi in Nov 2004 to examine the proposed languages for the status of Classical Language.
The criteria were revised in Nov 2005 and Sanskrit was declared as Classical Language, with a date of notification of 25/11/2005.
The Government of India records the date of notification for Malayalam as a Classical Language as 08/08/2013, after Telugu and Kannada, both notified on 31/10/2008, and before Odia on 01/03/2014.
Centres for Excellence for studies in Classical Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Odia were established under the auspices of the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysuru.
Benefits extended to Classical Languages by the Ministry of Education include National Awards for Classical Languages, Chairs in Universities and Centres for promotion of Classical Languages.
The Linguistics Experts Committee under Sahitya Akademi later revised the criteria again, and the Union Cabinet approved Classical Language status for Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali.
Date of notification for Malayalam:
08/08/2013
Category created:
12th October 2004, with Tamil
Committee that examines proposals:
Linguistic Experts Committee (LEC)
Nodal agency for the LEC:
Sahitya Akademi
Centre for Excellence for Classical Malayalam:
Under the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru
Why it matters for exams: The year Malayalam became a Classical Language, the order of the languages and the body that recommends the status are set in both Kerala PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
LEC Linguistic Experts Committee — The committee constituted under Sahitya Akademi that examines languages proposed for Classical Language status.
Sahitya Akademi India's national academy of letters — The body appointed as nodal agency for the Linguistic Experts Committee on Classical Languages.
CIIL Central Institute of Indian Languages — The Mysuru institute under which the Centres for Excellence for Classical Malayalam and three other languages were set up.
Background
Kottayam, the administrative capital of Kottayam district, lies in central Kerala.
It is bordered by the Western Ghats on the east and by the Vembanad Lake and the paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west.
The district administration calls the town 'Akshara Nagari', the city of letters, for its contribution to print media and literature.
Kottayam Town was the first town in India to achieve 100 per cent literacy, a feat recorded in 1989.
English education in South India began at the Old Seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
The first printing press in Kerala, the CMS Press, was established there in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily.
The first college in the State, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The maiden printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
Most of India's natural rubber comes from the district's plantations, and Kottayam is home to the Rubber Board.
Kottayam was the first town in India selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed into an Eco City.
First town in India with 100% literacy:
Kottayam Town, 1989
First printing press in Kerala:
CMS Press, 1821
First college in the State:
CMS College, 1840
Board headquartered here:
Rubber Board
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC repeatedly asks for the State's firsts in printing, higher education and literacy, and almost all of them belong to Kottayam.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
CMS Church Missionary Society — The missionary body whose press and college at Kottayam were the first of their kind in Kerala.
Background
Malappuram, whose name means the land atop the hills, is bounded by the Nilgiris on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
The district was formed on 16 June 1969, with Kozhikode and Wayanad districts to its north and Palakkad and Thrissur districts to its south.
Its geographical area is 3550 sq km, which is 9.13 per cent of the total area of the State, and it ranks third in Kerala.
The district has three natural divisions: lowland along the coast, midland in the centre and highland towards the east and north-east.
Four important rivers of Kerala flow through it: the Chaliyar, the Kadalundippuzha, the Bharathapuzha and the Tirurpuzha.
The Chaliyar is 169 km long, originates from the Illambaleri hills in Tamil Nadu and flows into the sea at Beypore in Kozhikode district.
Of these rivers only the Chaliyar is perennial, and the district is therefore prone to drought.
The Bharathapuzha, the second longest river in Kerala, runs along the district's southern border and drains into the sea at Ponnani.
Malappuram was the military headquarters of the Zamorins of Kozhikode and was the home of the Khilafat movement in Kerala.
The district's total forest area is 758.8684 sq km, of which 325.3261 sq km is reserve forest.
Formed on:
16 June 1969
Geographical area:
3550 sq km
Share of State's area:
9.13%
Only perennial river:
Chaliyar, 169 km
Why it matters for exams: District formation dates, area shares and river courses are staple objective questions, and Malappuram's single perennial river is a favourite linking question.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Zamorin Samoothiri of Kozhikode — The ruling house of Kozhikode, whose military headquarters the district administration places at Malappuram.
Background
Pathanamthitta is the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala.
It rests on the slopes of the Western Ghats and stretches down to the low-lying rice fields bordering Alappuzha district.
The district was formed with effect from 1 November 1982, under G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta.
On the north it is bounded by the Changanassery and Kanjirappally taluks of Kottayam district and the Peerumade taluk of Idukki district.
On the east it is bounded by the State of Tamil Nadu.
On the south lie the Kunnathur, Pathanapuram and Kottarakkara taluks of Kollam district.
On the west lie the Chengannur, Mavelikkara and Kuttanad taluks of Alappuzha district.
The district administration describes it as a land of undulating hills, forests, wildlife and valleys.
Rank among Kerala's revenue districts:
Thirteenth
Formed with effect from:
1 November 1982
Order:
G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982
Headquarters:
Pathanamthitta
Why it matters for exams: The order and date that created each Kerala district is standard Kerala PSC material, and Pathanamthitta's boundaries test district geography in one question.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
G.O. Government Order — The written order of a State government by which decisions such as the creation of a district are given effect.