15 October 2026
A State government committee reviewing the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has recommended that the Board stop borrowing from the market and stop funding projects. The panel said KIIFB's original purpose of raising money outside the State's borrowing limit no longer exists, because the Centre now counts KIIFB loans as the State's own borrowing. The Centre has already cut Rs 25,932.53 crore from the State's borrowing space on this account. The report says the State lost Rs 61,678.46 crore in receipts because of the KIIFB model, while the Board has spent or holds only Rs 48,574.82 crore. Avoidable costs, including higher interest and the Masala Bond, were pegged at Rs 1,250 crore. Only three of 44 projects labelled revenue-earning repay loans from their own income, and State government transfers met 99.4 per cent of KIIFB's debt repayment. The panel also recommended a CAG audit of KIIFB and cancellation of the order that routes motor vehicle tax and petroleum cess directly to the Board.
Borrowing space cut by Centre:
Rs 25,932.53 crore
Receipts lost:
Rs 61,678.46 crore
Spent or held by KIIFB:
Rs 48,574.82 crore
Revenue-earning projects repaying from own income:
3 of 44
Why it matters for exams: KIIFB's off-budget borrowing model and its treatment in State borrowing limits is a standing Kerala PSC and UPSC fiscal federalism topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KIIFB Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board — A State body set up to raise funds outside the budget to finance Kerala's infrastructure projects.
Masala Bond Rupee-denominated bond issued outside India — A bond sold to overseas investors but denominated in rupees, so the currency risk stays with the investor.
15 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, 15 October 2026, suspended the sentence imposed on former Director General of Police Tomin J. Thachankary in a disproportionate assets case and granted him bail. Justice A. Badharudeen passed the order. The Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge (Vigilance), Kottayam, had convicted him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, finding that he amassed wealth disproportionate to his known income while serving as Inspector General between 2003 and 2007. The trial court sentenced him to four years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 30.84 lakh. Among the conditions imposed by the High Court, Thachankary must deposit 75 per cent of the fine amount.
Sentence:
4 years rigorous imprisonment
Fine:
Rs 30.84 lakh
Check period:
2003 to 2007
Law invoked:
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988
Why it matters for exams: The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the powers of an appellate court to suspend sentence are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Disproportionate assets Assets beyond known sources of income — An offence under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act where a public servant holds wealth he cannot account for.
15 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, 15 October 2026, dismissed applications filed by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and son-in-law P.A. Mohamed Riyas seeking permission to appeal against a single-judge order. That order, dated 9 October 2026, directed the Vigilance Bureau to register an FIR over payments from Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) to Exalogic Solutions. The applications were for leave to file writ appeals against the single-judge decision.
Single-judge order date:
9 October 2026
Agency directed to register FIR:
Vigilance Bureau
Companies involved:
CMRL and Exalogic Solutions
Why it matters for exams: Writ appeals, the leave requirement before a Division Bench and the Vigilance Bureau's FIR powers are frequently examined in Kerala PSC law papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CMRL Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited — A mineral processing company based in Kerala whose payments to a private firm are under investigation.
15 October 2026
The Kerala government told the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, 15 October 2026, that Forest department action in Chinnakkanal, Idukki district, was restricted to dismantling unauthorised and illegal fencing. Forest Minister Shibu Baby John and Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar set out the government's position. The Opposition CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front had moved an adjournment motion to discuss hardships faced by farmers and residents of localities including Chinnakkanal, Panthalikkalam and Shanthampara. The motion concerned an order issued by the Idukki District Collector on 23 September 2026 authorising the removal of fences, walls and other structures put up by them. The LDF staged a walkout after the motion was denied.
District:
Idukki
Collector's order dated:
23 September 2026
Localities named:
Chinnakkanal, Panthalikkalam, Shanthampara
Ministers who replied:
Shibu Baby John and A.P. Anil Kumar
Why it matters for exams: Forest land disputes in Idukki, the District Collector's powers and Assembly adjournment motions are all live Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
District Collector Head of district revenue administration — The senior-most revenue officer of a district, who issues orders on land and public order matters.
14 October 2026
Power shortage was debated in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. CPI leader G.R. Anil moved an adjournment motion, saying power cuts that had been absent for ten years under LDF rule had returned after the UDF assumed office. Power Minister Sunny Joseph said the LDF was spreading a false narrative that there had been no outage during its tenure. Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said the LDF government had added 2,092 MW of power during its tenure, and when Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan questioned the figure, said it included solar power fed into the grid. The two also differed over the cancellation of a long-term agreement to procure electricity at Rs 4.29 per unit. The Opposition staged a walkout after its demand to discuss the issue through an adjournment motion was rejected. Revenue Minister A.P. Anilkumar told the House the government plans to restart river desilting by December-end or early January.
Power added in LDF tenure (as claimed):
2,092 MW
Rate in cancelled long-term deal:
Rs 4.29 per unit
Adjournment motion moved by:
G.R. Anil (CPI)
Why it matters for exams: Adjournment motions, the role of the Leader of the Opposition and Kerala's power purchase arrangements are regular Kerala PSC polity and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Adjournment motion Motion to set aside the day's listed business — A parliamentary device to suspend scheduled business and debate an urgent matter of public importance.
14 October 2026
Cheruvayal Raman, the Padma Shri awardee and tribal farmer known for preserving Kerala's traditional paddy varieties, died on 14 October 2026 at the age of 75. He was undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Of the more than 100 traditional varieties that existed in Wayanad a century ago, he cultivated and conserved 30, helping safeguard the region's agricultural biodiversity. A native of Edavaka Kammana near Mananthavady in Wayanad district, he was widely known as 'Nellachan', the 'Father of Rice in Wayanad'. He took up farming at the age of 17 without any formal training in agriculture. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2023.
Age at death:
75
Traditional paddy varieties conserved:
30
District:
Wayanad
Padma Shri:
2023
Why it matters for exams: Padma awardees from Kerala and in-situ conservation of indigenous crop varieties are recurring Kerala PSC and UPSC agriculture and awards questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
In-situ conservation Conservation in the natural habitat — Protecting crop varieties by continuing to grow them on farms rather than storing them only in gene banks.
15 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Thursday, 15 October 2026, called for urgent practical solutions from State authorities to ensure road safety and to implement its earlier directions. The Division Bench of Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar observed that time is of essence and that the Court's directions will have to be implemented without delay. The Bench was hearing a suo motu writ petition monitoring road safety in the State along with a connected plea. Its earlier directions included a State-wide, GIS-enabled Integrated Road Safety Monitoring Platform to link the existing systems of the Public Works Department, the Motor Vehicles department, the Kerala Police and other State agencies, and measures on over-speeding and rash driving by private buses. The Court said any respondent officer may appear in person or virtually so that inputs can be obtained, and referred to problems of lane indiscipline, inadequate signage and weak follow-up on AI camera detections. The case is posted to 3 November 2026 at 1:45 p.m.
Bench:
Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V. and Justice K.V. Jayakumar
Platform directed earlier:
GIS-enabled Integrated Road Safety Monitoring Platform
Next hearing:
3 November 2026, 1:45 p.m.
Why it matters for exams: Suo motu writ jurisdiction, continuing mandamus in road safety and the Motor Vehicles Act machinery are frequently asked in Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Suo motu On the court's own motion — A case a court takes up by itself, without a petition being filed before it.
GIS Geographic Information System — A system that stores and analyses data linked to locations on a map.
15 October 2026
The special enrolment drive announced by the Election Commission of India for voter roll revision began in Kerala on Thursday, 15 October 2026, and will run until 31 October. Chief Electoral Officer D. Sajith Babu said voters need to fill in only Form 6 to add names, and no additional declaration forms are required. Digital help desks will function at village offices from 15 to 31 October. Applications can be submitted online through the Citizen Service Portal or the Voter Helpline App, after which booth-level officers will carry out physical verification. Any one of the approved documents establishing identity with photograph, age and address must be submitted; those offering Aadhaar as proof must provide an additional supporting document. The CEO and Additional CEOs will travel across the State for random checks. A special enrolment drive named 'Campus to Booth' will be held in colleges and schools to raise awareness among young voters.
Drive period:
15 to 31 October 2026
Form for adding names:
Form 6
Chief Electoral Officer:
D. Sajith Babu
Youth campaign:
Campus to Booth
Why it matters for exams: Form 6, booth-level officers and the Chief Electoral Officer's role in roll revision are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC electoral administration questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BLO Booth Level Officer — A local official responsible for verifying and updating the electoral roll of one polling booth area.
Form 6 Application for inclusion of name in electoral roll — The standard form used by a new voter to apply for registration.
14 October 2026
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, directed that fingerprints of suspects in the Sreekrishnapuram double murder case be compared with those stored in the Aadhaar database. Justice G. Girish gave the direction to the Union Government and the Deputy Director of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), on a plea by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch, Palakkad. The case concerns the killing of a middle-aged couple at Sreekrishnapuram in Palakkad district in 2016. Police collected six sample fingerprints from the crime scene and compared them with more than 1,200 persons without tracing the offenders. The investigating officer had sought UIDAI's help to compare the samples with Aadhaar records for Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and approached the High Court after the request was rejected. The Court made clear that the order was passed on the exceptional facts of the case and cannot be cited as a precedent. The judgment is reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 579.
Year of the crime:
2016
District:
Palakkad
Sample fingerprints collected:
6
Persons already compared:
More than 1,200
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 579
Why it matters for exams: Aadhaar data use in criminal investigation, UIDAI's role and the limits of precedent are examinable polity, technology and law topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UIDAI Unique Identification Authority of India — The statutory body that issues Aadhaar numbers and holds the Aadhaar biometric database.
Background
Palakkad, the district where the Sreekrishnapuram case now before the Kerala High Court arose, is one of the fourteen districts of Kerala and has no coastal line. The district opens the State to the rest of the country through the Palakkad Gap, a break in the Western Ghats with a width of 32 to 40 kilometres. Palakkad is one of the main granaries of Kerala and its economy is primarily agricultural. Its geographical position, historical background, educational status and tourism sites give the district a distinct character within the State.
Districts in Kerala:
14
Width of the Palakkad Gap:
32 to 40 km
Coastline:
None
Mainstay of the economy:
Agriculture
Why it matters for exams: The Palakkad Gap, the district's landlocked position and its role as a granary are repeatedly asked in Kerala PSC geography papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Palakkad Gap Palghat Gap — A natural break in the Western Ghats that forms the main land route between Kerala and Tamil Nadu.