17 October 2026
The Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court, comprising Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar, has directed the Kerala Water Authority to repair and strengthen its buildings along the Sabarimala pilgrimage route.
The work must be finished by November 10, before the Mandala pilgrimage season.
The buildings house the main booster stations at Neelimala Bottom, Neelimala Top and Appachimedu.
The Water Authority had proposed Rs 3.21 crore to rebuild the structures, while officials told the court that Rs 10 lakh would be enough for temporary strengthening.
The Executive Engineer of the Sabarimala Development Project will monitor the work, and the case comes up again on October 23.
Deadline for repairs:
November 10
Rebuilding proposal:
Rs 3.21 crore
Temporary strengthening cost:
Rs 10 lakh
Next hearing:
October 23
Why it matters for exams: Links the High Court's Devaswom Bench, the Kerala Water Authority and Sabarimala pilgrimage infrastructure in one current order.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Devaswom Bench Devaswom Bench of the High Court of Kerala — The special Division Bench of the Kerala High Court that hears matters relating to the Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards and their temples.
17 October 2026
Justice A. Badharudeen of the Kerala High Court has dismissed two petitions by jeweller Roddam Pandurangaiah Naga Govardhan seeking permission to travel to Australia from October 14 to 24, 2026, for his daughter's graduation ceremony.
The petitions were Crl.MC Nos. 8474 and 8475 of 2026.
The Special Judge at Kollam had earlier refused to release his passport, and the High Court upheld that refusal.
The Court held that the investigation is still ongoing, that his presence is required for it, and that the graduation ceremony can be attended online.
Govardhan is the 13th accused in the case over misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka idols and the 10th accused in the case concerning the Sreekovil doorframes at Sabarimala.
He was arrested by the court-constituted Special Investigation Team on December 19, 2025, and got statutory bail in March 2026 on condition that he surrender his passport.
Judge:
Justice A. Badharudeen
Case numbers:
Crl.MC Nos. 8474 and 8475 of 2026
Travel sought:
October 14 to 24, 2026, to Australia
Date of arrest:
December 19, 2025
Why it matters for exams: A live Kerala High Court order on bail conditions, passport surrender and the right to travel in an ongoing investigation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIT Special Investigation Team — An investigation team constituted for a particular case; here the Kerala High Court itself constituted the team for the Sabarimala gold cases.
17 October 2026
The Kerala government, headed by Chief Minister V D Satheesan, has sought Governor Rajendra Arlekar's sanction to register a corruption case against former sports minister V Abdurahiman over the proposed visit of the Argentina football team.
The file was forwarded to Lok Bhavan on Friday after the government took legal advice.
A Special Investigation Team led by ADGP P Vijayan submitted a preliminary report to the government on October 5.
The SIT found that Abdurahiman misused his official position and intervened improperly to secure financial gains for the event sponsor.
It also recommended action against four others: C Sathyapalan, former private secretary to the minister; U Sharaf Ali, former president of the Kerala Sports Council; Reporter Broadcasting Company; and its owner Anto Augustin.
The SIT recommended cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
SIT head:
ADGP P Vijayan
Preliminary report submitted:
October 5
Others named:
4
Why it matters for exams: Shows why the Governor's sanction is sought before prosecuting a public servant for acts done in office.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ADGP Additional Director General of Police — A senior rank in a State police force, above Inspector General and below Director General.
17 October 2026
President Droupadi Murmu appointed new Governors for six States, with Om Prakash Mathur, then Governor of Sikkim, named the new Governor of Keralam.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, the Governor of Keralam, was appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.
The other four appointments are Dushyant Gautam to Sikkim, Braj Mohan Ram to Odisha, Dr. Sudha Yadav to Karnataka and Dr. Dhal Singh Bisen to Uttarakhand.
The appointments take effect on the dates the appointees assume charge of their offices.
Om Prakash Mathur is due to take office in Kerala on October 23, and Arlekar is expected back in the State on October 19, two days before he demits office.
A file seeking sanction to prosecute a former Kerala sports minister is pending with the Governor, so the change of office decides who rules on it.
States given new Governors:
6
New Governor of Keralam:
Om Prakash Mathur
Arlekar's new State:
Tamil Nadu
Date of taking office in Kerala:
October 23
Why it matters for exams: A change in the office of Governor of Kerala, with the exact dates and the pending file it affects.
Kerala PSCUPSC
17 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. of the Kerala High Court directed the National Highways Authority of India to decide a representation seeking deferment of toll collection at the Nattika Toll Plaza on National Highway 66.
The order was passed on Wednesday, 14 October 2026.
The direction was given to the Project Director of the NHAI's Project Implementation Unit, Cochin.
The representation must be decided within three weeks.
The case is Anil Kumar P.K @ Anil Pillikkal v. Union of India and Ors., WP(PIL) 204/2026, a public interest litigation.
The matter will be taken up again on 4 November.
Bench:
Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M.
Toll plaza:
Nattika Toll Plaza, National Highway 66
Time limit:
three weeks
Case number:
WP(PIL) 204/2026
Next hearing:
4 November
Why it matters for exams: A current public interest litigation that links the High Court, the NHAI's project unit and tolling on National Highway 66.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NHAI National Highways Authority of India — The central authority that develops and maintains national highways and collects user fees on them.
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A petition filed in the public interest rather than for the petitioner's own grievance.
17 October 2026
Devaswom Minister K Muralidharan has begun consulting legal experts about approaching the Kerala High Court over the Travancore Devaswom Board's handling of Sabarimala preparations, and the matter would go before the High Court's Devaswom Bench.
The Mandala-Makaravilakku season begins on November 16, and a buffer stock of 40 lakh tins of Aravana requires production to start by October 15 at the latest.
The jaggery tender has not been awarded, and the Board must negotiate with the Kanpur-based firm that quoted the lowest rate before finalising the contract.
The Board has not invited ghee tenders this year and plans to use ghee brought by devotees for making Unniyappam and Aravana.
At the Aravana plant, 21 vats have been dismantled, and work is on to install 26 vats with pipelines, cooling chambers and boilers.
About 6 lakh tins were used during last year's Thulamasa period, and at least 9 lakh tins are expected to be needed this year.
Season begins:
November 16
Buffer stock needed:
40 lakh tins of Aravana
Production start deadline:
October 15
Vats being installed:
26
Tins expected this Thulamasa period:
at least 9 lakh
Why it matters for exams: Shows the executive weighing litigation against a statutory board, with the pilgrimage dates and supply figures that drive it.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Aravana Aravana payasam — The jaggery-and-rice offering sold in sealed tins to pilgrims at Sabarimala.
TDB Travancore Devaswom Board — The statutory board that administers Sabarimala and other temples in the former Travancore area.
17 October 2026
An Enforcement Directorate team pasted a summons on the walls of former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's residence at Bakery Junction in Thiruvananthapuram at about 1 pm on Saturday, 17 October 2026.
Neither he nor his family was at home, and the agency followed the standard procedure of affixing the notice; an earlier notice had been sent by post.
The summons directs him to appear for questioning at the Enforcement Directorate's Kochi office next Friday.
No court has granted a stay on the investigation.
The case concerns transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited and Exalogic Solutions, the now-defunct information technology company of his daughter T Veena.
CPM State Secretariat member V Sivankutty visited the residence afterwards.
Date and time:
17 October 2026, about 1 pm
Place:
Bakery Junction, Thiruvananthapuram
Appearance directed at:
the ED's Kochi office, next Friday
Why it matters for exams: Shows how a summons is served when the person named in it is absent, and which agency and which companies the case involves.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ED Enforcement Directorate — The central agency that enforces India's foreign exchange and anti-money laundering laws.
CMRL Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited — A mineral processing company based in Kerala, at the centre of the case.
Background
This explains the court that issued today's Sabarimala directions to the Kerala Water Authority and the Travancore Devaswom Board.
The Devaswom Bench is a Division Bench of the High Court of Kerala set apart to hear matters relating to the Devaswom Boards and the temples under them.
It deals with the Travancore Devaswom Board, which administers Sabarimala, and the Cochin Devaswom Board.
Matters before it include temple administration, the use of Devaswom funds, pilgrimage arrangements and the condition of buildings on pilgrim routes.
The Bench is assisted in Sabarimala matters by a Special Commissioner who inspects and reports on ground conditions.
It also monitors works by departments and agencies such as the Kerala Water Authority when they serve the pilgrimage.
Court:
High Court of Kerala
Boards covered:
Travancore and Cochin Devaswom Boards
Why it matters for exams: A standing institutional fact that explains how Kerala's temple administration is supervised by the High Court.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Division Bench A bench of two or more judges — A bench of two or more judges of a High Court, as against a Single Bench of one judge.