26 October 2026
Justice A. Badharudeen decided Crl.A. No. 1265 of 2023, Shaji v. State of Kerala. The Court held that placing the penis on the vagina after removing the child's underwear involves the slightest degree of penetration and so amounts to penetrative sexual assault under Section 3 of the POCSO Act. It is therefore different from mere touching, which is sexual assault under Section 7. Because the child was below twelve years, the aggravated penetrative sexual assault provision in Section 5 also applied. The Special Judge had convicted the appellant under Sections 3(a), 4(2), 5(m) and 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 376AB of the IPC and given twenty years' imprisonment for each offence with a fine. The High Court upheld the POCSO conviction but set aside the separate sentence under Section 376AB IPC, holding that Section 42 of the POCSO Act requires only the greater punishment to be imposed when the same act falls under more than one provision. The appeal was allowed in part.
Case:
Shaji v. State of Kerala, Crl.A. No. 1265 of 2023
Judge:
Justice A. Badharudeen
Sentence upheld:
20 years' imprisonment under the POCSO Act
Why it matters for exams: The difference between Sections 3 and 7 of the POCSO Act, and the alternate-punishment rule in Section 42, are standard questions in law and PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
POCSO Act Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act — The 2012 central law that creates special offences and special courts for sexual offences against children.
26 October 2026
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas decided WP(C) No. 31584 of 2026, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 589. The petitioner said her marriage had been arranged without her consent, that she left the matrimonial home to continue her studies and later left her parental home as well, and that the police kept calling her to the station after her mother complained that she was missing. The Government Pleader said a case had been registered under Section 57 of the Kerala Police Act, 2011. The Court held that police contacting a missing adult to complete an investigation is not harassment. It also held that because she is an adult she can decide for herself, and that neither her parents nor the police can interfere with that freedom or compel her to return home. The Court directed that the registered crime be taken to its logical conclusion and that the petitioner appear before the Station House Officer so that her presence and her wishes are recorded.
Case number:
WP(C) No. 31584 of 2026
Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
Provision invoked:
Section 57 of the Kerala Police Act, 2011
Why it matters for exams: The judgment turns on the Kerala Police Act, 2011 and on an adult's freedom to decide where to live, both of which are frequently examined.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SHO Station House Officer — The police officer in charge of a police station.
26 October 2026
The Kerala High Court decided District Court Bar Association, Thodupuzha-Muttom and another v. State of Kerala and others, with the neutral citation 2026:KER:79390. The Court held that a Special Public Prosecutor appointed for POCSO cases cannot conduct other cases, because the appointment is meant to be exclusive to child sexual offence trials. It directed the State to make the appointments within six weeks. The direction follows the Court's earlier concern about the working of Special Courts under the POCSO Act in the State.
Neutral citation:
2026:KER:79390
Time given:
Six weeks
Why it matters for exams: The office of Special Public Prosecutor and the special-court machinery of the POCSO Act are standard polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SPP Special Public Prosecutor — A prosecutor appointed by the State for a particular class of cases or a particular case.
26 October 2026
The Kerala High Court has revised its internship policy for 2026. Under the revised policy, only students in the final two years of the LL.B programme may intern at the High Court. The restriction does not apply to internships that individual judges permit at their discretion. The revised policy also sets fresh rules on internship applications, entry passes, attendance and the conduct of law students interning at the Court. Bar and Bench reported the change on 24 October 2026.
Who can apply:
Students in the final two years of the LL.B course
Why it matters for exams: Changes in how a High Court runs legal internships touch on legal education and on the Bar Council's role, both of which are examined.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
LL.B Bachelor of Laws — The first degree in law in India, offered as a three-year or a five-year integrated course.
Background
Constituted in 2010, the State Forest Development Agency (Reg No T.734/10) is an autonomous institution that is the apex body of 36 Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) in Kerala. It is part of the Eco-development and Tribal Welfare Wing of the Kerala Forest Department. Its stated aims are three: to champion Participatory Forest Management (PFM), a collaborative approach where local communities have a say in managing their forests; to act as a bridge between the government, financial institutions and funding agencies for forestry projects taken up by the FDAs; and to empower forest-dependent communities through programmes that create alternative income opportunities. It focuses on the planning, implementation and evaluation of PFM programmes. The agency functions under a General Body chaired by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Head of Forest Force. The General Body also includes the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, the Secretaries of the Forests and Wildlife, Finance and Revenue Departments, a representative of the Government of India, and the Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of the FDAs in the State. The Executive Committee is also chaired by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Head of Forest Force.
Constituted:
2010
Forest Development Agencies under it:
36
General Body Chairman:
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force
Wing:
Eco-development and Tribal Welfare Wing
Why it matters for exams: Participatory forest management is how Kerala reaches forest-fringe communities, and the number of FDAs and the chair of the apex body are the testable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PFM Participatory Forest Management — Forest management in which local communities have a say in how their forests are used and protected.
Background
The Kerala Legislature publishes its own lists of presiding officers and deputy presiding officers since 1957, with books on Speakers and Deputy Speakers in English and Malayalam. Shri R. Sankaranarayanan Thampi was the first Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, from April 27, 1957 to July 31, 1959. Shri K.M. Seethi Sahib came next, followed by Shri C.H. Mohammed Koya and Shri Alexander Parambithara. Smt. K.O. Aysha Bai was the first Deputy Speaker, from May 6, 1957 to July 31, 1959, and Smt. A. Nafeesath Beevi followed her. Later Speakers on the list include Shri A.C. Jose, Shri Vakkom B Purushothaman, Shri V.M. Sudheeran and Shri Varkala Radhakrishnan. Later Deputy Speakers include Shri M.P. Mohammed Jafferkhan, Shri R.S. Unni, Smt. Bhargavi Thankappan and Shri C.A. Kurian.
First Speaker:
Shri R. Sankaranarayanan Thampi
First Deputy Speaker:
Smt. K.O. Aysha Bai
Second Speaker:
Shri K.M. Seethi Sahib
Second Deputy Speaker:
Smt. A. Nafeesath Beevi
Why it matters for exams: The first Speaker and the first Deputy Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly are among the oldest repeat questions in the Kerala PSC syllabus.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Presiding officer Presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly — The Speaker, or in the Speaker's absence the Deputy Speaker, who conducts the business of the House.
Background
Heavy rain has kept the hill districts of the Ghats under district alerts this week. The Ghats themselves carry a standing international status. UNESCO's World Heritage List entry gives the Date of Inscription as 2012 and the Criteria as (ix)(x). The entry says the property is made up of 39 component parts grouped into 7 sub-clusters. It records that the Ghats traverse the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat. UNESCO describes the chain as older than the Himalaya mountains. The same entry calls the Western Ghats one of the world's eight 'hottest hotspots' of biological diversity.
Date of Inscription:
2012
Criteria:
(ix)(x)
Component parts:
39
Sub-clusters:
7
States traversed:
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat
Why it matters for exams: The inscription year, the criteria and the States the Western Ghats traverse are repeat questions in Kerala PSC and UPSC environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — The UN family body that keeps the World Heritage List.
Serial property Serial property — A single World Heritage property made up of several separate component parts.
Background
The India Meteorological Department forecast rain across Kerala until 25 October and squally weather along and off the Kerala coast, with fishermen advised not to venture into the sea, which puts the State's ports and inland water routes back in view. A Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reply placed in the Lok Sabha sets out the standing position. Vizhinjam International Seaport is developed in a public-private partnership between the Government of Kerala and Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited, under a concession agreement signed on 17.08.2015. Phase I became operational on 03.12.2024 with an annual handling capacity of 1 million TEUs. Central support included Viability Gap Funding of Rs. 817.80 crore. The reply lists NW-3, NW-8 and NW-9 as the national waterways in Kerala. Two Ro-Ro vessels were built through Cochin Shipyard Limited and are run between Bolgatty and Willington Island by the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation.
Concession agreement signed:
17.08.2015
Phase I operational:
03.12.2024
Phase I annual capacity:
1 million TEUs
Viability Gap Funding:
Rs. 817.80 crore
National waterways in Kerala:
NW-3, NW-8 and NW-9
Why it matters for exams: The agency names, the central funding instrument and the national waterway numbers for Kerala are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC infrastructure questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TEU Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit — The standard unit in which container traffic at a port is counted.
Viability Gap Funding Viability Gap Funding — Central grant support that makes an otherwise unviable infrastructure project workable.
Ro-Ro Roll-on Roll-off — A vessel that vehicles drive on to and drive off from.