29 October 2026
Replying in the Legislative Assembly to a submission by Congress MLA A D Thomas, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan described Mission Samudra as a five-year maritime economic transformation initiative that will bring every major and minor port in the State into a single plan. He said it is wider than fisheries and covers the whole coastal economy, with a target of more than a lakh jobs by 2031. The mission fund for 2026-27 is 400 crore rupees. Work will cover the Vizhinjam International Port and the minor ports, road, rail and waterway links, logistics parks and port-linked cities. A Maritime Cluster Development Programme will set up a Marine Export Zone, a Seafood Park and a Coastal Aquaculture and Marine Food Processing Cluster, with a Coastal Community Livelihood Zone and an Innovation and Skills Zone in each port area. Skill centres will come up at Alappuzha, Aroor and Mararikulam, and Aroor is to be built as a seafood hub, with KASE, CUSAT and KUFOS as training partners.
Mission fund 2026-27:
Rs 400 crore
Jobs target:
over a lakh by 2031
Duration:
five years
Why it matters for exams: Mission Samudra is Kerala's five-year maritime economy mission with 400 crore rupees for 2026-27 and a target of over a lakh jobs by 2031.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
KUFOS Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies — A Kerala university for fisheries and ocean studies, named as a training partner.
KASE Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence — The State's skilling agency, listed among the mission's training partners.
29 October 2026
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has allowed the Kerala State Electricity Board to buy power on short-term contracts to meet the extra demand expected between November 2026 and March 2027. The approved purchase is 164.16 million units at an average of 8 rupees a unit, costing 131.26 crore rupees. The monthly clearances are 145 MW in November 2026 and 120 MW in December, then 240 MW in January 2027, the same in February, and 270 MW in March. The Commission, headed by T.K. Jose, refused the purchase proposed for April 2027 because the rate on offer was excessively high. The Board had sought approval through the Union Power Ministry's Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price portal for the stretch from 1 October 2026 to 30 April 2027. It had projected a 17 to 23 per cent rise in peak demand and a 12 to 17 per cent rise in energy demand for November 2026 to May 2027.
Quantity cleared:
164.16 million units
Cost:
Rs 131.26 crore
Average rate:
Rs 8 per unit
Why it matters for exams: KSERC is the State electricity regulator, and short-term power is bought through the Union Power Ministry's DEEP portal.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DEEP Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price — The Union Power Ministry's e-bidding portal for short and medium-term power purchase.
KSERC Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission — The State regulator that approves tariffs and power purchases in Kerala.
28 October 2026
The Kerala Cabinet has decided to add two communities to the list of Other Backward Classes used for reservation in State service. The Pattariya community goes in at entry number 55 and the Saliya community at entry number 62 of List 3, which is the Other Backward Classes list in Part 1 of the Kerala State and Subordinate Services Rules, 1958. The decision was taken on the recommendation of the Kerala State Backward Classes Commission, which examines claims for inclusion in or removal from the list and advises the government. Once the amendment is notified, candidates from these two communities can claim the reservation and age relaxation available to Other Backward Classes in recruitment through the Kerala Public Service Commission. The same Cabinet meeting also cleared a special housing scheme for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and fisherfolk families and a change in the ratio for Police Constable recruitment.
Pattariya:
Entry No. 55
Saliya:
Entry No. 62
Rules:
Kerala State and Subordinate Services Rules, 1958
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's Other Backward Classes list is List 3 in Part 1 of the Kerala State and Subordinate Services Rules, 1958, and additions are made on the State Backward Classes Commission's recommendation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KS&SSR Kerala State and Subordinate Services Rules, 1958 — The rules that govern recruitment and reservation in Kerala government service.
28 October 2026
Block-level audit clinics have begun under the Local Self-Government Department's Swastham Thadesam scheme. The clinics are sittings where officers of a local body bring their reply papers, the clinic goes through them and suggests how each pending audit objection can be closed. The main target is objections raised in the last three years. The first phase covers block panchayats and municipalities, and the clinics run until 31 October. Retired officers taken in as Audit Mitras, departmental officers, technical experts and the block-level coordinators of the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan guide the sittings. At the Kozhikode block office clinic, presided over by District Joint Director N.K. Hareesh, officers came from the Kozhikode, Chelannur and Kundamangalam block panchayats and from the Feroke and Ramanattukara municipalities. Clinics will next be held in the Koduvally, Meladi and Vadakara blocks.
Objections targeted:
of the last three years
Clinics run until:
31 October
Why it matters for exams: Swastham Thadesam is the Local Self-Government Department's drive to clear pending audit objections, with retired officers serving as Audit Mitras.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RGSA Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan — A centrally assisted programme to strengthen panchayati raj institutions.
29 October 2026
General Education Minister N. Samsudheen announced seven media awards for the coverage of the 67th State School Sports Meet, which was held in Thiruvananthapuram in 2025. In the print category Malayala Manorama took the award for comprehensive coverage with 25,000 rupees and a certificate, Pradeep Gopal of Deshabhimani was named best newspaper reporter and Muralikrishnan of Mathrubhumi best photographer, each with 20,000 rupees. In the visual media category Mahesh Poloor of Media One was named best television reporter and Viju V. of Mathrubhumi News best cameraman, while Asianet News won comprehensive coverage with 25,000 rupees. In the audio media category All India Radio, or Akashavani, won the award for best audio media coverage with 25,000 rupees and a certificate. The jury was Kamal Varadoor of Chandrika, Viswanathan K of Mathrubhumi and Assistant Sports Organiser and Olympian Kunju Muhammed. The awards will be handed over at the closing ceremony of this year's meet at Kozhikode on the 31st.
Awards announced:
seven
Top award amount:
Rs 25,000
Meet covered:
67th State School Sports Meet
Why it matters for exams: All India Radio, known as Akashavani, won the audio media award for the 67th State School Sports Meet, announced by General Education Minister N. Samsudheen.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Kerala plans an Approved Vehicle Seizure Yard in every taluk, so that vehicles held for unpaid motor vehicle tax have somewhere to be kept; the Transport Minister has put a Bill to that effect before the Assembly. The parent law is the Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1976, which is Act 19 of 1976, and it pulled together the rules on taxing vehicles and the passengers and goods they carry. Tax at the rate the Schedule lays down falls on every motor vehicle used in the State or kept there for use. A vehicle a dealer or a manufacturer holds for trade, and runs under a trade certificate, stays outside the charge. New vehicles of some classes pay a one time tax when they are first registered. The Government may push up the Schedule rates by notification, but the increase must not add up to more than fifty per cent of the rate. A fleet owner, as the Act defines the term, is a person, an institution or the Government holding the registration of more than one hundred and fifty transport vehicles that are used in the State or kept there for use. The Regional Transport Officer, or any other officer the Government appoints, acts as the Taxation Officer. Seizure is narrower: a vehicle may be seized and held only by an officer of at least Assistant Motor Vehicles Inspector rank whom the Government has authorised for it, or by a police officer of at least Sub-Inspector rank, and only where he has reason to believe the vehicle is used in the State, or kept there for use, with the tax unpaid.
Act:
Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1976 (Act 19 of 1976)
Ceiling on a rate increase:
Fifty per cent in the aggregate
Fleet owner:
More than 150 transport vehicles
Why it matters for exams: The Kerala Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, the fifty per cent ceiling on raising Schedule rates, the fleet owner threshold and the seizure ranks are the durable facts behind Kerala's vehicle tax news.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Taxation Officer Regional Transport Officer or other officer so appointed — The officer who collects and enforces the motor vehicle tax in Kerala.
One time tax Tax paid once at first registration — A lump tax that some classes of new vehicle pay when first registered.