21 October 2026
A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice KV Viswanathan passed the order in S. Rajaseekaran v. Union of India.
The Compensation to Victims (Interim Relief) Scheme, 2026 is framed under Section 164A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
The Court directed the Union to publish the scheme in the Official Gazette at the earliest and to give it wide publicity.
It asked the Union to clarify whether the scheme covers accidents involving uninsured vehicles.
Under Clause 6, the investigating officer must upload the Detailed Accident Report within 90 days of the accident.
The insurer must accept or reject the application with reasons within 30 days, and pay within 30 days of acceptance.
The matter is listed next on November 25, 2026.
Scheme:
Compensation to Victims (Interim Relief) Scheme, 2026
Enabling provision:
Section 164A, Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
Accident report deadline:
90 days
Next hearing:
November 25, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Section 164A of the Motor Vehicles Act and court-monitored welfare schemes are a standing source of polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MACT Motor Accident Claims Tribunal — The tribunal that decides compensation claims arising from motor accidents.
21 October 2026
Justice M Nagaprasanna decided Nadeem Ur Rehman v. State of Karnataka, Criminal Petition No. 10711 of 2026.
On December 10, 2020 the petitioner's 14-year-old son drove his father's car on the old Mysuru-Bengaluru road and caused a collision.
Three members of one family died and another person was injured.
Section 304 Part II of the Indian Penal Code was added against the father during investigation.
The sessions court had already rejected his discharge application.
The Court said parenthood carries not merely affection and authority, but responsibility.
It added that criminal culpability cannot be measured by counting the dead, and left the question of knowledge to the trial.
Section added:
Section 304 Part II, Indian Penal Code
Age of the driver:
14 years
Deaths:
Three
Why it matters for exams: The difference between Section 304 Part II and Section 304A of the Indian Penal Code is a recurring law question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Indian Penal Code — The general penal law that defined offences and punishments in India.
21 October 2026
A vacation bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi heard the public interest petition.
Nineteen people died and about 25 were injured in the crush at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja in Kolkata on October 17, 2026.
The State had written to the Chief Justice on October 18 asking for a sitting judge to head an inquiry commission.
The Bench said it is for the Chief Justice to decide administratively whether a serving judge can be spared.
If no sitting judge is available, the State may appoint a retired Calcutta High Court judge under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952.
The petition was kept pending.
Deaths:
19
Injured:
about 25
Law invoked:
Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952
Why it matters for exams: The Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 is a standard polity topic on fact-finding bodies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A petition filed for a public cause rather than a personal grievance.
21 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India published the result of the seven-day Variable Rate Repo auction held on October 19, 2026.
The notified amount was Rs 1,00,000 crore.
Bids worth Rs 1,50,735 crore were received.
The amount allotted was Rs 1,00,014 crore.
The cut-off rate was 5.51 per cent and the weighted average rate was 5.52 per cent.
Variable rate repo auctions are conducted under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility to inject funds into the banking system.
Notified amount:
Rs 1,00,000 crore
Amount allotted:
Rs 1,00,014 crore
Cut-off rate:
5.51 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Liquidity Adjustment Facility tools such as variable rate repo auctions are standard banking awareness questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LAF Liquidity Adjustment Facility — The Reserve Bank window through which banks borrow from or lend to the central bank against securities.
21 October 2026
The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party filed the petition through its General Secretary Lella Appireddy.
It was filed by Advocate-on-Record Mahfooz A. Nazki.
The nomination period for the municipal polls ran from October 16 to October 18.
The petition states that nine of the party's candidates at Tirupati Municipal Corporation could not enter the offices of Returning Officers, and names incidents at Punganur, Rayachoti and Kadapa.
The party seeks police protection for candidates, an extension of the nomination deadline and additional nomination centres.
It also seeks a stay on declaring candidates elected unopposed in the affected wards until the Court orders otherwise.
Nomination period:
October 16 to 18
Filed through:
General Secretary Lella Appireddy
Corporation named:
Tirupati Municipal Corporation
Why it matters for exams: Local body elections and the Supreme Court's role in election disputes are a frequent polity theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AoR Advocate-on-Record — The only category of advocates entitled to file cases directly in the Supreme Court of India.
21 October 2026
A division bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Md. Shabbar Rashidi heard the matter on October 20, 2026.
The case is Surajit Mondal v. State of West Bengal and Others, WPA(P) 506 of 2026.
The petition states that about 25,000 stamp papers were issued without entries in the statutory register, and says this violates the Indian Stamp Act, 1899.
It seeks an independent inquiry and a halt to the practice.
The State must file its affidavit-in-opposition, including any objection to maintainability, by November 20, 2026.
The petitioner may file a rejoinder by November 30, 2026.
The Court will decide maintainability first and listed the matter on December 11, 2026.
Stamp papers cited:
about 25,000
Law cited:
Indian Stamp Act, 1899
Next hearing:
December 11, 2026
Why it matters for exams: The Indian Stamp Act, 1899 and the stages of a public interest petition are standard law topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Maintainability Maintainability of a petition — Whether a court can hear a case at all, decided before the merits.
21 October 2026
The mela is being held at Punnami Ghat, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, from 13 to 31 October 2026.
It is organised under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
About 1,500 women self-help group entrepreneurs and Lakhpati Didis from 34 States and Union Territories are taking part.
More than 650 stalls have been set up.
An India Food Court has 50 food stalls run by more than 200 first-generation women food-service entrepreneurs from over 28 States and Union Territories.
A 16-foot installation titled SHAKTI - The Spirit of Lakhpati Didi is the signature display.
Venue:
Punnami Ghat, Vijayawada
Dates:
13 to 31 October 2026
Stalls:
more than 650
Participants:
about 1,500 women entrepreneurs from 34 States and UTs
Why it matters for exams: DAY-NRLM and its SARAS melas are a recurring schemes-and-welfare question area.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SHG Self-Help Group — A small savings and credit group, usually of rural women, that is the basic unit of the rural livelihoods mission.
21 October 2026
The Prime Minister's Office issued the statement through the Press Information Bureau on 21 October 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to police personnel on Police Commemoration Day.
He cited their work in maintaining law and order, fighting crime and responding to emergencies.
He paid tribute to officers who died in the line of duty and said their courage and sacrifice will be remembered by the nation.
The release carries his post describing the contribution of the police as invaluable.
Observance:
Police Commemoration Day
Issued by:
Prime Minister's Office
Why it matters for exams: Important national days and the bodies associated with them are directly asked in general awareness papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PIB Press Information Bureau — The nodal agency that issues official communication of the Government of India.
21 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India announced the result of the conversion or switch auction of Government of India securities on October 19, 2026.
In a conversion auction, holders exchange shorter dated securities for longer dated ones, which pushes the government's repayment obligations further out.
For the source security 8.26% GS 2027, the notified amount was 2,000 and the amount accepted was 2,000.000, in rupees crore of face value.
The destination security in that case was 7.19% GS 2060, issued at a cut-off price of 92.32, giving a yield of 7.8391 per cent.
Other source securities switched in the auction included 7.17% GS 2028, 7.06% GS 2028, 7.26% GS 2029 and 6.79% GS 2029.
The 6.03% GS 2029 leg received no offers, so nothing was accepted or issued against it.
Source security:
8.26% GS 2027
Destination security:
7.19% GS 2060
Cut-off price and yield:
92.32 / 7.8391
Why it matters for exams: Conversion or switch auctions are part of the Reserve Bank's debt management function, a standard economy topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
G-Sec Government Security — A tradable debt instrument issued by the government and managed by the Reserve Bank.
21 October 2026
Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka approached the Delhi High Court seeking an urgent hearing.
They challenge an order of a Special Executive Magistrate extending their judicial custody by two more days.
An Executive Magistrate had earlier remanded them to five days of judicial custody on October 14.
The proceedings were initiated under Sections 126 and 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The magistrate held that peace bonds of Rs 50,000 had been breached.
The petition was moved on October 20, 2026.
Provisions invoked:
Sections 126 and 170, BNSS
Peace bond amount:
Rs 50,000
Earlier remand:
five days, on October 14
Why it matters for exams: The preventive chapters of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, are current law syllabus.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BNSS Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita — The criminal procedure law that replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
Background
A Lakhpati Didi is a self-help group member whose household earns at least Rs 1 lakh a year on a sustainable basis.
The income is assessed over at least four agricultural seasons or business cycles, not from a single good year.
The goal was announced as 2 crore Lakhpati Didis in August 2023 and raised to 3 crore in the Interim Budget 2024-25.
The 3 crore milestone was reached in December 2025 and an enhanced goal of 6 crore was set in February 2026.
The SARAS platform that markets their produce began in 1999 with a first National SARAS Mela in Delhi involving about 65 beneficiaries.
117 National SARAS Melas have been held so far, with annual sales exceeding Rs 200 crore.
Roughly 50 such events are held each year, and every State and Union Territory organises at least two State-level melas annually.
Income threshold:
at least Rs 1 lakh a year
Assessment period:
at least four agricultural seasons or business cycles
Enhanced goal:
6 crore
National SARAS Melas held:
117
Why it matters for exams: The definition and targets of the Lakhpati Didi initiative are directly asked in schemes questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DAY-NRLM Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission — The central mission that organises rural poor women into self-help groups and federations.
Background
India's semi-cryogenic stage is designated SC120 and is powered by the 2000 kN-class SE2000 engine.
The stage is planned to replace the L110 core stage of the LVM3 launch vehicle.
It will be integrated with an uprated cryogenic upper stage designated C32.
Testing uses a Power Head Test Article, which contains all engine systems except the thrust chamber.
Hot tests are conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Research Complex at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
The article has been run at thrust levels of 47 per cent or 94 tonnes, 60 per cent or 120 tonnes, 88 per cent or 175 tonnes, and finally at a full thrust of 200 tonnes.
Propellant supply was switched from a low-pressure start tank to a medium-pressure run tank to allow longer duration tests.
Stage:
SC120
Engine:
SE2000, 2000 kN class
Stage replaced:
L110 core stage of LVM3
Test facility:
IPRC, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu
Why it matters for exams: Stage names and engine designations of Indian launch vehicles are frequently asked in science and technology sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPRC ISRO Propulsion Research Complex — The ISRO centre at Mahendragiri where liquid and cryogenic propulsion systems are assembled and tested.