22 October 2026
The India-Poland Joint Statement was issued in New Delhi on 22 October 2026 during the official visit of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to India from 21 to 23 October 2026. In the statement Poland announced its decision to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. India invited Poland to join the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance. India also invited Poland to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative. The two leaders reaffirmed their support for the UNFCCC process and the Paris Agreement.
Visit dates:
21 to 23 October 2026
Coalition joined:
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
Why it matters for exams: India-led global coalitions and the countries that join them are a standing question area in international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CDRI Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure — A global partnership that works to make infrastructure systems resilient to disasters.
22 October 2026
The India-Poland Joint Statement of 22 October 2026 records that Poland reiterated its support for India's candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the term 2028-29. Poland also supported India's membership of an expanded United Nations Security Council. The two sides called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. They agreed to hold a counter-terrorism dialogue and referred to terrorist entities designated by the UN Security Council 1267 sanctions committee.
Term supported:
2028-29
Why it matters for exams: India's Security Council candidature terms and the countries supporting them are standard international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CCIT Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism — A draft United Nations treaty proposed by India to provide a single legal framework against terrorism.
22 October 2026
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced on 22 October 2026 that the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum will be held in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi, on 26 and 27 October 2026. The Parliament of India is hosting the Forum under India's chairship. The theme is 'Strengthening Parliaments for People-Centric Development'. The Forum will have four plenary sessions on Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability. Secretaries of delegations will meet on 25 October 2026 to finalise the Joint Statement, and the Vice-President of India will host a banquet.
Edition:
12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum
Dates:
26-27 October 2026
Venue:
Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan, New Delhi
Why it matters for exams: Host city, theme and edition number of international parliamentary conferences held in India are frequently asked.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
22 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel on 22 October 2026. The two leaders welcomed the continued momentum in India-Israel relations and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership. They exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and stressed the need to restore peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's position that dialogue and diplomacy are the way forward. The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.
Partnership name:
Special Strategic Partnership
Why it matters for exams: The formal name of a bilateral partnership is a common one-line objective question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
22 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India announced on 22 October 2026 that the directions issued to The Suri Friends' Union Co-operative Bank Ltd., Suri, West Bengal have been extended for a further period of three months. The extension runs from the close of business on 22 October 2026 to the close of business on 22 January 2027, subject to review. The directions were issued under sub-section (1) of Section 35A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. All other terms and conditions of the directions remain unchanged. The Reserve Bank stated that the extension should not by itself be construed to imply that it is satisfied with the financial position of the bank.
Extension period:
Three months, to 22 January 2027
Provision used:
Section 35A read with Section 56, Banking Regulation Act, 1949
Why it matters for exams: Section 35A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 is the provision the Reserve Bank uses to issue such directions, and is regularly tested in bank examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
22 October 2026
President Droupadi Murmu attended Seva Samman Parv and Yuva Prabodhan on the occasion of the Nuakhai festival at Raipur, Chhattisgarh, on 22 October 2026. She described Nuakhai as more than a cultural celebration, calling it a thanksgiving to agriculture and nature that honours social harmony and unity. She urged young people to innovate, uphold high ethical standards and serve society, linking these to the vision of a Viksit Bharat. She said the equal participation of women is essential for reaching Viksit Bharat by 2047 and asked men to create barrier-free environments for women. She welcomed the movement of young people in Chhattisgarh away from Naxalism into the mainstream.
Place:
Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Target year named:
2047
Why it matters for exams: Regional harvest festivals and the states they belong to are standard general knowledge questions.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Nuakhai Nuakhai — A harvest festival of western Odisha and neighbouring areas marking the eating of the season's new rice.
22 October 2026
The India-Poland Joint Statement of 22 October 2026 records that a cooperation agreement between the National Archives of India and the State Archives of Poland has been concluded, with signing pending. An agreement on cooperation in culture, science and higher education is to be concluded soon. The statement notes the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. It also refers to the Jam Saheb Memorial Youth Exchange Programme, of which two editions have been held, and to the memorial in Warsaw to Maharaja Jamsaheb, who sheltered thousands of Polish women and children in India during the Second World War.
University named:
Jagiellonian University, Krakow
Youth exchange editions held:
Two
Why it matters for exams: Cultural diplomacy instruments such as ICCR Chairs abroad and historical links like the Jamsaheb episode are asked in both history and international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations — The Indian body that runs cultural centres and endowed chairs of Indian studies abroad.
21 October 2026
A Supreme Court bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana held on 21 October 2026 that constitutional courts ordinarily defer to election authorities, but that this deference does not bar judicial review when elections are threatened by violence or other unlawful means. The interim order is reported as 2026 LiveLaw (SC) 1075 in SLP(C) No. 37476/2026, in the matter of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party v. State of Andhra Pradesh. The Court said the State Election Commission has a constitutional duty under Article 243ZA to conduct and supervise municipal elections in a free and fair manner, and that free and fair elections are part of the basic structure of the Constitution. It relied on Union Territory of Ladakh v. Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (2024) and Bharatiya Janata Party, West Bengal v. State of West Bengal (2018). The Court observed that instilling confidence in the election process is vital for the maintenance of constitutional democracy.
Article:
243ZA
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (SC) 1075
Why it matters for exams: Article 243ZA and the constitutional position of State Election Commissions are core local self-government topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article 243ZA Article 243ZA of the Constitution of India — It vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections to municipalities in the State Election Commission.
Background
The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935 in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Its Central Office was initially established in Kolkata but was permanently moved to Mumbai in 1937, and that is where the Governor sits and where policies are formulated. Though originally privately owned, since nationalisation in 1949 the Reserve Bank is fully owned by the Government of India. The Bank is governed by a central board of directors appointed by the Government of India in keeping with the Reserve Bank of India Act. Its full-time official directors are the Governor and not more than four Deputy Governors. The non-official directors are ten Directors nominated by Government from various fields and two government officials, together with four Directors, one each from the four local boards. Directors are appointed or nominated for a period of four years, and the board's function is the general superintendence and direction of the Bank's affairs. The Board for Financial Supervision, a committee of the Central Board, was constituted in November 1994 and exercises integrated supervision over commercial banks, financial institutions and non-banking financial intermediaries.
Established:
April 1, 1935
Governing Act:
Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Central Office:
Mumbai (moved from Kolkata in 1937)
Nationalised:
1949
Deputy Governors:
Not more than four
Why it matters for exams: The founding year, the governing Act and the exact composition of the Central Board are standard questions in bank, PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Board for Financial Supervision BFS — A committee of the Reserve Bank's Central Board that supervises banks, financial institutions and non-banking financial intermediaries.
Background
Article 124 of the Constitution states that there shall be a Supreme Court of India, and the Court is the apex judicial body under the Constitution. The Supreme Court came into existence on 26 January 1950 with the coming into force of the Constitution, and it was inaugurated on 28 January 1950 in the Chamber of Princes in the old Parliament building. The Federal Court of India had sat in that same Chamber of Princes for 12 years, from 1937 to 1950. Harilal J. Kania was the first Chief Justice of India and attended the inaugural proceedings along with the Judges of the Federal Court. The Court functioned from the old Parliament House until it moved to the present building on Tilak Marg, New Delhi, which the first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated on 4 August 1958. The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges, leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. Parliament increased the number of Judges from 8 in 1950 to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019, which is the current strength. Proceedings of the Supreme Court are conducted in English, and the practice and procedure of working of the Registry on the judicial side is regulated by the Supreme Court Rules, 2013 and the Handbook on Practice and Procedure and Office Procedure.
Constitutional provision:
Article 124
Came into existence:
26 January 1950
Inaugurated:
28 January 1950
First Chief Justice of India:
Harilal J. Kania
Current strength of Judges:
34
Why it matters for exams: The Article that creates the Court, the first Chief Justice and the sanctioned strength of Judges are among the most repeated polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Puisne Judge Puisne Judge — A Judge of the Supreme Court other than the Chief Justice of India.
Background
The Supreme Court of India has original, appellate and advisory jurisdiction. Its exclusive original jurisdiction extends to a dispute between the Government of India and one or more States, or between two or more States, in so far as the dispute involves a question on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends. Article 32 of the Constitution gives an extensive original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights, and it is empowered to issue directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari. The appellate jurisdiction can be invoked by a certificate granted by the High Court concerned under Article 132(1), 133(1) or 134 of the Constitution in respect of a judgement, decree or final order in civil and criminal cases involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the Constitution. Under Article 136 the Court may, in its discretion, grant special leave to appeal from any judgment, decree, determination, sentence or order passed by any Court or Tribunal in the territory of India. The Supreme Court has special advisory jurisdiction in matters which may specifically be referred to it by the President of India under Article 143 of the Constitution. The Court may also direct the transfer of a civil or criminal case from one High Court to another, and may withdraw to itself cases pending before High Courts that raise the same substantial questions of general importance. Under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, International Commercial Arbitration can also be initiated in the Supreme Court.
Writ jurisdiction for Fundamental Rights:
Article 32
Special leave to appeal:
Article 136
Advisory jurisdiction:
Article 143
Writs named:
habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari
Why it matters for exams: Examiners regularly ask which Article carries the writ jurisdiction, which carries special leave and which carries the advisory reference.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Quo warranto Quo warranto — A writ asking by what authority a person holds a public office.
Special leave to appeal Special leave to appeal — Permission the Supreme Court may grant at its discretion to appeal against almost any order of any court or tribunal in India.
Background
Article 148 provides that there shall be a Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal. The Comptroller and Auditor-General shall only be removed from office in like manner and on like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court. The oath or affirmation is made before the President in the form set out in the Third Schedule, which prescribes the same form for Judges of the Supreme Court and for the Comptroller and Auditor-General. Neither the salary nor the rights in respect of leave of absence, pension or age of retirement may be varied to the disadvantage of the Comptroller and Auditor-General after appointment. The administrative expenses of the office, including all salaries, allowances and pensions of persons serving in it, are charged upon the Consolidated Fund of India. After ceasing to hold office the Comptroller and Auditor-General is not eligible for further office either under the Government of India or under the Government of any State. Article 149 provides that the duties and powers in relation to the accounts of the Union, the States and any other authority or body shall be as prescribed by or under any law made by Parliament. Article 150 provides that the accounts of the Union and of the States shall be kept in such form as the President may prescribe on the advice of the Comptroller and Auditor-General. Under Article 151, reports relating to the accounts of the Union are submitted to the President, who causes them to be laid before each House of Parliament, while reports on the accounts of a State are submitted to the Governor, who causes them to be laid before the State Legislature. Under Article 279 the net proceeds of a tax or duty are ascertained and certified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, and that certificate is final.
Office created by:
Article 148
Duties and powers:
Article 149
Form of accounts:
Article 150
Audit reports:
Article 151
Administrative expenses:
Charged on the Consolidated Fund of India
Why it matters for exams: The numbering of these Articles, the removal procedure and the bar on further office are asked in almost every polity paper.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Consolidated Fund of India Consolidated Fund of India — The account into which all revenues of the Union flow and from which expenditure charged on it is paid without a vote of Parliament.