31 October 2026
The Union Finance Ministry has released Rs 1,09,019 crore to the State governments as an additional instalment of tax devolution. This is over and above the regular monthly devolution, and it is the second such additional instalment in the current financial year. The Ministry says the money is meant to help States spend faster on capital works and on development and welfare during the festive season. Uttar Pradesh received the largest share at Rs 19,208 crore, followed by Bihar with Rs 10,845 crore and Madhya Pradesh with Rs 8,010 crore. Kerala's share is Rs 2,597 crore. Twenty-eight States are covered in the release. Tax devolution is the States' share of the taxes collected by the Union, and the share is fixed on the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
Total released:
Rs 1,09,019 crore
Largest share:
Uttar Pradesh, Rs 19,208 crore
Kerala's share:
Rs 2,597 crore
States covered:
28
Why it matters for exams: Fixes the figure Rs 1,09,019 crore for the second additional devolution instalment of the year and recalls that the States' share of Union taxes is set by the Finance Commission constituted under Article 280.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Tax devolution Share of Union taxes transferred to States — The portion of taxes collected by the Union government that is passed on to the States on the Finance Commission's recommendation.
1 November 2026
The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation is marking its 74th Foundation Day in New Delhi. Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is inaugurating the event and launching a set of new measures. One is the automatic settlement of eligible dormant provident fund accounts holding balances up to Rs 1,000, so that small sums do not stay stuck. Another is the delivery of EPFO services over WhatsApp. The Minister is also releasing publications on legal awareness and institutional learning and giving away the Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2026 to regional offices, zonal offices and individual staff. Officials of the Labour and Employment Ministry, members of the Central Board of Trustees, employers and workers are taking part. EPFO works under the Ministry of Labour and Employment and is governed by its Central Board of Trustees.
Occasion:
74th Foundation Day
Dormant account threshold:
Balances up to Rs 1,000
Awards presented:
Bhavishya Nidhi Awards 2026
Why it matters for exams: Names EPFO, its parent Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Central Board of Trustees, the Rs 1,000 dormant-account threshold and the Bhavishya Nidhi Awards.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
EPFO Employees' Provident Fund Organisation — The body that manages provident fund, pension and insurance for organised sector workers in India.
31 October 2026
The Department of Youth Affairs has reported the latest numbers from Viksit Bharat Yuva Samvad: Know Your Vote, a campaign run by MY Bharat to teach young people how voting and electoral rolls work. In one day 62 programmes were held in 62 colleges and institutions across 16 States and Union Territories, drawing more than 11,000 participants. The campaign runs from 26 October to 5 November 2026 and aims to cover 500 universities, colleges and institutions across the country. Counting all the dialogues so far, 158 Yuva Samvad events have been held in 28 States and Union Territories, with about 32,000 young people and 158 Yuva Aadarsh, or youth icons, taking part. MY Bharat, short for Mera Yuva Bharat, is the Union government's platform for youth participation and works under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Programmes in one day:
62 in 16 States and Union Territories
Participants that day:
More than 11,000
Events so far:
158 in 28 States and Union Territories
Target:
500 universities, colleges and institutions
Why it matters for exams: Names MY Bharat as Mera Yuva Bharat, places it under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and fixes the Viksit Bharat Yuva Samvad: Know Your Vote campaign and its 500-institution target.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MY Bharat Mera Yuva Bharat — The Union government's platform for youth participation in development, working under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
31 October 2026
The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education held a National CSR Conference at Gurugram to get corporate social responsibility money working better in government schools. The conference was built around Vidyanjali, the Ministry's school volunteer programme and digital platform, which links government and government-aided schools with volunteers, organisations and corporate partners. Vidyanjali's corporate framework has two parts, a CSR Module and an Adopt-a-School Module. A CSR-State Dialogue brought together companies, State nodal officers, the Programme Management Unit and the National Informatics Centre to match company funds with what schools actually need. Andhra Pradesh spoke on implementation, Karnataka on school adoption, Mizoram on community participation and Delhi on innovations. Implementing agencies ChildFund India, SARD India, Inspiring Seniors Foundation and ETI Foundation took part, along with the State Bank of India and Bharti Airtel.
Venue:
Gurugram, Haryana
Department:
Department of School Education and Literacy
Vidyanjali modules:
CSR Module and Adopt-a-School Module
Why it matters for exams: Names Vidyanjali as the Ministry of Education's school volunteer platform and its two corporate modules, the CSR Module and the Adopt-a-School Module.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Vidyanjali Vidyanjali school volunteer programme — A Ministry of Education platform that connects government and government-aided schools with volunteers, organisations and corporate partners.
31 October 2026
President Droupadi Murmu took part in the flag-pole worship, flag worship and flag-hoisting ceremony of the Simhastha Mahakumbh at Nashik in Maharashtra, and addressed a public gathering there. She said the great gatherings at Haridwar on the Ganga, Prayagraj at the Triveni Sangam, Ujjain on the Shipra and Nashik on the Godavari are known across the world and reflect India's historical, cultural, social and spiritual traditions. She said she expects the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Mahakumbh of 2027 to connect ancient heritage with modern life and help young people understand India's values. The President also spoke about extreme weather, noting that drought in parts of India, including Maharashtra, has hurt many people and especially farmers, and that the Union and State governments are working to help them. She asked citizens to protect the environment, and said she hoped the Mahakumbh would set an example in sanitation and waste management through good fair management and public participation.
Place:
Nashik, Maharashtra
Kumbh Mela sites named:
Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nashik
River at Nashik:
Godavari
Why it matters for exams: Fixes the four Kumbh Mela sites Haridwar, Prayagraj, Ujjain and Nashik, and names the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Mahakumbh of 2027.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Simhastha Simhastha Kumbh at Nashik-Trimbakeshwar — The name given to the Kumbh gathering held at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar in Maharashtra.
30 October 2026
The Supreme Court has struck down a review order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, holding that a tribunal cannot use its review power to walk away from a ruling of the Supreme Court. The appeal was by the Damodar Valley Corporation against Maithan Alloys Limited and others. The tribunal's 2019 order had followed the Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Bhaskar Shrachi Alloys Ltd v. Damodar Valley Corporation, but in 2024 the tribunal reviewed and reversed itself. The Court called this a breach of judicial discipline and a violation of Article 141 of the Constitution, which makes the law declared by the Supreme Court binding on all courts in India. The judgment also restated the limits of review: a mistake must be plain on the face of the record, and anything needing lengthy argument to establish does not qualify. The tribunal's review order was set aside, with costs of Rs 2 lakh on Maithan Alloys, which had sought the review, and Rs 1.5 lakh on the Steel Authority of India Limited, which had supported it.
Case:
Damodar Valley Corporation v. Maithan Alloys Limited
Constitutional provision:
Article 141
Costs imposed:
Rs 2 lakh on Maithan Alloys and Rs 1.5 lakh on SAIL
Why it matters for exams: Fixes Article 141 as the source of the binding force of Supreme Court rulings on every court in India, and names APTEL, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
APTEL Appellate Tribunal for Electricity — The tribunal that hears appeals against orders of electricity regulatory commissions in India.
Article 141 Article 141 of the Constitution of India — It makes the law declared by the Supreme Court binding on all courts within the territory of India.
31 October 2026
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is holding a fifteen-day Shilp Samagam Mela 2026 at Dilli Haat, INA, in New Delhi from 1 November to 15 November. Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar will inaugurate it on 2 November, and the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation, Prabhat Tyagi, will attend. The theme is Prakash aur Parampara - Jyoti se Jyoti Jalayen, which ties traditional crafts to festive lighting and cultural heritage. About 150 stalls are being set up under the Bharat TULIP and Purple Fest initiatives, and the fair is laid out in seven thematic zones, among them Kala Aangan for live craft demonstrations, Prakash Chowk for lamps and lights and Swaad Chowk for food. More than 1,000 artisans have been helped by these fairs since 2022. A joint Shilp Utsav is being run for the first time, by two departments together: Social Justice and Empowerment, and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. Bharat TULIP takes artisan products to buyers in India and abroad through e-commerce, while Purple Fest is a celebration of the talent and equal participation of persons with disabilities.
Venue:
Dilli Haat, INA, New Delhi
Theme:
Prakash aur Parampara - Jyoti se Jyoti Jalayen
Stalls:
About 150
Artisans helped since 2022:
More than 1,000
Dates:
1 to 15 November 2026
Why it matters for exams: Names the Shilp Samagam Mela, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment behind it, and the Bharat TULIP and Purple Fest initiatives under which the stalls are set up.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Purple Fest Purple Fest — A celebration organised by the government of the creativity, talent and equal participation of persons with disabilities.
31 October 2026
On Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's birth anniversary, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla laid flowers at his portrait. The ceremony was held in Samvidhan Sadan's Central Hall. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Health Minister J.P. Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Members of Parliament including Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh and Rajya Sabha Secretary General P.C. Mody took part, along with school and college students. Speaking to the students, the Speaker said Patel's leadership helped bring the princely states into the Indian Union after independence, and asked young people to put the national interest first and use their skills and scientific temper in national service. Patel was independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, and about 560 princely states were brought into the Union.
Venue:
Central Hall, Samvidhan Sadan
Princely states cited:
About 560
Why it matters for exams: Names Samvidhan Sadan as the old Parliament building that holds the Central Hall, and records Sardar Patel as independent India's first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Samvidhan Sadan Samvidhan Sadan — The name given to India's old Parliament building, where the Constituent Assembly met.
Background
The second largest research and development establishment under the Department of Atomic Energy stands at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. It opened on April 30, 1971 as the Reactor Research Centre, brought into being by an executive order of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who was then Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. In December 1985 it was renamed the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, and April 30 is still kept as its foundation day. Fast reactor technology is the centre's specialism. The technology development and design of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor were carried out there indigenously, while Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd, another undertaking under the same Department, built and commissioned the 500 MWe machine. That reactor attained first criticality on 06 April 2026, after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had issued clearance following a review of the safety of the plant systems. The reactor takes Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide fuel with a blanket of Uranium-238 around the core, and is designed to use Thorium-232 in the blanket in time.
Came into being:
April 30, 1971
First name:
Reactor Research Centre
Brought into being by:
executive order by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
Renamed in:
December 1985
Place within its Department:
second largest R&D establishment
Reactor designed there:
Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor
Capacity of that reactor:
500 MWe
Why it matters for exams: Kalpakkam's centre is the fast reactor arm of the Department of Atomic Energy, and its first name and renaming are asked often.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Child rights in India have a national watchdog with a statutory base rather than an executive one. The Ministry of Women & Child Development set it up under Section 3 of its parent law, the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005, and the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights was constituted in 2007. Its remit is to protect, promote and defend child rights across the country. A large part of that work is monitoring how laws relating to children are actually implemented, and the laws named for it include the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act of 2009, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act of 2012, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act of 2015. It is Section 109 of the juvenile justice law that gives the monitoring role to the National and State Commissions. Below them sit Child Welfare Committees, which act for children in need of care and protection and watch over Child Care Institutions, and Juvenile Justice Boards, which handle children in conflict with law. Complaints reach the Commission through its own online portals, among them e-BaalNidaan and the POCSO e-Box.
Statutory provision creating it:
Section 3 of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005
Set up by:
Ministry of Women & Child Development
Constituted in:
2007
Monitoring role under juvenile justice law:
Section 109
A law it monitors:
Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012
Online complaint portal:
e-BaalNidaan
Why it matters for exams: The section that creates the Commission, the ministry that set it up and the laws it monitors are the examinable core here.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
Pensions in India have a regulator of their own, and it rests on a statute. The PFRDA Act, 2013 created the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority as the statutory regulatory body for the sector, and it works under the Ministry of Finance. Regulation, development and supervision of the pension sector are the three tasks set for it, and the schemes it covers include the National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana. For the chain of intermediaries in the system — pension funds, trustees, central recordkeeping agencies, aggregators and points of presence among them — it lays down a regulatory and supervisory framework meant to keep the sector's growth orderly and subscribers' interests safe. A Chairperson heads the Authority, with Whole Time Members alongside, one of whom holds the Economics charge. It also signs agreements with other agencies: an understanding with Financial Intelligence Unit-India covers the sharing of information against money laundering and terror financing, each side naming a nodal officer and the two meeting quarterly. Gross enrolments under Atal Pension Yojana had crossed 9.10 crore by the middle of 2026.
Governing statute:
PFRDA Act, 2013
Ministry:
Ministry of Finance
Schemes covered:
National Pension System and Atal Pension Yojana
Head of the Authority:
Chairperson
Other members:
Whole Time Member
One class of intermediary:
central recordkeeping agencies
Atal Pension Yojana gross enrolments:
9.10 crore
Why it matters for exams: The Act that created the pension regulator, the ministry it sits under and the two schemes it covers are the standard questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
Service disputes of serving and retired armed forces personnel go to a tribunal of their own, which works under the Ministry of Defence. There are 11 Benches of it in the country: the Principal Bench in New Delhi and ten regional benches, at Kochi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar, with the Srinagar bench functioning at Jammu. Of those benches, the one in Kerala is at Kochi. Cases have come to it since its inception in 2009; as on 30.11.2018 a total of 11,705 of them were pending. For all eleven benches together the Government has sanctioned 34 judicial and administrative members, and the Tribunal is headed by a Chairperson. Its membership is of two kinds, judicial and administrative, and the administrative members have included retired senior service officers. Hearings of regional bench matters by video conferencing were later taken up at the Principal Bench, which spared applicants in far flung locations a journey.
Ministry:
Ministry of Defence
Benches in all:
11 Benches
Principal Bench:
Principal Bench in New Delhi
Regional benches:
Kochi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar
Working since:
2009
Members sanctioned:
34 judicial and administrative members
Why it matters for exams: The number of benches, the seat of the Principal Bench and the Kochi bench in Kerala are the facts an examiner wants.
Kerala PSCUPSC