27 September 2026
The Human Resources Management (R) Department issued a Government Order on 21 September 2026. It invoked Section 24(4) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. It classified the Public (Law and Order) Department as an intelligence and security organisation. That would have shut RTI access to records such as police firing inquiries and custodial death inquiries. The Tamil Nadu government then withdrew the order, within about a week of issuing it.
Order issued:
21 September 2026
RTI Act provision:
Section 24(4)
Department affected:
Public (Law and Order) Department
Why it matters for exams: Section 24(4) and the limits of RTI exemptions are standard polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RTI Act Right to Information Act, 2005 — The law giving citizens a right to seek information held by public authorities.
GO Government Order — A formal executive order issued by a state government department.
1 September 2026
The Mettur Dam release that began on 1 September 2026 is planned to run for 45 days, to mid-October 2026, depending on storage and inflow. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay released the water on 1 September. The dam stood at 91.56 feet against a full level of 120 feet, with storage of 54.45 tmc ft. The delta districts of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai depend on the water for samba cultivation.
Release period:
45 days from 1 September 2026
Water level before release:
91.56 feet
Full level:
120 feet
Storage at release:
54.45 tmc ft
Why it matters for exams: Cauvery water sharing and the Mettur dam are recurring river-dispute and geography topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
tmc ft thousand million cubic feet — A unit used to measure reservoir storage in southern India.
Samba Samba paddy season — The main paddy crop of Tamil Nadu's Cauvery delta, sown after the Kuruvai season.
28 September 2026
Madras High Court Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan dismissed an election petition filed by DMK candidate KR Periakaruppan against the one-vote victory of TVK's R Seenivasa Sethupathi in Tiruppattur. The petitioner had argued that postal ballots meant for the constituency were sent to another constituency and rejected. The court found that material facts necessary for an election petition had not been pleaded. It held that the claims about a misdirected postal ballot, counting discrepancies and non-re-verification of postal ballots did not by themselves establish an irregularity that materially affected the result. The order was passed on 28 September 2026.
Court:
Madras High Court
Judge:
Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan
Margin:
One vote
Why it matters for exams: Election disputes, the Representation of the People Act and the role of High Courts are staple polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Election petition Petition challenging a result — A petition to a High Court challenging the election of a returned candidate.
Returning Officer Officer who conducts the poll in a constituency — The official who runs the election and declares the result in a constituency.
30 September 2026
Justice V Lakshminarayanan of the Madras High Court heard petitions on the R Veeramani POCSO case on 30 September 2026. The court declined to order a CBI probe, noting that the newly formed Special Investigation Team needed time. It made no direction for the Chief Minister and two ministers to appear before the SIT. The DMK's petition was adjourned by four weeks. A related petition by the NGO Tulir on publication of child sexual abuse material is listed for 6 October 2026.
Judge:
Justice V Lakshminarayanan
Adjourned by:
Four weeks
Related petition listed:
6 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Questions on POCSO, SIT versus CBI probes and court-monitored investigations recur in polity and law papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
POCSO Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — The law that criminalises sexual offences against children and provides child-friendly procedures.
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team of officers set up to probe one specific case.
CBI Central Bureau of Investigation — India's premier central investigating agency.
29 September 2026
Kariyachalli, one of 21 islands in the Gulf of Mannar, has shrunk from 20.85 hectares in 1969 to 3.14 hectares in 2025. It could vanish by 2036 without intervention. Tamil Nadu is deploying about 8,500 artificial reef modules and restoring coral and seagrass meadows. The reefs and seagrass dampen wave energy and help hold the shoreline. Tamil Nadu's Department of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, IIT Madras and the Suganthi Devadason Marine Research Institute are involved.
Area in 1969:
20.85 hectares
Area in 2025:
3.14 hectares
Reef modules:
8,500
Why it matters for exams: Island erosion, coral reefs and coastal adaptation link environment, geography and climate-change questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Artificial reef Man-made underwater structure — A built structure placed on the seabed to host corals and fish and to break waves.
Seagrass Flowering marine plants — Underwater meadows that trap sediment and shelter marine life.
Background
The Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park covers 560 sq.kms. and has 21 islands in total. The Tamil Nadu Tourism site describes it as the first marine biosphere reserve in South Asia. It lists 117 species of hard coral and dugongs among its marine life. The site places it along the coasts of Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram and Kanyakumari.
Area:
560 sq.kms.
Islands:
21
Hard coral species:
117
Why it matters for exams: Marine protected areas and biosphere reserves are common environment and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Biosphere reserve Protected area under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere programme — A zone that conserves biodiversity while allowing sustainable human use.
Dugong Marine mammal, the sea cow — A seagrass-eating marine mammal found in the Gulf of Mannar.