7 October 2026
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside a death sentence on 7 October 2026 and acquitted Hem Raj of all charges in the 2018 murder of a toddler in Hisar district of Haryana.
Justice Anoop Chitkara and Justice Harmeet Singh Deol held that the identity of the recovered body was not proved beyond reasonable doubt, as the DNA testing was inconclusive.
The Bench held that the accused pointing out the child's clothes while in police custody was inadmissible under Section 26 of the Indian Evidence Act.
It also held that Section 106 of the Evidence Act did not shift the primary burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused.
The first information report had been registered at Barwala police station on 16 June 2018.
The conviction under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code was set aside, the murder reference was dismissed as infructuous, and release was ordered on a personal bond without sureties.
Bench:
Justice Anoop Chitkara and Justice Harmeet Singh Deol
Date of FIR:
16 June 2018
Why it matters for exams: Capital sentencing and the limits of Sections 26, 27 and 106 of the Evidence Act are standard ground for polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Murder reference Confirmation proceedings before the High Court — A death sentence passed by a trial court has no effect until the High Court confirms it.
Section 106 Burden of proving a fact especially within knowledge — It does not relieve the prosecution of proving its own case first.
5 October 2026
Haryana has set up a dedicated Merlion Desk to fast-track investment proposals from Singapore, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced on 5 October 2026.
He made the announcement during a fireside chat at the SING Forum in Singapore, where he was on a visit to attract foreign investment.
State officials had identified about 20 to 30 major companies before the visit and held virtual meetings with prospective investors.
Several companies submitted investment proposals and expressions of investment intent during the visit.
The Chief Minister told the forum that Haryana has more than 270 Global Capability Centres and a strong automotive ecosystem.
Investment proposals in the state are handled by the Haryana Enterprise Promotion Centre through a strengthened Single Window System, and half of the eligible incentives are to be paid within seven working days.
Companies identified before the visit:
About 20 to 30
Global Capability Centres in Haryana:
More than 270
Why it matters for exams: State-level investment promotion desks and single window systems are asked about in economy and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Merlion The lion-fish emblem of Singapore — Haryana named its Singapore investment desk after the city-state's national emblem.
GCC Global Capability Centre — An offshore unit that runs technology, finance or research work for a multinational parent.
7 October 2026
Haryana has opened the Chirayu-Ayushman Bharat scheme to families whose verified annual income is above ₹1.80 lakh, on payment of a yearly contribution.
Families earning ₹1.80 lakh to ₹3 lakh pay ₹1,500 a year, those earning ₹3 lakh to ₹6 lakh pay ₹4,000, and those above ₹6 lakh pay ₹5,000.
Enrolled families get free, cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh a year at hospitals empanelled across the state.
Eligibility is decided by the verified annual income recorded in the Parivar Pehchan Patra.
The registration and payment portal is open until 30 November 2026, and the policy period runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027.
Chirayu was first extended beyond Antyodaya households on 15 August 2023, to families earning above ₹1.80 lakh and up to ₹3 lakh on a contribution of ₹1,500 a year, with the Parivar Pehchan Patra as the only mandatory document.
Annual cover:
₹5 lakh
Contribution for ₹1.80 lakh to ₹3 lakh income:
₹1,500 a year
Contribution above ₹6 lakh income:
₹5,000 a year
Why it matters for exams: State health insurance schemes, their income slabs and their link to Ayushman Bharat are frequently asked in scheme-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Chirayu Comprehensive Health Insurance of Antyodaya Units — Haryana's extension of Ayushman Bharat to families outside the central eligibility list.
PPP Parivar Pehchan Patra — Haryana's family identity database, used to verify income for scheme eligibility.
7 October 2026
The Haryana Forest and Wildlife Department is planning to install artificial intelligence enabled cameras at identified locations across the state to keep a systematic count of migratory bird species.
Chief Wildlife Warden Navdeep Singh said on 7 October 2026 that the system is expected to help the department identify and record birds more efficiently and reduce dependence on manual counting.
Cameras are already working at Sultanpur National Park in Gurugram and at Kalesar National Park in Yamunanagar, and more sites are to be covered.
Coverage will extend to notified wetlands and other water bodies, with the peak migration season in November and December.
Officials said about 200 bird species, of which about 100 are migratory, visit Haryana every year, as the state lies along the Central Asian Flyway.
Wildlife Week 2026 is being observed from 2 to 8 October on the theme of connecting habitats for thriving wildlife.
Bird species visiting Haryana yearly:
About 200, of which about 100 are migratory
Parks where cameras already work:
Sultanpur National Park and Kalesar National Park
Why it matters for exams: The Central Asian Flyway, Haryana's two national parks and the use of artificial intelligence in wildlife counting are all examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Central Asian Flyway A migratory route linking Arctic and Central Asian breeding grounds with South Asia — India lies on this flyway, which is why northern Indian wetlands fill with winter visitors.
7 October 2026
The Haryana Human Rights Commission has sought detailed reports on the collapse of an under-construction three-storey building at Dhulkot village in Ambala.
Member (Judicial) Kuldip Jain directed the Deputy Commissioner, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Ambala and the Superintendent of Police to report, acting on a complaint by Amandeep Singh Bhatia.
The Commission asked the Municipal Corporation for the sanctioned building plan, details of the owner, builder, contractor, architect and structural engineer, and inspection records.
It asked the Deputy Commissioner for details of the dead and injured, relief and compensation paid, and whether any magisterial inquiry had been ordered.
The building fell on the evening of 27 September 2026 while the concrete slab for the first-floor roof was being cast; seven persons died and 12 were injured.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh for the families of those killed. The Commission has listed the matter for 12 November.
Ex gratia announced:
₹5 lakh
Date of collapse:
27 September 2026
Next hearing:
12 November
Why it matters for exams: State human rights commissions, their powers to call for reports and municipal building regulation are standard governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SHRC State Human Rights Commission — Set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, it can call for reports from state authorities.
Ex gratia A payment made without admitting legal liability — Governments announce it after disasters, separate from any compensation a court may order.
Background
The page of the e-Committee of the Supreme Court of India on the Punjab and Haryana High Court records that it is the capital of two States of the Indian Union, namely, the Punjab and Haryana, and that although it is the capital of two states the city belongs to none of them and is a Union Territory. The page places Chandigarh 365 meters above the sea-level on the foot-hills of the Shivalik range.
The court descends from the High Court of judicature at Lahore. After Partition the East Punjab High Court of judicature was established at Shimla on August 15, 1947, by an order of the Governor General issued under Section 9 of the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
Shimla's winter was inconvenient for litigants, so the seat of the High Court was shifted to Chandigarh. The Court started functioning at Chandigarh from its present building with effect from January 17, 1955, and was formally declared open on March 19, 1955.
The building was planned by the French Architect Le Corbusier, who had earlier been chosen to execute the new capital project on a 114.59 sq.km. tract at the foot of the Shivalik Hills.
On the reorganisation that brought Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh into existence, the High Court of Punjab was renamed as the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, and the principal seat of the High Court remained at Chandigarh.
The same page records that the sanctioned strength of the High Court is 38 permanent and 30 additional Judges, and notes the Open Hand, the official emblem of Chandigarh, standing in metal beside the High Court.
Principal seat:
Chandigarh
Earlier seat:
Shimla
Began sitting in the present building:
January 17, 1955
Sanctioned strength recorded:
38 permanent and 30 additional Judges
Architect of the building:
Le Corbusier
Why it matters for exams: One High Court serving two States and a Union Territory, where it sits, and the fact that Chandigarh belongs to neither State are repeatedly asked in both Kerala PSC and UPSC prelims.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Union Territory Union Territory — A territory administered by the Union Government rather than by a State government of its own.
Principal seat Principal seat of a High Court — The main place where a High Court sits, as distinct from any bench set up elsewhere.
Background
The ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, at Sirsa Road, Hisar, Haryana 125001, publishes the official breed description of the Murrah.
Its breed page gives the Murrah's habitat as Central Haryana & Delhi. The phenotypic traits it records are a colour of Jet Black, horns short & tightly curled, a Long body with massive frame, a light neck and head, and a tail that is Long, White switch common.
The production traits it records are an Age at First Calving 44 months, a Lactation Length 300 days, a Calving Interval 453 days and a 305 days Milk Yield 2000Kg.
The institute itself was established in the year 1985 and started functioning from 1 February, 1985, and a sub-campus was later added in December,1987 at Bir Dosanjh, Nabha, District Patiala, Punjab.
A highly pedigreed breeding herd of Murrah is established at main campus in Hisar and that of Nili-Ravi buffaloes at sub-campus Nabha. The institute's mandate includes undertaking research and transfer of technology on all aspects of buffalo production, and To establish nucleus breeding herds of important buffalo breeds.
Habitat recorded:
Central Haryana & Delhi
Colour:
Jet Black
Lactation length:
300 days
Calving interval:
453 days
Age at first calving:
44 months
305 days milk yield:
2000Kg
Why it matters for exams: Breed-and-home-tract pairs are a standing favourite in agriculture and general studies papers, and the Murrah is the breed most closely identified with Haryana; the institute that holds its pedigree herd fixes both the breed and the place in memory.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research — The autonomous body under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education that runs India's central agricultural research institutes.
Lactation length Lactation length — The number of days an animal gives milk in one cycle between calvings.
Nucleus breeding herd Nucleus breeding herd — A small, closely recorded herd kept to produce superior breeding animals for wider use.
Background
The Government of Haryana's history page says of the state's name that Hariyana is an ancient name, and that regarding its origin there are diverse interpretations.
It records that during the olden period this region was known as Brahmavarta, Aryavarta and Brahomoupdesa, and that the other names Bahudhanyaka and Hariyanka suggest abundance of food supply and vegetation.
As per the inscription found from Bohar village, Rohtak district, this region was known as Hariyanak; the page adds that the inscription pertains to the period of Balban. It also records that the word Haryana was inscribed on a stone found during the reign of Sultan Mohammad-bin-Tughlaq.
The page sets out rival derivations it attributes to named scholars. One holds that this word comes from Haribanka, connected with the worship of Hari, the Lord Indra, reasoning that since the tract is dry one, its people worship Indra always for rain. Another traces it to the Rigveda, where Hariyana is used as a qualifying adjective with the name of a king who is said to have ruled the region.
On the region as an administrative unit, the page states that Haryana in the sense of geographical unit was not known before the 12th century A.D., and that the Haryana region was tagged with the Punjab in 1858 as what the page calls a political punishment to the people of this region.
Inscription village and district:
Bohar village, Rohtak district
Form recorded on the inscription:
Hariyanak
Older names for the region:
Brahmavarta, Aryavarta, Brahomoupdesa
Names suggesting abundance:
Bahudhanyaka, Hariyanka
Known as a geographical unit:
Not before the 12th century A.D.
Why it matters for exams: The derivation of a state's name, the inscription that first records it and the older names for the region are staple one-mark questions, and here they come from the state government's own published history rather than from a secondary retelling.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Brahmavarta Brahmavarta — One of the older names the state government's history gives for the region that is now Haryana.
Rigveda Rigveda — The oldest of the four Vedas, cited on the page as using Hariyana as a qualifying adjective with a king's name.
Background
Sultanpur National Park is in Gurugram district of Haryana.
The Haryana Wildlife Department describes it as a designated Ramsar Site of International Importance.
In 1971 it was declared Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary under the Punjab Wildlife Preservation Act.
In 1991 it was upgraded to a National Park under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
In 2021 it was recognised as a Ramsar Site.
Bird enthusiasts often call it "Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary", but the park officially retains the name of its native village, Sultanpur.
District:
Gurugram
Declared Bird Sanctuary:
1971
Upgraded to National Park:
1991
Recognised as Ramsar Site:
2021
Why it matters for exams: State-wise lists of national parks, Ramsar Sites and the Acts under which they were notified are staple questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ramsar Site Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention — A wetland listed for its international ecological value under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Background
Kalesar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary are situated at the foothills of the Shiwalik ranges.
Administratively the area falls in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana.
It shares its boundary with three states: Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh; the Yamuna river forms the eastern boundary with Uttar Pradesh.
The area is named after the Kaleshwar (Shiva) temple located in the section-4 area.
The 11570 acres of Kalesar Reserve Forest was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary by a Haryana Government notification dated 18.12.1992.
The whole area of that Wildlife Sanctuary was later declared a National Park by a notification dated 8.12.2003.
The forest is dense with Sal and Khair trees, with patches of grassland.
District:
Yamuna Nagar
Reserve Forest declared Wildlife Sanctuary:
11570 acres (18.12.1992)
Declared National Park:
8.12.2003
Eastern boundary:
Yamuna river, with Uttar Pradesh
Why it matters for exams: Location of protected areas by district and bordering states, and how a sanctuary becomes a national park, are common state-level questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Shiwalik Shiwalik ranges (also written Shivalik) — The outermost foothill range of the Himalaya, lying along the northern edge of Haryana.
Background
The Haryana Government portal divides the State into five natural topographic divisions.
They are the Bagar and undulating sandy plains, the Alluvial Plain (Ghaggar-Yamuna Plain), the Aravali outliers, the Shiwaliks and the Foot Hill Zone.
The Bagar lies in parts of Sirsa, Hisar and Bhiwani districts, in sand dunes adjacent to the Thar desert on about 11 per cent of the total area of the State.
The alluvial plain forms the water divide between the Ganga and the Indus river systems.
Within it lie the flood plains known as Khadar of Yamuna, Nali of Ghaggar and Bet of Markanda.
Natural topographic divisions:
5
Share of State area under Bagar sand dunes:
About 11 per cent
Bagar districts:
Sirsa, Hisar, Bhiwani (parts)
Why it matters for exams: Physiographic divisions and local landform names (Bagar, Khadar, Nali, Bet) are asked in state geography papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bagar Bagar (sandy plain of south-western Haryana) — The local name for the sand-dune region of south-western Haryana.
Background
As per figures of the 2011 Census on the Haryana Government portal, the actual population is 25,351,462.
The male population is 13,494,734 and the female population is 11,856,728.
The total child population in the 0-6 age group is 3,380,721.
The literacy rate is 75.55 per cent.
The area is given as 44,212 sq km.
These are 2011 Census figures and do not describe the present population.
Population (2011 Census):
25,351,462
Male population (2011 Census):
13,494,734
Female population (2011 Census):
11,856,728
Child population 0-6 (2011 Census):
3,380,721
Literacy rate (2011 Census):
75.55 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Census figures such as population and literacy rate are routine questions, and the census year is the examinable qualifier.
Kerala PSCUPSC