10 October 2026
The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, official language section, has invited applications for the official language awards. Applications must reach by October 12 at 5 pm. The awards are meant to promote Malayalam in government administration and to complete the official language transition. The department that makes the best progress in the official language transition gets ₹25,000, a plaque and a certificate, and the district that best promotes the mother tongue gets ₹20,000, a plaque and a certificate. The Book Writing Award for employees who write original works that help make Malayalam the official language carries a first prize of ₹20,000 and a second prize of ₹10,000. The state-level Official Language Service Award, for Group A, B and C officers and for typists, computer assistants, stenographers and confidential assistants, carries ₹20,000 and ₹10,000 in each category. The district official language award for Group C employees carries ₹10,000. A new literary award for school students covers classes 1 to 4, 5 to 7 and 8 to 10, with a first prize of ₹5,000 and a second prize of ₹3,000. Work done in Malayalam during the 2025 calendar year is what is considered for the awards. State-level applications go to the Deputy Secretary, Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Official Language), Annex 1, Government Secretariat, Thiruvananthapuram, and district applications to the District Collectors.
Last date:
October 12, 5 pm
Best department in the official language transition:
₹25,000
Best district in mother tongue promotion:
₹20,000
School students' first prize:
₹5,000
Why it matters for exams: Prize amounts and the department that gives the official language awards are frequently asked in Kerala PSC general awareness papers.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Bharanabhasha Bharanabhasha, the official language of administration — The language in which government files and orders are written; Kerala's programme is to shift this fully to Malayalam.
10 October 2026
Along with the session schedule, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan announced that the Platinum Jubilee of the Kerala Legislature will be celebrated on April 27, 2027. The celebration programmes will begin on November 1, 2026, which is Kerala Piravi day. A Sneha Sangamam bringing together former Speakers, former Deputy Speakers, former members, former Secretaries and legislature staff will be held at the Sankaranarayanan Thampi Hall. The fifth edition of the legislature's book festival will be held as the Kerala Legislature International Literary Festival from January 7 to 13. The handover of keys to the flats built for members at the Pamba Block will take place on October 26 at 4.30 pm.
Platinum Jubilee day:
27 April 2027
Celebrations begin:
1 November 2026
Literary festival:
January 7 to 13
Why it matters for exams: Anniversary dates of Kerala institutions and the naming of the legislature's literary festival are easy, frequently set questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kerala Piravi Kerala Piravi day — November 1, the day the State of Kerala was formed in 1956.
Background
The EU has 24 official languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.
Every time new members have joined the EU, they have added to the number of official languages.
The Council establishes the rules on the use of languages by the EU institutions, acting unanimously by means of regulations adopted in accordance with Article 342 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Those rules are laid down in Regulation No 1, which states that the institutions have 24 official and working languages.
Multilingualism is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights: EU nationals have the right to use any of the 24 official languages to communicate with the EU institutions, and the institutions must reply in the same language.
Legal acts and their summaries are available in all official EU languages.
Meetings of the European Council and the Council of the European Union are interpreted into all official languages, and Members of the European Parliament have the right to use any official language when speaking in Parliament.
English remains an official EU language, despite the United Kingdom having left the EU, as long as it is listed in Regulation No 1.
Official languages of the EU:
24
Treaty basis for language rules:
Article 342 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Instrument laying down the rules:
Regulation No 1
How the Council acts on language rules:
unanimously
Right under the Charter of Fundamental Rights:
the institutions must reply in the same language
Why it matters for exams: The number 24, the treaty article behind it and the fact that English survived the United Kingdom's departure are all standard one-mark questions on the European Union.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TFEU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union — One of the two core EU treaties; its Article 342 is the basis for the language rules.
Regulation No 1 Regulation No 1 of the European Union — The regulation that states that the EU institutions have 24 official and working languages.
Multilingualism multilingualism — A founding principle of the EU under which citizens may address the institutions in any official language.
Background
The culture of the Mizos is intrinsically woven with their practice of jhum, or shifting cultivation, and their festivals are associated with the various stages of that cultivation.
Three main festivals called Kut are listed for the Mizos: Chapchar Kut, Mim kut and Pawl kut.
These festivals are observed with community feast, singing and dancing, and are more social than religious in their character.
Chapchar Kut is a spring festival, celebrated after completion of the most arduous task of jhum operation, the jungle-clearing.
The numerous Mizo dances include Cheraw, chheih lam, khual lam, par lam, rallu lam, sar lam kai and solakia.
Hnatlang is the custom under which villagers are expected to contribute labour for the welfare of the community.
Tlawmngaihna is the Mizo code of conduct that demands a person be hospitable, kind to others, unselfish, courageous and helpful.
Cane and bamboo are the most prominent crafts of the state, and the intricate traditional designs of the Puan are woven by Mizo women on their looms.
Main Kut festivals of the Mizos:
Chapchar kut Mim kut Pawl kut
Character of Chapchar Kut:
a spring festival
Mizo code of conduct:
Tlawmngaihna
Custom of community labour:
Hnatlang
Most prominent crafts of the state:
Cane and bamboo handicraft items
Why it matters for exams: Festival names, the dance list and the Puan weave are the culture block of any Mizoram question set.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kut Kut, the Mizo word for a festival — The Mizo term for a festival; the three main ones are Chapchar Kut, Mim kut and Pawl kut.
Puan Puan, the Mizo woven cloth — The traditional Mizo cloth whose intricate designs are woven by women on their looms.
Jhum Jhum, shifting cultivation — The shifting cultivation practice with which Mizo culture and the festival calendar are intrinsically woven.
Background
East Khasi Hills District forms a central part of Meghalaya and covers a total geographical area of 2,748 Sq. Kms.
The most important physiographic feature of the district is the Shillong Plateau, interspersed with river valleys, which falls sharply in the southern portion forming deep gorges and ravines in Mawsynram and Shella-Bholaganj.
Shillong peak, lying 10 Kms. from the city, is the highest point in the district as well as in the State.
The climate ranges from temperate in the plateau region to warmer tropical and sub-tropical pockets, and the whole district is influenced by the south-west monsoon.
The name Shillong is derived from U-Lei Shillong, a powerful deity.
At Sohra, Mawsmai Cave is an accessible part of Meghalaya's cave systems, while Arwah Cave is famous for crustacean shells and fish bones fossilized in its limestone walls.
Noh Ka Likai has a straight plunge of over 1000 feet, and Noh Sngi Thiang, with a drop of more than 300 metres, is segmented into seven parts and is popularly referred to as the Seven Sisters Falls.
The district headquarter Shillong is connected to Guwahati and Silchar by NH 44.
District area:
2,748 Sq. Kms
Shillong peak:
highest point in the district as well as in the State
Noh Ka Likai:
A straight plunge of over 1000 feet
Noh Sngi Thiang:
a drop of more than 300 metres
Why it matters for exams: The Shillong Plateau, the State's highest point and the limestone caves and waterfalls of Sohra are standard physical-geography material for Meghalaya questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NH 44 National Highway 44 — The highway by which Shillong is connected to Guwahati and Silchar.
Sohra The plateau town also written Cherrapunji — The southern plateau edge of East Khasi Hills where the district's best known caves and waterfalls lie.
Background
Manipur Tourism calls the Raas Leela the epitome of Manipuri classical dance, interwoven with the love of Radha and Krishna as described in the Hindu scriptures.
Raas performances are seasonal and are given at the temple of Shree Shree Govindajee in Imphal and at local temples, generally in an enclosure in front of the temple through the night.
Nupa Pala, otherwise known as Kartal Cholom or Cymbal Dance, is a group performance by male partners using cymbals and wearing snow white ball-shaped turbans; it acts as a prologue to the Ras Lila dances.
Pung, the Manipuri Mridanga, is called the soul of Manipuri Sankirtana music and classical Manipuri dance, and the instrument itself becomes an object of veneration.
Pung Cholom is performed as an invocatory number preceding the Sankirtana and the Ras Lila.
The Maibi Dance belongs to Lai-Haraoba, the annual ritual festival of the Meiteis, the inhabitants of the valley of Manipur; the Maibis are priestesses considered spiritual mediums.
Khamba Thoibi dance is a duet of male and female partners dedicated to the sylvan deity Thangjing of Moirang, and with the Maibi dance and Leima Jagoi it forms the Laiharaoba dance.
The State portal records that Rajashree Bhagyachandra created the famous Ras Lila, the classical dance of Manipur.
Epitome of Manipuri classical dance:
Raas Leela
Temple in Imphal where Raas is performed:
Shree Shree Govindajee
Other names of Nupa Pala:
Kartal Cholom
The Manipuri Mridanga:
Pung
Annual ritual festival of the Meiteis:
Lai-Haraoba
Deity to whom Khamba Thoibi is dedicated:
Thangjing of Moirang
Why it matters for exams: Matching a classical dance to its state, and naming Pung, Kartal Cholom and Lai-Haraoba, are standard art-and-culture questions in Kerala PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Pung The Manipuri Mridanga, a classical drum — Called the soul of Manipuri Sankirtana music and classical dance.
Lai-Haraoba The annual ritual festival of the Meiteis — The Maibi dance and Khamba Thoibi dance both belong to it.
Maibi Priestess regarded as a spiritual medium — Maibis trace the Meitei concept of creation through their dance.
9 October 2026
The Ministry of Culture said on 9 October 2026 that the PM Mementos e-Auction is live and has been extended to 31 October 2026. Bids are placed on the portal pmmementos.gov.in. Proceeds from the auction go to the Namami Gange programme, which works to conserve and rejuvenate the river Ganga. Eighteen mementos from Andhra Pradesh are among the items on offer. They include a Kondapalli wooden bullock cart, a Kalamkari textile with a photoprint of the Prime Minister, a commemorative memento from Sree Shivaji Sphoorti Kendram at Srisailam, the Stree Shakti Pratibha Award-2025 commemorative memento and a 'Good Governance of India' acrylic painting.
Auction extended to:
31 October 2026
Portal:
pmmementos.gov.in
Proceeds go to:
Namami Gange programme
Mementos from Andhra Pradesh:
18
Why it matters for exams: The destination of the auction proceeds and the portal name are the kind of specific detail examiners pick from such a release.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Namami Gange Namami Gange Programme — The central programme for conservation and rejuvenation of the river Ganga.
Kalamkari Kalamkari — A hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile craft of Andhra Pradesh.
Kondapalli toys Kondapalli toys — Light wooden toys carved in Kondapalli in Andhra Pradesh, a geographical indication craft.
9 October 2026
The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi will open 'Punarjjani', an exhibition of paintings selected from its own collection, on October 13 at the Academy Art Gallery in Vailoppilly Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram. Akademi Chairperson Prof. Prakash Murthy will inaugurate it at 11 am, with Akademi Secretary Vaikom M. K. Shibu present. Thirty paintings by thirty artists, selected from the painting camps the Akademi has organised in past years, are on display. The Akademi describes the exhibition as the first step in a project of its new governing body to revive its collection and its galleries, with curators to be involved in later exhibitions so that the artistic value and meaning of the works reach the public. The Akademi expects the exhibitions to become places where artists gather and talk to one another.
Exhibition opens:
October 13, 11 am
Paintings on display:
30
Venue:
Academy Art Gallery, Vailoppilly Samskriti Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram
Why it matters for exams: The Kerala Lalithakala Akademi, its headquarters and its office bearers are standard Kerala art and culture questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Kerala Lalithakala Akademi Kerala Lalithakala Akademi — The state academy for painting, sculpture and the visual arts in Kerala.
Background
The question of who may fix the day of the Udayasthamana Pooja is live before the Supreme Court, which has directed that the pooja at Guruvayur be held on Vrishchikam Ekadasi as an interim measure.
The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple is administered by the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee, a statutory body constituted under the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978.
The Kerala High Court, dismissing the earlier plea, reasoned that under that Act the Thantri is the final authority on the religious and ceremonial matters of the temple.
The challenge to the Committee's decision was brought by P.C. Hary of Puzhakkara Chennas Mana, of the temple's hereditary priestly family, along with other devotees.
The Committee had decided to cancel the pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi citing crowd management, telling the Court that over one lakh people visit the temple on Ekadasi.
The Udayasthamana Pooja itself runs from sunrise to sunset and comprises 18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam.
Governing statute:
Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978
Administering body:
Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee
Final authority on rituals:
The Thantri
Components of the pooja:
18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's Devaswom statutes and the bodies that run the major temples are asked about by name, and the Guruvayur Devaswom Act is one of them.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Devaswom Temple administration body in Kerala — A statutory board or committee that manages temples and their properties; Guruvayur, Travancore, Cochin and Malabar each have their own.
Background
Array
Founder:
Vallathol Narayana Menon
Co-founder:
Manakkulam Mukundaraja
Location:
Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur district, on the Bharathapuzha
Training system:
Gurukula Sampradaya
Why it matters for exams: Founders, location and disciplines of Kerala's major art institutions are frequent Kerala PSC culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Gurukula Sampradaya Traditional teacher-student residential system — The ancient mode of education that stresses a deep bond between teacher and student.
Background
Array
Origin:
More than 2,000 years ago
Actor training:
10 to 15 years
Longest performance:
Up to 40 days
Listing:
UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Why it matters for exams: UNESCO-recognised Indian art forms and Kerala's classical theatre traditions are standard Kerala PSC and UPSC culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Kuttampalam Temple theatre hall — The theatre building inside a Hindu temple where Kutiyattam is traditionally performed.
Hasta abhinaya Language of gestures — Expression through hand gestures, one of the two prominent modes of Kutiyattam acting.
Background
The World Heritage Centre's State Party page for the United States of America lists 27 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List.
They are grouped as Cultural 13, Natural 13 and Mixed 1.
The one mixed property, meeting both cultural and natural criteria, is Papahānaumokuākea.
Cultural properties include Independence Hall, the Statue of Liberty, Mesa Verde National Park, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Chaco Culture, Taos Pueblo, San Antonio Missions, Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point and Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks.
Natural properties include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Everglades National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Yosemite National Park, Olympic National Park, Mammoth Cave National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Redwood National and State Parks, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
The same page records the state party's ratification of the World Heritage Convention, 4 Mandates to the World Heritage Committee and 73 State of Conservation Reports.
The United Nations member-states list gives the United States of America a Date of Admission in the form 24-10-1945, the same date as a group of other founding members.
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:
27
Cultural / Natural / Mixed:
Cultural 13, Natural 13, Mixed 1
The mixed property:
Papahānaumokuākea
Ratification of the Convention:
Friday, 7 December 1973
Mandates to the World Heritage Committee:
4
State of Conservation Reports:
73
United Nations Date of Admission:
24-10-1945
World Heritage region:
Europe and North America
Why it matters for exams: Counts of World Heritage properties by country, the single mixed property and the United Nations date of admission are the three facts most often lifted straight into a question from a country profile.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Mixed property Mixed World Heritage property — A World Heritage property inscribed for both cultural and natural outstanding universal value rather than one of the two alone.
Tentative List Tentative List — A state party's own inventory of the properties it intends to consider for nomination to the World Heritage List later.
Background
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists 33 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List for the Russian Federation.
Of these, 22 are cultural properties and 11 are natural properties.
The country is grouped under the Europe and North America region of the Convention.
Its natural properties include Lake Baikal, Volcanoes of Kamchatka, Golden Mountains of Altai, Virgin Komi Forests, Putorana Plateau and Lena Pillars Nature Park.
Its cultural properties include Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, the Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments, and Kizhi Pogost.
A further 32 sites stand on the Tentative List, the inventory of properties a State Party intends to consider for nomination.
The Russian Federation has held three mandates on the World Heritage Committee.
Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List:
33
Cultural properties:
22
Natural properties:
11
Sites on the Tentative List:
32
Ratification of the Convention:
Wednesday, 12 October 1988
Why it matters for exams: Country Focus papers ask for the property count and for the named natural properties, and the cultural-versus-natural split is a standard one-mark distinction.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — It is the United Nations agency that administers the World Heritage Convention.
Tentative List Tentative List of a State Party — It is the inventory of properties a country intends to consider for nomination to the World Heritage List.
Background
Of the properties inscribed on the World Heritage List for India, three lie in Madhya Pradesh.
They are the Khajuraho Group of Monuments, inscribed in 1986; the Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, inscribed in 1989; and the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, inscribed in 2003.
All three are listed under the cultural category, not the natural one.
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu temples and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, about 175 kilometres southeast of Jhansi.
Among the important tourist spots of Chhatarpur district are the Chaunsat Yogini, the Kandariya Mahadeo, the Chitragupta Temple, the Lakshmana temple and the Duladeo Temple.
The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka lie in the southern part of Raisen district, near the Satpura range.
Sanchi lies in the same district, about 46 kilometers from Bhopal.
Khajuraho Group of Monuments:
Inscribed 1986, cultural
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi:
Inscribed 1989, cultural
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka:
Inscribed 2003, cultural
District of Khajuraho:
Chhatarpur district
District of Bhimbetka and Sanchi:
Raisen district
Why it matters for exams: Examiners ask which state a World Heritage property belongs to and in which year it was inscribed, and Madhya Pradesh's three properties are among the most frequently set.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — The United Nations agency that keeps the World Heritage List under the World Heritage Convention.
Rock shelter Rock shelter — A shallow cave-like hollow under an overhanging rock, often used by prehistoric people and carrying their paintings.
Background
Mysuru city is the headquarters of Mysuru district, which covers an area of 6,307 Sq. Km. and had a population of 30,01,127 as per census 2011.
Mysuru is the name by which Karnataka State was known prior to 1973.
The city lies to the south-west of Bangalore at a distance of 139 Kms and has had a City Municipal Corporation since 1977.
Tradition identifies the place as the abode of Mahishasura whom Chamundesvari killed, and inscriptions speak of Mahishapura, Mahisurapura and Mahishasurapura.
The Buddhist texts Mahavamsa and Deepavamsa allude to the dispatch of the Buddhist missionary Mahadeva by the Mauryan emperor Asoka to Mahishamandala to propagate Buddhist Dharma.
An inscription dated 862 A.D. from Kadalur in Mandya taluk refers to the place as Maysooru, and in the 10th century the city was called Mysuru Nadu of 70 villages.
The region was governed by the Ganga Kings till the 10th century, and the Cholas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara Kings also ruled over it; a large number of inscriptions and copper plates of the Wodeyar dynasty survive in Mysuru.
Mysuru city continues to be the venue of the Dasara festival, celebrated as a State festival, with cultural programmes at the Mysuru Palace and the Jagan Mohan palace and a torchlight parade at Banni Mantap; Chamundi hill forms the backdrop of the city.
District area:
6,307 Sq. Km.
Population (census 2011):
30,01,127
Distance from Bangalore:
139 Kms
Earliest inscription cited for the name:
862 A.D., from Kadalur in Mandya taluk
City Municipal Corporation since:
1977
Why it matters for exams: A state-focus paper mixes the toponymy of Mysuru, the Ganga-Hoysala-Vijayanagara succession and the Dasara venues into a single cluster of questions, so all three are worth holding together.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Mahishamandala Mahishamandala — An old regional name identified with the Mysuru region, to which a Buddhist missionary is said to have been sent in Mauryan times.
Wodeyar dynasty Wodeyar dynasty — The ruling house whose inscriptions and copper plates survive in large numbers in Mysuru.
8 October 2026
A Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi has directed that the Udayasthamana Pooja at the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple be continued in the manner it was earlier performed, on Vrishchikam Ekadasi, which falls on 21 November 2026.
The direction is an interim measure, subject to the final outcome of the pending appeal.
The Court also permitted the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee and the Thantri to hold the pooja on 22 October 2026.
The appeal, in P.C. Hary versus Guruvayoor Devaswom Managing Committee, was expedited and posted for the first week of December.
The appeal arises from a Kerala High Court judgment of December 2024 on the conduct of the pooja.
The Udayasthamana Pooja is a day-long ritual from sunrise to sunset comprising 18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam.
Bench:
Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi
Vrishchikam Ekadasi:
21 November 2026
Additional day permitted:
22 October 2026
Appeal posted for:
First week of December
Why it matters for exams: It links temple administration under a State Devaswom statute with the courts' approach to religious practice, a recurring theme in both Kerala PSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Thantri Chief priest of a temple — Under the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978 the Thantri is treated as the final authority on religious and ceremonial matters of the temple.
8 October 2026
Fisheries and Social Justice Minister Adv. V. E. Abdul Gafoor inaugurated the 'Rhythm' virtual platform and released its logo at Kavadiar House.
It gives differently-abled artists in the state a chance to present their creative work to the world.
The Social Justice Department and the Kerala Social Security Mission run it jointly, as part of the government's 100-day action programme.
In addition to the state-level art troupe 'Anuyathra Rhythm', which functions under the 'Anuyathra' support scheme for differently-abled people, new art troupes will be formed in every district.
Performances will be streamed on YouTube and other social media, and all monetisation revenue will go to the artists.
Dr. Arun S. Nair, Executive Director of the Kerala Social Security Mission, presided.
Platform:
Rhythm
Run by:
Social Justice Department and Kerala Social Security Mission
Related scheme:
Anuyathra scheme
Why it matters for exams: Disability-inclusion initiatives and the agencies running them are common in Kerala PSC social-justice questions.
Kerala PSC
Background
The Jharkhand Forest Department calls Parasnath Hill the highest peak in Jharkhand, at 4431 feet above mean sea level.
The Giridih district website gives the highest peak of the range as 1350 metres and places it in Giridih district.
It is a significant pilgrimage site for Jains, who call the hill Sammed Sikhar.
Twenty of the Jain Tirthankaras attained salvation on this hill, and each has a shrine there.
The forest department lists the Parasnath Forest Range as 7035.59 ha in the Giridih East division.
Height (forest department):
4431 feet
Highest point (district site):
1350 metres
Tirthankaras who attained salvation:
Twenty
District:
Giridih
Why it matters for exams: Highest peaks of states and Jain pilgrimage sites are staple geography and culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tirthankara Tirthankara — A teacher who shows the path to liberation in Jainism.
8 October 2026
The Swedish Academy announced on 8 October 2026 that Canadian writer Anne Carson is the Nobel laureate in Literature.
She was born in Toronto in 1950 and is 76.
Her works include Autobiography of Red (1998), The Beauty of the Husband (2001), Nox (2010), Antigonick (2012) and Wrong Norma (2024).
Her writing blends classical scholarship with contemporary literary forms.
The 2025 laureate was the Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorkai.
Laureate:
Anne Carson
Country:
Canada
Awarding body:
Swedish Academy
Why it matters for exams: Nobel laureates, their countries and the awarding bodies are a fixed question area every October.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Swedish Academy Swedish Academy — The Stockholm body that selects the Nobel laureate in Literature.
Background
The district administration records that the British founded the town of Shimla in 1819, after the Gorkha war.
In 1822 the Scottish civil servant Charles Pratt Kennedy built the first British summer home there.
Shimla became the summer capital of the British Raj in the latter half of the nineteenth century, as army personnel, merchants and civil servants came there to escape the heat of the plains.
It was made the capital of undivided Punjab in 1871.
The Kalka-Shimla railway opened in 1906.
Shimla became the capital of Himachal Pradesh when the State separated from Punjab in 1971.
The town stands at 2,202 metres above sea level.
Town founded:
1819, after the Gorkha war
First British summer home:
1822, by Charles Pratt Kennedy
Capital of undivided Punjab:
1871
Kalka-Shimla railway:
Opened 1906
Altitude:
2,202 metres above sea level
Why it matters for exams: The 1819 founding, 1871 Punjab capital, 1906 railway and 1971 statehood dates are a standard Shimla chronology.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Gorkha war Anglo-Nepalese War — The war of 1814 to 1816 after which the British took control of the hill tracts that include Shimla.
Summer capital Summer capital — A seat of government used during the hot months, as Shimla was for the British Raj.