Background
The Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988. The group of settlements and necropolises dates from the 3rd millennium BCE. The property lies in Al-Dhahira Governorate in north-western Oman, and the core site is in the village of Bat, about 24 km east of Ibri. It is one of Oman's five World Heritage properties and, like the rest, is classed as cultural.
Inscribed:
1988
Period:
3rd millennium BCE
Governorate:
Al-Dhahira
Nearest town:
Ibri, about 24 km west of Bat
Why it matters for exams: Bronze Age sites in the Gulf are asked alongside the Indus Valley trade network, which reached this coast.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Necropolis Necropolis — A large ancient burial ground, usually set apart from the settlement it served.
Background
Oman accepted the World Heritage Convention on 6 October 1981. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists five Omani properties and classes every one of them as cultural, so Oman has no natural and no mixed property on the List. They are Bahla Fort, inscribed in 1987; the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn, inscribed in 1988; the Land of Frankincense, inscribed in 2000; the Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, inscribed in 2006; and the Ancient City of Qalhat, inscribed in 2018.
Properties:
5, all cultural
Convention accepted:
6 October 1981
Most recent inscription:
Ancient City of Qalhat, 2018
Why it matters for exams: Country-wise World Heritage counts and the cultural-natural-mixed split are asked in almost every general awareness paper.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
World Heritage Convention Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage — The 1972 UNESCO treaty under which states nominate sites for the World Heritage List.
16 October 2026
The trial in the murder of Abhimanyu began before Principal Sessions Judge K K Balakrishnan at the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court.
All 16 accused appeared in matching clothing, caps, hairstyles and face coverings, and the judge ordered them to remove the masks, saying they could not appear before the court with their faces covered.
The judge warned that strict action would follow any attempt to alter their appearance at future hearings or during cross-examination.
Abhimanyu, a second-year BSc Chemistry student of Maharaja's College and a Students' Federation of India leader, was fatally stabbed on the campus on 2 July 2018.
Special Public Prosecutor G Mohanraj examined the first eyewitness, Subin, who identified several of the accused but said he could not identify three of them.
The trial follows a Kerala High Court direction in July to complete the proceedings within four months, given on a petition by Abhimanyu's mother Bhoopathy.
Witness examination is to continue on consecutive working days until 12 November.
Court:
Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court
Accused:
16
Date of the killing:
2 July 2018
Witness examination until:
12 November
Why it matters for exams: Campus political violence cases and the High Court's power to set a time limit for a trial are both examinable points.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Special Public Prosecutor SPP — A lawyer appointed by the State to conduct the prosecution in a particular case.
15 October 2026
The Department of School Education and Literacy organised a regional orientation-cum-review workshop on the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme at Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on 14 October 2026.
The scheme provides eligible students a scholarship of Rs 12,000 per annum.
It is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at reducing dropouts after Class VIII and encouraging students to continue up to Class XII.
The last date for registration of applications for the academic year 2026-27 is 31 October 2026.
Verification deadlines are 15 November 2026 at the institute level and 30 November 2026 at the district level.
The selection examination is conducted by the respective States and Union Territories, while disbursement is through the National Scholarship Portal.
Scholarship amount:
Rs 12,000 per annum
Registration last date (2026-27):
31 October 2026
Scheme type:
Central Sector Scheme
Why it matters for exams: Scholarship amounts, eligibility classes and administering portals are frequently asked in education and schemes sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NMMSS National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme — A Central Sector Scheme giving scholarships to meritorious students from economically weaker sections.
NSP National Scholarship Portal — The common portal for registration, verification and disbursal of central scholarships.
15 October 2026
Renewed hostilities across Yemen are forcing families from their homes and disrupting access to health care and education, UNICEF warned from Amman on 16 September 2026.
More than 104,000 people, including over 57,000 children, were displaced in just two weeks.
The fighting across western Taiz, southern Hudaydah, Marib and other affected areas has disrupted services at 26 UNICEF-supported health facilities, while 243 schools have closed or suspended learning, affecting more than 137,000 students.
Even before the latest escalation, an estimated 12.2 million children in Yemen needed humanitarian assistance.
More than 2.2 million children under five are acutely malnourished, including over 515,000 with severe acute malnutrition, and 3.2 million school-aged children are out of school.
Around 17.8 million people lack adequate access to healthcare, water and sanitation, with only 60 per cent of health facilities fully functional.
UNICEF is expanding its emergency response to reach up to 231,000 people affected by the escalation.
Children needing humanitarian assistance:
An estimated 12.2 million
Children displaced in two weeks:
Over 57,000
Schools closed or learning suspended:
243, affecting more than 137,000 students
Children with severe acute malnutrition:
Over 515,000
Why it matters for exams: Child malnutrition and out-of-school figures for Yemen are standard statistics in questions on human development in conflict states.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund — The UN agency for children's rights, health and education.
15 October 2026
UNESCO has released its 2026 Global Education Monitoring Gender Report, ahead of the International Day of the Girl Child on 11 October.
The share of girls married before 18 fell globally from 25 per cent in 2000 to 18 per cent in 2025, but it remains 25 per cent in Central and Southern Asia and 31 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2024 an estimated 6 million pregnant girls and young mothers aged 10 to 19 were out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, and fewer than 5 per cent of pregnant and parenting girls in the region return to school.
In India, 59 girls complete upper secondary education per 100 boys in rural areas, while urban areas have achieved parity.
The report finds 58 per cent of countries guarantee the right to education without sex or gender based discrimination and 35 per cent explicitly protect the right to education of pregnant and parenting girls.
Girls married before 18, 2000:
25%
Girls married before 18, 2025:
18%
India, rural upper secondary completion:
59 girls per 100 boys
Countries guaranteeing non-discrimination:
58%
Why it matters for exams: The GEM Gender Report gives India-specific figures inside a global report, which examiners like to pair.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GEM Report Global Education Monitoring Report — UNESCO's annual report tracking progress on education targets worldwide.
Gender parity Gender parity — Equal participation of girls and boys in a stage of education.
15 October 2026
CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, and Manipur University, Imphal, have jointly begun a five-day training programme on seismic hazards.
It runs from 12 to 16 October 2026 at the Department of Earth Sciences, Manipur University, under the CSIR Integrated Skill Development Initiative.
There are 39 participants, drawn from the National Institute of Technology Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur University, Rajiv Gandhi University, the University of Delhi, Osmania University and Bangalore University.
Prof. R. K. Hemakumar Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Manipur University, said skill development matters in north-eastern India, which is highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Dr Prakash Kumar, Director of CSIR-NGRI, leads the initiative, which aims to extend the CSIR Integrated Skill Development Programme to north-eastern India.
Dates:
12 to 16 October 2026
Participants:
39
Venue:
Department of Earth Sciences, Manipur University, Imphal
Why it matters for exams: CSIR laboratories and their locations, and the earthquake vulnerability of the north-east, are both standard examination ground.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CSIR-NGRI CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute — The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research laboratory at Hyderabad that studies the Earth's interior and earthquakes.
15 October 2026
Thirty selected colleges have been declared Drug Free Campuses in the first phase of the 'Mayangilla Keralam' campaign.
The campaign is run jointly by the Excise Department and the Collegiate Education Department under the government's 100-day programme, and aims to build student-led resistance to drugs on campus.
Excise work in the campaign covers four areas: awareness, enforcement, de-addiction and rehabilitation.
About 60,000 cases were registered in enforcement work over the past 125 days.
Vimukti de-addiction centres function in all 14 districts and the government plans to extend Vimukti treatment services to taluk level.
The campaign uses the 'People's Eye' mobile application for confidential reporting and the 'Mayangilla Keralam' portal for counselling and volunteer registration.
Mar Ivanios College Thiruvananthapuram, CMS College Kottayam, Maharajas College Ernakulam, Victoria College Palakkad, Farook College Kozhikode and Government College Kasaragod are among the thirty.
Colleges declared:
30 in the first phase
Cases in 125 days:
About 60,000
Vimukti centres:
All 14 districts
Departments involved:
Excise and Collegiate Education
Why it matters for exams: Named state campaigns, the number of institutions covered and the department that runs them are routine one-mark questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Vimukti Vimukti — Kerala's de-addiction mission run by the Excise Department.
15 October 2026
The World Health Organization published 'WHO Academy quality standards: leading lifelong learning for a healthier world' on 14 October 2026. The document sets out the quality standards for the WHO Academy's learning offer. According to WHO, the standards ensure that the WHO Academy's learning offer upholds WHO values, principles and evidence-based approaches. They cover course design and delivery, including inclusive and accessible content, instructional design, and assessment and award mechanisms. The document runs to 24 pages and carries the WHO reference number B09490.
Published:
14 October 2026
Length:
24 pages
WHO reference number:
B09490
Why it matters for exams: The WHO Academy is a newer WHO institution and questions on its mandate and standards are likely in health and international organisation sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
WHO Academy WHO Academy — The World Health Organization's lifelong learning institution for health workers.
15 October 2026
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh spoke at the launch of IIT Kanpur's 'Greater Than Us' fundraising campaign in New Delhi on 14 October 2026. The campaign has a target of US$1 billion by March 2029, and Rs 4,155 crore has already been committed, nearly half the goal. He said close defence-academia-industry collaboration is key to accelerating the development and adoption of indigenous technology amid the evolving nature of warfare. He noted that the IIT ecosystem has supported over 6,000 start-ups, 56 unicorns and nearly 5,000 patents, and referred to the Rs 1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation Scheme. Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, and Shri Awanish Kumar Awasthi, Advisor to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, were present. The release refers to IIT Kanpur's existing DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence and its C3i Cybersecurity Technology Innovation Hub. A School of Defence Technologies at the institute is a proposal, which he welcomed, and the proposal for a National Military Drone Technology Hub at IIT Kanpur in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence has made significant progress with its approval process nearing completion.
Campaign target:
US$1 billion by March 2029
Already committed:
Rs 4,155 crore
Start-ups supported:
Over 6,000
Unicorns:
56
Why it matters for exams: The campaign target, the amount already committed and the start-up and unicorn figures are all precise numbers from an official release.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Raksha Mantri Raksha Mantri — The Hindi title of India's Defence Minister.
Unicorn Unicorn — A privately held start-up valued at over one billion dollars.
15 October 2026
The Ministry of Law and Justice has mobilized nineteen National Law Universities from sixteen states for a nationwide, research-based mission on criminal case backlogs. The effort targets the top 100 judicial districts with high litigation pendency. Over 5.8 crore cases are pending nationwide, and the 100 identified districts account for over half of all district-court pendency. Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, chaired the meeting, which was held by video conference. The Secretary of the Department of Justice, the Director General (Awards), the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau attended in person.
Universities involved:
19 from 16 states
Districts targeted:
Top 100 judicial districts
Cases pending nationwide:
Over 5.8 crore
Why it matters for exams: The pendency figure and the number of universities and districts are the kind of precise numbers polity papers use.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NCRB National Crime Records Bureau — The body that compiles India's crime statistics.
BPR&D Bureau of Police Research and Development — The Union body for police research, training and modernisation.
Background
UNESCO's country page describes the Syrian Arab Republic as a UNESCO member since 1946.
Within UNESCO's structure Syria is placed in the Arab States region and in electoral Group Vb.
The page counts 6 World Heritage Sites in the country.
It also counts 1 biosphere reserve and 9 cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage.
All six of Syria's World Heritage properties are cultural, not natural, properties.
The electoral group decides how a member state is represented in UNESCO's governing bodies.
UNESCO member since:
1946
World Heritage Sites:
6
Biosphere reserves:
1
Intangible heritage practices:
9
Region / electoral group:
Arab States / Group Vb
Why it matters for exams: Questions on international organisations often pair a country with its regional grouping and the count of its World Heritage sites.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Intangible heritage — Living traditions such as music, craft skills, rituals and oral expressions that UNESCO protects separately from monuments.
Biosphere reserve — An area recognised by UNESCO where conservation of nature is combined with the use of resources by local people.
Group Vb — The electoral group of UNESCO member states that covers the Arab States.
14 October 2026
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi, the newly appointed Chairman of the Uttarakhand Minority Hunar Council, paid a courtesy call on Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) at Lok Bhavan, Dehradun, on 12 October 2026.
The Council works on skills and crafts among members of minority communities in the State.
The Governor said the skills and talents of minority community members should be developed and linked to self-reliance and employment.
He asked for special attention to skill development, including connecting young people with modern technology and innovation.
He also asked the Council to create platforms for skilled persons and to recognise top performers so that their achievements encourage others.
Body:
Uttarakhand Minority Hunar Council
Newly appointed Chairman:
Mufti Shamoon Qasmi
Why it matters for exams: State minority welfare bodies and their office-bearers are routine appointment questions in state-focused papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Hunar Hunar (skill or craft) — An Urdu and Hindi word for skill or craft, used in the Council's name.
14 October 2026
Justice A. Badharudeen of the Kerala High Court has said that the Kerala Public Service Commission's petition to quash the Crime Branch FIR did not require the investigation to be halted, as the Court has granted no stay.
The Crime Branch told the Court that ten questions carrying a total of 58 marks were left unevaluated, and that a later revaluation changed the rankings in the list.
The PSC sought more time to respond to the Crime Branch report, and the matter is to be taken up again after two days. Investigators are also examining the role of other PSC employees, and more than 150 complaints have been placed before the Special Investigation Team.
The recruitment concerned is for the post of Chief (Industry and Infrastructure Division) in the State Planning Board, notified in 2022, with a shortlist of ten candidates published in February 2025.
Earlier, on 5 October, the same judge asked the PSC why it was not cooperating with the investigation and questioned the maintainability of its writ petition; the Commission's counsel described the lapse as a clerical error caused by a computer problem.
Questions left unevaluated:
10
Marks involved:
58 marks
Complaints before the SIT:
More than 150
Judge:
Justice A. Badharudeen
Why it matters for exams: A live test of how far a constitutional recruitment body is open to criminal investigation, directly relevant to PSC aspirants.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FIR First Information Report — The first written record of information about a cognizable offence, registered by the police.
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team constituted to investigate a specific case or group of cases.
Background
The Indian Statistical Institute was founded by Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in Kolkata on December 17, 1931.
It gained the status of an Institution of National Importance by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1959.
Mahalanobis was born on 29 June, 1893.
He was the editor of the journal Sankhya.
He remained Director of the Institute until his death on June 28, 1972.
Founded:
December 17, 1931
Founder:
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
City:
Kolkata
Institution of National Importance:
1959
Journal:
Sankhya
Why it matters for exams: Mahalanobis, the Institute he founded and the year it became an Institution of National Importance are standard matching material in both state and national papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Institution of National Importance — A status given by an act of Parliament to an institution that serves the country as a whole and may award its own degrees.
Background
Santiniketan is in rural West Bengal.
The poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore founded it in 1901 as a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions.
A 'world university' was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or 'Visva Bharati'.
UNESCO inscribed Santiniketan on the World Heritage List in 2023 under the criteria (iv) and (vi).
The inscribed property covers 36 ha and its buffer zone covers 537.73 ha.
Its architecture draws on ancient, medieval and folk traditions of the region and represents a pan-Asian modernity, set apart from British colonial and European modernist styles.
Founded:
1901
World university established:
1921
Date of inscription:
2023
Criteria:
(iv)(vi)
Area of property:
36 ha
Buffer zone:
537.73 ha
Why it matters for exams: Santiniketan, inscribed in 2023, is among India's recent cultural World Heritage additions, and examiners pair its inscription year with the Tagore dates of 1901 and 1921.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Buffer zone — An area around a World Heritage property that is given extra protection to shield the property itself.
Visva Bharati — The name of the world university at Santiniketan, meaning the unity of humanity.
Background
The Forest Research Institute is located at Dehra Dun, in Uttarakhand.
Established in 1906, it is one of the oldest institutions of its kind.
Its history is closely interwoven with the development of scientific forestry in India and in the Indian subcontinent as a whole.
The institute's estate is spread over 450 hectares, with the outer Himalaya forming its backdrop.
Its main building marries Greco-Roman and Colonial styles of architecture.
The campus holds laboratories, a library, a herbarium, arboreta, a printing press and experimental field areas.
Established:
1906
Location:
Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand
Estate:
450 hectares
Architecture of the main building:
Greco-Roman and Colonial
Why it matters for exams: Institutions and their seats are standard one-mark questions, and Dehradun's forestry research institute is the one most often paired with the phrase scientific forestry in India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Herbarium — A reference collection of dried, pressed and labelled plant specimens kept for identification and research.
Arboretum — A planted collection of living trees grown and studied as a botanical collection.
13 October 2026
Hidayatullah National Law University (HNLU), Raipur, announced plans for an International Arbitration and Mediation Institute on its campus at an estimated cost of ₹30 crore.
The proposed HNLU International Arbitration and Mediation Institute (HIAMI) is expected to be launched in early 2028, the university's silver jubilee year.
Vice-Chancellor Professor V. C. Vivekanandan announced it on 11 October 2026 at the end of a two-day international conference on arbitration held on 10 and 11 October.
HNLU signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC), Hyderabad, at the inaugural ceremony.
The UNCITRAL National Coordination Committee, India, was the institutional and knowledge partner of the conference.
Estimated cost:
₹30 crore
Expected launch:
Early 2028
MoU partner:
IAMC, Hyderabad
Why it matters for exams: Arbitration and mediation institutions are tied to India's push for faster dispute resolution and appear in law and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNCITRAL United Nations Commission on International Trade Law — The UN body that develops rules on international trade law, including arbitration.
Arbitration Settling a dispute through a neutral arbitrator — A way of resolving disputes outside regular courts.
Background
The University of Kerala was founded in 1937 and was one of the first 16 universities in India.
It was formerly called the University of Travancore, in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
It came into being by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, who was also the first Chancellor of the University.
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar, the then Diwan of the State, was its first Vice-Chancellor.
The Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957) was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed the University of Kerala.
Its earliest origins are traced to University College, Thiruvananthapuram, founded as the Maharaja's Free School by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1834 and grown into a college in 1866.
The other origin is the Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838 with the scientist John Caldecott FRS as its first Director; it is the oldest institution under the University.
The University once had campuses at Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode, and in 1968 the Kozhikode centre became a full-fledged university, the University of Calicut.
The Cochin University of Science and Technology and the Kerala Agricultural University followed in 1971 and Mahatma Gandhi University in 1983.
The University of Kerala's jurisdiction now covers Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta district.
Founded:
1937
Original name:
University of Travancore
First Chancellor:
Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
First Vice-Chancellor:
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar
Why it matters for exams: The founding year, the original name and the first Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of Kerala's oldest university are recurring one-mark questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Diwan Chief minister of a princely state — The head of the administration of a princely state, a post Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar held in Travancore.
Background
Kottayam, the administrative capital of Kottayam district, lies in central Kerala.
It is bordered by the Western Ghats on the east and by the Vembanad Lake and the paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west.
The district administration calls the town 'Akshara Nagari', the city of letters, for its contribution to print media and literature.
Kottayam Town was the first town in India to achieve 100 per cent literacy, a feat recorded in 1989.
English education in South India began at the Old Seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
The first printing press in Kerala, the CMS Press, was established there in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily.
The first college in the State, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The maiden printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
Most of India's natural rubber comes from the district's plantations, and Kottayam is home to the Rubber Board.
Kottayam was the first town in India selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed into an Eco City.
First town in India with 100% literacy:
Kottayam Town, 1989
First printing press in Kerala:
CMS Press, 1821
First college in the State:
CMS College, 1840
Board headquartered here:
Rubber Board
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC repeatedly asks for the State's firsts in printing, higher education and literacy, and almost all of them belong to Kottayam.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
CMS Church Missionary Society — The missionary body whose press and college at Kottayam were the first of their kind in Kerala.