8 October 2026
Applications are invited for the laptop distribution scheme from the children of workers who are members of the Kerala Toddy Tappers Welfare Fund.
Eligible students must have secured first-year admission in 2026-27 to selected courses at government or government-approved colleges, through entrance examinations conducted by central or state entrance commissions.
The last date for receiving applications is 31 October.
For details, contact the Thiruvananthapuram District Office on 0471 2448451.
Last date:
31 October
Eligible:
Children of members of the Kerala Toddy Tappers Welfare Fund
Admission year:
2026-27
Why it matters for exams: Welfare fund boards and their benefit schemes are routine Kerala PSC current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSC
8 October 2026
The Revenue Department is measuring Kerala University land at its Thiruvananthapuram headquarters, next to the AKG Study and Research Centre.
The survey follows the High Court's intervention on a petition by R. S. Sasikumar, a syndicate member and chairman of the Save University Campaign Committee. Onmanorama reports that the court permitted the syndicate to implement its decision to measure and demarcate the university's land.
The petition concerns land allotted in 1977 for the AKG Centre for Study and Research.
The Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar is leading the survey, which was delayed by the clearing of undergrowth near the university compound.
Madhyamam reports that the court order requires the land to be measured and the details given by 15 October.
The Tahsildar said the survey would not cover the land on which the AKG Centre stands; that land would be surveyed only if the court later directs it.
Revenue Minister A. P. Anilkumar said the court's direction at present is only to measure and demarcate the university's land, and that any question of encroachment is for the court to decide.
Allotment year:
1977
Details to High Court by:
15 October
Survey led by:
Thiruvananthapuram Tahsildar
Why it matters for exams: Land survey procedure, the role of the Tahsildar and High Court-directed measurement are useful for revenue-administration questions.
Kerala PSC
8 October 2026
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan announced 'Santhoshathode Padikkam' (Study with Joy), a statewide awareness campaign on students' mental health.
It will run from 12 to 17 October, as part of World Mental Health Day observance.
It is organised in cooperation with the Education Department.
Venues are government schools and government-controlled educational institutions across Kerala.
Psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, mental health experts and counsellors under the Health and Medical Education Departments will be used for the campaign, in coordination with government medical colleges, the District Mental Health Programme and district health systems.
Activities include awareness classes, discussions, counselling sessions and creative activities for students, with special awareness on the role of teachers and parents.
The campaign focuses on early identification of students facing study stress, exam fear, anxiety and isolation, and has special programmes against drug use.
Campaign dates:
12 to 17 October
Announced by:
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan
Venues:
Government schools and government-controlled institutions
Why it matters for exams: Health-education campaigns and the departments behind them are common Kerala PSC current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSC
8 October 2026
In Santosh B. Naik versus State of Goa and others, 2026 INSC 1089, the Supreme Court allowed an appeal on eligibility for a government post.
The bench comprised Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi.
The post was that of Vocational Instructor (Practical) in the trade of Plumber under the Directorate of Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of Goa.
The Recruitment Rules required an academic qualification with the words under 10+2 system of education forming part of it, along with a National Trade Certificate or National Apprenticeship Certificate in the relevant trade and practical industry experience.
The Court held that while exercising judicial review, courts generally cannot add to or alter the essential qualifications prescribed by the Recruitment Rules.
Whether a candidate's qualification is equivalent to the prescribed one is generally for the employer or a competent expert body to decide.
The Rules did not treat a National Institute of Open Schooling Secondary School Certificate as meeting the 10+2 academic requirement, so the third respondent was rightly found ineligible.
The Court set aside the High Court's direction to consider the third respondent on the basis of his marks and restored the appellant's temporary appointment.
Case:
Santosh B. Naik v. State of Goa & Ors., 2026 INSC 1089
Bench:
Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi
Post:
Vocational Instructor (Practical), Plumber trade
Qualification in dispute:
Academic qualification under 10+2 system of education
Why it matters for exams: Judicial review of eligibility conditions in recruitment rules is directly useful for candidates and a common service law question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NIOS National Institute of Open Schooling — A national board that offers school education through open and distance learning.
Judicial review Judicial review — The power of courts to examine the legality of executive and legislative action.
8 October 2026
President Droupadi Murmu attended the first convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bilaspur, in Himachal Pradesh.
She told the graduating doctors that she hoped they would voluntarily serve people residing in the remote and far-flung areas.
She said the first batch had to set an example for the batches that follow, and that being a doctor is a major responsibility.
She also said doctors are duty-bound to display compassion towards patients and that empathy is vital.
The Tribune reported that AIIMS Bilaspur has treated 12 lakh outpatients and one lakh inpatients over the past three years.
Governor Kavinder Gupta, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda were present.
Institution:
AIIMS Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Outpatients in three years:
12 lakh
Inpatients in three years:
one lakh
Governor of Himachal Pradesh:
Kavinder Gupta
Why it matters for exams: The new AIIMS institutions and their first convocations are standard current-affairs and health-policy material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences — A group of autonomous public medical institutes of national importance set up by Act of Parliament.
Convocation Convocation — The formal ceremony at which a university or institute confers degrees on its graduates.
8 October 2026
The last date for submitting applications under the September 2026 K-TET notification has been extended to 9 October.
The extension was announced through an Information and Public Relations Department release numbered PN X 4206/2026.
K-TET is the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test, the qualifying test for school teacher appointments in the state.
The release carries the Directorate category and is dated 8 October 2026.
New last date:
9 October
Notification:
September 2026 K-TET
Release number:
PN X 4206/2026
Why it matters for exams: K-TET dates and eligibility are standard Kerala education-department questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
K-TET Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test — The state level qualifying test required for school teacher appointments in Kerala.
8 October 2026
The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment is organising the 39th Kerala Science Congress.
It will be held from 28 to 31 January 2027 at Devagiri St. Joseph's College, Kozhikode.
The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, the Malabar Botanical Garden and Research Institute and St. Joseph's College are joint organisers.
The main theme is 'Harvesting the Potential of Space Science and Technology for Resilient Kerala'.
Registration has opened for those presenting papers and posters, with 20 November as the deadline.
The Congress is meant to bring scientists, researchers, teachers, students, industry representatives and policymakers together on climate change, agriculture, disaster management and environmental monitoring.
Edition:
39th
Dates:
28 to 31 January 2027
Venue:
Devagiri St. Joseph's College, Kozhikode
Registration deadline:
20 November
Why it matters for exams: KSCSTE and the Kerala Science Congress recur in Kerala PSC general knowledge and science questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSCSTE Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment — The state council that funds and coordinates science and technology research in Kerala.
CWRDM Centre for Water Resources Development and Management — A KSCSTE institution at Kozhikode that works on water resources.
Background
The Human Development Index is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living.
The Index is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions.
The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth.
The education dimension is measured by mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more, together with expected years of schooling for children of school entering age.
The standard of living dimension is measured by gross national income per capita, and the Index uses the logarithm of income to reflect the diminishing importance of income as gross national income rises.
Three dimensions are therefore captured by four indicators: the two education indicators are averaged first, and the three dimension indices are then combined as a geometric mean.
The Index is published by the Human Development Report Office of the United Nations Development Programme.
It can be used to question national policy choices by asking how two countries with the same level of gross national income per capita can end up with different human development outcomes.
Dimensions:
3
Indicators:
4
Aggregation:
Geometric mean
Standard of living indicator:
Gross national income per capita
Why it matters for exams: The composition of the Human Development Index is asked every year: the three dimensions, the four indicators, and the fact that the dimensions are combined as a geometric mean rather than a simple average.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Geometric mean The nth root of the product of n numbers — Using it means a very low score in one dimension cannot be hidden by a high score in another.
Expected years of schooling The schooling a child of school entering age can expect to receive — It is one of the two education indicators, the other being mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 and over.
Background
Kottayam town was the first town in India to achieve 100% literacy, a feat achieved 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 at Kottayam in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily.
The first college in the State, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The first printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
The first and only co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers for publishing books and periodicals, the SPCS, was set up there in 1945.
Kottayam is called Akshara Nagari, the city of letters, and was the first town in India selected by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed into an Eco City.
First printing press in Kerala:
CMS Press, 1821
First college in the State:
CMS College, 1840
100% literacy achieved in:
1989
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC asks for the firsts of Malayalam printing, the first college and the first fully literate town, and all three belong to Kottayam.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CMS Church Missionary Society — The mission whose press and college at Kottayam were the first of their kind in Kerala.
SPCS The co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers set up at Kottayam — The district administration records it as the first and only co-operative society of writers, authors and publishers for publishing books and periodicals.
Background
From 1823 onwards the Governors-General and later Viceroys of India moved between unsuitable summer residences at Shimla, until Lord Lytton chose Observatory Hill for what was to be the final Viceregal address in the town. The hill takes its name from Observatory House which was built in 1840 by Captain J. T. Boileau. The institute that occupies the building records that Observatory Hill is a watershed standing figuratively astride India: the waters from one side of the hill flow down to the Bay of Bengal, and the wash from the other heads towards the Arabian Sea. Lord Dufferin persuaded the Secretary of State for India, Lord Randolph Churchill, to sanction a project that was finally to cost thirty-eight lakh rupees, with the annual upkeep of the estate estimated at one and a half lakh rupees. Henry Irwin was appointed architect and chief superintendent of works, work on the site began in 1886, and Lord and Lady Dufferin moved into the building on 23 July 1888. The huge estate of 331 acres is somewhat smaller today, but the estate is still a princely 110 acres. The Simla Conference, called by the Viceroy Lord Wavell to propose the reconstitution of the Viceroy's Executive Council, was held at the Lodge from 25 June to 14 July 1945; after a Cabinet Mission was sent, a tripartite conference between the Congress, the Muslim League and the British took place at Viceregal Lodge from 5-12 May 1946. The estate passed to the President of India after Independence in 1947, the building was renamed Rashtrapati Nivas, and the Indian Institute of Advanced Study now works there.
Site:
Observatory Hill, Shimla
Architect and chief superintendent of works:
Henry Irwin
Final cost:
thirty-eight lakh rupees
Estate:
331 acres originally, 110 acres today
Simla Conference:
25 June to 14 July 1945
Cabinet Mission conference:
5-12 May 1946
Why it matters for exams: One Shimla building carries both the Simla Conference and the Cabinet Mission talks, so a freedom-struggle question and a Himachal Pradesh heritage question can land on the same answer.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Viceregal Lodge — The Viceroy of India's summer residence at Shimla, renamed Rashtrapati Nivas after Independence.
Watershed — A ridge that separates two drainage basins and sends rainfall to different rivers or seas.
Cabinet Mission — A British mission sent to work out the modalities by which power could be transferred to Indians.
Background
The institute's own history states that the British established this hospital on 17th May 1918 and that it was initially named the Ranchi European Lunatic Asylum.
It stands at Kanke, on the outskirts of Ranchi, where the institute says two of the major mental hospitals in the country were built in the vicinity of each other a hundred years ago.
The institute describes itself as a premier institution for mental health-related conditions in India and records that it is spread across 211 acres in the city of Ranchi.
It states that there are a total of 17 wards, with seven for male patients, six for female patients, one for children and adolescents, one for addiction psychiatry, a Family Unit and an Emergency Ward.
The institute writes that, unlike other mental hospitals, CIP Ranchi has never been a custodial care facility and has always been an open hospital.
Its history states that the Institute currently functions under the administrative control of the Directorate General of Health Services and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi.
Established:
17th May 1918
Original name:
Ranchi European Lunatic Asylum
Location:
Kanke, Ranchi
Campus:
211 acres
Wards:
17
Administrative control:
Directorate General of Health Services and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Why it matters for exams: Questions on India's mental health institutions ask which of the two Ranchi hospitals is the central institute, and the colonial name is the detail that distinguishes them.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DGHS Directorate General of Health Services — The technical arm of the Union health ministry under whose administrative control the institute says it functions.
Background
The institute's own history states that the Indian School of Mines was formally opened on 9th December 1926, by Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India, to address the need for trained manpower related to mining activities in the country, with disciplines of Mining and Applied Geology.
The same account traces the demand back to a resolution of the Indian National Congress in December 1901 calling for a Government College of Mining Engineering in India on the model of the Royal School of Mines in England.
The McPherson Committee formed by the Government of British India submitted its report recommending the establishment of an institution for imparting education in the fields of mining and geology, and the institute records Dr. David Penman as its first founder-principal.
In 1967 it was granted the status of a deemed to be university under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956.
The institute records that the long run of Indian School of Mines came to an end when it was awarded the tag of an Indian Institute of Technology on 6th September 2016.
The institute sits at Dhanbad, in the coalfield belt of Jharkhand, and the same history notes that its name had earlier changed to Indian School of Mines when Petroleum Engineering and Applied Geophysics courses began.
Location:
Dhanbad, Jharkhand
Formally opened:
9th December 1926
Opened by:
Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India
Founding disciplines:
Mining and Applied Geology
Deemed university:
1967, under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956
Awarded IIT status:
6th September 2016
Why it matters for exams: Questions on India's older technical institutions turn on three things: where they are, who opened them and when they became IITs; Dhanbad supplies all three from its own record.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Deemed to be university — A status conferred under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, which Dhanbad held from 1967 until it became an IIT.
7 October 2026
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan of the Kerala High Court decided the writ petition of Sindhu S. Nair, headmistress of Eeswara Vilasom High School, Kottarakkara.
The school Manager had told her to wear only a saree, and security stopped her at the gate when she wore a churidar.
She relied on a Director of General Education circular dated 20.11.2015 on teachers' dress code, which does not bar churidars.
The Court held that what dress one wears is ordinarily a matter of personal choice, and that no one can dictate it without the backing of law.
It directed the Station House Officer to ensure she enters the school freely for the rest of her service.
It passed no order on disciplinary action against the Manager, as an enquiry is pending.
Judge:
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan
Case:
WP(C) No. 6142 of 2026
Circular:
20.11.2015
Why it matters for exams: Shows how courts read personal choice and dignity as part of fundamental rights, and the limit on a school manager's authority over teaching staff.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Writ petition Writ petition under Article 226 — A petition to the High Court for enforcing rights.
SHO Station House Officer — The police officer in charge of a police station.
7 October 2026
The provisional rank list and index marks for admission to the Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy and the Diploma in Ayurveda Therapy for the 2026-27 academic year have been published.
The list is available on the website of the LBS Centre, www.lbscentre.kerala.gov.in.
Complaints on the list must be sent by email by 4 pm on 8 October 2026.
The notice was issued through the Information and Public Relations Department on 7 October 2026.
Enquiries are taken on the numbers given in the notice, including 0471-2324396.
Courses:
Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy; Diploma in Ayurveda Therapy
Academic year:
2026-27
Last time for complaints:
4 pm, 8 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Which state agency conducts which admission is a recurring Kerala PSC question, and these two Ayurveda diplomas are handled by the LBS Centre.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
LBS Centre LBS Centre for Science and Technology — A Kerala government institution that conducts entrance examinations and admissions for several professional and diploma courses in the state.
Index mark — A combined score worked out from qualifying examination marks, used to rank candidates for admission.
7 October 2026
An extension counter of the State Central Library began working in the 'Bhavani' building at Technopark, inaugurated by Higher Education Minister Roji M John on 7 October 2026.
The counter is part of the state government's 100-day action programme and is meant for Technopark employees and entrepreneurs who cannot reach a library during working hours.
The Minister also launched a smart card system that brings member identification, book issue and other library services onto one card, along with a digital payment system.
The opening collection consists of classic novels in Malayalam and English and award-winning books, and more titles will be added on the request of staff at the park.
The State Central Library was founded in 1829, in the reign of Swathi Thirunal, and has about 200 years of history behind it.
Library founded:
1829
Inaugurated by:
Higher Education Minister Roji M John
Location:
'Bhavani' building, Technopark
Why it matters for exams: The State Central Library's founding year and royal patron are standard Kerala PSC questions, and this item ties them to a current government decision.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
State Central Library — Kerala's oldest public library, at Thiruvananthapuram, founded in 1829 and now the apex library of the state's public library system.
Swathi Thirunal — The Travancore ruler in whose reign the library was founded in 1829; also remembered as a composer.
100-day programme — A set of works a state government commits to completing within a hundred days, used in Kerala to time the delivery of specific projects.
Background
The Kerala Public Service Commission describes itself as a body created by the Constitution of India.
The Commission advises the Government on all matters relating to civil services referred to it under Article 320 (3) of the Constitution.
It publishes notifications inviting applications for selection to various posts as per the requisitions of the appointing authorities.
It conducts written test and or practical tests, physical efficiency test and interview.
It prepares the ranked list based on the performance of the candidates and advises candidates for appointment strictly based on their merit and observing the rules of reservation as and when vacancies are reported.
The Head Office of the Commission is situated at Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram, the State Capital, at Thulasi Hills, Pattom Palace P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 004.
Constitutional provision cited:
Article 320 (3)
Head Office:
Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram
Address:
Thulasi Hills, Pattom Palace P.O., Thiruvananthapuram 695 004
Why it matters for exams: The constitutional article under which the Commission advises Government and the stages of its selection process are asked directly in Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ranked list Ranked list — The list the Commission prepares on candidates' performance, from which it advises appointments.
Article 320(3) Article 320(3) of the Constitution of India — The provision under which matters relating to civil services are referred to a Public Service Commission for advice.
Background
The National Centre for Biological Sciences describes itself as a premier research institute with the facilities a research scientist may need.
The science at NCBS is carried out as a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Research interests of its faculty members lie in the frontier areas of biology.
The Centre uses experimental and computational approaches in the study of molecules, cells and organisms, aiming to understand biology at each of these levels to advance an integrated view of life processes.
NCBS's main campus is in Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK) on Bellary Road, in the north of Bangalore.
The campus has accommodation for students, visitors and faculty and facilities for child-care, sports and recreation, and a second nearby campus adds further student accommodation.
Parent institution:
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Main campus:
Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK), Bellary Road, north of Bangalore
Approaches used:
experimental and computational
Levels studied:
molecules, cells and organisms
Why it matters for exams: Which parent institution NCBS belongs to, and its GKVK campus in Bangalore, are the facts usually tested about this centre.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GKVK Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra — The Bellary Road location in the north of Bangalore where NCBS's main campus sits.
NCBS National Centre for Biological Sciences — Its science is carried out as a part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
Background
The Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research is an autonomous institution established in 1989 by the Department of Science and Technology to commemorate the birth centenary year of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Prof. C. N. R. Rao, FRS, was the founding President of the Centre.
The Centre was registered as a society with Dr. Raja Ramanna, the eminent physicist and former Chairman of the Department of Atomic Energy, as its first Chairman.
It was recognised as an Institution Deemed to be University by the University Grants Commission in 2002.
Research is carried out in Units such as Chemistry and Physics of Materials, Engineering Mechanics, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Theoretical Sciences, New Chemistry, Geodynamics, Neurosciences and Education Technology.
The International Centre for Materials Science at the Centre was established with funding from the Department of Science and Technology.
The Centre has been accredited with NAAC A++ grade, scoring 3.76 out of 4 points, and its campus is at Jakkur, Bengaluru.
Established:
1989
Set up by:
Department of Science and Technology, GoI
Founding President:
Prof. C. N. R. Rao, FRS
First Chairman:
Dr. Raja Ramanna
Deemed to be University:
2002
NAAC accreditation:
A++ grade (3.76 out of 4 points)
Why it matters for exams: The 1989 founding for the Nehru birth centenary, C. N. R. Rao as founding President and Raja Ramanna as first Chairman are precise, repeatable facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NAAC National Assessment and Accreditation Council — It accredited JNCASR with the A++ grade at 3.76 out of 4 points.
FRS Fellow of the Royal Society — The honour held by the Centre's founding President, Prof. C. N. R. Rao.
Background
Established in 1982, the Wildlife Institute of India offers training programmes, academic courses and advisory work in wildlife research and management.
Its own site describes it as an Autonomous Institute of MoEFCC, Govt. of India, with its campus at Chandrabani, Dehradun.
The Institute is a nodal national agency for research and training in the field of wildlife conservation.
It is a four-star top rated accredited institute as per the Capacity Building Commission amongst all National Civil Service Training Institutes.
Its mandate includes generating quality knowledge in wildlife science and complementing national efforts in wildlife conservation.
Its courses include a two-year course in Wildlife Science, a PG Diploma in Advanced Wildlife Management and a Certificate Course in Wildlife Management for in-service Range Officers and Deputy Range Officers.
The WII-C2C was established in 2015 to realise the objectives of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972 by building capacity on World Heritage.
Established:
1982
Status:
Autonomous Institute of MoEFCC, Govt. of India
Capacity Building Commission rating:
four-star top rated
WII-C2C established:
2015
Why it matters for exams: WII's 1982 founding, its Dehradun base and its role as the nodal agency behind tiger and cheetah monitoring work are recurring exam facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MoEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — WII is an autonomous institute of this ministry.
WII-C2C The WII centre set up in 2015 for World Heritage capacity building — It works towards the objectives of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, 1972.
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