Background
The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), in Thiruvananthapuram, began in 1990 as a small charitable society called the Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology (C-DEST).
In 1991 C-DEST became a Grant-in-Aid institute of the Government of Kerala and was renamed RGC-DEST, the first institute in the country to be named after Rajiv Gandhi.
On 18 April 1994 the Government of Kerala restructured it into a comprehensive biotechnology centre, the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.
The foundation stone of the new building was laid on 18 November 1995 by the then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao; on 18 November 2002 President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam dedicated the centre to the nation.
On 28 February 2006 Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced in the Union Budget that RGCB would be given the status of an autonomous National Institute.
On 2 August 2007 the Union Council of Ministers approved the take over of RGCB from 1 April 2007.
Began as C-DEST:
1990
Restructured as RGCB:
18 April 1994
Foundation stone laid:
18 November 1995 by Narasimha Rao
Dedicated to the nation:
18 November 2002 by A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Union take over effective from:
1 April 2007
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's science institutions and their founding milestones are regular Kerala PSC questions on science and technology.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
C-DEST Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology — The small charitable society from which RGCB grew in 1990.
Grant-in-Aid institute Institute funded by grants from a government — C-DEST became a Grant-in-Aid institute of the Government of Kerala in 1991.
13 October 2026
The World Health Organization launched the strategy of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence for 2026-2030 at the World Health Summit in Berlin, in a release dated 12 October 2026.
The five-year strategy sets the goal that by 2030 every country should be able to detect and understand emerging health threats within 24 hours of their appearance.
The Hub was created in 2021 with foundational support from the German Government and has worked with 160 WHO Member States and 190 partner organizations.
Its Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources (EIOS) system draws on over 4000 experts and is used by over 125 Member States and 30 regional and international organizations.
The Hub's Collaboratory brings together more than 2000 experts, and its Collaborative Surveillance Initiative has been implemented in more than 83 countries.
The strategy rests on five priority initiatives: EIOS, the International Pathogen Surveillance Network, the Collaboratory, the Collaborative Surveillance Initiative and a new Digital Enablers for Public Health Intelligence Initiative.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Hub "has become an integral part of the global health security system" and that the strategy "charts a clear path towards 2030".
Georg Kippels, Parliamentary State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry of Health, was present at the opening.
Strategy period:
2026-2030
Detection target by 2030:
within 24 hours
Member States worked with:
160
Partner organizations:
190
Countries with Collaborative Surveillance Initiative:
more than 83
Why it matters for exams: A named WHO strategy with a measurable target and five initiatives, useful for questions on global health surveillance.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
EIOS Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources — A WHO system that scans publicly available information for early signals of disease outbreaks.
IPSN International Pathogen Surveillance Network — A WHO network that links laboratories doing genomic surveillance of pathogens.
13 October 2026
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Political Declaration on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response on 12 October 2026.
Member States had considered the text at the second UNGA High-Level Meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response on 25 September 2026 and then referred it to the full General Assembly for adoption.
The declaration commits countries to sustain investment in national, regional and global capacity to prevent, detect and respond to pandemic threats, and to treat preparedness as a health, development, economic and security priority.
It also commits them to implement the amended International Health Regulations (2005), to ensure timely access to pathogens and equitable benefit-sharing, to expand local and regional manufacturing and research capacity, and to secure sustainable financing.
The World Health Organization welcomed the adoption from Geneva and New York the same day.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "WHO welcomes this strong commitment by UN Member States", and added, "We urge countries to now fulfil the commitments they have made."
The outcome of the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing negotiations is to be considered at the next World Health Assembly in May 2027, or earlier at a special session; adopting that annex would allow the WHO Pandemic Agreement to enter into force.
Adopted on:
12 October 2026
High-Level Meeting:
25 September 2026
PABS annex to be considered:
World Health Assembly, May 2027
Why it matters for exams: A fresh UN General Assembly declaration on pandemic preparedness, and the PABS annex on which the WHO Pandemic Agreement's entry into force depends.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PABS Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing — The WHO system under negotiation for sharing pathogen samples and the vaccines and medicines made from them.
IHR (2005) International Health Regulations (2005) — The binding rules under which countries report and respond to public health events of international concern.
Background
The World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States.
It focuses on a specific health agenda prepared by the Executive Board.
Its main functions are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General, supervise financial policies, and review and approve the proposed programme budget.
The Health Assembly is held annually in Geneva, Switzerland.
Attended by:
Delegations from all WHO Member States
Agenda prepared by:
Executive Board
Meets:
Annually, in Geneva, Switzerland
Why it matters for exams: Exams ask which WHO body decides policy and appoints the Director-General, and where it meets.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Executive Board WHO Executive Board — Prepares the specific health agenda on which the World Health Assembly focuses.
Programme budget WHO proposed programme budget — Reviewed and approved by the World Health Assembly.
13 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in a statement on Monday 12 October 2026 that conflict and drought are increasing the risk of famine across Sudan's Darfur and Kordofan regions.
"An El Nino-induced drought, affecting roughly half of the country, is compounding the impacts of conflict and displacement," the IPC said, as the war continues.
Poor vegetation growth affects nearly two-thirds of cropland in North Darfur and about half in South Darfur, West Kordofan and South Kordofan.
In Nyala, the proportion of children accessing nutrition services who were admitted for severe acute malnutrition doubled from approximately 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur also recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds.
In May, nearly 19.5 million people, over 40% of the population, faced high levels of acute food insecurity, according to an IPC assessment; 135,000 of them were in Phase 5, the most severe classification.
The IPC said healthcare is extremely limited, often entirely inaccessible, while clean water is becoming increasingly scarce.
IPC statement:
Monday 12 October 2026
People in acute food insecurity (May):
nearly 19.5 million
People in Phase 5 (May):
135,000
Severe acute malnutrition admissions in Nyala:
from approximately 5% to 11%
Why it matters for exams: Famine monitoring, the IPC scale and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan are standard questions on reports and world affairs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A 21-member initiative that classifies the severity of food insecurity in phases, with Phase 5 the most severe.
El Nino Periodic warming of the central and eastern Pacific — A climate pattern that can cause drought in some regions, here linked to the drought in Sudan.
13 October 2026
The Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration (UPFSDA) has directed pharmacies operating from hospitals across the state to display price lists showing the actual purchase and sale rates of medicines from 1 November 2026, reported in early October 2026.
The move follows inspections of more than 200 pharmacies in 22 medical colleges and 30 government and private hospitals.
The inspections found MRPs as high as 67 times the price at which hospitals procure the medicines.
UPFSDA Commissioner and Secretary Roshan Jacob has written to the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), seeking a review of trade margins and MRP fixation.
Retail pharmacies must also create public websites showing their licence number, appointed pharmacist, licensed premises and stock details, updated weekly.
The department pointed to the cost-plus model followed in some government medical colleges, where patients are charged on actual procurement cost rather than the printed MRP.
Price display starts:
1 November 2026
Pharmacies inspected:
more than 200
Medical colleges / hospitals covered:
22 / 30
Highest gap found:
67 times the procurement price
Regulator written to:
NPPA
Why it matters for exams: Drug price regulation, MRP and the role of the NPPA are standard health-policy and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MRP Maximum Retail Price — The highest price at which a packaged product may be sold to a consumer, printed on the pack.
NPPA National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority — The national regulator for drug pricing.
13 October 2026
WHO published the second edition of "Funding a tuberculosis-free future: an investment case for screening and preventive treatment" on 12 October 2026.
The modelling study examines the costs and benefits of tuberculosis (TB) screening plus TB preventive treatment (TPT) in four countries: Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa, which WHO says may serve as examples for other settings with a similar epidemiological context.
It finds that relatively modest investments in screening plus TPT can achieve significant health and economic benefits in all four countries and provide a return of up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested. "Up to" is a ceiling; the WHO page does not give the figure country by country.
The goal is to help countries advocate for and allocate more resources to scale up screening and TPT, towards new targets committed by Heads of State at the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting on TB.
It is a 17-page technical document produced by WHO's HIV, TB, Hepatitis and STIs team.
Return on investment:
up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested
Countries modelled:
Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa
Edition:
second edition, 12 October 2026
Length:
17 pages
Why it matters for exams: WHO reports, TB control targets and the UN High-Level Meeting on TB are regular health and world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPT TB preventive treatment — Treatment given to people at risk to stop TB infection from becoming active disease.
Investment case Costs and benefits assessment — A study that weighs the money needed against the health and economic returns.
13 October 2026
The Ministry of Ayush released Standard Treatment Guidelines on the Management of Dermatological Disorders on 13 October 2026, on the occasion of the 11th Ayurveda Day. There is a separate document for each of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy, four in all. The guidelines were prepared by the Ayush Vertical of the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. They cover conditions including psoriasis, dermatitis, vitiligo, urticaria and dermatophytosis, addressing prevention, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up and rehabilitation. The protocols were tested with Medical Officers in primary and secondary healthcare in partnership with the Directorate of Ayush, Government of NCT of Delhi.
Documents released:
4, one per system
Systems:
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homoeopathy
Occasion:
11th Ayurveda Day
Prepared by:
Ayush Vertical, DGHS
Why it matters for exams: Ayush systems and national health guidelines are standard material in health and current-affairs sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DGHS Directorate General of Health Services — The technical wing of the Union Health Ministry.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan tabled the Keralam Senior Citizens' (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026 in the Assembly on 13 October. The Bill has been referred to the Assembly Subject Committee. It sets up State-level and district-level Senior Citizen Protection Units. Cruelty to an elder is punishable by up to three years' imprisonment, and doctors and care centres must report abuse within 48 hours. Elders can record a living will on end-of-life care. The Bill also requires registration of care homes and home-care agencies.
Bill:
Senior Citizens' (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026
Tabled by:
Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan
Maximum jail term for cruelty:
Three years
Abuse reporting deadline:
48 hours
Why it matters for exams: A new statutory framework for elder care, with its penalties and reporting duty, is a likely Kerala PSC question on welfare legislation.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Living will Advance declaration on end-of-life medical care — A written statement of the treatments a person would not want near the end of life.
13 October 2026
In M/s Aftek Foods and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. v. State of U.P., a Bench of Justices Shekhar B. Saraf and Abdhesh Kumar Chaudhary dismissed the restaurants' petitions (reported 29 September 2026).
The amended Rule 4(3) of the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008 bars "any service" in a smoking area, so hookah bars violate the rule and the COTPA scheme.
The Court held the non-smokers' right to breathe clean air under Article 21 prevails over the right to trade under Article 19(1)(g).
The Food Safety Department and the Municipal Corporation cannot license hookah bars; police powers under Sections 12, 13 and 15 of COTPA were upheld.
A copy goes to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police.
Law:
COTPA, 2003
Rule:
Rule 4(3), Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008 (as amended 2017)
Case:
M/s Aftek Foods and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. v. State of U.P. (2026 LiveLaw (AB) 763)
Rights weighed:
Article 21 versus Article 19(1)(g)
Why it matters for exams: COTPA, Article 21 (right to clean air) versus Article 19(1)(g) is a frequent public-health and constitutional-law linkage.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
COTPA Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 — The central law that regulates tobacco advertising, sale and smoking in public places.
Designated Smoking Area DSA under the 2008 Rules — A separate enclosure where smoking is allowed in some establishments.
12 October 2026
Health Minister K. Muraleedharan, speaking online on 12 October 2026, laid the foundation stone for a critical care block at the Alappuzha Government T.D. Medical College Hospital under the 100-Day Action Programme. The block has been sanctioned 21.52 crore rupees; tenders are complete and the contract has been awarded. He also inaugurated 2 health centres and laid foundation stones for 16 more in Alappuzha district. The minister said 81.48 crore rupees had been approved for the district under the 15th Finance Commission. He said the Finance Department had been asked to create posts for about 1800 doctors and about 500 nurses, and that institutions may make ready purchases to prevent medicine shortages. Deputy Speaker Shanimol Usman presided.
Critical care block:
21.52 crore rupees
15th Finance Commission (district):
81.48 crore rupees
Posts sought:
about 1800 doctors, about 500 nurses
Health centres:
2 inaugurated, 16 foundation stones
Why it matters for exams: State health infrastructure figures and Finance Commission grants to local health institutions are asked in Kerala PSC current affairs.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
15th Finance Commission Fifteenth Finance Commission — The constitutional body under Article 280 that recommended Union transfers, including health grants to local bodies, for 2021–26.
12 October 2026
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has urged all States and Union Territories to ensure prominent display of rates charged by Clinical Establishments. Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava wrote to the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs. The letter refers to the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010 and the Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012. Under the Rules, establishments in States and UTs where the Act applies must display rates for each service at a conspicuous place in the local language as well as in English; elsewhere, State and UT frameworks apply. The letter notes that health is a State subject. States were also asked to encourage display of package rates for foreign patients on Medical or Ayush Visas.
Law cited:
Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010
Rules cited:
Clinical Establishments (Central Government) Rules, 2012
Why it matters for exams: The Clinical Establishments Act, 2010 and the State List status of health are frequent polity and health questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ayush Visa Ayush Visa — An Indian visa category for foreigners seeking treatment under traditional systems of medicine.
12 October 2026
Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda laid the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong, Himachal Pradesh. The centre is a collaboration between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Armed Forces Medical Services. AIIMS Bilaspur will take part in studying the health impact of high-altitude conditions. Research will cover low oxygen levels, extreme cold and the health of tribal communities and soldiers in border areas. It will also explore drone-enabled medicine delivery, digital health and artificial intelligence for remote areas.
Location:
Keylong, Himachal Pradesh
Partners:
ICMR, Armed Forces Medical Services, AIIMS Bilaspur
Why it matters for exams: Locations of new national research centres and the bodies behind them, such as ICMR, are standard factual questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research — India's apex body for formulating and promoting biomedical research.
12 October 2026
Health Minister K Muraleedharan told the Kerala Assembly on 12 October 2026 that an expert team led by the Principal Secretary of the Health Department will investigate the isolation ward project. The project, sanctioned in July 2021 to set up 10-bed isolation wards, covered 88 health centres in its first phase at an estimated cost of ₹250.69 crore. As of 9 October, 33 isolation wards had been completed and handed over to hospitals; KIIFCON was carrying out work on 22 wards left incomplete by the original contractor, 28 were under construction and five sites faced hurdles. Each unit cost about ₹1.76 crore, made up of a ₹1.31 crore contract and ₹44.31 lakh for equipment. The minister said even the completed wards could not be used for patient care because of construction defects and the lack of facilities such as air-conditioning and toilets. He was replying to a submission by Kunnathunad MLA V P Sajeendran.
Health centres (first phase):
88
Estimated cost:
₹250.69 crore
Handed over (as of 9 October):
33
Taken over by KIIFCON:
22
Cost per unit:
about ₹1.76 crore
Why it matters for exams: Public health infrastructure, KIIFB-linked agencies and Assembly procedure such as submissions are tested in Kerala PSC current affairs.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KIIFCON Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Consulting Private Limited — The consultancy arm linked to KIIFB that executes and supervises infrastructure works.
Submission Submission under the rules of the Kerala Assembly — A short matter of public importance raised by a member, to which a minister replies in the House.
12 October 2026
The United Nations General Assembly on Monday, 12 October 2026, adopted a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response by 153 votes in favour to three against, with two abstentions.
Argentina, Israel and the United States voted against; New Zealand and Paraguay abstained.
The text was due to have been approved by consensus at a high-level meeting on 25 September, but objections pushed the issue back to the Assembly.
The declaration is political and non-binding, calls for stronger national, regional and international cooperation guided by science, equity and respect for human rights, and welcomes the World Health Organization Pandemic Agreement adopted last year.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to finalise negotiations on the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex so the Pandemic Agreement can be opened for signature and enter into force.
The Pandemic Agreement cannot be opened for signature until member states complete that annex, under which countries would share samples and genetic data in return for a share of resulting vaccines, treatments and diagnostics.
The World Health Assembly, comprising the WHO's 194 members, is due to return to the annex next May.
The General Assembly has 193 members.
Vote:
153 in favour, 3 against, 2 abstentions
Voted against:
Argentina, Israel, United States
Abstained:
New Zealand, Paraguay
Date of adoption:
12 October 2026
Pending step:
Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex
Why it matters for exams: The recorded vote, the three states that opposed it and the unfinished pathogen access annex are the three facts examiners ask about the WHO Pandemic Agreement.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
PABS Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing — The system under which countries would share pathogen samples and genetic data in return for a share of the vaccines and treatments that result.
Political declaration — A negotiated statement of intent adopted by states that creates no legal obligation.
World Health Assembly — The supreme decision-making body of the WHO, made up of its 194 member states.
Abstention — A member present at a vote that chooses neither to support nor to oppose the text.
12 October 2026
The World Health Organization published on 12 October 2026 the second edition of 'Funding a tuberculosis-free future: an investment case for screening and preventive treatment'. The report examines the costs and benefits of tuberculosis screening together with TB preventive treatment (TPT). It models four countries: Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa. It finds returns of up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested.
Return:
up to US$ 54 for each dollar invested
Countries modelled:
Brazil, Georgia, Kenya and South Africa
Edition:
Second edition
Why it matters for exams: WHO publications on disease control and their headline figures are common in health and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TPT TB preventive treatment — Treatment given to prevent tuberculosis disease.
12 October 2026
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued a Sudan food insecurity and malnutrition alert on 12 October 2026. An El Nino-induced drought affects roughly half of the country and adds to conflict and displacement. The IPC warns of a growing famine risk across parts of Greater Darfur and Greater Kordofan. In Nyala, the share of children admitted for severe acute malnutrition among those using nutrition services rose from about 5% to 11% between January and August. Two displacement camps in South Darfur recorded global acute malnutrition above famine thresholds. The alert calls for safe humanitarian access in frontline areas, especially North and West Kordofan.
Alert issued:
12 October 2026
Drought coverage:
roughly half of Sudan
Nyala severe acute malnutrition admissions:
about 5% to 11%
Why it matters for exams: Hunger reports, famine classifications and the agencies behind them are regular world-affairs and current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPC Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — A multi-stakeholder global initiative on food security.
12 October 2026
On Monday 12 October 2026 the General Assembly adopted a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
The vote was 153 in favour, three against and two abstentions, including New Zealand and Paraguay.
It had been due to be approved by consensus at a high-level meeting on 25 September, but objections from the United States and a few other States blocked that.
The declaration is political and non-binding, and welcomes the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted last year.
That agreement cannot open for signature until States finish the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex.
The World Health Assembly is due to return to the annex next May.
Vote:
153 in favour, 3 against, 2 abstentions
Nature:
Political and non-binding
Pending annex:
PABS (Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing)
Why it matters for exams: UN General Assembly procedure, WHO treaties and pandemic governance are recurring topics in world-affairs and health sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PABS Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing — The system for sharing pathogen samples and genetic data in return for a share of vaccines and treatments.
Political declaration Non-binding UN statement of commitment — It sets out shared aims but creates no legal obligation.
11 October 2026
The Lancet Commission on 21st-century global threats to health presented its findings at the World Health Summit in Berlin. The Commission, of 37 experts, compared 17 threats from 2025 to 2100 across 204 countries and territories using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The threats range from 1.02 billion to 23.1 billion DALYs; COVID-19 caused about 500 million. Malicious use of AI, including for bioweapons, and nuclear conflict with nuclear famine were judged to carry risks of extinction in the next 75 years. Obesity has the largest cumulative expected amenable burden. Other threats listed include climate change, antimicrobial resistance and air pollution.
Threats assessed:
17
Period:
2025 to 2100
Countries and territories:
204
Commission members:
37 experts
Why it matters for exams: Global health reports and the DALY measure are commonly asked in health and science papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DALY Disability-adjusted life year — One year of healthy life lost to illness, disability or early death.
11 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre (SGBC) at IIT Madras to the nation on 11 October 2026. He launched a global scientific mission to map more than 100 human brains into 3D atlases at cellular resolution, covering the human lifespan from the foetal stage to old age. He also released C-STROKE, a human ischaemic stroke atlas with over 1,000 annotated microscopic sections from a stroke-affected brain. The centre was established in March 2022 with support from Sudha and Kris Gopalakrishnan and is headed by Mohanasankar Sivaprakasam. Its earlier atlases include Dharani, a 3D atlas of the human foetal brain released in 2024 with 5,132 brain sections.
Centre:
Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre, IIT Madras
Mission:
Map more than 100 human brains
Atlas released:
C-STROKE (over 1,000 sections)
Established:
March 2022
Why it matters for exams: Indian neuroscience missions and named atlases such as Dharani and C-STROKE are likely science and technology questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ischaemic stroke Ischaemic stroke — A stroke caused by a blocked blood vessel that cuts off blood supply to part of the brain.
SGBC Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre — The IIT Madras centre that produces cellular-resolution 3D atlases of the human brain.