Background
The National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) turns subsidised foodgrains from a welfare benefit into a legal entitlement. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which the Act treats as the poorest of the poor, are legally entitled to receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month. Priority households are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month. The Act provides for coverage of up to 75 per cent of the rural population and up to 50 per cent of the urban population for highly subsidised foodgrains through the Targeted Public Distribution System. On the population figures of Census 2011, that coverage works out to about 81.35 crore persons. The Government has stated that there is no change in the entitlement of foodgrains of beneficiaries under the Act, and that no proposal for universalisation of the coverage is under consideration. The identification of eligible households within the coverage limits is done by the State Governments and Union Territory administrations.
Antyodaya household entitlement:
35 kg of foodgrains per family per month
Priority household entitlement:
5 kg of foodgrains per person per month
Coverage:
Up to 75% of the rural and up to 50% of the urban population
Persons covered:
About 81.35 crore at Census 2011
Why it matters for exams: The two entitlement figures and the coverage ceilings of the food security law are among the most frequently asked scheme facts in both State and central examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
NFSA National Food Security Act — The law that makes subsidised foodgrains a legal entitlement for identified households.
AAY Antyodaya Anna Yojana — The category of the poorest households, entitled to a fixed quantity per family.
TPDS Targeted Public Distribution System — The ration shop network through which the entitlement is delivered.
Background
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has been constituted under section 38L(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, created through the enabling provisions added when the Act was amended in 2006. Under section 38L the Authority consists of the Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests as Chairperson, the Minister of State in that Ministry as Vice-Chairperson, three members of Parliament of whom two are elected by the House of the People and one by the Council of States, eight experts or professionals in wildlife conservation and the welfare of people living in tiger reserves of whom at least two must be from the field of tribal development, the Secretary and the Director General of Forests of the Ministry, the Director of Wild Life Preservation, six Chief Wild Life Wardens from tiger reserve States in rotation for three years, officials of the Ministries of Law and Justice, Tribal Affairs, Social Justice and Empowerment and Panchayati Raj, the Chairpersons of the National Commissions for the Scheduled Tribes and the Scheduled Castes, and an Inspector-General of Forests rank officer as Member-Secretary. The Authority draws its powers from section 38O(1) of the Act. These include approving the tiger conservation plan prepared by a State Government, disallowing ecologically unsustainable land use such as mining and industry inside tiger reserves, and laying down normative standards for tourism in core and buffer areas. Under section 38O(2) the Authority may issue directions in writing to any person, officer or authority for the protection of tigers or tiger reserves, and the direction is binding. Project Tiger itself is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry that funds tiger range States for in-situ conservation in designated tiger reserves. The Authority also conducts the country-level assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators, prey and habitat once in four years.
Enabling provision:
Section 38L(1), Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
Chairperson:
Minister in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Forests
Members of Parliament:
Three (two from the House of the People, one from the Council of States)
Experts or professionals:
Eight, at least two from tribal development
Why it matters for exams: The statutory basis of the tiger authority, the section numbers behind it and its composition are standard questions in polity and environment sections alike.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority — The statutory authority for tiger conservation under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
Centrally Sponsored Scheme Centrally Sponsored Scheme — A scheme run by States with funding support from the Union Government.
Core and buffer area Core and buffer area — The critical tiger habitat and the surrounding zone of a tiger reserve.
Background
Kudumbashree was launched in 1998 as a community network that would work in tandem with local self-governments for poverty eradication and woman empowerment.
Its origins lie in a community-led Poverty Identification Format developed in the early nineties as part of the Alappuzha Urban Basic Services for the Poor Programme.
By that time Self Help Groups promoted by NABARD and linkage banking had established themselves as a viable microfinance model.
In 1994 the Community Based Nutrition project of Malappuram tried to assimilate these experiences and develop a woman-based community structure for the delivery of government programmes.
The 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution strengthened Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies.
The People's Plan Campaign for decentralised governance created strong local self-governments, panchayats and municipalities, in the State shortly before Kudumbashree was launched.
The Local Self Government Department of Kerala lists Kudumbashree among its allied institutions.
Launched:
1998
Twin objectives:
Poverty eradication and woman empowerment
Origin programme:
Alappuzha Urban Basic Services for the Poor Programme
Constitutional amendments cited:
73rd and 74th
Why it matters for exams: Kudumbashree's launch year and its link to decentralised local government are asked in Kerala PSC, UPSC and banking papers alike.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development — The national development bank whose Self Help Group and linkage banking work made microfinance a working model in India.
Background
Pathanamthitta is the thirteenth revenue district of the State of Kerala.
It rests on the slopes of the Western Ghats and stretches down to the low-lying rice fields bordering Alappuzha district.
The district was formed with effect from 1 November 1982, under G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982, with headquarters at Pathanamthitta.
On the north it is bounded by the Changanassery and Kanjirappally taluks of Kottayam district and the Peerumade taluk of Idukki district.
On the east it is bounded by the State of Tamil Nadu.
On the south lie the Kunnathur, Pathanapuram and Kottarakkara taluks of Kollam district.
On the west lie the Chengannur, Mavelikkara and Kuttanad taluks of Alappuzha district.
The district administration describes it as a land of undulating hills, forests, wildlife and valleys.
Rank among Kerala's revenue districts:
Thirteenth
Formed with effect from:
1 November 1982
Order:
G.O. (M.S) No.1026/82/RD dated 29.10.1982
Headquarters:
Pathanamthitta
Why it matters for exams: The order and date that created each Kerala district is standard Kerala PSC material, and Pathanamthitta's boundaries test district geography in one question.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
G.O. Government Order — The written order of a State government by which decisions such as the creation of a district are given effect.
Background
Malappuram, whose name means the land atop the hills, is bounded by the Nilgiris on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.
The district was formed on 16 June 1969, with Kozhikode and Wayanad districts to its north and Palakkad and Thrissur districts to its south.
Its geographical area is 3550 sq km, which is 9.13 per cent of the total area of the State, and it ranks third in Kerala.
The district has three natural divisions: lowland along the coast, midland in the centre and highland towards the east and north-east.
Four important rivers of Kerala flow through it: the Chaliyar, the Kadalundippuzha, the Bharathapuzha and the Tirurpuzha.
The Chaliyar is 169 km long, originates from the Illambaleri hills in Tamil Nadu and flows into the sea at Beypore in Kozhikode district.
Of these rivers only the Chaliyar is perennial, and the district is therefore prone to drought.
The Bharathapuzha, the second longest river in Kerala, runs along the district's southern border and drains into the sea at Ponnani.
Malappuram was the military headquarters of the Zamorins of Kozhikode and was the home of the Khilafat movement in Kerala.
The district's total forest area is 758.8684 sq km, of which 325.3261 sq km is reserve forest.
Formed on:
16 June 1969
Geographical area:
3550 sq km
Share of State's area:
9.13%
Only perennial river:
Chaliyar, 169 km
Why it matters for exams: District formation dates, area shares and river courses are staple objective questions, and Malappuram's single perennial river is a favourite linking question.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Zamorin Samoothiri of Kozhikode — The ruling house of Kozhikode, whose military headquarters the district administration places at Malappuram.
Background
One of the first 16 Universities in India, the University of Kerala was founded in 1937, and was formerly called the University of Travancore in the erstwhile princely state of Travancore.
The University 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 the first Vice-Chancellor.
The Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957) was brought into force and the University of Travancore was renamed University of Kerala.
Its earliest origins are traced to two institutions of modern learning: the University College, Thiruvananthapuram, initially founded as the Maharaja's Free School by Maharaja Swathi Thirunal in 1834, and the Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838, which is now the oldest institution under the Kerala University.
Ten colleges within the State of Travancore, then affiliated to the Madras University, became the affiliated colleges of the University of Travancore.
In 1968 the University Centre at Kozhikode became a full-fledged university, the University of Calicut; CUSAT in 1971, Kerala Agricultural University in 1971 and Mahatma Gandhi University in 1983 were established later.
These developments have shrunk the jurisdiction of the University of Kerala to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha districts and some parts of Pathanamthitta District.
Founded:
1937
Former name:
University of Travancore
First Chancellor:
Maharajah Sri Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
First Vice-Chancellor:
Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar
Law that renamed it:
Kerala University Act (Act 14 of 1957)
Oldest institution under it:
Trivandrum Observatory, founded in 1838
Why it matters for exams: The founding year, original name, first Chancellor and first Vice-Chancellor of Kerala's oldest university are standard Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Chancellor Titular head of a university — The ceremonial head of the University; the Maharajah of Travancore held the office first.
Diwan Prime Minister of a princely state — The head of the administration in Travancore; the Diwan Sir C. P. Ramaswamy Ayyar became the first Vice-Chancellor.
Affiliating university A university that affiliates colleges — A university that grants degrees to students of colleges affiliated to it rather than teaching them all itself.
Background
Bounded by the Nilgiris hills on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west, Malappuram literally means the land atop the hills.
Malappuram District was formed on 16th of June 1969, with Kozhikode and Wayanad districts to its north and Palakkad and Thrissur districts to its south.
The district has a geographical area of 3550 sq. kms, which is 9.13% of total area of the state and ranks 3rd in the state.
Malappuram consists of three natural divisions: lowland along the sea coast, midland in the centre and highland towards the east and north-east.
Four important rivers of Kerala flow through the district: the Chaliyar, the Kadalundippuzha, the Bharathapuzha and the Tirurpuzha.
The Chaliyar has a length of 169 KMs and originates from Illambaleri hills in Tamil Nadu, flowing into the sea at Beypore in Kozhikode district; the Kadalundippuzha has a course of 130 Kms and the Tirurpuzha is 48 Kms long.
Of these rivers only the Chaliyar is perennial and all the others get dried up in summer, which is why the district is prone to drought.
The district has a total forest area of 758.8684 Square km, of which 325.3261 Square km is reserve forests and 433.5423 Square Km is vested forests, protected by the Nilambur north and Nilambur South forest divisions.
Formed on:
16th of June 1969
Geographical area:
3550 sq. kms
Share of State area:
9.13%
Rank in the State by area:
3rd
Only perennial river:
Chaliyar
Total forest area:
758.8684 Square km
Why it matters for exams: Date of formation, area, rank and river systems of each Kerala district are repeatedly asked in Kerala PSC preliminary papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Perennial river A river that flows through the year — Among Malappuram's four rivers only the Chaliyar keeps flowing through the summer.
Vested forest Private forest vested in the State — Forest land that passed to the State from private hands and is now managed by the Forest Department.
Kayal Backwater — The brackish lagoons of the Tirur and Ponnani taluks that give fishing and navigation facilities.
13 October 2026
The Law Library of Congress published an explainer on 9 October 2026 setting out the rules for Israel's national election. Israelis return to the polls on October 27, 2026, to elect the Knesset's single-house, 120-member parliament. Representation in the Knesset requires a party list to pass a threshold currently set at 3.25% of the total valid votes. Seats are allotted from a quotient: the total number of valid votes is divided by 120. A government and its ministers are installed following a vote of confidence by at least 61 of the 120 Knesset members. Israel does not recognize absentee ballots, and voters must be present at a polling station and identify themselves.
Election date:
October 27, 2026
Knesset seats:
120
Electoral threshold:
3.25% of the total valid votes
Members needed for confidence:
At least 61 of the 120
Why it matters for exams: A country's parliament size, its electoral threshold and the number of members needed for a confidence vote are the facts examiners pull out of an election year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Knesset Israel's parliament — Israel's single-house, 120-member legislature.
Electoral threshold Minimum vote share for seats — The minimum share of valid votes a list must win before it is given any seat.
13 October 2026
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE, held a telephone call with Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia. During the call he condemned the Houthi group's attacks on civilians and on civilian and economic infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. He affirmed the UAE's full solidarity with the Kingdom and its support for all measures aimed at safeguarding its security and stability. The two ministers also discussed the latest regional developments and efforts to maintain the security and stability of the region. The call followed a statement from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 12 October that called the continued attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia.
UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs:
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Saudi counterpart:
Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah
Airport named in the UAE statement:
King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh
Why it matters for exams: The names and titles of the UAE and Saudi foreign ministers, and the airport at the centre of the attacks, are easy factual questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs — The UAE ministry that issues the federation's official statements on events abroad.
Sovereignty — A state's exclusive right to control its own territory, which an attack from outside is said to violate.
13 October 2026
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the total value of active projects in Dubai has reached Dh2.1 trillion. He spoke after meeting 1,000 government and private sector leaders at the Mohammed bin Rashid Leadership Forum, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday. Real estate projects through 2030 account for Dh1.1 trillion. Dh128 billion goes to Al Maktoum International Airport, which is being built to handle up to 260 million passengers a year, and Dh328 billion to expanding the Emirates and flydubai fleets. More than Dh100 billion is planned for the Dubai International Financial Centre and Dh100 billion for Roads and Transport Authority projects, with Dh151 billion for new electricity and water grid networks. Mattar Al Tayer told the forum that Dubai records more than 11 million journeys a day, or over 7,000 a minute, and that the RTA is targeting one in four journeys to be autonomous by 2030, with a Dh34 billion Metro Gold Line among its plans.
Active projects in Dubai:
Dh2.1 trillion
Real estate projects through 2030:
Dh1.1 trillion
Al Maktoum International Airport:
Dh128 billion, up to 260 million passengers a year
Metro Gold Line:
Dh34 billion
Daily journeys in Dubai:
more than 11 million
Why it matters for exams: Dubai's airport, metro and financial centre figures are frequently asked in Gulf-focused current affairs sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RTA Roads and Transport Authority — The Dubai government body that runs the emirate's roads, metro, buses and taxis.
DIFC Dubai International Financial Centre — A financial free zone in Dubai with its own civil and commercial courts.
Dh Dirham — The UAE currency; one trillion dirhams is a hundred thousand crore dirhams.
13 October 2026
The Election Commission of India told the High Court for the State of Telangana on 13 October 2026 that the electoral roll grievances of petitioners S.Q. Masood and Syed Waheeduddin had either been addressed or were being processed.
The writ petition, WP 32975 of 2026, challenges notices issued to electors over discrepancies in their enumeration forms flagged by the automated platforms ECINet and ERONet during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda heard the matter.
Counsel for the Commission said the first petitioner's name was not in the draft roll because it was not in the earlier roll either, and that he had filed a Form 6 application for inclusion which is under process.
The second petitioner's name is already in the draft roll, with a mismatch in his father's name, for which a notice was issued and a hearing held.
The Commission said the final electoral roll will be published on 9 November 2026.
The court said that if the petitioners' grievances have been addressed the writ petition could be disposed of, and posted the matter to 15 October 2026 for the petitioners' counsel to verify the Commission's reply.
Case number:
WP 32975 of 2026
Bench:
Acting Chief Justice P. Sam Koshy and Justice Narsing Rao Nandikonda
Platforms questioned:
ECINet and ERONet
Final roll publication:
9 November 2026
Next hearing:
15 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The Special Intensive Revision, the forms used in it and the courts that review it are live polity questions in this cycle.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — A house-to-house revision of the electoral roll ordered by the Election Commission.
Form 6 — The application a person files to have a name included in the electoral roll.
ERONet Electoral Registration Officer Network — The Commission's software through which registration officers process roll entries.
Writ petition — A plea filed directly in a High Court or the Supreme Court for enforcement of a right.
13 October 2026
Excise and Cooperation Minister M. Liju told the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that the government will take stringent action against bars that serve liquor to people below the legal age of 23.
He was replying to a question by Ernakulam MLA T.J. Vinod, who pointed out that the Abkari Act prescribes 23 years as the minimum age for consuming liquor at a bar and that the rule is often broken.
The Minister said the Excise Department has registered cases against three bars after a fatal road crash at Nedumbassery near Kochi in which three young people died.
He said he had directed senior Excise officials to act immediately and that the department moved against the three establishments.
The government is considering additional guidelines to make age verification stricter and to penalise establishments that serve people below 23.
Minister:
Excise and Cooperation Minister M. Liju
Minimum age at a bar:
23 years
Law:
Abkari Act
Bars booked:
3
Question raised by:
T.J. Vinod, Ernakulam MLA
Why it matters for exams: The minimum drinking age of 23 under Kerala's Abkari Act is a frequently asked State-specific legal fact.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Abkari Act — Kerala's liquor law, inherited from the princely states, that governs the making, sale and consumption of liquor.
Excise Department — The Kerala department that enforces the liquor and narcotics laws and collects duty on liquor.
13 October 2026
A Division Bench of Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday reserved its order on a plea for leave to appeal against a single Bench direction to register a first information report in the CMRL-Exalogic pay-off case.
The Bench declined to stay the operation of the single Bench judgment before deciding whether to grant leave, saying the court must follow procedure before considering a stay.
The appeals, numbered WA 2121/2026 and WA 2122/2026, were filed by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter T. Veena and former Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas, who said they were not heard by the single judge.
Advocate General K. Jaju Babu told the court that the State was conducting a preliminary inquiry on information passed by the Enforcement Directorate, and that the single judge set that inquiry aside.
The single Bench had directed the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to register an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Bureau has since registered two cases.
Bench:
Justices K. Natarajan and Johnson John
Appeals:
WA 2121/2026 and WA 2122/2026
Appeared for the State:
Advocate General K. Jaju Babu
Cases registered by the VACB:
2
Why it matters for exams: It shows the difference between leave to appeal, an interim stay and the final verdict in a writ appeal before a High Court Division Bench.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
VACB Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau — Kerala's agency for investigating corruption by public servants.
Leave to appeal — Permission a court must give before a person who was not a party to a case can appeal the order in it.
Advocate General — The senior-most law officer of a State, who appears for the State government in its High Court.
Preliminary inquiry — A check made before registering an FIR to see whether a cognizable offence appears to exist.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan tabled the Keralam Senior Citizens' (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026, in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday and said it is the first legislation of its kind in the country.
The Bill provides for a State Senior Citizen Protection Unit and, in each district, a Senior Citizen Protection Forum with a Protection Unit to assist it.
Registered medical practitioners and senior care centres must report abuse, neglect or exploitation to the District Level Senior Citizen Protection Unit within 48 hours.
Cruelty towards a senior citizen carries a jail term of up to three years, and running an unregistered care centre is also made punishable.
Other provisions include a Senior Citizen Cyber Fraud Cell in every cyber police station, a Keralam Geriatric Care Certification Framework for caregivers, a State Register of Caregivers and a State reserve fund.
After the debate the Bill was referred to the Assembly's Subject Committee for detailed scrutiny.
Bill:
Keralam Senior Citizens' (Care and Protection of Rights) Bill, 2026
Tabled by:
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan
Mandatory reporting window:
48 hours
Punishment for cruelty:
Jail term of up to three years
Referred to:
Assembly Subject Committee
Why it matters for exams: A new State Bill with named institutions, a reporting deadline and a punishment is exactly the kind of detail Kerala PSC asks about.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Subject Committee — A standing committee of the Kerala Assembly that examines a Bill clause by clause before the House takes it up again.
Living will — A document in which a person records in advance what medical care they want, or refuse, near the end of life.
Geriatric care — Health care planned for the specific needs of old age.
13 October 2026
The United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, told MPs on Monday that the incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire was "almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard" and "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran".
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband summoned Iran's ambassador to say that "Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil". The Foreign Office sanctioned two Iranians, including the head of Iran's counterespionage operations, with travel bans and asset freezes.
Iran's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Seyed Ali Mousavi, said Tehran was not involved and was willing to cooperate with British authorities.
In a statement late on Monday, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the United Kingdom had failed to provide sufficient evidence and described the claim as a "clumsy false flag operation".
A police operation began after officers were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the base in the early hours of 27 September 2026. Seven men, all in their 20s, were arrested and later bailed, and no one has been charged.
The United Kingdom and 28 other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, France and Germany, issued a joint statement condemning violent attacks by Iran.
The United Kingdom designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation in July 2026.
Iranians sanctioned:
two, with travel bans and asset freezes
Date of the incident:
27 September 2026
Joint statement:
the United Kingdom and 28 other countries
Why it matters for exams: Iran's relations with European states, the IRGC's designation and the practice of summoning an ambassador are standard international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RAF Royal Air Force — The United Kingdom's air force; RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire has long been used as a forward operating location by the United States air force.
13 October 2026
UN News reports that the United Nations Secretary-General appealed on 6 October 2026 for an end to the United States-Iran war as he began an official visit to Pakistan.
"From Islamabad, I want to send a loud and clear message to all parties," Antonio Guterres told journalists in the capital. "End the conflict. Return to diplomacy. Fully restore navigational rights and freedoms in accordance with international law."
The UN says the crisis began in late February 2026 following joint United States-Israeli strikes on Iran, after which Tehran launched counter attacks on targets in Gulf countries and Jordan and blocked transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The UN describes the strait as critical for global trade in crude oil, fertilisers and liquefied natural gas, and says hundreds of ships and their crews have been stuck at sea for months.
Guterres said Pakistan's efforts "helped deliver the 17 June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the subsequent ceasefire, and the framework for further negotiations".
Date of appeal:
6 October 2026
Place:
Islamabad, Pakistan
Earlier agreement credited:
17 June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding
Why it matters for exams: The Strait of Hormuz and the UN Secretary-General's appeals on it are standard questions on West Asia and world geography.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Strait of Hormuz Strait of Hormuz — The narrow sea passage between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula that is the only sea route in and out of the Persian Gulf.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha announced a 3 per cent hike in Dearness Allowance for State government employees and in Dearness Relief for pensioners, at a press conference at the Secretariat.
With the hike, employees and pensioners will receive 44 per cent DA in total.
The revised rate is effective from 1 October 2026.
The Chief Minister said the decision would mean an additional annual expenditure of around 300 crore rupees for the State government.
After the revision, the gap in DA between State and Central government employees stands at 16 percentage points.
In a second decision, House Rent Allowance for regular government employees was raised from 8 per cent to 10 per cent.
Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy was present at the press conference.
Total Dearness Allowance:
44 per cent
Effective from:
1 October 2026
Additional annual expenditure:
around 300 crore rupees
House Rent Allowance:
8 per cent to 10 per cent
Why it matters for exams: State pay allowances, their effective dates and the State-Centre DA gap are routine questions in State service papers.
Kerala PSCSSCBank
In plain words
DA Dearness Allowance — A cost-of-living allowance paid to serving government employees.
DR Dearness Relief — The corresponding cost-of-living payment made to pensioners.
13 October 2026
Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma, founder of the TIPRA Motha Party, announced on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, that he was stepping away from active politics and would no longer hold political office.
He set out the decision in a two-page letter addressed to the people of Tripura, in which the Tiprasa Accord was the core theme.
He wrote that the decision was not a temporary withdrawal and that he had reached a point where he had to choose his health, his family and his own peace of mind.
The announcement came a day after his party's victory in the Village Committee elections of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council.
TIPRA is short for Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance.
He founded the party in 2019, soon after resigning as the Tripura president of the Congress.
The party won 18 of the 28 TTAADC seats in the 2021 council elections.
It joined the BJP-led coalition government headed by Manik Saha in 2024, a year after winning 13 of the 60 Assembly seats to become the second-largest party in the State.
The tripartite Tiprasa Accord among the Centre, the Tripura government and the party was reached in March 2024.
Date of announcement:
7 October 2026
Party founded:
2019
TTAADC seats won in 2021:
18 of 28
Assembly seats:
13 of 60
Why it matters for exams: Party founders, accords and council seat tallies in the North East are frequently asked in polity and current affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TIPRA Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance — The full form of the name carried by the Tipra Motha Party.
Tiprasa Accord Tripartite accord of March 2024 — An accord among the Centre, the Tripura government and the Tipra Motha Party on the issues of the State's indigenous people.
13 October 2026
The Tripura State Election Commission declared results for 4,078 of the 4,594 Village Committee seats under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council by the night of Monday, 5 October 2026.
Of the 4,078 declared seats the Tipra Motha Party won 3,177 and its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party 668, while the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura took 20.
The CPI(M) won 60 seats, the Congress 10 and Independents 143.
Polling was held on 28 September for 2,950 seats in the 587 Village Committees.
In all 4,597 seats were notified; 1,644 were won uncontested and nominations were not filed for three seats.
The Tipra Motha won 1,557 of the uncontested seats and the BJP 81.
At the scrutiny stage the Commission had said 1,169 of the 4,597 seats drew only solitary nominations, out of 10,958 nominations filed.
Seats declared:
4,078 of 4,594
Tipra Motha Party:
3,177 seats
Bharatiya Janata Party:
668 seats
Polling day:
28 September 2026
Why it matters for exams: Local body results in a Sixth Schedule council area, with exact seat arithmetic, are standard current affairs material.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
TTAADC Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council — The autonomous council that administers Tripura's tribal areas.
IPFT Indigenous People's Front of Tripura — A tribal-based party that contested the polls as part of the ruling alliance.
13 October 2026
India hosted the first ministerial-level meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in New Delhi, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Ministers and delegations from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand took part, and the Union Home Secretary led the preparatory Senior Officials' Meeting. The fourth BIMSTEC Summit of 2018 had agreed to hold such meetings of Home Ministers, and at the sixth Summit in Bangkok on 4 April 2025 Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed India to host the first one. The ministers approved the BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons, the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control covering narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals, a Memorandum of Understanding on Capacity Building to Combat Money Laundering and Terror Financing, the BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Illicit Financial Flows and Their Prevention and an Action Plan on disaster preparedness in the Bay of Bengal region. Five priority areas of cooperation were set out: drug control, counter-terrorism and legal cooperation, return of fugitive offenders, cybersecurity and cybercrime investigation, and institutional cooperation and capacity building. Amit Shah said a BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre, proposed by the Prime Minister at the sixth Summit, is planned to be set up at Jamnagar in Gujarat, and he urged member countries to take part in making the proposed centre operational. The meeting adopted the Delhi Declaration, which sets out principles of information sharing, mutual legal assistance, extradition and capacity building.
Member countries taking part:
7
Declaration adopted:
Delhi Declaration
Proposed disaster centre:
Jamnagar, Gujarat
Why it matters for exams: A first-ever ministerial mechanism in a regional grouping India leads, with a named declaration and a named centre, is standard material for questions on India's neighbourhood diplomacy.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
BIMSTEC Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — A regional grouping of seven countries around the Bay of Bengal.