Background
Israel and India established full diplomatic relations on 29 January 1992.
Israel had a consulate in Mumbai from 1953, before full relations.
After 1992 an embassy opened in New Delhi, the Mumbai office became a consulate-general and a consulate opened in Bangalore.
Ariel Sharon became the first Israeli prime minister to visit India, in 2003.
Narendra Modi made the first visit to Israel by an Indian prime minister, in 2017.
Benjamin Netanyahu made a state visit to India in 2018.
Full relations:
29 January 1992
Israeli consulate, Mumbai:
From 1953
First Israeli PM in India:
Ariel Sharon, 2003
First Indian PM in Israel:
Narendra Modi, 2017
Why it matters for exams: The year relations began and the landmark prime ministerial visits are frequent India-bilateral questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Consulate-general a consulate with senior status in a major city — The Mumbai office was upgraded to this rank after 1992.
Background
The Knesset is Israel's unicameral parliament and has 120 members.
Members serve a term of four years.
Voters elect it by nationwide proportional representation, with the whole country as a single constituency.
The cabinet must win a Knesset vote of confidence.
Because single parties rarely win a majority, coalition governments are common, and a government needs 61 of the 120 seats.
The Knesset sits in Jerusalem.
Members:
120
Term:
Four years
Houses:
One (unicameral)
Seat:
Jerusalem
Why it matters for exams: Parliament size, term and electoral system are standard comparative-polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Unicameral having a single legislative chamber — The Knesset has no upper house.
Proportional representation seats shared in proportion to votes won — Israel uses one nationwide constituency.
13 October 2026
Israel's general election is set for 27 October 2026.
Al Jazeera reported on 17 July 2026 that the Knesset was to dissolve ahead of the vote.
Israel is a single nationwide constituency, and the 120 Knesset seats are shared out by each list's share of the vote.
A list must win at least 3.25 per cent of the vote to enter the Knesset, and a government needs 61 of the 120 seats.
Al Jazeera notes this is the first time the Knesset has seen out its full term since 1988.
After the vote, the President asks the politician best placed to form a coalition to try to assemble one.
Parties have until 16 October to submit surplus-vote agreements, the Times of Israel reports.
Election date:
27 October 2026
Knesset seats:
120
Threshold:
3.25 per cent
Majority:
61 seats
Why it matters for exams: Electoral system, threshold and the President's role in forming a government are standard comparative-polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Knesset the Parliament of Israel — Israel's single-chamber parliament with 120 members.
Electoral threshold the minimum share of votes a list needs — A list below 3.25 per cent wins no seats in the Knesset.
Surplus-vote agreement a pact between two lists to pool leftover votes — It can win one party an extra seat when final seats are allocated.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced at a programme in Bhadohi on 4 October 2026: "Now our Bhadohi district will be called Sant Ravidas Nagar Bhadohi."
The visit included inaugurations and foundation stones for 112 projects worth over Rs 1,340 crore.
He had first announced the return to the Sant Ravidas Nagar name on 29 July.
Bhadohi was part of Varanasi district until it became the state's 65th district on 30 June 1994.
On 6 December 2014 the Samajwadi Party government led by Akhilesh Yadav had changed the name from Sant Ravidas Nagar-Bhadohi back to Bhadohi.
Announced on:
4 October 2026
Projects in the visit:
112 projects, over Rs 1,340 crore
District formed:
30 June 1994 (65th district)
Earlier rename:
6 December 2014
Why it matters for exams: District creation and renaming, and the districts of Uttar Pradesh, are standard state-GK questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Sant Ravidas Satguru Ravidas Maharaj — A medieval saint of the bhakti tradition after whom the district is named.
13 October 2026
On 5 October 2026 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said in a post on X that identifying ineligible names illegally included in the voter list and removing them as per rules is essential, and called the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) an important effort to strengthen the country's democratic heritage.
His remarks came amid protests against SIR; the Election Commission says the revision follows established procedure.
The final SIR roll for Uttar Pradesh, released on 10 April 2026, listed 13,39,84,792 voters against 15.44 crore on the frozen roll of 27 October 2025.
The draft roll of 6 January 2026 had 12,55,56,025 voters, and 84,28,767 were added by the final list; about 2.04 crore names were deleted from the frozen roll.
Notices went to 2.22 crore entries flagged for logical discrepancies and 1.04 crore with family-name linkage gaps.
Final roll (10 April 2026):
13,39,84,792 voters
Frozen roll (27 October 2025):
15.44 crore
Draft roll (6 January 2026):
12,55,56,025
Added in final list:
84,28,767
Names deleted:
about 2.04 crore
Why it matters for exams: Electoral roll revision by the Election Commission under Article 324 is a recurring polity and current-affairs topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — An Election Commission exercise that re-verifies every elector and rebuilds the roll.
BLO Booth Level Officer — The local official who verifies electors house to house.
13 October 2026
In Prateek Mishra v. State of U.P. (2026 LiveLaw (AB) 807, reported 7 October 2026), Justice Manju Rani Chauhan dismissed the challenge to the Special TET.
The Court said the test only lets in-service teachers acquire the qualification the Supreme Court has made mandatory and gives them no appointment preference over candidates who passed the regular TET.
The impugned orders were a Government Order of 2.9.2026 and a memorandum of 3.9.2026.
The regular TET was held on 2, 3 and 4 July 2026 with 19,94,661 applications, and its result was declared on 26 August 2026.
The deadline to qualify was extended from two to three years, to 31 August 2028.
Applications:
19,94,661
Result declared:
26 August 2026
Qualification deadline:
31 August 2028
Impugned Government Order:
2.9.2026
Why it matters for exams: Teacher eligibility under the RTE Act, NCTE norms and Articles 14 and 16 are staple education-policy and polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TET Teacher Eligibility Test — A test that sets the minimum qualification to be appointed a teacher in classes I to VIII.
NCTE National Council for Teacher Education — The statutory body that lays down minimum qualifications for teachers under the RTE Act.
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.
13 October 2026
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet cleared an integrated city bus terminal with commercial facilities at the P-4 parking area of Vrindavan Yojana, Lucknow, on 9 October 2026.
The total cost is Rs 265 crore: Rs 60 crore for the bus terminal and Rs 205 crore for commercial facilities, excluding land.
It will come up on about 7.06 acres under the DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) model through the Directorate of Urban Transport.
The developer must maintain the terminal for 35 years and the commercial infrastructure for 90 years, and hands the terminal over to the Directorate free of cost after construction while continuing to operate it.
The terminal will add capacity for electric buses; 116 e-buses now run from the Dubagga depot and 300 more are being deployed.
Total cost:
Rs 265 crore
Bus terminal:
Rs 60 crore
Commercial facilities:
Rs 205 crore
Area:
about 7.06 acres
Maintenance terms:
35 years (terminal); 90 years (commercial)
Why it matters for exams: Public-private partnership models such as DBFOT and urban transport projects are asked in economy and governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DBFOT Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer — A PPP model in which a private developer builds, funds and runs an asset before handing it over.
PPP Public-Private Partnership — A project delivered jointly by the government and a private firm.
13 October 2026
A Bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra dismissed Akshay Upadhyay's PIL against the electoral rolls for 5 Graduates' and 6 Teachers' constituencies of the UP Legislative Council.
The notice for the elections is dated 29 September 2026; polling is on 23 October 2026 and counting on 27 October.
The Court held the late-September amendment of the rolls valid under Section 23(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
It held that Article 329 bars the court from entertaining a challenge once the election process has begun.
The terms of the current members end on 6 December.
Constituencies:
5 Graduates' + 6 Teachers' = 11
Polling:
23 October 2026
Counting:
27 October 2026
Bench:
CJ Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra
Why it matters for exams: Article 329 (bar to interference by courts in electoral matters) and the Legislative Council are core polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article 329 Constitution of India — Bars courts from interfering in electoral matters once the election process has started.
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A case filed in a court for the benefit of the public, not for a private grievance.
Legislative Council Vidhan Parishad — The upper house of a state legislature, in the few states that have one.
13 October 2026
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved the proposal at its meeting in Lucknow on 9 October 2026.
Under the proposal, the airport at Jewar is to be called Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar.
Adityanath announced the decision at the post-Cabinet briefing and thanked the Prime Minister for the airport, which he called a major gift to Uttar Pradesh.
He said the airport is set to become the state's largest and a major aviation hub of the country.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the airport on 28 March 2026.
Decision by:
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet
New name:
Narendra Modi International Airport, Noida-Jewar
Cabinet meeting:
9 October 2026
Inaugurated:
28 March 2026
Why it matters for exams: State-level Cabinet decisions and airport names are routine questions in UPSC and state PSC papers on infrastructure and governance.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Noida International Airport Noida International Airport, Jewar — Greenfield airport at Jewar that serves the Delhi-NCR region.
Cabinet State Council of Ministers — The body headed by the Chief Minister that takes major executive decisions.
13 October 2026
The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) was unveiled on Monday at Kabila's residence in Goma, eastern DR Congo.
It says it will coordinate "resistance forces" against the government of President Felix Tshisekedi, "by all means, including force".
M23 leader Sultani Makenga is one of Kabila's four deputies; the other three also come from the AFC-M23 alliance.
Kabila ruled from 2001 to January 2019 and was sentenced to death in absentia for treason last year.
M23 has controlled Goma since early 2025.
Government and M23 representatives were expected to meet in Qatar in November for talks, which analysts say the new coalition could undermine.
The BBC reports that the Congolese government has not commented.
New coalition:
Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN)
Kabila's rule:
2001 to January 2019
Launched:
Monday 12 October 2026, Goma
Why it matters for exams: African conflicts and the eastern Congo crisis feature in world-affairs sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
M23 March 23 Movement — An armed group that controls Goma and large areas of eastern DR Congo.
In absentia In the absence of the accused — A trial or sentence held without the person being present.
13 October 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the 2026 Peace Prize on 9 October 2026, awarding Navanethem "Navi" Pillay "for her efforts to promote peace and international law".
Born into a family of Indian Tamil origin in Durban under apartheid, she defended Nelson Mandela and others before becoming a judge.
She has served on the High Court in South Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court, and was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Committee says her influence was a significant factor when the Rwanda tribunal established that rape and sexual violence could be a crime against humanity and genocide.
It also calls her instrumental in a separate breakthrough in the same case: for the first time, a defendant faced charges of incitement to commit genocide purely on the basis of spreading propaganda.
She is now a judge on the International Court of Justice in the genocide case against Myanmar.
The Committee notes that judges are being sanctioned and institutions of international law attacked.
Laureate:
Navanethem "Navi" Pillay
Announced:
9 October 2026
Awarded by:
Norwegian Nobel Committee
Why it matters for exams: Peace Prize laureates and the legal landmarks behind them (ICTR, ICC, ICJ) are core international-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ICTR International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda — The UN tribunal that tried people for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
ICJ International Court of Justice — The principal judicial organ of the United Nations, at The Hague.
13 October 2026
Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr P. K. Mishra delivered the keynote at the inaugural session of the Conference of State Planning, Finance and IT Secretaries in New Delhi.
The conference was organised by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
He said a strong statistical system is essential for evidence-based policymaking and Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
He cited the new National Accounts Series with 2022-23 as the base year, with updated Consumer Price Index and Index of Industrial Production series.
He called statistics an instrument of cooperative federalism and said granular State, district and local data would be increasingly necessary.
He said AI and satellite imagery offer significant opportunities to improve official statistics, but that speed cannot come at the cost of accuracy.
Organiser:
MoSPI
Base year of new National Accounts Series:
2022-23
Why it matters for exams: The base-year revision of national accounts, CPI and IIP, and MoSPI's role are frequent economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MoSPI Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — The Union ministry responsible for official statistics such as GDP, CPI and IIP.
Base year Base year — The reference year against which an index or series is measured.
13 October 2026
The 21st Maritime State Development Council (MSDC) concluded in Mumbai, chaired by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
It was the first meeting after the Council was recognised as a statutory consultative body under the Indian Ports Act, 2025, notified on 15 May 2026.
The Council was originally constituted in 1997.
It resolved that One Nation One Port Process reforms and integration with the Maritime Single Window (Sagar Setu) be implemented across all ports by March 2027.
States and Union Territories were told to notify subordinate rules under Section 77 of the Act within three months.
Two credit risk insurance products for shipbuilders were introduced under the National Shipbuilding Mission.
The Shipbuilding Project Credit Risk Insurance Policy for export projects was developed by ECGC Ltd., and the Business Credit Shield Policy-Shipbuilders for domestic projects by The New India Assurance Co. Ltd.
Council first constituted:
1997
Indian Ports Act, 2025 notified:
15 May 2026
Deadline for ONOP and Sagar Setu integration:
March 2027
Why it matters for exams: Port governance, shipbuilding policy and the Indian Ports Act, 2025 are topics in economy and infrastructure sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MSDC Maritime State Development Council — The forum of the Centre and coastal States for coordinating port and maritime policy.
ONOP One Nation One Port Process — Reforms to standardise documentation and processes across all ports.
ECGC Export Credit Guarantee Corporation — The state-owned export credit insurer.
13 October 2026
The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances released the 53rd monthly CPGRAMS report on Central Ministries/Departments for September 2026.
Central Ministries/Departments redressed 2,38,579 grievances; 2,27,837 were received and 85,687 remain pending.
The average grievance disposal time in 2026 is 13 days.
A total of 92,822 new users registered in September 2026, with the highest share from Uttar Pradesh (17%).
The Ministry of Labour and Employment received 37,492 grievances and the Department of Financial Services (Banking Division) 31,968.
The Department of Posts, the Insurance Division of the Department of Financial Services and the Department of Telecommunications are among the top performers in Group A of the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index.
Grievances redressed, September 2026:
2,38,579
Average disposal time in 2026:
13 days
New users registered:
92,822
Why it matters for exams: Governance reforms, grievance redressal systems and their indices are regular questions in polity and administration papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CPGRAMS Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System — The online portal through which citizens lodge grievances with Central Ministries and States.
DARPG Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances — The Union department that runs CPGRAMS and publishes its reports.
13 October 2026
Amnesty provisions were introduced as a transitional measure in the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) Scheme 2026, notified on 29 June 2026.
They allow one-time regularisation of exempt status of PF Trusts recognised under the Income Tax Act, 1961 but lacking a formal exemption order.
The missing order is one under section 17 of the EPF&MP Act, 1952 or section 143 of the Code on Social Security, 2020.
The window is open for six months and expires on 28 December 2026.
Benefits include waiver of the minimum employee headcount, corpus size and 3-year compliance rules, with flexibility to comply as exempt or unexempt afterwards.
Operational guidelines were issued in a circular of 11 July 2026.
Scheme notified:
29 June 2026
Amnesty window ends:
28 December 2026
Window length:
6 months
Why it matters for exams: Labour and social security law, and the Code on Social Security 2020, are staple topics for economy and governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
EPFO Employees' Provident Fund Organisation — The statutory body that administers provident fund schemes for workers.
Exempt establishment Exempt establishment — An employer allowed to run its own PF Trust instead of depositing with EPFO.
CoSS Code on Social Security, 2020 — The labour code that consolidates social security laws including provident fund.
13 October 2026
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the first meeting of BIMSTEC Home Ministers in New Delhi on 13 October 2026.
The seven member states are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
The ministers approved a BIMSTEC Convention against Trafficking in Persons and a BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Drug Control.
They also approved an MoU on capacity building to combat money laundering and terror financing, and a Plan of Action on Illicit Financial Flows.
Mr Shah said the proposed BIMSTEC Disaster Management Centre is planned to be established in Jamnagar, Gujarat.
The Home Ministers' mechanism was welcomed at the 6th BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on 4 April 2025.
Venue:
New Delhi
Member states:
7
Proposed Disaster Management Centre:
Jamnagar, Gujarat
Why it matters for exams: Regional groupings, their members and India-hosted ministerial meetings are staple questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BIMSTEC Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — A seven-nation regional grouping around the Bay of Bengal.
Illicit financial flows Illicit financial flows — Money moved across borders in breach of law, such as proceeds of crime.
13 October 2026
A Division Bench of Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P. Krishna Kumar answered a suo motu civil reference on Section 69 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925.
Section 69 provides for automatic revocation of a will on the testator's marriage.
The court found no violation of Article 14 or Article 15 and no conflict with Section 20.
It noted Hindus are outside Section 69, since Section 57 says marriage does not revoke a Hindu will.
The court said the object is to protect the new family, and the testator remains free to make a bequest at any time.
Provision upheld:
Section 69, Indian Succession Act, 1925
Articles tested:
Articles 14 and 15
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 571
Why it matters for exams: A recent High Court ruling on equality (Articles 14 and 15) in succession law, useful for law and polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Suo motu reference Suo motu civil reference — A reference taken up by the court on its own motion.
Testator Testator — The person who makes a will.
Bequest Bequest — Property left to someone through a will.
13 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. disposed of WP(PIL) 15/2026, filed by C.R. Neelakandan, on 7 October 2026.
The PIL sought directions to make handling of passenger data at airports comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and the DPDP Rules, 2025.
The Union said the Data Protection Board has been constituted but is not yet functional.
The court said it expects the Board to be made functional within eight weeks.
Counsel for the Digi Yatra Foundation submitted that, as of now, Aadhaar and Driving Licence can be considered proof of identity; the court said it expects authorities may also consider accepting Voter ID.
Case:
WP(PIL) 15/2026
Time given for Board:
eight weeks
ID proofs that can be considered now:
Aadhaar, Driving Licence
Why it matters for exams: Links the DPDP Act, the Data Protection Board and privacy rights to a live Kerala High Court case.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DPDP Act Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — The law that governs how personal digital data is processed in India.
Digi Yatra Digi Yatra — A facial-recognition based paperless entry system at airports.
Data Protection Board Data Protection Board of India — The body set up under the DPDP Act to decide data protection complaints.
13 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan told the Assembly the government is considering extending the term of the current Pay Revision Commission.
The commission was formed in February 2026, shortly before the Assembly election; its terms of reference were finalised in March.
The previous commission's term expired in July 2024.
The CM put dearness allowance (DA) arrears left by the previous government at Rs 21,670 crore and dearness relief (DR) arrears at Rs 14,387 crore.
The government is examining whether interim relief will be granted until the next pay revision.
DA arrears:
Rs 21,670 crore
DR arrears:
Rs 14,387 crore
Commission formed:
February 2026
Previous term expired:
July 2024
Why it matters for exams: Pay commissions, DA and DR are core Kerala government service and economy topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DA Dearness allowance — Allowance paid to employees to offset a rise in the cost of living.
DR Dearness relief — The equivalent of DA paid to pensioners.
Interim relief Interim relief — A temporary payment made until the pay revision is implemented.