12 October 2026
A Realmeter survey released on 12 October 2026 put President Lee Jae Myung's approval rating at 35.2 per cent, down 2.2 percentage points from the previous week.
Disapproval rose 1.6 percentage points to 61.4 per cent.
The survey of 1,504 adults, commissioned by the Asia Business Daily, had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.
In a separate survey of 1,004 adults, the main opposition People Power Party had 41.3 per cent support, up 2.9 points, and the ruling Democratic Party 35.5 per cent, down 7 points.
Approval:
35.2%
Disapproval:
61.4%
People Power Party / Democratic Party:
41.3% / 35.5%
Why it matters for exams: Names South Korea's President, its ruling party and its main opposition party.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Margin of error Margin of error — The range within which a poll's result is expected to differ from the true figure.
12 October 2026
A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge, with Justice Om Narayan Rai, sought a report from the West Bengal State Election Commission on the shortage of EVMs and VVPATs. The Commission must also file an affidavit on whether polling data from EVMs and VVPATs can be stored separately on hard disks, and whether that is legally permissible. The first phase is expected to cover seven civic bodies: Kolkata, Howrah, Bally, Haldia, Dhupguri, Kalimpong and Kurseong. Polling is tentatively expected towards the end of November.
Bench led by:
Chief Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge
Civic bodies in first phase:
Seven
Polling expected:
Tentatively end of November
Why it matters for exams: Election machinery and the role of State Election Commissions are standard polity topics.
UPSC
In plain words
VVPAT Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail — A machine that shows a printed slip so a voter can check the vote cast.
SEC State Election Commission — The body that conducts panchayat and municipal elections in a State.
12 October 2026
Mohamed Abdulla Al Shamsi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Republic of Colombia, met Mauricio Gomez Amin, Colombia's Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. Representatives of Dubai Chambers and DP World took part in the meeting. The two sides discussed ways to facilitate bilateral trade and to identify investment and business development opportunities. The meeting addressed the role of Dubai Chambers in facilitating business connections between companies in the two countries, including opportunities for Colombian businesses interested in accessing markets through the UAE. It also covered DP World's activities and expertise in ports, logistics and supply chain services, with particular attention to trade facilitation. Al Shamsi highlighted the importance of continued dialogue and coordination in identifying areas of mutual economic interest.
UAE Ambassador to Colombia:
Mohamed Abdulla Al Shamsi
Colombian minister:
Mauricio Gomez Amin, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
UAE bodies represented:
Dubai Chambers and DP World
Why it matters for exams: DP World and Dubai Chambers are the two UAE bodies most often named in trade and logistics questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DP World Dubai Ports World — A Dubai state-owned ports and logistics operator that runs terminals on several continents.
Dubai Chambers — The Dubai body that represents businesses and promotes the emirate's commerce abroad.
Trade facilitation — Making customs, paperwork and transport simpler so that goods cross borders faster.
12 October 2026
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, said attacks on Saudi Arabia undermine the security of the UAE and of every other Gulf state. In a post on X he wrote that since the aggression against the Arab Gulf states began it has become clear that they are all targets and that their security is indivisible. He called for reviving joint Gulf action, particularly in its security and defence dimensions, and for strengthening the collective security system. He said there had been serious shortcomings in this area, which had encouraged others to overstep. Gulf security, he said, is a shared responsibility that allows no room for complacency or delay. Khaleej Times reports that an attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October left 13 people dead, including four Saudis, and injured over 300.
Who spoke:
Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President
Platform used:
A post on X
Riyadh airport attack of 10 October:
13 killed, over 300 injured
Why it matters for exams: Gargash is the UAE's best known foreign policy voice and the phrase collective Gulf security recurs in international relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President — A senior adviser who explains and defends the UAE's foreign policy positions in public.
Collective security — An arrangement in which an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all.
12 October 2026
The UAE Cabinet approved the Federal General Budget Plan for 2027 to 2029 at AED 292.5 billion. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced the approval on Monday. The plan is 28.3 per cent larger than the previous three-year cycle. The federal budget for the fiscal year 2027 is AED 90.1 billion. Of that, social development and pensions take AED 34.6 billion, or 38.4 per cent, the largest single share. Government affairs take AED 29.1 billion (32.3 per cent), federal expenses AED 17.8 billion (19.7 per cent), financial assets and investments AED 5.6 billion (6.2 per cent) and infrastructure and economic resources AED 3 billion (3.4 per cent).
Budget plan for 2027 to 2029:
AED 292.5 billion
Increase over the previous cycle:
28.3 per cent
Federal budget for 2027:
AED 90.1 billion
Social development and pensions:
AED 34.6 billion (38.4 per cent)
Why it matters for exams: Gulf budget figures and the UAE's leadership titles are regular questions in Kerala PSC and bank exams.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
AED Arab Emirati Dirham — The official currency of the United Arab Emirates, divided into 100 fils.
Federal General Budget — The spending plan of the UAE federation, separate from the budgets of each emirate.
Fiscal year — In the UAE the financial year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
12 October 2026
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih told UNHCR's Executive Committee in Geneva on Monday, 12 October 2026, in his first keynote address to it, that the global protection system for asylum seekers risks buckling under funding cuts.
Some 117 million men, women and children are now forced from their homes.
UNHCR has received 3 billion dollars of the 8.5 billion dollars it needs this year, less than a third of its requirement.
Salih called it an exceptionally difficult year for the agency, marked by the departure of 8,000 staff since 2024.
So far in 2026 UNHCR has responded to 22 emergencies in 18 countries, from Yemen to the Horn of Africa and from Sudan to the Sahel.
He said funding gaps in Sudan threaten specialised medical care, legal assistance and psychological support for more than 50,000 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, and that in Ethiopia refugee registration has been halted for tens of thousands arriving from South Sudan and Eritrea.
Nearly 14.5 million refugees in low- and middle-income countries depend on aid for their basic needs, and an initiative launched this year aims to halve the number in protracted displacement and dependent on aid by 2035.
"Efficiency has limits," Salih said. He is a former President of Iraq.
Forcibly displaced:
117 million
Funding received:
$3 billion of $8.5 billion needed
Staff lost since 2024:
8,000
Emergencies in 2026:
22 emergencies in 18 countries
High Commissioner:
Barham Salih
Why it matters for exams: UNHCR's mandate rests on non-refoulement, and the High Commissioner's Executive Committee address is where the agency's displacement total and funding gap are stated for the year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN refugee agency, created after the Second World War to protect people fleeing persecution.
Non-refoulement — The rule that a person fleeing persecution must not be sent back to a place where they would be in danger.
Executive Committee — The body of states that approves UNHCR's programmes and budget and meets in Geneva each October.
Protracted displacement — A situation in which refugees remain away from home for years with no settled solution.
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 Supreme Court held that the venue specified for arbitral proceedings does not automatically become the seat of arbitration, and that the juridical seat must be found by reading the agreement in its entirety to decipher the true intention of the parties.
The Division Bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi decided the appeal in Arcis Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. v. Parshva Innovation, neutral citation 2026 INSC 1109, arising from SLP Civil No. 35915 of 2025.
The Franchise Agreement of 3 August 2023 said in one clause that the precise location of the arbitration would be within Delhi, while another clause said the proceedings would be held in Goa, and a separate clause gave exclusive jurisdiction to competent courts in Goa.
The Court held that the juridical seat was Goa and that the Delhi High Court therefore had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition for appointment of an arbitrator under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996.
It set aside the Delhi High Court's order of 11 November 2025 appointing a sole arbitrator.
The Bench applied the tests laid down in BGS SGS SOMA JV v. NHPC Limited, which were affirmed in Arif Azim Company Limited.
Case:
Arcis Clean Energy Pvt. Ltd. v. Parshva Innovation
Neutral citation:
2026 INSC 1109
Bench:
Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Vijay Bishnoi
Juridical seat held:
Goa
Why it matters for exams: The seat and venue distinction decides which court can hear arbitration petitions, a settled favourite in law and governance papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Seat of arbitration — The legal home of an arbitration, which fixes which country's or State's courts supervise it.
Venue — The place where arbitral hearings are physically held, which may differ from the seat.
Section 11(6) Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 — The provision under which a High Court appoints an arbitrator when the parties fail to do so.
Exclusive jurisdiction clause — A contract term that sends all disputes to the courts of one named place only.
12 October 2026
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday ordered changes of Governors in six States, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.
Om Prakash Mathur, who was Governor of Sikkim, has been appointed Governor of Kerala.
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who held Kerala along with additional charge of Tamil Nadu, becomes the full-time Governor of Tamil Nadu.
Sudha Yadav goes to Karnataka, Braj Mohan Ram to Odisha, Dhal Singh Bisen to Uttarakhand and former BJP general secretary Dushyant Gautam to Sikkim.
The communique said each term would run from the date the appointee takes charge, and no date was specified for the swearing-in.
New Governor of Kerala:
Om Prakash Mathur
Moved out of Kerala:
Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, to Tamil Nadu
States covered by the reshuffle:
6
Term begins:
From the date of taking charge
Why it matters for exams: The holder of the Governor's office in Kerala is a standing question in Kerala PSC and UPSC papers, and this reshuffle changes it.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Rashtrapati Bhavan communique — The formal notice issued from the President's official residence announcing appointments made by the President.
Raj Bhavan — The official residence and office of a State's Governor.
Additional charge — An arrangement in which one Governor temporarily looks after a second State as well.
12 October 2026
The Supreme Court has directed the University Grants Commission and all regulatory authorities to issue public advisories asking people to verify educational institutions before taking admission.
The direction was given by a bench of Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice NV Anjaria in its order of 9 October 2026 in Ayesha Jain v. Amity University, Noida and Others, and was reported on 12 October 2026.
The Court acted after taking note of a newspaper report, placed before it by Dr RM Sharma, whom it had nominated to assist in the matter, about a fake medical college operating from a dilapidated farmhouse in Mahmoodpur Nagaria village in the Etah district of Uttar Pradesh, which claimed to offer courses such as D Pharma, B Pharma and B Sc Nursing.
The Court recorded that local police had taken action against four persons in connection with the institution, and that an illiterate tea seller had been shown as its chairman.
The Court also directed the Central government to monitor compliance by the regulatory authorities, and recorded that the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary had ordered an independent inquiry in addition to the police investigation.
The case originated in a petition by Ayesha Jain against Amity University, Noida, over the handling of a change of her name in the university's records, and the Court later widened its scope to the establishment, regulation and functioning of private universities. The matter is to be heard next on 19 November.
Case:
Ayesha Jain v. Amity University, Noida and Others
Bench:
Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice NV Anjaria
Order date:
9 October 2026
Regulator directed:
University Grants Commission and all regulatory authorities
District involved:
Etah, Uttar Pradesh
Next hearing:
19 November
Why it matters for exams: UGC's regulatory role and judicial directions on fake institutions connect education policy with administrative law.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UGC University Grants Commission — The statutory body that coordinates and maintains standards of university education in India.
Public advisory — A formal notice issued by an authority to inform or caution the general public.
12 October 2026
The Supreme Court has held that a victim or complainant in a criminal case has full legal standing, or locus standi, to approach the High Court seeking directions for an expeditious trial.
The ruling in Renuka Jain v. State of NCT of Delhi and Ors. was passed on 24 September by a bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S Chandurkar, and was reported on 12 October 2026.
The Court set aside an order of the Delhi High Court of 6 January, which had dismissed the complainant's petition for a speedy trial as frivolous and imposed costs of ₹10,000 on her, on the reasoning that in a State-prosecuted case the complainant is merely a witness and cannot independently seek directions to expedite proceedings.
The Court held that a victim is a definite stakeholder in the criminal justice system and, like the accused, has a vested right to insist on a speedy trial and a fair trial, the guarantee of a speedy trial under Article 21 not being the exclusive privilege of the accused.
It waived the costs imposed on the petitioner and directed the trial court to conclude the trial within a year.
Case:
Renuka Jain v. State of NCT of Delhi and Ors.
Bench:
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S Chandurkar
Ruling passed:
24 September
Holding:
Victim has locus standi to seek expeditious trial from the High Court
Costs set aside:
₹10,000
Trial to conclude in:
One year
Why it matters for exams: Victim rights and locus standi in criminal procedure are frequently asked in polity and law sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
locus standi — The legal right of a person to bring a particular matter before a court.
Complainant — The person whose complaint sets a criminal case in motion.
12 October 2026
National Highway-65 along the Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Machilipatnam corridor is to be expanded from four lanes to six in a Rs 12,073-crore project, with two additional service lanes.
The New Indian Express reported that the project has cleared the technical committee-level process, with final approval from the Union Cabinet Committee awaited.
On Monday, October 12, Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy met NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and member (projects) Vipnesh Sharma in Delhi to expedite the project.
The National Highways Authority of India has fixed November 11, 2026 as the deadline for submission of bids, and Mr Yadav assured the minister that works would begin by January 2027.
The project envisages service roads on both sides and controlled-access facilities.
The expansion is expected to ease congestion, reduce travel time and improve road safety.
The State roads and buildings department will coordinate with Central agencies for timely execution.
Project cost:
Rs 12,073 crore
Corridor:
Hyderabad–Vijayawada–Machilipatnam (NH-65)
Widening:
Four lanes to six lanes, with two additional service lanes
Bid deadline:
November 11, 2026
Works to begin:
By January 2027
Why it matters for exams: Highway corridors, project costs and the role of NHAI in tendering are staple infrastructure questions; NH-65 links Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Machilipatnam.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NHAI National Highways Authority of India — The Central agency that has fixed the bid deadline for the NH-65 six-laning.
Six-laning Widening a four-lane highway to six lanes — On NH-65 the project also adds service roads and controlled-access facilities.
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October 2026, the Supreme Court heard a petition on how caste information will be recorded and verified in Census 2027. A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to return with the government's response within two weeks. The Court did not issue a formal notice at this stage and asked the petitioner, Akash Goel, to hand over a copy of the petition to the Solicitor General. It sought clarity on the procedure for collecting and verifying caste information and asked for a note on it. On 14 August, the government notified the Census 2027 questions under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948; Item 10 seeks information on a person's caste status, including whether they belong to a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe. The petition seeks a mechanism to record details of government-issued caste certificates and check their authenticity, and says it does not seek to impede the census.
Time given for government response:
Two weeks
Census 2027 questions notified:
14 August, under Section 8(1) of the Census Act, 1948
Item 10 of the schedule:
Caste status, including Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe
Bench:
CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana
Why it matters for exams: Census 2027, the Census Act and the Supreme Court's handling of caste data are current polity and statistics topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Census Act, 1948 The law under which Census 2027 questions were notified — Section 8(1) was cited for the 14 August notification.
Solicitor General Second-highest law officer of the Union — Tushar Mehta was asked to bring the government's response.
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October 2026, a Division Bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha of the Karnataka High Court struck down Section 4 of the Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of Seats in Educational Institutions and of Appointments or Posts in the Services under the State) Act, 2022, and Section 3 of the Act insofar as it takes aggregate reservation beyond the 50% ceiling. The Act raised Scheduled Caste reservation from 15% to 17% and Scheduled Tribe reservation from 3% to 7%; with reservation for other backward classes (OBC) of 32% unchanged, aggregate reservation rose from 50% to 56%. The Court held that the 50% ceiling is a firm rule grounded in the equality clauses, not a rule of prudence or an ad hoc, elastic rule, and that it admits departure only in extraordinary circumstances. It held that population growth, and reservation being lower than population share, are not extraordinary circumstances. Section 3 was struck down as violating Articles 14 and 15, and Section 4 as violating Articles 14 and 16. The Act, which replaced an Ordinance, came into effect retrospectively from 1 November 2022 and was based on the Nagamohan Das Commission Report.
SC reservation:
15% raised to 17% by the Act (struck down)
ST reservation:
3% raised to 7% by the Act (struck down)
Aggregate reservation:
50% raised to 56%, with reservation for other backward classes (OBC) of 32% unchanged
Bench:
Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha
Why it matters for exams: The 50% reservation ceiling and the Articles 14, 15 and 16 behind it are core polity topics, and this High Court ruling applies them.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
50% ceiling Ceiling on aggregate reservation — The Court traced this rule from M.R. Balaji to Indra Sawhney and held it a firm rule with an exception only in extraordinary circumstances.
Nagamohan Das Commission Commission whose report the 2022 Act was based on — The Court found that it proceeded on proportionate representation, though Article 16(4) speaks of adequate representation.
12 October 2026
On Monday, Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court declined to order an interim halt to the tender process for Radial Road-2 (RR-2), observing that stopping the process at this stage may not be in the public interest.
The 81.15-km RR-2 will connect the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to NH-167N via Kothwalguda (Budwel), and is divided into three packages.
Sushee Infra and Mining Limited filed three writ petitions against the rejection of its technical bids; the bids were rejected on the ground that its experience certificates did not bear the countersignature of the superintending engineer.
The judge directed the company to implead the successful L-1 bidder as a respondent before the question of interim relief is reconsidered.
The respondents were directed to file their counters within two weeks.
RR-2 length:
81.15 km
Number of packages:
3
Writ petitions heard:
3
Time for respondents' counters:
two weeks
Why it matters for exams: A tender-challenge case on Hyderabad's Radial Road-2: note the 81.15-km length, the three packages and the L-1 bidder.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
L-1 bidder Lowest bidder — The bidder whose quoted price is the lowest among those considered.
Implead Add as a party to a case — To make a person a party to a court case so that the court can hear them.
12 October 2026
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telephoned Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Sunday 11 October. The Saudi Foreign Ministry said they discussed the recent escalation in the region and the efforts being made to address it. The Tribune (ANI), citing Al Jazeera, reported it as the first publicly reported contact between the two ministers since the Houthis intensified attacks on Saudi Arabia. According to a statement from Tehran, Araghchi said: "Insisting on a military approach and disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the situation", and offered Iran's help in starting dialogue between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. On Monday Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: "We do not want hostilities to continue between two Muslim countries".
Caller:
Abbas Araghchi, Iran's Foreign Minister
Counterpart:
Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Saudi Foreign Minister
Date of call:
Sunday 11 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Iran-Saudi diplomacy and the Houthi (Ansar Allah) conflict in Yemen are recurring West Asia topics.
UPSC
In plain words
Houthis Ansar Allah — The Yemeni armed group that controls Sanaa and is part of Iran's "axis of resistance".
12 October 2026
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said on 12 October that Iran's ambassador had been summoned, with Minister for the Middle East Stephen Doughty conducting the summons. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said: "Britain will not tolerate threats on our soil." The UK designated two Iranian nationals under the 2023 Iran Sanctions Regulations: Ruhollah Bazghandi, whom the Foreign Office describes as Head of Counterespionage Operations within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki, whom it describes as a facilitator of the Zindashti criminal network. Both face an asset freeze, a travel ban and director disqualification. The Foreign Office said more than 550 Iranian individuals and entities have been sanctioned. In a statement to the House of Commons the same day, the UK Prime Minister said the government's assessment is that the RAF Fairford incident is "highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard". Iran's Foreign Ministry has called the UK's claims a "clumsy false flag operation", according to Al Jazeera.
Designated:
Ruhollah Bazghandi; Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki
Legal basis:
2023 Iran Sanctions Regulations
Measures:
Asset freeze, travel ban, director disqualification
Iranian individuals and entities sanctioned by UK:
More than 550
Why it matters for exams: UK-Iran relations and Western sanctions on Iran's IRGC are staple questions in international relations papers.
UPSC
In plain words
IRGC Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — Iran's ideological armed force, separate from the regular army.
Asset freeze — A ban on dealing with the funds or property of a designated person.
12 October 2026
President Asif Ali Zardari imposed emergency and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Sunday 11 October 2026, on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Arab News reports that Articles 232 and 234 of the constitution were invoked. Governor Faisal Karim Kundi takes charge of the provincial government with an 11-member advisory board. The Prime Minister's office cited the provincial government's deliberate disengagement from the fight against terrorism. The interior ministry authorised army assistance to the civilian administration under Article 245. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which governs KP, condemned the move.
Date imposed:
11 October 2026
Province:
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Governor:
Faisal Karim Kundi
Advisory board:
11 members
Why it matters for exams: Emergency provisions and federal-provincial relations in a neighbouring country are tested in UPSC world-affairs and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
12 October 2026
On Monday, 12 October, a Kerala High Court Division Bench of Dr. Justice A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A. K. admitted the State's appeals (WA 2100/2026) against a Single Judge's decision. On 29 September Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas had quashed a government order that reorganised three recognised police associations into two and abolished the Kerala Police Officers' Association. He held that it infringed rights under Article 19(1)(c) and the associations' bylaws. The State relies on Article 33 and the Police Forces (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1966.
Appeal:
WA 2100/2026
Single Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas (29 September)
Division Bench:
Dr. Justice A. K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A. K.
Association abolished by the order:
Kerala Police Officers' Association
Why it matters for exams: Article 19(1)(c) and Article 33 are core fundamental-rights provisions, and this case tests them on the police force.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Article 33 Power of Parliament to modify fundamental rights for armed forces and similar forces — It lets Parliament restrict or abrogate Part III rights of members of the armed forces and police forces.
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.