Background
Maharashtra's rainfall and drought are assessed division by division, and the State's drought declaration of 265 of its 358 talukas rests on that division-wise picture.
The six revenue divisions used in the assessment are Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati and Nagpur.
Konkan is the coastal strip and recorded the smallest shortfall in the season behind the declaration, a deficit of 6.3 per cent.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the Marathwada division, recorded the worst deficit at 30.8 per cent, with 424.5 mm against a normal of 613.1 mm.
The Pune and Nashik divisions were each short by about 30 per cent, and Amravati and Nagpur, the two Vidarbha divisions, by 27 per cent.
Talukas are the units in which drought is declared, and Maharashtra has 358 of them.
The affected talukas in the declaration lie across 32 districts, from Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg on the coast to Chandrapur and Gadchiroli in the east.
Dharashiv and five other Marathwada districts fall within the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division.
Revenue divisions in the assessment:
Konkan, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati, Nagpur
Talukas in Maharashtra:
358
Smallest and largest divisional deficits:
Konkan 6.3 per cent; Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar 30.8 per cent
Districts covered by the declaration:
32
Why it matters for exams: The division and taluka framework is the permanent administrative geography behind every Maharashtra drought, flood or revenue question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Revenue division Administrative grouping of districts under a Divisional Commissioner — Maharashtra groups its districts into divisions, each headed by a Divisional Commissioner, for revenue and relief administration.
Marathwada The region around Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — A historically drought-prone region of Maharashtra, administered through the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Division.
9 October 2026
Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Bombay High Court heard Anticipatory Bail Application 8 of 2026, Suryakant Gulabrao Yewale versus State of Maharashtra, arising from a transaction in a 40-acre government-owned land parcel at Mundhwa in Pune.
The land was bought by Ameida Enterprises LLP, a name also reported as Amadea Enterprises LLP, in which Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar holds 99 per cent and Digvijay Patil holds 1 per cent.
The police named only Patil in the case, and the judge said it was surprising that the 99 per cent partner was not arraigned while the 1 per cent partner was.
The Court had earlier, on 7 September, asked the Director General of Police to explain in a personal affidavit why Pawar was not named.
The Court accepted the DGP's affidavit, in which he said he had directed the Pune Police to carry out a further investigation in a detailed and professional manner and would personally monitor it.
The Court granted anticipatory bail to Suryakant Yewale, a Pune Tehsildar, holding that he acted as a quasi-judicial authority.
It found no specific averment that he passed orders in anyone's favour under the Bombay Tenancy Act for illegal consideration.
Parth Pawar's stake in Ameida Enterprises LLP:
99 per cent
Digvijay Patil's stake:
1 per cent
Land parcel:
40 acres at Mundhwa, Pune
Case:
Anticipatory Bail Application 8 of 2026
Why it matters for exams: The case shows how a High Court supervises an investigation and what distinguishes a quasi-judicial act, both recurring themes in governance and law papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
LLP Limited Liability Partnership — A partnership registered under the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008, in which partners' liability is limited.
Quasi-judicial authority An administrative authority exercising judicial functions — An officer who decides rights between parties following a procedure, like a Tehsildar under a tenancy law.
9 October 2026
Justice Madhav Jamdar of the Bombay High Court has passed an interim order protecting the personality rights of actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Interim Application (L) 29905 of 2026.
The Court directed Google, Meta Platforms, other social media platforms and unidentified John Doe parties to take down objectionable and derogatory content featuring her.
It found a very strong prima facie case for interim relief.
The Court held that her personality and privacy rights under Article 19(1)(a) and Article 21 of the Constitution appear to be violated, particularly by morphed and deepfake images.
It also held that her moral rights as a performer, protected under the Copyright Act, are being violated.
Justice Jamdar reminded Google of its duty under Rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
He said intermediaries must exercise due diligence to prevent online harassment and the unauthorised uploading of a person's images or videos.
Advocate Rashmin Khandekar appeared for the applicant, and the matter will be heard further.
Case:
Interim Application (L) 29905 of 2026
Constitutional provisions invoked:
Article 19(1)(a) and Article 21
Intermediary rule cited:
Rule 3, IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
Why it matters for exams: Personality rights, the IT Intermediary Guidelines Rules, 2021 and performers' moral rights under the Copyright Act are a live cluster of law and technology questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Personality rights Rights over one's name, image, likeness and voice — They let a person stop the unauthorised commercial or derogatory use of their identity.
John Doe order Order against unidentified defendants — A court order that binds unknown parties who cannot yet be named in the suit.
9 October 2026
Justice Shailesh Brahme, sitting as a single judge at the Kolhapur seat of the Bombay High Court, has rejected the election petition filed by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Vinayak Raut and upheld Narayan Rane's election to the 18th Lok Sabha from the Sindhudurg constituency.
Rane was declared elected with 4,48,514 votes; Raut polled 4,00,656.
The petition said Rane's campaigners breached the Model Code of Conduct, and invoked Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which bars public speeches during the Code period.
Justice Brahme examined paragraphs 5(l) to 5(n) of the petition and the annexed documents.
He held that the claim in paragraph 5(l) about campaigning on 6 May 2024 was very vague and lacked material particulars, specifying neither time nor place nor the identity of those campaigning.
The news reports relied on were not sufficient to corroborate the claim.
Paragraph 5(m), based on a complaint dated 16 May 2024, did not sufficiently identify the person, the amount, the time or the place.
The Court held that electronic evidence cannot substitute material pleadings in an election petition, and that the petitioners had not provided transcriptions.
Votes polled by Narayan Rane:
4,48,514
Votes polled by Vinayak Raut:
4,00,656
Provision invoked:
Section 126, Representation of the People Act, 1951
Bench:
Kolhapur seat, single judge
Why it matters for exams: The pleading standard for election petitions, with the exact section of the Representation of the People Act and the vote figures, is examinable polity and law material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Election petition Petition under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 — A petition before the High Court challenging an election, which must set out material particulars of every corrupt practice pleaded.
MCC Model Code of Conduct — The set of norms enforced by the Election Commission of India from the announcement of an election until results are declared.
9 October 2026
A division bench of Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna heard a petition by a Pune resident on the protests by Maharashtra Public Service Commission aspirants in the city.
The protests followed questions over the conduct of the MPSC drug inspector examination, with thousands of aspirants gathered at three locations in Pune.
The bench said the protesters are students, not anti-nationals, and that students who find irregularities have every right to protest.
It asked the State to restore aspirants' confidence in recruitment examinations and said all upcoming processes must be fair and impartial.
The court directed the State to file an affidavit within three weeks setting out its recruitment plan and giving details of nearly 70,000 vacancies, broken down by department and by reservation category.
Advocate General Milind Sathe told the court that the aspirants' demands included the resignation of the MPSC chairman, an examination fee of ₹100 and all examinations being held offline.
The State said a representation on the MPSC chairman had been forwarded to the Governor.
The bench asked the protesters to return to their studies, said backlog vacancies should be cleared first, and adjourned the hearing by three weeks.
Vacancies to be detailed by the State:
nearly 70,000
Protest locations in Pune:
three
Examination fee sought by aspirants:
₹100
Time given for the State's affidavit:
three weeks
Why it matters for exams: The vacancy figure, the court's language on the right to protest and the State Public Service Commission's accountability are all directly examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MPSC Maharashtra Public Service Commission — The constitutional body that conducts recruitment examinations for Maharashtra's State services.
Advocate General Advocate General of a State — The State's chief legal adviser, appointed by the Governor under Article 165 of the Constitution.
9 October 2026
The Maharashtra government has filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court defending the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025.
The affidavit was filed through Pritamkumar Jawale, Deputy Secretary of the Home Department, before Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna.
The State said Maharashtra tops the country with 64 Maoist frontal organisations, and that it had no law to ban left-wing extremist front organisations before this Act.
It said it adopted a law similar to those already in force in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The affidavit cited the Bhima-Koregaon violence of 1 January 2018 and the Elgar Parishad case as evidence of urban Maoist activity.
The State argued that Article 19(2) of the Constitution permits restrictions on freedom of speech and of association on public order grounds.
It said the Joint Committee examined more than 15,000 written objections, after which the Title and Preamble were revised, the Advisory Board's composition was altered, and investigation was restricted to officers not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or Deputy Superintendent of Police.
The petitions challenging the Act were filed by the Indian National Congress and others, and the matter is listed for further hearing.
Maoist frontal organisations in Maharashtra:
64
Written objections examined by the Joint Committee:
more than 15,000
Minimum rank for investigation:
Assistant Commissioner of Police / Deputy Superintendent of Police
Why it matters for exams: A State security law challenged on constitutional grounds, with the exact Article relied on and the comparator States, is standard polity and internal security material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MSPSA Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025 — A State law to ban and act against unlawful front organisations of left-wing extremist groups.
Article 19(2) Clause 2 of Article 19 of the Constitution of India — It allows the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech on grounds that include public order.
9 October 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2026 to Navanethem "Navi" Pillay.
The committee cited her efforts to promote peace and international law.
Pillay is a South African jurist of Indian Tamil origin and a former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
She has served as a judge of South Africa's High Court, of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and of the International Criminal Court.
She also chaired the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The committee chair, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, announced the decision in Oslo. It is the 125th Nobel Peace Prize.
The prize is 12 million Swedish crowns and will be presented in Oslo on 10 December.
Prize amount:
12 million Swedish crowns
Edition:
125th Nobel Peace Prize
Ceremony:
Oslo, 10 December
Why it matters for exams: The Nobel Peace Prize laureate of the year is a standard one-mark question, and Pillay's offices link the prize to the UN human rights machinery and the international criminal courts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OHCHR Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights — The UN office in Geneva that leads the organisation's human rights work.
9 October 2026
Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh launched the redesigned, citizen-centric and multilingual websites of the Department of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The launch was announced by the Press Information Bureau on 9 October 2026.
The redesign is aimed at making scientific information and departmental material easier for citizens to reach in more Indian languages.
The Department of Science and Technology is the nodal department for coordinating and promoting science and technology activities in the country.
Dr Jitendra Singh holds charge as Minister of State for Science and Technology, among other portfolios.
Launched by:
Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State
Websites launched:
Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Science and Technology
Date announced:
9 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Which ministry a senior Minister of State holds, and what the Department of Science and Technology does, are both commonly asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DST Department of Science and Technology — The nodal department for coordinating and promoting science and technology activities in India.
9 October 2026
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will observe its 33rd Foundation Day on 12 October 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, followed by a national conference on 'Water as the Elixir of Life: Advancing Human Dignity through the Right to Water'.
Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, will be the chief guest. NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian and the Members will take part.
The Commission was set up on 12 October 1993.
In 33 years it has acted upon over 24 lakh matters, 24,33,716 in all, including 3,100 suo motu cases, and recommended over Rs 274 crore in relief to victims in 9,085 cases.
Between 1 October 2025 and 30 September 2026 it registered 54,673 complaints and 119 suo motu cases and disposed of 53,733 matters, holding spot enquiries in 80 cases and recommending relief of over Rs 9.7 crore in 157 cases.
The Commission has 18 special rapporteurs and 15 special monitors, has issued 35 advisory papers, and has recommended amending 97 laws to prevent discrimination against persons with Hansen's disease.
Foundation Day:
12 October 2026, the 33rd
NHRC established:
12 October 1993
Matters acted upon in 33 years:
24,33,716, including 3,100 suo motu cases
Relief recommended:
over Rs 274 crore in 9,085 cases
Complaints registered, 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026:
54,673
Why it matters for exams: The NHRC's founding date, composition and workload figures are standard questions on statutory human rights bodies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NHRC National Human Rights Commission — The statutory human rights body established under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
Suo motu On its own motion — When a body takes up a matter on its own, without a complaint being filed.
9 October 2026
The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, chaired by Shri Mukul Wasnik, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, presented its 382nd Report on 'Reforms and Strengthening of the National Testing Agency (NTA)'.
The report relates to the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. It was adopted on 25 August 2026 and presented to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, on 9 October 2026.
The Committee noted that NTA conducts examinations such as JEE Main, NEET-UG, UGC-NET and CUET, with about 1.2 crore students appearing each year, and that over 22 lakh candidates take NEET-UG.
It recommended moving NEET-UG to computer-based testing, with adequate government-owned infrastructure first and a hybrid model where connectivity is weak.
It endorsed the High-Level Committee of Experts' recommendation of 1,000 secure government CBT centres and at least one test centre in every district, and recommended permanent recruitment of NTA officers with specialists in psychometrics and examination security, and an annual Equity Audit of participation rates, pass rates and cutoff achievement rates.
The Committee also recorded that NTA had a cumulative revenue surplus of Rs. 590 crore from FY 2018-19 to FY 2024-25, and recommended limiting NTA to entrance examinations for higher education institutions.
Report number:
382nd Report
Chairperson:
Shri Mukul Wasnik
Adopted on:
25 August 2026
Candidates appearing for NTA exams each year:
about 1.2 crore
NTA cumulative revenue surplus:
Rs. 590 crore from FY 2018-19 to FY 2024-25
Secure government CBT centres recommended:
1,000
Why it matters for exams: Parliamentary Standing Committee reports and the NTA's mandate are both standard polity and education questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NTA National Testing Agency — The agency that conducts national entrance examinations such as JEE Main, NEET-UG, UGC-NET and CUET.
CBT Computer Based Test — An examination taken on a computer at a designated centre rather than on paper.
9 October 2026
Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, delivered the keynote at the ITU Round Table on 'Implementing ITU Standards to Combat Fraudulent Communications', held during India Mobile Congress 2026.
India welcomed an ITU proposal for a joint trial involving governments, regulators, operators and technology companies to digitally verify caller identity on international networks in line with ITU standards.
The Minister said Indians lost over ₹22,800 crore to such fraud in 2024, and that fraud is a network problem that needs network-based and global solutions.
He said ASTR has helped disconnect over 82 lakh fraudulent connections and the Sanchar Saathi app has recorded around 25 million downloads.
The Digital Intelligence Platform connects over 1,600 organisations, and the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator has helped prevent suspected financial losses exceeding ₹5,000 crore in 15 months.
He suggested beginning trials on selected international routes between willing countries and feeding the experience back into ITU standards, and said trust must be built into 6G networks from the start.
Loss to such fraud in 2024:
over ₹22,800 crore
Fraudulent connections disconnected using ASTR:
over 82 lakh
Sanchar Saathi downloads:
around 25 million
Organisations on the Digital Intelligence Platform:
over 1,600
Suspected losses prevented by the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator:
exceeding ₹5,000 crore in 15 months
Why it matters for exams: ITU standards, ASTR, Sanchar Saathi and the Digital Intelligence Platform are frequently asked telecom governance topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITU International Telecommunication Union — The United Nations specialised agency for information and communication technologies, which sets global telecom standards.
ASTR Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification — A tool used to detect mobile connections taken on forged or duplicate identity documents.
9 October 2026
The 15th meeting of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee was held from 6 to 9 October 2026 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, in hybrid format.
It was co-chaired by Shri Nitin Kumar Yadav, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, India, and Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary-General (Trade) in Malaysia's Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
The Joint Committee works through eight sub-committees. Three of them met during this session, including the Sub-Committee on Legal and Institutional Issues (SC-LII) and the Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin (SC-ROO).
The Joint Committee directed all sub-committees to coordinate closely, close pending chapters of the AITIGA review quickly and set concrete time-bound targets.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a balanced, constructive and forward-looking agreement and to modernising it within a mutually beneficial framework.
The next Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for January 2027 in India, in hybrid mode.
Meeting dates:
6 to 9 October 2026
Venue:
ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia
Sub-committees:
Eight
Next meeting:
January 2027, in India
Why it matters for exams: AITIGA and its review process are standard material for questions on India's regional trade agreements.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AITIGA ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement — The goods trade agreement between India and the ASEAN member states, now under review.
SC-ROO Sub-Committee on Rules of Origin — Rules of origin decide which country a traded good counts as coming from, and so what tariff applies.
Background
The question of who may fix the day of the Udayasthamana Pooja is live before the Supreme Court, which has directed that the pooja at Guruvayur be held on Vrishchikam Ekadasi as an interim measure.
The Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple is administered by the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee, a statutory body constituted under the Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978.
The Kerala High Court, dismissing the earlier plea, reasoned that under that Act the Thantri is the final authority on the religious and ceremonial matters of the temple.
The challenge to the Committee's decision was brought by P.C. Hary of Puzhakkara Chennas Mana, of the temple's hereditary priestly family, along with other devotees.
The Committee had decided to cancel the pooja on Vrishchikam Ekadasi citing crowd management, telling the Court that over one lakh people visit the temple on Ekadasi.
The Udayasthamana Pooja itself runs from sunrise to sunset and comprises 18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam.
Governing statute:
Guruvayur Devaswom Act, 1978
Administering body:
Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee
Final authority on rituals:
The Thantri
Components of the pooja:
18 poojas, a homam and abhishekam
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's Devaswom statutes and the bodies that run the major temples are asked about by name, and the Guruvayur Devaswom Act is one of them.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Devaswom Temple administration body in Kerala — A statutory board or committee that manages temples and their properties; Guruvayur, Travancore, Cochin and Malabar each have their own.
9 October 2026
Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar of the Kerala High Court directed the Travancore Devaswom Board to file a detailed statement on each work to be completed for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, with the expected completion date and the measures to ensure quality.
The Board must also state the timeframe for each work and the mechanism that will ensure it finishes on time and to the required standards.
The Board must explain how the directions from the Chief Minister's high-level meeting of September 11 will be implemented and what steps will ensure compliance.
The court is hearing a petition it initiated on its own regarding activities at the Lord Ayyappa temple during the monthly poojas.
Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed that all pilgrimage-related preparatory works across departments be completed by October 31.
Several high-level meetings were held by the Chief Minister and State Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan to review preparations for the 2026-2027 Sabarimala pilgrimage.
Deadline for preparatory works:
October 31
High-level meeting:
September 11
Pilgrimage season:
2026-2027
Why it matters for exams: The Travancore Devaswom Board, the Devaswom Bench and the Sabarimala season calendar are recurring Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
TDB Travancore Devaswom Board — The statutory board that administers the Sabarimala temple and other temples of the former Travancore region.
Suo motu Suo motu — A proceeding a court begins on its own, without a petition from a party.
9 October 2026
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a message marking three years since the 7 October attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
He said more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed in the attack, and another 251 people were abducted and taken into Gaza as hostages.
He also recalled the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza from the hostilities that followed.
According to UN agencies, Israeli attacks have killed more than 70,000 people, including 20,000 children, and wounded more than 100,000.
Nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million people have been displaced, and the territory now has the highest proportion of child amputees in the world.
Guterres said the October 2025 ceasefire has brought some relief but not yet security, adequate humanitarian aid or a credible path to recovery and peace.
He urged all parties to implement their commitments in full and move to the next phase of the ceasefire under Security Council resolution 2803.
Killed in the 7 October attack:
more than 1,200
People abducted:
251
Killed in Gaza, per UN agencies:
more than 70,000, including 20,000 children
Gaza population displaced:
nearly all of 2.1 million
Ceasefire resolution:
Security Council resolution 2803
Why it matters for exams: Security Council resolution numbers, the Secretary-General's role and West Asia chronology are frequently examined.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Secretary-General Secretary-General of the United Nations — The chief administrative officer of the UN, appointed by the General Assembly on the Security Council's recommendation.
Ceasefire Ceasefire — An agreed halt to fighting, which may be partial, temporary or permanent.
9 October 2026
A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M directed the Railways to prepare the detailed project report for the Nilambur-Nanjangud railway line by October 14.
On that date the Railways must file an affidavit stating whether the report has been placed before the competent authority for approval and sanction.
The plea was moved by C N Vijayakrishnan, chairman of the Kozhikode-based Cancer and Allied Ailment Research Foundation, which runs the MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute.
He argued that Malabar needs railway connectivity and that the authorities had not considered his representations.
The Railways' affidavit of July 27, 2026 said the Railway Board had sanctioned a final location survey and that a LIDAR survey and a traffic survey were under way.
The proposed line would connect Nilambur in Keralam with Nanjangud in Karnataka.
Deadline for the report:
October 14
Route:
Nilambur to Nanjangud
Why it matters for exams: The Nilambur-Nanjangud proposal is a standing Kerala infrastructure question, and the stages from final location survey to detailed project report are often asked.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
DPR Detailed Project Report — The full technical and financial report prepared before a project is sanctioned.
FLS Final Location Survey — The survey that fixes the exact alignment of a proposed railway line.
9 October 2026
A special bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice C Jayachandran directed the Kerala government to notify the proposed Anti-Ragging and Student Welfare Guidelines, 2026 within two weeks.
The notified guidelines must replace the words 'within, or without, any educational institution' in Clause 6 with 'within or outside, any educational institution'.
The direction came in a public interest petition filed by the Kerala State Legal Services Authority, which sought a stronger legal framework against ragging.
The court noted that the State legislature has not yet amended the Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 to match the proposed guidelines, which are to be followed pending legislation.
KeLSA asked for enhanced punishment and for ragging to be made a cognizable and non-bailable offence.
The Advocate General said such changes need an amendment to Section 4 of the Act and cannot be made through guidelines alone.
The matter is listed for further hearing on December 2.
Time given to notify:
Two weeks
Parent Act:
Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998
Next hearing:
December 2
Why it matters for exams: The Kerala Prohibition of Ragging Act, 1998 and the difference between guidelines and statutory amendment are directly examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KeLSA Kerala State Legal Services Authority — The statutory body that provides free legal services and legal awareness in Kerala.
PIL Public Interest Litigation — A case filed for the benefit of the public rather than for a private grievance.
Cognizable offence Cognizable offence — An offence in which the police may register a case and arrest without a magistrate's warrant.
9 October 2026
The National Highways Authority of India had decided to start toll collection at the Nattika plaza on NH 66 in Thrissur district from October 8.
Keralam Public Works Minister P K Basheer directed the District Collector to stop the collection temporarily.
Basheer said the work on the service road and the approach road to the bridge has not been completed.
The District Collector was directed to hold a meeting of all stakeholders and take a decision within a week.
Congress and Indian Union Muslim League workers had marched to the toll plaza at about 7.30 am before collection began.
Police removed some of those taking part, some policemen were injured, and a large police force remained deployed at the plaza.
Highway:
NH 66
Toll plaza:
Nattika, Thrissur district
Decision deadline:
Within a week
Why it matters for exams: Toll plazas on NH 66 and the division of work between NHAI and the State Public Works Department come up in Kerala PSC infrastructure questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
NHAI National Highways Authority of India — The central authority that develops and maintains national highways and collects user fees on them.
9 October 2026
The Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court, Justices V Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar, directed the Kerala Water Authority to carry out urgent repairs and strengthen its buildings along the Sabarimala pilgrimage route.
The buildings house the main booster stations at Neelimala Bottom, Neelimala Top and Appachimedu.
The repairs must be finished by November 10.
The Water Authority has proposed Rs 3.21 crore to rebuild the structures, and the court asked the government to sanction the project without delay so that the main work starts right after the pilgrimage season.
Kerala Highway Research Institute officials who inspected the buildings estimated Rs 10 lakh for temporary works such as supports for slabs and beams.
The Executive Engineer of the Sabarimala Development Project will monitor the work and a structural engineer will inspect the buildings at regular intervals.
The case is listed again on October 23.
Rebuilding proposal:
Rs 3.21 crore
Temporary works estimate:
Rs 10 lakh
Repair deadline:
November 10
Why it matters for exams: The Devaswom Bench and Sabarimala season preparations are standard Kerala PSC current affairs ground, and the figures are easily asked.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
KWA Kerala Water Authority — The State body that supplies drinking water and runs water supply schemes in Kerala.
Devaswom Bench Devaswom Bench of the Kerala High Court — The special bench of the Kerala High Court that hears matters relating to Devaswom boards and temples under them.
9 October 2026
The Keralam State Youth Welfare Board has launched a portal named Scene Keralam through which young people can send ideas and suggestions directly to the State government.
Sports, Youth Affairs and Registration Minister O J Janeesh unveiled the portal's logo at a function in the Kerala Legislative Assembly complex in Thiruvananthapuram.
The portal is meant to create direct communication between the government and young citizens, including Gen Z and Generation Alpha, and to draw them into governance.
The initiative is part of the State government's 100-day action plan.
Janeesh said that youth determine the future of a nation.
Portal:
Scene Keralam
Launched by:
Keralam State Youth Welfare Board
Why it matters for exams: New State portals, the board that runs them and the minister who launched them are frequent Kerala PSC current affairs questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Gen Z Generation Z — The generation born roughly from the late 1990s to the early 2010s.