Background
Article 39 A of the Constitution of India provides for free legal aid to the weaker sections of the society, to promote justice on the basis of equal opportunity, and Articles 14 and 22(1) of the Constitution also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before law. In 1987, the Legal Services Authorities Act was enacted by the Parliament, and it came into force on 9th November, 1995 to establish a nationwide uniform network for providing free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society. Under that network, the Chief Justice of India is the Patron-in-Chief of the National Legal Services Authority and the seniormost judge of the Supreme Court of India is the Executive Chairman of the Authority. NALSA states that its principal objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to organize Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes, and that its functions also include spreading legal literacy and awareness and undertaking social justice litigations. It works in close coordination with the State Legal Services Authorities, District Legal Services Authorities and other agencies. NALSA is housed at Jaisalmer House, 26, Man Singh Road, New Delhi-110011.
Constitutional basis:
Article 39 A, with Articles 14 and 22(1)
Statute:
Legal Services Authorities Act, enacted by Parliament in 1987
Came into force:
9th November, 1995
Patron-in-Chief:
The Chief Justice of India
Executive Chairman:
The seniormost judge of the Supreme Court of India
Headquarters:
Jaisalmer House, 26, Man Singh Road, New Delhi-110011
Why it matters for exams: The constitutional hook, the statute, the date of commencement and the two offices at the head of NALSA are among the most frequently asked facts on access to justice.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Lok Adalat People's court — A forum in the legal services network where a dispute is settled amicably between the parties rather than decided after a contest.
NALSA National Legal Services Authority — The apex body of the legal services network created by the Legal Services Authorities Act.
Background
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority's notified disasters page sets out two lists.
Its Nationally Notified Disasters are Flood, Landslide, Drought, Cyclone, Earthquake, Cloud Burst, Hail Storm, Tsunami, Fire, Pest Attack, Cold Wave/Frost and Avalanche, with Covid 19 added separately.
Its State Specific Disasters are Coastal Erosion, Lightning, Strong Wind, Soil Piping, Heat Wave/Sun Stroke/Sun Burn, Human-Wildlife Conflict, the wreck of the MSC Elsa 3 and High Tide Flooding.
The page cites three orders behind that state list: GO (Ms) No. 343/2015/DMD dated 23-07-2015, GO (Rt) No. 149/2017/DMD dated 18-01-2017 and GO (Ms) No. 9/2019/DMD dated 9-03-2019.
Its table of Norms of Financial Assistance from SDRF shows the order in which the state categories were added: Lightning, Coastal Erosion and Strong Winds first, then Soil Piping, then Heat Wave, Sunstroke and Sunburn, then Human Wildlife Conflict, and High Tide Flooding most recently.
The same table lists the Creation of State Disaster Response Fund under 2010; that fund is what the notified categories draw assistance from.
Nationally notified disasters, as the list reads:
Flood Landslide Drought Cyclone Earthquake Cloud Burst Hail Storm Tsunami Fire Pest Attack Cold Wave/Frost Avalanche Covid 19
State specific disasters, as the list reads:
Coastal Erosion Lightning Strong Wind Soil Piping Heat Wave/Sun Stroke/Sun Burn Human-Wildlife Conflict MSC Elsa 3 High Tide Flooding
Most recent state specific addition:
High Tide Flooding
Fund used:
State Disaster Response Fund
Base order for the state list:
GO (Ms) No. 343/2015/DMD dated 23-07-2015
Why it matters for exams: The difference between a nationally notified disaster and a state specific one decides what a state can pay relief for, and Kerala's own additions - soil piping, coastal erosion, human-wildlife conflict, high tide flooding - are the clearest illustration of that mechanism in any state.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Soil piping soil piping — Underground erosion that hollows out tunnels in soil and can make the ground above collapse.
SDRF State Disaster Response Fund — The fund a state pays relief from for disasters that have been notified.
Background
The Prime Minister's Office records that after the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for alteration of name of the State of Kerala as Keralam, the President of India will refer a Bill, namely the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, to the State Legislative Assembly of Kerala for expressing its views under proviso to article 3 of the Constitution of India. After receipt of the views of the State Legislative Assembly, the Government of India will take further action and the recommendation of the President will be obtained for introduction of the Bill in Parliament. The same record notes that the Legislative Assembly of Kerala passed a resolution on 24.06.2024 to alter the name of the State to Keralam. That resolution stated that the name of the State is Keralam in the Malayalam language, but that in the First Schedule to the Constitution the name of the State is recorded as Kerala. The resolution also recorded that States were formed on the basis of language on the 1st day of November, 1956, and that the Kerala Piravi Day is also on the 1st day of November.
Constitutional provision:
Proviso to article 3
Where State names are listed:
First Schedule to the Constitution
Assembly resolution:
24.06.2024
Bill to be referred:
The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Article 3 is examined on exactly this sequence - Presidential reference, the State Legislature's views, the President's recommendation, then Parliament - and the Keralam proposal is the live illustration an examiner is most likely to hang it on.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Proviso Proviso to article 3 — The clause that requires a State's views to be sought before such a Bill is introduced.
First Schedule First Schedule to the Constitution — The schedule that lists the States and Union territories by name.
Background
The Authority's own introduction page states that State Disaster Management Authorities are statutory bodies constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005).
It describes the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority as a statutory non-autonomous body under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Kerala.
The first KSDMA was constituted vide S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007, and the present composition is notified vide S.R.O No. 583/2013 dated 17-7-2013.
Under Section 3 of the Kerala State Disaster Management Rules (KSDMR), 2007 the authority is composed of ten (10) members, chaired by the Chief Minister and convened by the Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management.
The Chief Secretary, who also chairs the State Executive Committee, is the Chief Executive Officer of KSDMA vide Section 14 (4) of the DM Act, 2005, while technical matters and emergency operations are managed by the Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre (KSEOC).
The Authority gives its motto in English as 'Towards a Safer State' and in Malayalam as Surakshaayanam, and its logo, adopted through an online design competition in 2011, carries 24 spokes to depict the need to be on constant watch, round the clock.
District Disaster Management Authorities have been constituted in Kerala for all fourteen districts vide GO (P) No. 303/2008/DMD dated 9-9-2008 and GO (P) No. 208/2016/DMD dated 3-3-2016.
Governing statute:
Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005)
Members:
ten (10)
Chairperson:
Chief Minister of Kerala
Chief Executive Officer:
The Chief Secretary
Provision making the Chief Secretary the CEO:
Section 14 (4) of the DM Act, 2005
First constituted:
S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007
Motto:
Towards a Safer State
Why it matters for exams: Disaster management is a standing topic for both Kerala PSC and UPSC, and the examinable detail is structural: which central Act creates the state authority, how many members it has, which office chairs it and which office is its chief executive.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSEOC Kerala State Emergency Operations Centre — The centre that handles the Authority's technical matters and emergency operations.
Non-autonomous body statutory non-autonomous body — A body created by statute but functioning within the government rather than independently of it.
Background
The Local Self Government Department's page on the Ombudsman For LSGI records that the Institution started functioning in the year 2000 as a 7 member body with a Rtd. Judge of the High Court as its Chairman.
It was made a single member body through an amendment of the Panchayath Raj Act in the year 2001.
Under the present law, the page says, only a former judge of High Court can be appointed as Ombudsman.
The department describes it as a high powered quasi judicial body functioning at the state level with its Head Quarters in the State Capital.
The Ombudsman can conduct investigations and enquiries into instances of mal administration, corruption, favouritism, nepotism, lack of integrity, excessive action, inaction and abuse of position.
The department claims that possibly no other State in India has such an institution to oversee the functioning of Local Self Government Institutions.
Started functioning:
2000
Original composition:
7 member body
Present composition:
single member body
Made single member by:
an amendment of the Panchayath Raj Act in the year 2001
Who may be appointed:
only a former judge of High Court
Headquarters:
the State Capital
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's decentralisation answers are incomplete without the accountability side, and the Ombudsman's eligibility rule, its change from seven members to one, and the list of lapses it can inquire into are all directly askable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Quasi judicial body quasi judicial body — A body that is not a court but decides disputes after hearing the sides, with powers of inquiry.
Background
The Local Self Government Department lists Kudumbashree among its Allied Institutions, and its page records that Kudumbashree was launched in 1998 as a community network that would work in tandem with local self governments for poverty eradication and woman empowerment.
The department traces the idea to the early nineties, when a community led Poverty Identification Format was developed as part of the Alappuzha Urban Basic Services for the Poor Programme.
By that time, the page says, the NABARD promoted Self Help Groups and linkage banking program had established itself 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 service delivery of government programs.
The page credits the 73rd and the 74th amendments to the Constitution with strengthening Panchayati Raj Institutes and Urban Local Bodies.
Shortly afterwards, it says, the People's Plan Campaign for decentralized Governance created strong local self governments, the panchayats and municipalities, in the State, and Kudumbashree was launched to work with them.
Launched:
1998
Parent department:
Local Self Government Department
Stated purpose:
poverty eradication and woman empowerment
Earlier programme it grew from:
Alappuzha Urban Basic Services for the Poor Programme
Nutrition project assimilated:
Community Based Nutrition project of Malappuram
Why it matters for exams: Kudumbashree's founding year, its parent department and the two programmes it grew out of are standard Kerala PSC questions, and examiners like to test whether a candidate knows it is a network attached to local governments rather than a department of its own.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Allied Institution Allied Institution of the Local Self Government Department — A body listed by the department as attached to it rather than forming part of its directorates.
Poverty Identification Format community led Poverty Identification Format — A format for identifying poor families that was drawn up with the community rather than by officials alone.
7 October 2026
Chief Minister Manik Saha announced a 3 per cent increase in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and dearness relief (DR) for pensioners, taking the total to 44 per cent. The revised rate applies from 1 October 2026. He made the announcement at a press conference at the Secretariat in Agartala, with Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy present. The additional cost to the state is about 300 crore rupees a year. After the revision, the gap between Tripura's DA rate and that of Central government employees stands at 16 percentage points. House Rent Allowance (HRA) for regular government employees rises from 8 per cent to 10 per cent.
Total DA/DR:
44 per cent
Increase:
3 per cent
Annual extra cost:
about 300 crore rupees
Gap with Centre:
16 percentage points
Why it matters for exams: Pay and allowance revisions by a state government are a staple of state-affairs and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DA/DR Dearness Allowance / Dearness Relief — DA is paid to serving employees and DR to pensioners to offset price rises.
7 October 2026
The Reserve Bank of India announced in a press release dated 7 October 2026 that Paytm Payments Bank Limited has been excluded from the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
The exclusion was made by notification DoR.LIC.No.S3674/16.13.215/2026-27 dated 31 July 2026.
The notification was published in the Gazette of India, Part III, Section 4, dated 7 September 2026.
The release was issued by Brij Raj, Chief General Manager, as Press Release 2026-2027/1273.
Banks named in the Second Schedule to the Act are the scheduled banks of the country, so exclusion from that Schedule removes the entity from the list of scheduled banks.
Entity:
Paytm Payments Bank Limited
Schedule:
Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934
Notification:
DoR.LIC.No.S3674/16.13.215/2026-27 dated July 31, 2026
Gazette publication:
Gazette of India, Part III - Section 4, dated September 07, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Which Schedule of the Reserve Bank of India Act lists scheduled banks, and the effect of inclusion or exclusion, is a recurring banking and general studies question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Scheduled bank Scheduled bank — A bank named in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
Payments bank Payments bank — A differentiated bank that may take limited deposits and offer payment services but cannot lend.
7 October 2026
Ethiopia ordered its embassy in Eritrea closed and declared 10 Eritrean diplomats persona non grata, with 48 hours to leave.
Eritrea responded by severing all diplomatic ties with Ethiopia.
Ethiopia says Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt back the opposition alliance led by the Tigray People's Liberation Front; all three deny it.
Ethiopian forces have taken Mekelle, the regional capital of Tigray.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was sworn in for another five-year term and has said landlocked Ethiopia must have access to the Red Sea.
Witnesses told Reuters they saw dozens of Eritrean soldiers in Adigrat, about 25 km from the Eritrean border; Reuters could not verify this.
Eritrea's information minister did not deny that troops had crossed.
Eritrean diplomats expelled:
10
Time given to leave:
48 hours
Adigrat to Eritrean border:
about 25 km
Why it matters for exams: Horn of Africa border and Red Sea access disputes, and the term persona non grata, are staple world-affairs material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Persona non grata Persona non grata — A diplomat the host country declares unwelcome, who must leave or lose immunity.
TPLF Tigray People's Liberation Front — The group leading the opposition alliance fighting Ethiopian forces.
7 October 2026
The Women and Child Development Department launched the project 'Women on the Move and Menstrual Needs' under the government's 100-day action plan.
Minister Bindu Krishna unveiled the facility at the Thampanoor KSRTC bus terminal in Thiruvananthapuram.
Sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators will be installed at 14 KSRTC centres in the first phase.
Each packet holds 3 napkins and costs ₹10, and ₹16 lakh has been allocated for the initial phase.
The partner is HLL Lifecare, and expansion is planned to tourist centres and other public spaces.
First-phase centres:
14 KSRTC centres
Price:
₹10 for 3 napkins
Allocation:
₹16 lakh
Why it matters for exams: A women and child welfare scheme under the 100-day action plan, combining menstrual hygiene with public-sector transport hubs.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
HLL HLL Lifecare — A public-sector healthcare products company that is the project partner.
Incinerator Incinerator — A unit that burns used napkins safely.
7 October 2026
Transport Minister CP John flagged off KSRTC's cargo service at the Domestic Airport Cargo Terminal in Thiruvananthapuram on 7 October 2026.
The first consignment was one tonne of mobile phones flown from Delhi by Air India and carried to Aluva in a wet-leased truck.
The first phase has five wet-leased trucks, and the Minister said KSRTC aims to build a fleet of more than 100 trucks.
The project is part of the government's 100-day action plan, to strengthen KSRTC's logistics network and raise non-ticket revenue.
Income from the service will be used directly for the benefit of KSRTC passengers.
First consignment:
one tonne of mobile phones
First-phase vehicles:
5 wet-leased trucks
Target fleet:
more than 100 trucks
Why it matters for exams: A 100-day action plan item on public-sector transport diversification, useful for Kerala economy and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Wet lease Wet-leased vehicle — A vehicle hired together with its operator or crew.
KSRTC Kerala State Road Transport Corporation — The State-owned bus corporation.
7 October 2026
Justice G. Girish of the Kerala High Court dismissed the husband's revision petition in A v D, RPFC No. 122/2024.
The couple married on 1 August 2015, his second marriage, after a matrimonial advertisement, and the marriage was not consummated.
The Family Court granted the wife's divorce petition on the ground of cruelty and found the husband had means to pay maintenance.
He produced a Medical Board certificate of permanent locomotor disability of 70% and argued he could not pay.
The High Court upheld maintenance of ₹10,000 per month and said his physical incapacity does not assume any relevance.
Monthly maintenance:
₹10,000
Disability certified:
70%
Case:
RPFC No. 122/2024
Why it matters for exams: Shows that the duty to maintain a wife turns on means, not on bodily ability, a point linked to maintenance law.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RPFC Revision Petition (Family Court) — A revision petition against a Family Court order.
7 October 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M heard the petitions in AIIMS Kasargod Janakeeya Koottayma v Union of India (WP(C) 18550/2024) on 7 October 2026.
The Centre said the proposal was at the consultation stage and no in-principle approval had been given, as states with weaker healthcare were being prioritised.
The Court asked whether better facilities become a handicap for the State and said there are enough reasons for Kerala to have an AIIMS.
It noted the proposal had been pending for almost ten years and that government hospitals will not be sufficient for the poor and needy.
The Centre was directed to review the matter, and the case is posted after six weeks.
Case:
WP(C) 18550/2024
Pending for:
almost ten years
Next hearing:
after six weeks
Why it matters for exams: Links PMSSY, the AIIMS expansion criteria and Centre-State health federalism, a recurring Kerala and UPSC theme.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
PMSSY Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana — The central scheme under which new AIIMS institutions are sanctioned.
AIIMS All India Institute of Medical Sciences — Central institutes of medical education and tertiary care.
7 October 2026
Justice C.S. Dias of the Kerala High Court dismissed CRL.MC No. 8147 of 2026, Mohammed J.I. and others v. State of Kerala, on Wednesday, 7 October 2026.
The petitioners, who face trial for the 2018 stabbing of SFI activist Abhimanyu at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, sought an in-camera trial.
The Court found no error or illegality in the Sessions Court order refusing it, and relied on Section 366 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, under which open court is the rule.
The trial court and police must ensure nobody photographs or video-records the trial or the accused inside the courtroom.
The trial court may consider restricting public entry while eyewitnesses are examined.
Case:
CRL.MC No. 8147 of 2026
Provision:
Section 366 BNSS
Judge:
Justice C.S. Dias
Why it matters for exams: Tests the BNSS rule that criminal trials are held in open court, with in-camera hearing as a limited exception.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
In-camera trial Trial held in private — Public and press are kept out of the courtroom.
BNSS Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — The code of criminal procedure that replaced the CrPC.
7 October 2026
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan of the Kerala High Court decided the writ petition of Sindhu S. Nair, headmistress of Eeswara Vilasom High School, Kottarakkara.
The school Manager had told her to wear only a saree, and security stopped her at the gate when she wore a churidar.
She relied on a Director of General Education circular dated 20.11.2015 on teachers' dress code, which does not bar churidars.
The Court held that what dress one wears is ordinarily a matter of personal choice, and that no one can dictate it without the backing of law.
It directed the Station House Officer to ensure she enters the school freely for the rest of her service.
It passed no order on disciplinary action against the Manager, as an enquiry is pending.
Judge:
Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan
Case:
WP(C) No. 6142 of 2026
Circular:
20.11.2015
Why it matters for exams: Shows how courts read personal choice and dignity as part of fundamental rights, and the limit on a school manager's authority over teaching staff.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Writ petition Writ petition under Article 226 — A petition to the High Court for enforcing rights.
SHO Station House Officer — The police officer in charge of a police station.
7 October 2026
The Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance issued directions dated October 5, 2026 to the convenors of State Level Bankers' Committees and Union Territory Level Bankers' Committees across all States and Union Territories.
The directions require scheme-wise and bank-wise reporting of the number and percentage of Scheduled Caste beneficiaries at periodic review meetings, and regular sharing of that information with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.
The step follows a letter of September 24, 2026 from NCSC Secretary Shri Vivek Kumar Dewangan to the Secretary, Department of Financial Services.
The Commission had said that bankers' committee reports did not show the share of Scheduled Caste families, which hindered its duty under Article 338(5)(c) to evaluate the socio-economic development of Scheduled Castes.
The schemes named are Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana, Stand-Up India, the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme, PM SVANidhi, CGTMSE and MSME business loans.
An action taken report was sought by October 9, 2026, with a further update within 30 days, using data the banks and implementing agencies already hold.
Directions dated:
October 5, 2026
Constitutional provision cited:
Article 338(5)(c)
Action taken report due:
October 9, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Article 338(5)(c) and the State Level Bankers' Committee are both standard exam topics, and this order shows exactly how the Commission's constitutional duty is enforced through the banking system.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
NCSC National Commission for Scheduled Castes — The constitutional commission under Article 338 that safeguards the interests of Scheduled Castes.
SLBC State Level Bankers' Committee — The forum in each State where banks, the Reserve Bank and the State government coordinate credit planning.
CGTMSE Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises — The trust that guarantees collateral-free credit to micro and small enterprises.
7 October 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a written message to the third edition of Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue, released by the Press Information Bureau on October 7, 2026.
The dialogue is organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways together with the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.
The message called for a free, open, secure and rules-based maritime order that brings peace and prosperity to all nations.
It said developments in one region can affect distant places, which makes ocean dialogue and cooperation more important than ever.
The message recalled India's maritime heritage, from the ancient port city of Lothal to the Chola dynasty and the naval vision of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
It noted that Indian seafarers form the second largest maritime workforce in the world, that major ports have nearly doubled their capacity with reduced turnaround times, and that India is preparing for a new era of shipbuilding and green shipping as part of the Viksit Bharat goal for 2047.
Event:
Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue, third edition
Organisers:
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways with Observer Research Foundation
India's seafarers:
second largest maritime workforce in the world
Why it matters for exams: Maritime policy questions turn on the phrase a rules-based maritime order and on named facts such as Lothal, India's seafarer ranking and port capacity, all of which appear in this message.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ORF Observer Research Foundation — An Indian think tank that co-organises the Sagarmanthan dialogue with the shipping ministry.
Lothal Harappan port site in Gujarat — An ancient dockyard town cited as evidence of India's early maritime trade.
7 October 2026
The Haryana Human Rights Commission has sought detailed reports on the collapse of an under-construction three-storey building at Dhulkot village in Ambala.
Member (Judicial) Kuldip Jain directed the Deputy Commissioner, the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Ambala and the Superintendent of Police to report, acting on a complaint by Amandeep Singh Bhatia.
The Commission asked the Municipal Corporation for the sanctioned building plan, details of the owner, builder, contractor, architect and structural engineer, and inspection records.
It asked the Deputy Commissioner for details of the dead and injured, relief and compensation paid, and whether any magisterial inquiry had been ordered.
The building fell on the evening of 27 September 2026 while the concrete slab for the first-floor roof was being cast; seven persons died and 12 were injured.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini announced an ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh for the families of those killed. The Commission has listed the matter for 12 November.
Ex gratia announced:
₹5 lakh
Date of collapse:
27 September 2026
Next hearing:
12 November
Why it matters for exams: State human rights commissions, their powers to call for reports and municipal building regulation are standard governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SHRC State Human Rights Commission — Set up under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, it can call for reports from state authorities.
Ex gratia A payment made without admitting legal liability — Governments announce it after disasters, separate from any compensation a court may order.
7 October 2026
Haryana has opened the Chirayu-Ayushman Bharat scheme to families whose verified annual income is above ₹1.80 lakh, on payment of a yearly contribution.
Families earning ₹1.80 lakh to ₹3 lakh pay ₹1,500 a year, those earning ₹3 lakh to ₹6 lakh pay ₹4,000, and those above ₹6 lakh pay ₹5,000.
Enrolled families get free, cashless treatment up to ₹5 lakh a year at hospitals empanelled across the state.
Eligibility is decided by the verified annual income recorded in the Parivar Pehchan Patra.
The registration and payment portal is open until 30 November 2026, and the policy period runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2027.
Chirayu was first extended beyond Antyodaya households on 15 August 2023, to families earning above ₹1.80 lakh and up to ₹3 lakh on a contribution of ₹1,500 a year, with the Parivar Pehchan Patra as the only mandatory document.
Annual cover:
₹5 lakh
Contribution for ₹1.80 lakh to ₹3 lakh income:
₹1,500 a year
Contribution above ₹6 lakh income:
₹5,000 a year
Why it matters for exams: State health insurance schemes, their income slabs and their link to Ayushman Bharat are frequently asked in scheme-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Chirayu Comprehensive Health Insurance of Antyodaya Units — Haryana's extension of Ayushman Bharat to families outside the central eligibility list.
PPP Parivar Pehchan Patra — Haryana's family identity database, used to verify income for scheme eligibility.
7 October 2026
A Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside a death sentence on 7 October 2026 and acquitted Hem Raj of all charges in the 2018 murder of a toddler in Hisar district of Haryana.
Justice Anoop Chitkara and Justice Harmeet Singh Deol held that the identity of the recovered body was not proved beyond reasonable doubt, as the DNA testing was inconclusive.
The Bench held that the accused pointing out the child's clothes while in police custody was inadmissible under Section 26 of the Indian Evidence Act.
It also held that Section 106 of the Evidence Act did not shift the primary burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused.
The first information report had been registered at Barwala police station on 16 June 2018.
The conviction under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code was set aside, the murder reference was dismissed as infructuous, and release was ordered on a personal bond without sureties.
Bench:
Justice Anoop Chitkara and Justice Harmeet Singh Deol
Date of FIR:
16 June 2018
Why it matters for exams: Capital sentencing and the limits of Sections 26, 27 and 106 of the Evidence Act are standard ground for polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Murder reference Confirmation proceedings before the High Court — A death sentence passed by a trial court has no effect until the High Court confirms it.
Section 106 Burden of proving a fact especially within knowledge — It does not relieve the prosecution of proving its own case first.