15 October 2026
Minister K.A. Thulasi said the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Department has taken up housing construction for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families and will consider 10,000 applications in the first phase.
She was speaking at the online inauguration of a post-matric girls' hostel at Mayithara in Cherthala, Alappuzha district.
The Minister said all 32 projects under the department's 100-day action programme have been completed.
Menus in post-matric hostels have been upgraded and a special loan scheme for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe women has been launched.
A thousand study rooms have been built.
P. Prasad MLA presided over the function.
Applications in first phase:
10,000
Minister:
K.A. Thulasi
Venue of announcement:
Mayithara, Cherthala, Alappuzha
Why it matters for exams: The department in charge of housing for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families, and the first-phase figure, are both exam-sized facts.
Kerala PSC
15 October 2026
The Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes Welfare Department has completed all 32 projects it announced under the State government's 100-day action plan.
The Dakshayani self-employment subsidy scheme for women gives up to Rs 3.75 lakh to an individual entrepreneur and up to Rs 11.25 lakh to a group.
The Priyadarshini scheme gives interest-free loans of up to Rs 5 lakh.
The department reports Rs 200 crore in loans distributed to 16,000 beneficiaries and 600 people placed in jobs within the 100 days through skill training.
A thousand study rooms were completed and development work finished in 50 Ambedkar villages.
Four post-matric hostels were started, at Kozhinjampara, Manissery, Aluva and Cherthala, and five multi-purpose centres in Wayanad, Palakkad, Malappuram, Thrissur and Kozhikode.
Thirty new initial learning centres were started under the Scheduled Tribes Development Department, and tribal extension offices in Palakkad, Wayanad, Idukki and Kozhikode were upgraded to smart offices.
The Panchami Gramam pilot runs in Kongad constituency in Palakkad and applies where at least three Scheduled Caste families live.
Projects completed:
32
Dakshayani subsidy:
Up to Rs 3.75 lakh individual, Rs 11.25 lakh group
Priyadarshini loan:
Interest-free, up to Rs 5 lakh
Loans distributed:
Rs 200 crore to 16,000 beneficiaries
Study rooms:
1,000
Why it matters for exams: Scheme names with exact subsidy ceilings are among the most frequently asked Kerala PSC facts.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Post-matric hostel Post-matriculation hostel — A hostel for students who have passed the tenth standard and are studying further.
15 October 2026
A Division Bench of Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S. passed directions in the High Court's suo motu road safety case, Suo Motu v. Union of India and Others, reported as 2026:IO:KER:14.
The Transport Commissioner, through the Deputy Transport Commissioners, must ensure that inspecting officers upload modification details of accident vehicles, with photographs and videos, on the e-DAR portal.
The uploads must cover bodywork that violates safety standards and raises the risk or seriousness of injury to a person struck by a vehicle, an offence punishable under Section 182A(4) of the Motor Vehicles Act.
They must also record unauthorised alterations that increase engine horsepower or performance and any change to the braking system fitted by the manufacturer.
The State Police Chief must ensure that the police comply strictly.
Because photographs visible on e-DAR were not appearing on printed accident inspection reports, the Court suo motu impleaded the Deputy Director General of the National Informatics Centre as an additional respondent.
The matter is listed again on 28 October 2026.
Bench:
Justice Anil K. Narendran and Justice Muralee Krishna S.
Case:
Suo Motu v. Union of India and Others, 2026:IO:KER:14
Provision named:
Section 182A(4), Motor Vehicles Act
Next hearing:
28 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: The e-DAR portal and Section 182A of the Motor Vehicles Act are both named, and High Court directions on road safety recur in current affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
e-DAR electronic Detailed Accident Report — A national portal on which road accident details are recorded by police and transport officers.
Suo motu On its own motion — A case a court takes up by itself without anyone filing a petition.
NIC National Informatics Centre — The Union Government body that builds and runs government software platforms.
15 October 2026
The Kerala State Electricity Board has announced revised service connection charges, worked out from the connected load instead of from the poles and material each connection needs.
For a single-phase domestic connection with a connected load up to 2 kW, the charge is a flat Rs 2,000.
A single-phase non-domestic connection costs Rs 2,500 up to 1 kW and Rs 3,000 above 1 kW up to 2 kW; all categories pay Rs 5,000 above 2 kW up to 5 kW.
Three-phase connections cost Rs 8,000 above 5 kW up to 7 kW and Rs 10,000 above 7 kW up to 10 kW.
KSEB's Distribution Core Committee reckons 67 per cent of connections have a load up to 2 kW, 76 per cent are below 3 kW and about 91 per cent are up to 5 kW.
KSEB had proposed Rs 2,500 up to 1 kW and Rs 3,000 above that for domestic users; the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission rejected the slab and fixed the flat Rs 2,000, noting that many houses built under central and state housing schemes, including the LIFE Mission, fall in the up to 2 kW range.
The revised rates took effect on 12 October and apply to premises within 200 metres of the existing 11 kV or low tension network.
Domestic up to 2 kW:
Rs 2,000
Share of connections up to 2 kW:
67 per cent
Three-phase above 7 kW up to 10 kW:
Rs 10,000
Effective from:
12 October
Why it matters for exams: The split of work between KSEB and the regulatory commission, and the exact slab figures, are both standard question material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSERC Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission — The statutory body that fixes electricity tariffs and charges in Kerala.
Connected load Connected load — The total wattage of equipment a consumer's connection is sanctioned for.
15 October 2026
The Kerala State Financial Enterprises launched 'Pink Chitties', a chitty open only to women and transgender persons.
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced the launch at a function in the Niyamasabha media room.
The scheme is presented as part of the government's women's empowerment policy and is meant to build a savings habit out of daily savings and to promote financial self-reliance through a secure investment.
At the same function, KSFE Managing Director P.N. Abhilash handed the Chief Minister the second instalment of the company's guarantee commission for 2025-26, of Rs 110.04 crore.
General Managers S. Sharath Chandran and P. Sreekumar and Company Secretary Emil Alex were present.
Guarantee commission instalment:
Rs 110.04 crore
Financial year:
2025-26
Eligible subscribers:
Women and transgender persons only
Why it matters for exams: KSFE is a Kerala public sector undertaking that appears often in state exams, and a new scheme with an exact commission figure is easy to set a question on.
Kerala PSCBank
In plain words
KSFE Kerala State Financial Enterprises — A state-owned company that runs chitties and gold loans in Kerala.
Guarantee commission Guarantee commission — A fee a public undertaking pays the government for the state's guarantee on its borrowings.
15 October 2026
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan announced the 'Janasparsham' file adalat after a Cabinet meeting. It runs from 15 October to 31 December 2026.
The drive covers electronic and physical files pending in government departments, with priority to long-pending and urgent cases.
About 2.76 lakh e-files are pending across departments.
The announcement came with the results of the government's first 100-day action plan: 568 of the 588 announced projects were completed, which the government put at 96.8 per cent completion.
The remaining 20 projects are about 90 per cent complete.
A public transparency portal on the 100-day plan has been opened, and a dashboard to track investment progress is planned.
A survey of senior citizens has begun to identify those who need support.
Pending e-files:
2.76 lakh
Adalat period:
15 October to 31 December 2026
Projects completed:
568 of 588
Completion announced:
96.8%
Why it matters for exams: A named state-wide administrative drive with hard numbers attached to it is the kind of fact Kerala PSC asks about directly.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
File adalat File clearance drive — A time-bound camp in which officials dispose of files that have been pending for long.
Background
The United Nations records that Egypt and Syria were original Members of the United Nations from 24 October 1945.
Following a plebiscite on 21 February 1958, the United Arab Republic was established by a union of Egypt and Syria and continued as a single Member.
On 13 October 1961, Syria, having resumed its status as an independent State, resumed its separate membership in the United Nations.
On 2 September 1971, the United Arab Republic changed its name to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The country's formal name at the United Nations is the Syrian Arab Republic.
Original membership from:
24 October 1945
United Arab Republic plebiscite:
21 February 1958
Separate membership resumed:
13 October 1961
Formal name:
Syrian Arab Republic
Why it matters for exams: The United Arab Republic episode is a classic trap in questions on original UN members and admission dates.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UAR United Arab Republic — The 1958 union of Egypt and Syria, which continued as a single UN Member.
15 October 2026
President Ahmad Al-Sharaa of the Syrian Arab Republic addressed the General Debate of the UN General Assembly's 81st session on 23 September 2026.
It was his second address to the General Debate.
He said recovery had brought the voluntary and dignified return of more than three and a half million displaced people and refugees.
He said the Golan would remain Syrian land and cited Security Council resolution 497, adopted unanimously in 1981, which declared Israel's effective annexation of the Golan null and void.
He affirmed Syria's commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement between Israel and Syria, which established the UN observer force UNDOF.
Returns cited by the President:
More than three and a half million
General Assembly session:
81st session
Resolution cited:
Security Council resolution 497 (1981)
Why it matters for exams: Resolution 497, the 1974 disengagement agreement and UNDOF are a standard cluster in West Asia questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNDOF United Nations Disengagement Observer Force — The UN force set up by the 1974 Israel-Syria disengagement agreement to maintain the ceasefire.
15 October 2026
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons announced on 13 October 2026 that its Director-General, Sabrina Dallafior, visited Syria.
In Damascus she met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Asaad al-Shaibani.
The OPCW described the first verified destruction of chemical weapons in Syria, achieved in August 2026, as a milestone.
The organisation recalled the attacks at Khan Shaykoun in 2017 and Douma in 2018.
The Chemical Weapons Convention now binds 193 States and covers 98 per cent of the global population.
All chemical weapons stockpiles declared by possessor States have been verifiably destroyed.
OPCW Director-General:
Sabrina Dallafior
Syrian Minister met:
Asaad al-Shaibani, Minister of Foreign Affairs
States party to the Convention:
193
Population covered:
98%
Why it matters for exams: The OPCW's head, its membership figure and the Syria file are frequently asked together in international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
OPCW Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons — The Hague-based body that verifies compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
15 October 2026
The UN Security Council met on 12 October 2026 to discuss Syria's transition.
UN News recorded that 5.5 million Syrians remain displaced, around 800,000 of them in camps.
The United Nations and Damascus have begun discussing preparations for future elections, including possible UN electoral assistance.
The meeting also recorded that Israeli forces have held expanded territory in southern Syria since December 2024.
Economic hardship and tensions in Sweida were listed among the pressures on the transition.
Syrians displaced:
5.5 million
Displaced people in camps:
around 800,000
Security Council meeting:
12 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Displacement figures and the UN's role in Syria's election preparations are standard international-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNSC United Nations Security Council — The UN organ with primary responsibility for international peace and security.
15 October 2026
The United States Department of Justice has charged Abdulrahman Alfozan, a 35-year-old engineer who joined OpenAI in July 2025, over a hidden audio recording device installed in an executive conference room at the company's San Francisco office. He is charged with using or endeavouring to use an electronic, mechanical or other device to intercept oral communications. The device was discovered on 30 September, plugged into a USB port on a television, and was installed on or about 28 September. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, along with three years of supervised release. Alfozan is a Saudi national and has been a United States legal permanent resident since September 2020. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case and its Director, Kash Patel, issued a statement.
Device discovered:
30 September
Device installed:
On or about 28 September
Maximum penalty:
Five years in prison and a $250,000 fine
Why it matters for exams: A current-affairs item on corporate information security and the US federal wiretap offence, with precise dates and a named maximum penalty.
UPSCSSC
In plain words
FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation — The principal federal investigative agency of the United States.
15 October 2026
The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and the New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies Division of the Ministry of External Affairs jointly launched the inaugural edition of the MEA-CSIR Tech Familiarization Programme on 14 October 2026. Thirty-three ambassadors and senior embassy officials from 29 countries took part. The programme was held at two CSIR laboratories in New Delhi, the CSIR-Central Road Research Institute and the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology. At CSIR-CRRI the visitors saw a driving simulator, a cyclic load test facility, a steel slag laboratory, a 3D bio-binder model and drones, with a live demonstration of Ecofix, a steel slag-based instant pothole repair mix. At CSIR-IGIB they were shown facilities for genome sequencing, biosafety, zebrafish research, biobanking and Good Manufacturing Practice. Dr. Rama Swami Bansal, Head of CSIR's International S&T Affairs Directorate, gave an overview of CSIR's capabilities and Dr. Sadre Alam, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, explained the programme's purpose.
Participants:
33 ambassadors and senior embassy officials
Countries represented:
29
Laboratories visited:
CSIR-CRRI and CSIR-IGIB
Why it matters for exams: Science diplomacy with the Global South, the CSIR laboratories involved and the Ecofix demonstration are all quotable specifics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research — India's largest publicly funded chain of research laboratories.
NEST New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies Division — The Ministry of External Affairs division that handles technology diplomacy.
15 October 2026
India and Brunei Darussalam held the third meeting of their Joint Trade Committee. It was co-chaired by Shri Amit Verma, Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and by Dr. May Fa'ezah Ahmad Ariffin, Permanent Secretary (Economy and Trade) in Brunei Darussalam's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. The two sides discussed expanding bilateral trade, market access priorities and mechanisms for business-to-business exchanges. They took up facilitating Indian exports of agricultural and animal products to Brunei to support food security, and identified pharmaceuticals, healthcare and energy as key areas for cooperation, including regulatory collaboration and procurement. Tourism, trade fairs and exhibitions, trade promotion events and reciprocal business delegations were also discussed. The next Joint Trade Committee meeting will be held in Brunei Darussalam.
Meeting:
Third Joint Trade Committee
Next venue:
Brunei Darussalam
Why it matters for exams: India-ASEAN bilateral mechanisms and the ordinal number of such meetings are standard objective questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JTC Joint Trade Committee — A bilateral mechanism of officials that reviews trade and economic cooperation.
15 October 2026
The Ministry of Law and Justice has mobilized nineteen National Law Universities from sixteen states for a nationwide, research-based mission on criminal case backlogs. The effort targets the top 100 judicial districts with high litigation pendency. Over 5.8 crore cases are pending nationwide, and the 100 identified districts account for over half of all district-court pendency. Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, chaired the meeting, which was held by video conference. The Secretary of the Department of Justice, the Director General (Awards), the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau attended in person.
Universities involved:
19 from 16 states
Districts targeted:
Top 100 judicial districts
Cases pending nationwide:
Over 5.8 crore
Why it matters for exams: The pendency figure and the number of universities and districts are the kind of precise numbers polity papers use.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NCRB National Crime Records Bureau — The body that compiles India's crime statistics.
BPR&D Bureau of Police Research and Development — The Union body for police research, training and modernisation.
15 October 2026
The Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority has invited applications for appointment on contract to five posts: Chief Engineer, Town Planner, Administrative and Revenue Officer, Assistant Executive Engineer (Civil) and Assistant Executive Engineer (Electrical). Retired employees of the Government or of local self-government institutions who held these same posts may apply. Applications, with a biodata and a self-addressed envelope bearing a postage stamp, must reach the Secretary, Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority, Jayamansion, Vazhuthacad, Sasthamangalam PO, Thiruvananthapuram 10, before 5 p.m. on 26 October. The notice gives the phone number 2722748, the website www.trida.kerala.gov.in and the e-mail tridasecretary@gmail.com.
Posts:
Five, including Chief Engineer and Town Planner
Last date:
26 October, before 5 p.m.
Why it matters for exams: TRIDA is one of the statutory development authorities a Kerala PSC candidate is expected to place, and the notice fixes both the posts and the deadline.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
TRIDA Thiruvananthapuram Development Authority — The statutory authority for planned development in the Thiruvananthapuram region.
15 October 2026
Kerala has formally asked the Union Government to amend the law so that the seven-year waiting period before a death certificate can be issued for a person lost at sea is reduced. Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor said this in the Kerala Legislative Assembly, replying to questions from M. Vincent and C.R. Manoj. Under the law as it stands, a death certificate for a missing person can be issued only after seven years have passed since the disappearance, which the Government said causes serious hardship to fishing families. Cases in which seven years have already passed will be taken up urgently. Jobs for the families of those who died in the Ockhi disaster will be considered on the basis of educational qualifications. Compensation for fishermen who lost boats and nets in accidents involving ships and containers will be speeded up; a related case is pending before the High Court.
Present waiting period:
Seven years
Minister who replied:
V.E. Abdul Gafoor, Fisheries
Why it matters for exams: A State asking the Union Government for a central legal amendment on behalf of one occupational group is a clean example of Centre-State legislative interaction.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Ockhi Cyclone Ockhi — The 2017 cyclone in which many Kerala fishermen went missing at sea.
Background
The former State of Jammu and Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The reorganisation took effect from 31st October 2019 under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
The Act is Act No. 34 of 2019 and is listed under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs.
The new Union Territory of Ladakh consists of two districts of Kargil and Leh.
The remaining area of the former State forms the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1947 the former State had 14 districts, and by 2019 the state government had reorganized the areas of these 14 districts into 28 districts.
The maps of the new union territories were prepared by the Survey General of India.
Act number:
Act No. 34 of 2019
Reorganisation effective from:
31st October 2019
Districts in Union Territory of Ladakh:
2 (Kargil and Leh)
Ministry:
Ministry of Home Affairs
Why it matters for exams: Examiners test the union territory structure of Jammu and Kashmir and which districts fall in Ladakh, because it changes both the polity map and the administrative list of India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Union Territory — A part of India administered directly by the Union Government, not by a state government.
Survey General of India — The head of the national surveying and mapping organisation that prepares India's official maps.
14 October 2026
The Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) quashed the suspension of Kumar Punit, Regional Provident Fund Commissioner-I of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), in an order pronounced on October 14.
He was suspended on July 27, 2026, and his headquarters during suspension was shifted from Chandigarh to Chennai and Puducherry.
Before the tribunal, the EPFO justified the suspension by citing messages in an official WhatsApp group in July that it attributed to him.
The tribunal held that an order must be judged by the reasons recorded in it, and the authority cannot bring in new reasons later.
It relied on the Supreme Court judgment in Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner.
The tribunal also set aside the shift of his headquarters, noting that no administrative reason or public interest had been stated.
Suspension date:
July 27, 2026
Headquarters shifted to:
Chennai and Puducherry
Precedent relied on:
Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner
Why it matters for exams: Applies the Mohinder Singh Gill principle of administrative law and shows the role of tribunals created under Article 323A.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAT Central Administrative Tribunal — Tribunal set up under the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, to decide service disputes of Union government employees.
EPFO Employees' Provident Fund Organisation — Statutory body under the Union Labour Ministry that runs the provident fund and pension schemes for workers.
CPFC Central Provident Fund Commissioner — The chief executive officer of the EPFO.
Mohinder Singh Gill v. Chief Election Commissioner Supreme Court, 1978 — Held that a statutory order must be judged by the reasons stated in it, not by reasons supplied later.
14 October 2026
Allottees of independent Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) houses will be able to retain lawful additions and alterations made under the board's earlier need-based change orders.
They must inform the CHB within three months, submit plans certified by a registered architect and a structural stability certificate in Form J under the Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017, and pay pending charges.
If the CHB finds deviations that cannot be regularised or compounded, it will inform the allottee within 60 days.
Demolition and reconstruction of independent houses is allowed under the development control norms for marla houses in the 2017 rules.
The framework was approved by the CHB board of directors in September and will come into effect after notification; it is in line with a Punjab and Haryana High Court order of April 21, 2022, and does not cover encroachment on government land.
The board has also cleared lifts in all CHB flats, allowing adjoining government land where a lift cannot be built within the building line.
Time to inform CHB:
Three months
CHB response on deviations:
Within 60 days
Governing rules:
Chandigarh Building Rules (Urban), 2017
High Court order followed:
April 21, 2022
Why it matters for exams: Shows how a Union Territory regulates planned housing under its building rules, a governance topic for state-focus questions on Chandigarh.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Need-based changes Need-based changes — Alterations to allotted houses that the housing board permits to meet residents' growing needs.
FAR Floor area ratio — The ratio of a building's total floor area to the area of its plot.
Ground coverage Ground coverage — The share of a plot that a building's footprint is allowed to occupy.
Marla Marla — A traditional unit of land area used in Punjab and Chandigarh.
Form J Structural stability certificate (Form J) — The prescribed form under the Chandigarh Building Rules certifying a structure is safe.
14 October 2026
Residents of more than 66,000 Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) houses no longer need the board's prior approval or a no-objection certificate (NOC) to install rooftop solar plants.
Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria approved the change for all CHB dwelling units with immediate effect.
An order issued by CHB Chairman H Rajesh Prasad says installations must follow the guidelines of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
They must be carried out through the Chandigarh Renewable Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST).
Chandigarh has already put rooftop solar on all 6,366 technically feasible government offices and residential complexes, with 18.1 MWp of capacity.
Under the scheme the Centre gives a subsidy of up to Rs 78,000 for residential rooftop systems of up to 3 kW.
CHB houses covered:
More than 66,000
Government buildings with rooftop solar:
6,366
Installed capacity:
18.1 MWp
Maximum subsidy (up to 3 kW):
Rs 78,000
Why it matters for exams: PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and rooftop solar targets are standard scheme questions in environment and economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NOC No-objection certificate — A written statement from an authority that it has no objection to a proposed action.
CHB Chandigarh Housing Board — The public housing agency of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
CREST Chandigarh Renewable Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society — The UT agency that implements renewable energy projects in Chandigarh.
MWp Megawatt peak — The maximum output of a solar installation under standard test conditions.
PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana — Central scheme launched in February 2024 that subsidises household rooftop solar.