30 September 2026
The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly was adjourned sine die on September 30, 2026, ending a session that began on September 21.
The session saw seven sittings, with the House conducting business for around 25 hours.
According to Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, more than 640 questions were received, including 328 starred questions, and 625 were listed for discussion.
The Assembly has 90 elected members; 61 of them backed the Statehood resolution passed on September 28.
Sittings:
seven
Business conducted:
around 25 hours
Starred questions:
328
Questions listed for discussion:
625
Elected members:
90
Why it matters for exams: Legislative procedure terms such as sine die and starred questions, and the Assembly's strength, are recurring polity questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Sine die — Adjournment of a legislature without fixing a date for it to meet again.
Starred question — A question for which the member asks for an oral answer in the House.
30 September 2026
A Delhi High Court bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan has directed the Delhi Development Authority to process all pending applications for conversion of property from leasehold to freehold within two months.
The court said the applications must be decided under the policy that was in force when the applicants originally filed them.
The order was passed on 30 September 2026 in Delhi Development Authority v. Mala Sahni Seth & Another and connected matters, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Del) 937.
The court recorded that 1,373 conversion applications filed between 2020 and 2026 remained pending and that the DDA had collected about Rs. 155.06 crore in conversion charges.
It also recorded that 308 applications had been approved but the conveyance deeds remained unexecuted, and that the IDLI portal had been non-functional since January 2026.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the DDA were directed to frame a policy for new applications and place it before the court at the next hearing on 11 December 2026, with senior officials to appear in person.
Time given to the DDA:
two months
Pending applications:
1,373
Conversion charges collected:
Rs. 155.06 crore
Next hearing:
11 December 2026
Why it matters for exams: The DDA, leasehold-to-freehold conversion and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs recur in questions on urban governance in the capital.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
DDA Delhi Development Authority — The statutory body that plans and develops land in Delhi.
Freehold Freehold title — Ownership of land without a time limit, as against a lease for a fixed term.
30 September 2026
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas dismissed a petition by an Indian citizen and his wife, a Pakistani national whom he married at Dubai, seeking that she be allowed to apply for a visa to attend a family wedding in India.
The Court held that no foreign national, even if he or she is the spouse of an Indian citizen, has a vested right to demand entry into India.
It held that the issuance of a visa is a sovereign function bound up with national security and foreign policy.
The Court noted the Union Government order of April 25, 2025 suspending visa services for Pakistani nationals after the Pahalgam attack of April 22, 2025.
It referred to Section 3 of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and to the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, which replaced it.
The case is Unaiz Kadumbottil and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors., WP(C) No. 22580 of 2026, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 535.
Case:
Unaiz Kadumbottil and Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.
Writ petition number:
WP(C) No. 22580 of 2026
Citation:
2026:KER:63060
Judge:
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas
Why it matters for exams: The rights of foreigners under Articles 14 and 21, and the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, are current polity topics for UPSC and Kerala PSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Foreigners Act, 1946 The Foreigners Act, 1946 — The older central law that gave the Union Government power to regulate the entry and stay of foreigners.
Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 — The new central law on immigration that replaced the Foreigners Act, 1946.
30 September 2026
Justice Garima Prashad of the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court decided Uma Kant Tripathi v C/M Bahraich Coop Bank Ltd, cited as 2026:AHC-LKO:67510.
On 2 May 1994 the court had directed the respondents to file counter affidavits within six weeks, kept the impugned order in abeyance, and directed that the petitioner be allowed to work and paid his salary.
The court recorded that opposite parties 3 and 4, whose action formed the basis of the impugned orders, filed their counter affidavit only after further orders were passed in 2025, and that no explanation was offered for this delay of more than three decades.
The petitioner's case was that the interim relief was never implemented.
The court held that the state cannot avoid responsibility for the lapse merely because the petitioner failed to establish his substantive claim.
The delay, it said, deprived the court of timely assistance from the authorities concerned.
Dismissing the writ petition on merits and discharging the interim order, the court directed opposite parties numbered 3 and 4 to ensure that ₹1 lakh is paid to the petitioner within six weeks.
Costs imposed on the State:
₹1 lakh
Original interim order:
2 May 1994
Citation:
2026:AHC-LKO:67510
Time to pay:
six weeks
Delay in filing the counter affidavit:
more than three decades (1994 order, affidavit filed after 2025 orders)
Why it matters for exams: Costs imposed on the state for litigation delay illustrate judicial accountability mechanisms, a theme examiners use in governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Counter affidavit Counter affidavit — The sworn reply a respondent files to the facts set out in a petition.
30 September 2026
Congress named Sama Rammohan Reddy for the Mahabubnagar-Ranga Reddy-Hyderabad Graduates' constituency.
It named R Sarvottam Reddy for the Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal Graduates' constituency.
The biennial Legislative Council election from the Graduates' constituencies is scheduled for March 2027.
The date of the election is yet to be announced, and enrolment of voters is under way.
Constituency 1:
Mahabubnagar-Ranga Reddy-Hyderabad Graduates'
Constituency 2:
Nalgonda-Khammam-Warangal Graduates'
Election:
March 2027
Why it matters for exams: Graduates' constituencies and the Legislative Council are standard polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MLC Member of Legislative Council — A member of the upper house of a State legislature that has a Council.
Background
A proposed International Panel on Inequality would bring together independent evidence on the causes and consequences of widening disparities. The idea was in the spotlight at a 23 September event on the margins of the UN General Assembly's high-level week, convened by Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain. Secretary-General António Guterres said the richest 10 per cent of the world's population own 75 per cent of all wealth. Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz chairs the founding committee. The model is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC.
Share of wealth held by richest 10 per cent:
75 per cent
Event convened by:
Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Spain
Why it matters for exams: SDG 10 and the IPCC model for science-based global panels are useful for UN and economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — The UN body that assesses the science of climate change for governments.
SDG 10 Sustainable Development Goal 10 — The goal to reduce inequality within and among nations.
30 September 2026
A new UN report, Crime and Justice in a Changing World, was presented at the 15th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi. It was prepared by the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI). Homicides fell from 5.9 per 100,000 people in 2015 to 5.2 in 2023. Latin America and the Caribbean and sub-Saharan Africa together account for roughly two thirds of all homicide victims. Criminal networks are diversifying into trafficking, migrant smuggling and the exploitation of natural resources.
Homicide rate 2015:
5.9
Homicide rate 2023:
5.2
Venue of the Crime Congress:
Abu Dhabi
Why it matters for exams: UN bodies, global reports and crime statistics are regular exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNICRI UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute — A UN research body on crime prevention and criminal justice.
30 September 2026
The UN refugee agency UNHCR has voiced concern over Malaysia's decision to return 1,476 people to Myanmar. Deportation of Rohingya refugees began on Tuesday. Malaysian authorities said the process was voluntary, but those returned had been held in immigration detention. UNHCR said it did not have access to the individuals to assess their cases. It urged robust safeguards such as individual assessments and access to protection procedures.
People returned to Myanmar:
1,476
UNHCR official quoted:
Edem Wosornu, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection
Why it matters for exams: Tests knowledge of refugee protection, UNHCR's role and the Rohingya crisis.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — The UN agency that protects refugees and supports their return, integration or resettlement.
Rohingya Mainly Muslim ethnic minority of Myanmar — Forced to flee Rakhine state in large numbers in 2017; over a million now live in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.
30 September 2026
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a phone call.
Modi said they reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy, critical technologies and other areas.
They agreed to maintain close engagement to take the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership forward.
They also exchanged views on regional and international issues, including efforts to advance global peace and security.
Leaders:
Narendra Modi and Donald Trump
Areas reviewed:
Trade, defence, energy, critical technologies
Partnership:
Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership
Why it matters for exams: The India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is a recurring international relations topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership India-US partnership framework — The name both leaders use for the India-US relationship.
30 September 2026
A bench of Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva heard Veena Rani Saluja v. State of U.P. on 30 September 2026.
FIR No. 195/2026, dated 19 August 2026, in Bulandshahr was registered against an unknown motorcycle rider although the suspect had been apprehended at the scene.
The name was left blank in the FIR and supplied later.
The court summoned Shobhit Kumar, Circle Officer of Khurja, to be present on the next date of hearing to account for the discrepancies; it said it was open to him to file a better affidavit.
Bench:
Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva
FIR:
No. 195/2026, Bulandshahr
Officer summoned:
Circle Officer, Khurja
Why it matters for exams: FIR registration and police accountability link to criminal procedure and judicial oversight of investigation.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
FIR First Information Report — The first written record of a cognisable offence given to the police.
30 September 2026
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Wednesday 30 September 2026, on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministerial.
Goyal said they had a productive discussion towards early conclusion of a mutually beneficial interim agreement under the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
The two sides had announced a framework for the first phase of the trade agreement in February 2026.
The meeting coincided with a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump.
Venue:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Met:
Piyush Goyal and Jamieson Greer
Framework announced:
February 2026
Why it matters for exams: India-US trade negotiations and the G20 trade track are standard topics for economy and international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
USTR United States Trade Representative — The US official who leads trade negotiations.
30 September 2026
The contempt matter on deputation of IPS officers to the Central Armed Police Forces was moved to a special bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan.
In May 2025 the Supreme Court had declared the CAPFs Organised Group 'A' Services and ordered a progressive reduction of IPS deputations.
Parliament has since enacted the Central Armed Police Force (General Administration) Act, 2026, which sets higher IPS quotas across BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP and SSB.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati told the bench that a request to consolidate the cases had been made before the Chief Justice of India.
Both the contempt petition and the writ petitions on the 2026 Act are listed for 15 October 2026.
Special bench:
Justices Manoj Misra and Ujjal Bhuyan
Next hearing:
15 October 2026
Forces covered:
BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB
Why it matters for exams: Cadre control of the Central Armed Police Forces and Supreme Court directions on service structure are recurring security and polity topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAPF Central Armed Police Forces — Forces under the Ministry of Home Affairs such as BSF, CRPF and CISF.
30 September 2026
Journalist Seema Chishti, Editor at The Wire, has sought to intervene in the Supreme Court reference on legislative privileges.
A seven-judge Constitution Bench is to hear the matter from 6 October 2026.
The reference is N. Ravi and others v. Speaker, Legislative Assembly, Chennai and others, which arises from a 2003 Tamil Nadu Assembly action against The Hindu's editorial staff.
The central question is whether privileges under Article 194 can prevail over the freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a).
Bench:
Seven-judge Constitution Bench
Hearing from:
6 October 2026
Articles:
194 and 19(1)(a)
Why it matters for exams: Legislative privileges versus fundamental rights is a core constitutional-law topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article 194 Powers, privileges and immunities of State Legislatures — Covers the privileges of State Legislature members and committees.
30 September 2026
A bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar passed an order in Kanha @ Kanhaiya Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh on 23 September 2026; the ruling was reported on 30 September 2026.
The Supreme Court set aside the Madhya Pradesh High Court's refusal of bail and granted bail.
It noted that the appellant had been in custody for over one year with the trial still pending.
The bench said courts should refrain from imposing the personal views or value judgment of the presiding judge on morality while deciding a bail matter or a criminal trial.
It did not accept the High Court's reasoning that denying bail protected social order and the moral standing of the victim's family.
Case:
Kanha @ Kanhaiya Singh v. State of Madhya Pradesh
Bench:
Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Atul S. Chandurkar
Custody:
Over one year
Why it matters for exams: Judicial approach to bail and the limits of a judge's discretion are recurring polity and law topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bail Release of an accused pending trial — Courts decide it on law and facts of the case.
30 September 2026
A new bowstring steel arch bridge at Neriamangalam across the Periyar River on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway is in its final stage, with opening promised before 15 October 2026.
The bridge is 214 metres long and 13 metres wide, with five spans of 42 metres each.
It has been built parallel to the old British-era arch bridge, which is being retained.
Onmanorama calls it Kerala's first bowstring steel arch bridge, named for the steel rods that resemble a bow.
The aim is to ease traffic congestion on the highway stretch at Neriamangalam.
Length:
214 metres
Width:
13 metres
Spans:
5 of 42 metres each
River:
Periyar
Highway:
Kochi-Dhanushkodi
Why it matters for exams: Bridge and highway infrastructure on the Periyar is a staple Kerala geography and development question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bowstring arch Bowstring arch bridge — A bridge whose arch is tied at its ends so that it works like a drawn bow.
Periyar Periyar River — Kerala's longest river, which flows through Idukki and Ernakulam districts.
30 September 2026
Wayanad will be declared an e-waste-free institutional district on 2 October 2026, Onmanorama reported on 30 September.
The drive is led by local self-government institutions, the Suchitwa Mission and the Clean Kerala Company.
Taluk-level collection centres have been set up so that items such as fluorescent tubes, CFL bulbs and lithium batteries do not pollute soil and water.
Minister T Siddique announced the plan at a meeting with district officials.
ETV Bharat reports that the wider district drive begins on 1 November 2026, with Haritha Karma Sena assisting collection.
District:
Wayanad
Declaration date:
2 October 2026
Lead agencies:
Suchitwa Mission, Clean Kerala Company
Why it matters for exams: Links waste management, local self-government and the work of Suchitwa Mission and Clean Kerala Company.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
E-waste Electronic waste — Discarded electrical and electronic equipment such as computers, phones and batteries.
Haritha Karma Sena Haritha Karma Sena — The green task force that collects waste from households and institutions for local bodies.
30 September 2026
Justice Viju Abraham of the Kerala High Court ruled on 30 September 2026 that the one-year senior residency obligation of postgraduate doctors from government medical colleges starts from the date of publication of the result.
The period counts whether or not a posting is granted soon after.
The State had about 600 senior resident vacancies for roughly 1,000 postgraduates, as the 2021 and 2022 batches finished together.
The court called doctors sitting idle without service 'a national waste'.
The government must either create additional posts or release the petitioners from the bond within one month.
Bond period:
One year
Senior resident vacancies:
About 600
Postgraduates eligible:
About 1,000
Time given to State:
One month
Why it matters for exams: Tests knowledge of compulsory service bonds, writ jurisdiction of the High Court and Kerala's health manpower planning.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Senior residency Senior Residency — A period of service in a government hospital that postgraduate doctors complete after their course.
Writ petition WP(C) — A petition to the High Court under Article 226 seeking enforcement of a legal right.
30 September 2026
The Election Commission of India met at 4:30 PM at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr. SS Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi attended. The Commission decided to extend the SIR dates in Andhra Pradesh and Meghalaya. In Andhra Pradesh the notice phase and disposal of claims and objections runs from 31.07.2026 to 10.10.2026, with final publication on 16.10.2026. In Meghalaya final publication is on 26.10.2026.
Andhra Pradesh final publication:
16.10.2026
Meghalaya final publication:
26.10.2026
Chief Election Commissioner:
Gyanesh Kumar
Why it matters for exams: The Election Commission's composition, its constitutional status and electoral-roll revision are regular polity questions in UPSC and Kerala PSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — A house-to-house revision of the electoral rolls run by the Election Commission.
30 September 2026
The Election Commission of India has removed the additional declaration form from the official voter service portal for states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has concluded, Kerala among them.
New voters in those states can now register with the standard Form 6 alone.
The declaration is still required in 13 states where the SIR is under way.
The Commission said no change was made to the statutory Form 6 itself; a separate Annexure-D had been attached to it during the SIR.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had earlier objected that the added declaration needed authorisation under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Form now needed for new voters:
Form 6
States where declaration still required:
13
Attachment used during SIR:
Annexure-D
Why it matters for exams: Electoral roll procedure, Form 6 and the rules governing voter registration are staple polity topics for Kerala PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SIR Special Intensive Revision — A house-to-house revision of electoral rolls carried out by the Election Commission.
Form 6 Application for inclusion of name in the electoral roll — The standard form a new elector files to be registered as a voter.
30 September 2026
Justice V Lakshminarayanan of the Madras High Court heard petitions on the R Veeramani POCSO case on 30 September 2026. The court declined to order a CBI probe, noting that the newly formed Special Investigation Team needed time. It made no direction for the Chief Minister and two ministers to appear before the SIT. The DMK's petition was adjourned by four weeks. A related petition by the NGO Tulir on publication of child sexual abuse material is listed for 6 October 2026.
Judge:
Justice V Lakshminarayanan
Adjourned by:
Four weeks
Related petition listed:
6 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Questions on POCSO, SIT versus CBI probes and court-monitored investigations recur in polity and law papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
POCSO Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 — The law that criminalises sexual offences against children and provides child-friendly procedures.
SIT Special Investigation Team — A team of officers set up to probe one specific case.
CBI Central Bureau of Investigation — India's premier central investigating agency.