29 September 2026
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the due date for filing the Return of Income for Assessment Year 2026-27.
The date moves from 31st October, 2026 to 21st November, 2026 for persons subject to audit under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
The 'specified date' for furnishing the audit report for AY 2026-27 is extended from 30th September, 2026 to 21st October, 2026.
The relevant persons are those at Serial No. 2 in the Table below Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139.
A formal order or notification is being issued separately.
Assessment Year:
2026-27
Old return due date:
31 October 2026
New return due date:
21 November 2026
New audit report date:
21 October 2026
Why it matters for exams: Tax due-date changes and the role of CBDT are routinely asked in bank, SSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
29 September 2026
Health, AYUSH and Devaswom Minister K. Muralidharan inaugurated the district-level 11th Ayurveda Day observance at Nanthancode Swaraj Bhavan. He said government Ayurveda hospitals will be raised to a better standard, like allopathy institutions, and the shortage of therapists will be addressed. He acknowledged that inpatient facilities are fewer in the government sector than in the private sector. Local Self-Government Minister K. M. Shaji inaugurated mega screening medical camps at the function.
Occasion:
11th Ayurveda Day, district-level inauguration
Venue:
Nanthancode Swaraj Bhavan
Why it matters for exams: Health-department announcements and AYUSH observances are common in Kerala PSC general-knowledge sections.
Kerala PSC
29 September 2026
Justice A. Badharudeen of the Kerala High Court reserved judgment on a plea seeking a direction to register an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act in the CMRL-Exalogic case. The plea names former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter Veena Vijayan and Mohammed Riyas. The Enforcement Directorate had sent a communication on 7 September under Section 66(2) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The question before the court is whether a preliminary enquiry is needed before an FIR is registered on such a communication.
Judge:
Justice A. Badharudeen
ED communication:
7 September, PMLA Section 66(2)
Why it matters for exams: Questions on PMLA Section 66(2), the Prevention of Corruption Act and the FIR-versus-preliminary-enquiry debate recur in law and polity papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
The Kerala High Court Rule Committee decided to delete sub-rule (2) of Rule 54, Order XXI of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. The sub-rule required an order attaching immovable property to be proclaimed on or near the property by beat of drum or other customary mode. The decision came to light through a reply from the High Court's public information officer. Courts had been collecting a 'tom-tom' charge of ₹100 per proclamation, raised in 2016 from ₹15.
Provision deleted:
Order XXI Rule 54(2), CPC 1908
Tom-tom charge:
₹100 per proclamation
Why it matters for exams: Changes to civil procedure rules and the High Court's rule-making role are favourite polity and law questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. of the Kerala High Court on 29 September 2026 directed the Secretary of the Department of Backward Classes Development to file an affidavit on the steps taken for a socio-economic caste survey in Kerala.
The affidavit must be filed within four weeks and the matter was posted for hearing on 5 November 2026.
The direction came in a contempt case, Con. Case (C) 2097/2026, filed by the Minority Indians Planning and Vigilance Commission Trust.
The proceedings relate to compliance with an earlier judgment on inadequate representation of backward classes in public services and a survey under the Kerala State Commission for Backward Classes Act, 1993.
The court asked the Additional Advocate General to examine a 2024 Telangana government order on a door-to-door household survey of socio-economic and caste data and to suggest what may be adopted in Kerala.
The departmental Secretary was newly added as a respondent in the case.
Affidavit deadline:
Four weeks
Next hearing:
5 November 2026
Case number:
Con. Case (C) 2097/2026
Why it matters for exams: Connects a live High Court proceeding with the 1993 state Act that governs backward class identification.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
The Kerala Transport Department has directed the State Transport Authority to reconsider its decision of 11 August 2021 that fixed a uniform colour scheme for contract carriages other than light motor vehicles.
Under the existing code such buses must have the body painted white, with a violet stripe running horizontally across the middle and a thin golden stripe above it.
The government order notes that the All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, do not prescribe a specific colour for the body of tourist vehicles.
Operators had argued that the state restriction puts Kerala-registered buses at a disadvantage against tourist vehicles registered in other states.
Any revision must still comply with a 2019 Kerala High Court judgment restricting displays on buses in the interest of road safety.
The existing colour code is not scrapped by the order; a change will depend on the decision of the State Transport Authority.
Decision to be reviewed:
11 August 2021
Central rules cited:
All India Tourist Vehicles (Permit) Rules, 2023
Reviewing body:
State Transport Authority
Why it matters for exams: Shows how a state transport rule interacts with central permit rules and an earlier High Court direction.
Kerala PSCSSC
Background
Norway became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, the year the alliance was created.
NATO's founding member countries were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Among the Nordic countries, Denmark, Iceland and Norway were founding members, while Finland and Sweden joined much later.
Norway therefore takes part in NATO's collective defence commitment from the alliance's beginning.
Year Norway joined:
1949
Founding members:
12
Why it matters for exams: NATO's founding members and later accessions are a recurring defence and international organisation question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
Votes for local body bypolls in 38 wards across 12 districts of Kerala were counted on 29 September 2026.
The UDF tally in these wards fell from 22 to 19 and the LDF tally rose from 15 to 18, while the NDA retained one seat.
The recorded turnout was 58.81 per cent and 126 candidates were in the fray.
The wards included divisions in the Kochi and Kozhikode corporations, municipal wards in Mattannur, Chittur-Thathamangalam and Chalakudy, district and block panchayat wards, and 23 grama panchayat wards.
Kannur recorded the highest turnout and Kottayam the lowest.
The UDF lost seven sitting wards and the LDF four, with the LDF picking up seven new seats.
Wards:
38
Districts:
12
Turnout:
58.81%
Candidates:
126
Why it matters for exams: Fresh, precise numbers on a state-wide local body bypoll round, useful for polity and current affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Storting is the parliament of Norway.
There are 169 elected Members of the Storting.
Parliamentary elections in Norway take place every four years.
The Storting is led by a Presidium and the presiding officer is the President of the Storting.
The Storting passes laws, adopts the national budget and supervises the Government.
Elected members:
169
Election interval:
Every four years
Presiding body:
The Presidium
Why it matters for exams: The size and term of foreign legislatures is a standard comparative-polity question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
Justice C.S. Dias of the Kerala High Court on 29 September 2026 dismissed a petition seeking transfer of the Shuhaib murder trial from the Additional Sessions Judge-III, Thalassery.
The petition was filed by Akash M.V. and others under Section 447 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in Tr.P(Crl.) 38/2026 and Crl.MC 4292/2026.
The petitioners had sought the transfer citing a reasonable apprehension that they would not get a fair and impartial trial before that court.
Justice Dias directed the trial court to give the accused a full and effective opportunity to participate, including by suo motu reopening the evidence and permitting cross-examination of witnesses.
The court also directed that the proceedings be expedited, as the case arose from the death of Youth Congress activist Shuhaib at Mattanur in Kannur district on 12 February 2018.
The order is reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 534.
Judge:
Justice C.S. Dias
Provision:
Section 447, BNSS 2023
Citation:
2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 534
Why it matters for exams: Links a current Kerala High Court order to the transfer-of-cases provision in the new criminal procedure code.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
Norway's National Budget for 2027 will be presented to the Storting as Report no. 1 (2026-2027) on 7 October 2026 at 10:00 AM, the Government has announced.
The Storting is Norway's parliament and must consider and approve the budget.
The Ministry of Finance co-ordinates the preparation of the budget, which the Government presents to the Storting every autumn together with the fiscal budget.
A Revised National Budget is presented each spring.
Presentation date:
7 October 2026
Document:
Report no. 1 (2026-2027)
Presented to:
The Storting
Why it matters for exams: Budget calendars of major economies appear in economy and comparative-governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
The Supreme Court on 29 September 2026 raised concern over steep markups on cancer medicines at private hospitals and described the practice as carnage.
The Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta suggested a uniform 16 per cent margin on all medicines.
The Bench asked the Centre to examine whether corporate hospitals require patients to buy medicines only from their own or designated pharmacies, and observed that such practices can impose a burden on patients and taxpayers, particularly when treatment is covered under government schemes.
It also questioned the pricing of non-scheduled medicines, which constitute a substantial share of the market, and said the issue would be examined thoroughly.
The petitions concern regulation of medicine prices, generic prescriptions and medical devices under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013.
The matter was posted for further hearing on 12 October.
Margin suggested:
16 per cent
Next hearing:
October 12
Why it matters for exams: Drug price control under the DPCO and the role of the NPPA are recurring health and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal launched a new set of initiatives under PRAGATI 50 on 29 September 2026.
PRAGATI 50 builds a Model City Framework for 50 cities selected across 24 states.
The cities were chosen for their economic, cultural, heritage, pilgrimage, tourism and administrative significance.
The initiative targets visible improvements in urban cleanliness, solid waste management, used water management, sanitation and citizen participation.
A Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre was launched at Durgapur in collaboration with the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute.
A Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Centre was inaugurated at Sankalp Bhawan in New Delhi as part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026.
Cities covered:
50
States represented:
24
Why it matters for exams: New urban missions and their targets are standard scheme questions for PSC and UPSC.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Qatari counterpart Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari in Doha on 29 September 2026, on the sidelines of the AIIB annual meeting.
The two ministers discussed expanding India's UPI payment system across Qatar and strengthening financial cooperation.
They took up the implementation of Qatar's $10 billion investment commitment to India and greater engagement with the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund.
Finalisation of the Bilateral Investment Treaty and a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement was also discussed.
Sitharaman noted that recent high-level engagements had elevated India-Qatar relations to a strategic partnership.
Qatari investment commitment:
$10 billion
Venue:
Doha
Why it matters for exams: UPI internationalisation and India's investment treaties with Gulf partners are frequently examined economy topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
29 September 2026
The Supreme Court on 29 September 2026 quashed the detention of Mulla Afroz under the National Security Act in connection with the Sambhal violence case.
The Bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on the Uttar Pradesh government.
The Court held that the detention order could not rest on a confession said to have been made while the detenu was in police custody.
It held that a mere possibility of the detenu becoming involved in crime again, without cogent material supporting that apprehension, cannot furnish a valid basis for preventive detention.
The Bench set aside the Allahabad High Court order that had upheld the detention.
Cost imposed:
Rs 10 lakh
Bench:
Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu
Why it matters for exams: Preventive detention limits under the National Security Act are a core polity and rights topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
United States forces left their last bases in Iraq under a withdrawal deadline of Wednesday 30 September 2026, ending the deployment of the US-led coalition whose operation against ISIL was first launched in 2015.
The withdrawal was agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried out by Donald Trump's administration.
Around 2,500 US troops had been stationed in Iraq in recent years, and 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war.
In the wake of the withdrawal the two countries appear to be reverting to the 2008 Strategic Framework and Security Agreement, signed under President George W Bush, which pledges continued, if non-binding, US security support for Iraq.
Iraq is set to hold four Sovereignty Days, a national holiday marking the complete withdrawal of US troops.
Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said Iraq is striving to ensure that the state is the ultimate decision-maker in matters of peace and war and that weapons remain in the hands of its constitutional institutions, and that the relationship with strategic partners is moving from military cooperation to economic and development cooperation.
The government pushed back an initial 30 September 2026 deadline to June 2027 for bringing all weapons under state control.
Withdrawal deadline:
30 September 2026
Troops stationed recently:
around 2,500
Framework now governing ties:
2008 Strategic Framework and Security Agreement
Why it matters for exams: West Asian security arrangements and the end of long foreign military deployments are common international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
The UN General Assembly held a high-level plenary meeting on 29 September 2026 to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
About 12,400 nuclear weapons remain in existence despite decades of reduction efforts.
The meeting closed the General Assembly's High-Level Week.
The eleventh Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons ended on 22 May 2026 without consensus on a final declaration.
Strikes on nuclear infrastructure in Iran and in Ukraine were cited as compounding present risks.
Nuclear weapons have been used in war only twice, on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.
Nuclear weapons remaining:
about 12,400
NPT Review Conference:
eleventh, ended 22 May 2026 without consensus
Why it matters for exams: Warhead counts, the NPT review cycle and UN disarmament observances are standard exam material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
On 29 September 2026 the UN refugee agency UNHCR reported that 8.3 million refugees and forcibly displaced people are at risk of losing vital assistance because of funding cuts.
Available funding fell from $5.178 billion in 2024 to $3.932 billion in 2025.
By July 2026 the agency had received only 32 per cent of the $8.5 billion it needed for the year.
In Afghanistan cash grants for returnees were cut from $375 per person to $170 per household, and only 175 households received reintegration grants in 2026 against 5,300 in 2024.
In Chad registration delays affect 319,000 refugees, while in Ethiopia safe houses for survivors of gender-based violence fell from 29 to 13.
UNHCR cut its workforce by one third in 2025 and closed offices in 140 locations, and project-specific funding rose from 19 per cent in 2022 to 51 per cent in 2026.
Dominique Hyde, UNHCR's Director of External Relations, said that below a certain threshold the system does not shrink, it fails.
People at risk:
8.3 million
Funding received by July 2026:
32 per cent of $8.5 billion
Offices closed:
140 locations
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian funding figures and UNHCR's mandate are recurring international-organisation questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Article 1 of the Constitution of Japan makes the Emperor the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people, deriving his position from the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power. Article 4 provides that the Emperor shall perform only such acts in matters of state as are provided for in the Constitution and shall not have powers related to government. Article 3 requires the advice and approval of the Cabinet for all acts of the Emperor in matters of state. Article 65 vests executive power in the Cabinet, and Article 66 provides that the Cabinet consists of the Prime Minister, who is its head, and other Ministers of State, all of whom must be civilians. The Cabinet, in the exercise of executive power, is collectively responsible to the Diet. Article 67 requires the Prime Minister to be designated from among the members of the Diet by a resolution of the Diet, and Article 6 then has the Emperor appoint the Prime Minister as designated by the Diet. Under Article 68 the Prime Minister appoints the Ministers of State, a majority of whom must be chosen from among the members of the Diet, and may remove them at will. Article 69 provides that if the House of Representatives passes a non-confidence resolution or rejects a confidence resolution, the Cabinet must resign en masse unless the House of Representatives is dissolved within ten (10) days.
Head of state:
The Emperor, symbol of the State (Article 1)
Executive power:
Vested in the Cabinet (Article 65)
Head of the Cabinet:
The Prime Minister (Article 66)
How the Prime Minister is chosen:
Designated by the Diet (Article 67), appointed by the Emperor (Article 6)
Ministers of State from the Diet:
A majority of their number (Article 68)
Time to dissolve after a non-confidence resolution:
ten (10) days (Article 69)
Why it matters for exams: The head of state and head of government distinction is asked of every country in the Country Focus, and Japan's parliamentary cabinet system is a close parallel to India's, which makes it a ready comparison question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Federal Constitution deals with the rights of voters in Switzerland to act directly in Title 4: The People and the Cantons, Chapter 2: Initiative and Referendum. Under Art. 138, any 100,000 persons eligible to vote may within 18 months of the official publication of their initiative propose a complete revision of the Federal Constitution, and that proposal must be submitted to a vote of the People. Under Art. 139, any 100,000 persons eligible to vote may within 18 months of the official publication of their initiative request a partial revision of the Federal Constitution in specific terms. An initiative in the form of a specific draft shall be submitted to the vote of the People and the Cantons. Art. 141 provides for the optional referendum: if within 100 days of the official publication of the enactment any 50,000 persons eligible to vote or any eight Cantons request it, the enactment shall be submitted to a vote of the People.
Signatures for a popular initiative:
100,000 within 18 months
Signatures for an optional referendum:
50,000 within 100 days
Cantons that may demand a referendum instead:
any eight Cantons
Federal Constitution provisions:
Art. 138, Art. 139 and Art. 141
Why it matters for exams: The popular initiative and the optional referendum are the classic comparison used against India's purely representative amendment process under Article 368, and the signature thresholds and time limits are frequently asked as numbers.
Kerala PSCUPSC