26 September 2026
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil announced on 26 September that the government will bear the postal delivery cost of medicines from 1 October.
Patients who opt for the service will no longer pay for delivery themselves.
The Communications Ministry will help the Health Ministry provide the service through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
It will be rolled out nationwide with an allocation of about RM5 million.
It is expected to benefit about 80,000 patients a month.
Fahmi spoke after visiting the Persada digital health connectivity project at Padang Besar Health Clinic in Perlis.
Start date:
1 October 2026
Allocation:
RM5 million
Patients per month:
80,000
Why it matters for exams: It is an example of telecom and postal infrastructure being used to widen access to public healthcare.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MCMC Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission — Malaysia's regulator for telecommunications, broadcasting, internet and postal services.
Persada National Digital Health Ecosystem and Connectivity Driver — A Malaysian project to improve digital connectivity at health facilities.
26 September 2026
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan delivered the national statement at the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September.
He said the veto power of the Security Council must be challenged and ultimately abolished.
He said expanding the Council's membership alone will not be enough to resolve its failures.
He urged every General Assembly member to question the use of the veto, especially in cases of crimes against humanity.
He said Resolution 76/262 had already created an accountability channel between the Security Council and the General Assembly.
The Security Council has 15 members, five of them permanent members with the veto.
UNGA session:
81st
Resolution cited:
76/262
Security Council members:
15 (5 permanent)
Why it matters for exams: UN Security Council reform and the veto are standard topics in UPSC international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNGA United Nations General Assembly — The main deliberative body of the UN, in which every member state has one vote.
Veto Veto power — The right of each of the five permanent Security Council members to block a substantive resolution.
Resolution 76/262 UN General Assembly resolution 76/262 — The General Assembly resolution that links a Security Council veto to a debate in the Assembly.
26 September 2026
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, 26 September 2026, granted permission to 23 of the 31 films initially denied clearance for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
The 31 short films and documentaries had not received exemption from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance.
Screenings of the cleared films begin on Sunday, 27 September, at Kairali, Sree and Nila theatres in Thiruvananthapuram.
Organisers said it was the first time since the festival began in 2008 that so many selected films were dropped over clearance issues.
The News Minute reported that eight films still awaited approval.
At the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala, 19 films were denied and 13 were later allowed after the Kerala government wrote to the Union Government.
Films initially denied:
31
Films cleared:
23
Ministry:
Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Festival began:
2008
Why it matters for exams: Film certification, the CBFC and the Union-State interface on festivals link polity with Kerala's cultural institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CBFC Central Board of Film Certification — The statutory body under the I&B Ministry that certifies films for public exhibition.
Censor exemption — Permission to screen an uncertified film at a festival without CBFC certification.
26 September 2026
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the defining themes on Day 5 of the UN General Assembly's high-level debate on Saturday, 26 September 2026. Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan described AI as "the most urgent frontier" and said "Human beings must remain in control and accountable." Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Haji Hasan said the Global South "cannot simply become a destination for data centres" while decisions on AI are made elsewhere. Moldova's Prime Minister Vasile Tofan warned that technology is moving faster than regulation almost everywhere. Zambia's Foreign Minister Mulambo Hamakuni Haimbe said that by 2050 one in every four young people worldwide will be African.
Debate day:
Day 5
Africa's share of world youth by 2050:
one in every four
Why it matters for exams: Global AI governance and the digital divide are rising UPSC themes in science and international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
26 September 2026
Cuba's Foreign Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla addressed the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. He described United States measures, including what he called an "energy blockade" and new restrictions on goods and services destined for the island, and said more than 7,000 containers were stranded in ports, including shipments of food, medicines and medical equipment. He said Havana remained ready for dialogue with Washington based on sovereign equality, non-interference and no preconditions. He pointed to a new programme adopted by Cuba's National People's Power Assembly to change the country's economic and social model. He rejected the Monroe Doctrine and recalled the region's 2014 proclamation as a Zone of Peace. "The law of the jungle cannot be the future of humanity," he said.
Speaker:
Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla
Containers stranded:
More than 7,000
Zone of Peace proclaimed:
2014
Why it matters for exams: The US embargo on Cuba, the Monroe Doctrine and Latin America's Zone of Peace are recurring world-affairs topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Monroe Doctrine Monroe Doctrine — The 1823 United States policy opposing European intervention in the Americas.
26 September 2026
Canada's Foreign Minister Anita Anand addressed the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. She described the upheaval in the global order as a "rupture, not a transition". She said Canada would pursue greater "strategic autonomy" and "values-based realism", diversifying its economic and diplomatic partners. She said Canada and partners had launched a "Partners for Multilateralism" initiative to support reform of the UN and other international institutions. She reaffirmed support for Ukraine and a negotiated two-State solution, and highlighted Arctic security. She mentioned renewed partnerships with India and China as part of trade diversification.
Speaker:
Foreign Minister Anita Anand
Initiative:
Partners for Multilateralism
Why it matters for exams: Middle-power diplomacy and UN reform initiatives at the General Assembly are themes in UPSC international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
26 September 2026
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan addressed the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. He said "the security of the Gulf region is part and parcel of the security of the region and the world at large". He called for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He called for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to its status before 28 February "without the imposition of any fees or restrictions". He backed a two-State solution with an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. He said Saudi Arabia had provided more than $29 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to Yemen.
Speaker:
Prince Faisal bin Farhan
Aid to Yemen:
more than $29 billion
Why it matters for exams: Strategic chokepoints such as Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are high-frequency geography and security questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bab el-Mandeb Bab el-Mandeb Strait — The strait linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Djibouti.
26 September 2026
China's Vice President Han Zheng addressed the general debate of the 81st UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. He said the UN-centred international system and the postwar order underpinned by international law "must be upheld". He called for disputes to be settled through dialogue and for an immediate end to the blockade and sanctions against Cuba. He marked 55 years since General Assembly resolution 2758, adopted on 25 October 1971, which recognised the People's Republic of China as China's sole legitimate representative at the UN. He said China has mobilized more than $23 billion under the Global Development Initiative. He called for a people-centred approach to artificial intelligence and for the WTO-centred trading system to be defended.
Speaker:
Vice President Han Zheng
Resolution recalled:
2758
Global Development Initiative funds:
more than $23 billion
Why it matters for exams: UNGA resolution 2758 of 1971 and China's Global Development Initiative are standard international relations facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
GDI Global Development Initiative — A development cooperation initiative proposed by China in 2021.
26 September 2026
The 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice opened in Abu Dhabi on 26 September 2026. Countries adopted the Abu Dhabi Declaration by acclamation at the opening. The Declaration addresses cybercrime, fraud and emerging trends described as "crime as a service" and "violence as a service". It commits countries to digitalize justice systems and use artificial intelligence with safeguards such as human oversight, transparency, due process and data protection. Hosted by the United Arab Emirates, the Congress runs through 1 October under the theme Protecting People and Planet in the Digital Age. UNODC, headed by Executive Director Monica Juma, is the Congress secretariat; the previous Congress was held in Kyoto, Japan.
Edition:
15th
Host:
United Arab Emirates
Countries represented:
119
Participants:
over 5,100
Why it matters for exams: UN Crime Congresses, their declarations and UNODC are asked under international organisations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime — The Vienna-based UN office dealing with drugs, crime, corruption and terrorism prevention.
26 September 2026
Wage Order No. NCR-28 took effect in the Philippines' National Capital Region on 26 September 2026, raising the daily minimum wage by P60. The minimum for non-agricultural workers rose from P695 to P755. Workers in agriculture, in retail and service establishments with 15 or fewer workers, and in manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers now receive P718, up from P658. The increase covers about 1.1 million minimum wage earners. The order came from the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR and was affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino urged employers to strictly comply with the new rates. The earlier Wage Order NCR-27 remains under challenge in court.
Wage order:
Wage Order No. NCR-28
Daily increase:
P60
Non-agricultural minimum:
P695 to P755
Agriculture and small establishments:
P658 to P718
Workers covered:
About 1.1 million
Why it matters for exams: Shows how the Philippines fixes minimum wages region by region through tripartite boards, a useful comparison with wage-setting in India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
RTWPB Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board — A regional body of government, employer and worker representatives that sets minimum wages in each Philippine region.
NWPC National Wages and Productivity Commission — The national body under the Department of Labor and Employment that reviews regional wage orders.
NCR National Capital Region — The Metro Manila region, made up of Manila and its neighbouring cities and one municipality.
26 September 2026
Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Maria Theresa Lazaro addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 26 September 2026. She said more than 50 active conflicts are under way in the world and that disputes must be resolved through diplomacy and law, not violence and might. She repeated the Philippine call for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, and backed a two-state solution. She described UNCLOS as the constitution of the oceans and noted that 2026 marks a decade since the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which she called final and legally binding. She also called for reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, transparent and accountable.
Speaker:
Maria Theresa Lazaro, Secretary of Foreign Affairs
Session:
81st UN General Assembly
Active conflicts cited:
More than 50
Arbitral award recalled:
2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award
Why it matters for exams: Links the South China Sea arbitral award, UNCLOS and Security Council reform, all recurring topics in international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — The 1982 treaty that sets the rules for territorial seas, exclusive economic zones and the use of the oceans.
2016 Arbitral Award South China Sea Arbitration (Philippines v. China) — The 2016 ruling of a tribunal under UNCLOS that rejected China's nine-dash-line claims against the Philippines.
General debate UN General Assembly general debate — The annual high-level segment each September where every member state addresses the Assembly.
26 September 2026
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. He said countries distant from conflicts were paying a heavy price despite bearing no responsibility for them. He called for a two-State solution in West Asia and, on Ukraine, said the focus must shift from "an endless war" to "ending the war". He described State-sponsored, cross-border terrorism as "a direct affront to the global order" and said there could be no weakening of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He said India had supported 600 development projects in 78 countries. He closed with the words on Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the UN: "There is no path to peace. Peace is the path."
UNGA session:
81st
Development projects supported:
600 development projects in 78 countries
Why it matters for exams: India's stated positions at the UN General Assembly on terrorism, Ukraine and West Asia are asked in UPSC international relations.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UNGA United Nations General Assembly — The main deliberative organ of the UN, in which all 193 member States have one vote each.
26 September 2026
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated and laid foundation stones of 21 development projects worth Rs 136.25 crore in Mandi district. The projects cover the Balh, Nachan, Mandi Sadar and Karsog Assembly constituencies. They were launched at Kansa ground in Balh during his one-day visit to the district. The works relate to road connectivity, drinking water, healthcare, education, rural development and administrative infrastructure. They include metalling and tarring of the Chandyal-Pipli-Kuthwari-Kandi-Tarapur-Kharsi-Mansa Mata Mandir-Dola Tikkar road at a cost of Rs 10.73 crore.
Number of projects:
21
Total value:
Rs 136.25 crore
Constituencies:
Balh, Nachan, Mandi Sadar, Karsog
Chandyal-Pipli-Dola Tikkar road work:
Rs 10.73 crore
Why it matters for exams: State Focus questions often ask about district-level investment and the constituencies it covers.
UPSC
26 September 2026
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced changes in the eligibility criteria of the 'Mukhya Mantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana'. He spoke at a public meeting at Kansa Chowk in Balh Assembly constituency of Mandi district. The mandatory requirement of completing one day of MGNREGA work to receive benefits will be removed. The annual family income limit will be raised from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000. Eligible women above the age of 21 will receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,500. He also said recruitment to 800 posts of police constables would be held soon.
Scheme:
Mukhya Mantri Ka Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana
Family income limit:
Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000
Monthly pension for eligible women above 21:
Rs 1,500
Police constable posts to be filled:
800
Why it matters for exams: State welfare schemes and their eligibility rules are asked in State Focus and governance questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
MGNREGA Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act — The central law guaranteeing wage employment to rural households.
26 September 2026
Kerala's State Elderly Commission decided to make its elder-friendly grievance redressal system more efficient. The decision was taken at a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram of the presiding officers of the Maintenance Tribunals, who are Revenue Divisional Officers. The meeting decided to step up measures to implement tribunal orders on time. It discussed the timely disposal of complaints on lack of care, neglect, property disputes, financial exploitation and physical or mental abuse of elders. Coordination between the commission and the tribunals will be strengthened. Commission chairperson K. Somaprasad and members Amaravila Ramakrishnan, K.N.K. Namboothiri and Prof. Lopez Mathew attended.
Chairperson:
K. Somaprasad
Tribunal presiding officers:
Revenue Divisional Officers
Venue:
Thiruvananthapuram
Why it matters for exams: Statutory commissions of Kerala and the legal protection of senior citizens are common Kerala PSC questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Maintenance Tribunal — A tribunal under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 that hears elders' maintenance claims.
RDO Revenue Divisional Officer — The revenue officer heading a revenue division, above the taluk level.
26 September 2026
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy took part in the inauguration of the Dr Manmohan Singh Memorial Park and the unveiling of his statue at Wipro Circle in the Financial District, Hyderabad.
The Chief Minister said Dr Singh's signature on the Telangana formation bill has been preserved at the memorial.
He listed Dr Singh's laws, including the Right to Education Act, Right to Information Act, Food Security Act and the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
He urged Telangana MPs to raise the demand for the Bharat Ratna and a national memorial in Delhi.
Location:
Wipro Circle, Financial District, Hyderabad
Preserved at memorial:
Signature on Telangana formation bill
Why it matters for exams: Memorials, the Telangana formation bill and the laws of the UPA era are linked exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bharat Ratna Bharat Ratna — India's highest civilian honour.
26 September 2026
The Kerala State Lotteries Department drew the Thiruvonam Bumper (BR-111) on 26 September 2026 at Gorky Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram.
The first prize of ₹30 crore went to ticket TL 360615, sold through an authorised agent of the Kannur District Lottery Office.
The second prize is ₹1 crore each for 20 tickets, and the third prize is ₹25 lakh each for 20 tickets.
The ticket price was ₹500 and 90 lakh tickets were sold across the State.
Prizes above ₹10 lakh must be claimed at the Lottery Directorate in Thiruvananthapuram within 90 days.
First prize:
₹30 crore
Winning ticket:
TL 360615
Second prize:
₹1 crore each to 20 winners
Ticket price:
₹500
Tickets sold:
90 lakh
Why it matters for exams: Kerala State Lotteries is a State revenue department and its bumper draws are routine Kerala general knowledge questions.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Bumper lottery Festival bumper lottery — A special high-prize lottery the Kerala State Lotteries Department runs around major festivals.
26 September 2026
Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand of the Rajasthan High Court directed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Mandawar, in Dausa district, to decide a land dispute within three months. The case, Jairam v Sub-Division Magistrate, began in 1963 under Section 145 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and had stayed pending for 63 years. The Court observed that human life is short while litigation is infinite. It held that the case was a gross violation of the right to speedy trial under Article 21, with unnecessary adjournments the reason for the delay.
Years pending:
63
Time allowed:
Three months
Judge:
Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand
Case:
Jairam v Sub-Division Magistrate, Mandawar, Dausa
Why it matters for exams: Article 21 and the right to speedy trial, and Section 145 CrPC on land disputes likely to cause a breach of peace, are recurring polity and law questions.
UPSCSSC
26 September 2026
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the General Debate of the UN General Assembly's 81st session on Saturday 26 September 2026.
He announced that Russia, Belarus and like-minded partners had adopted a statement in New York launching work on a Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st Century.
He called it a new continent-wide architecture of peace and development.
He said Moscow's military operation in Ukraine would be carried through to the end.
UN News reports his speech.
Speaker:
Sergey Lavrov
Session:
81st UN General Assembly
Initiative:
Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity
Why it matters for exams: UN General Assembly sessions and new multilateral initiatives are regular current-affairs questions.
UPSCSSC
26 September 2026
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi distributed 1,101 appointment letters across four departments at the 17th State-Level Job Fair, held at OUAT Krushi Shiksha Sadan, Bhubaneswar, on 26 September 2026. The appointees include 814 Medical Officers and 92 Assistant Professors of the Health Department, 30 OAS, 42 ORS, 46 OFS and 60 OTAS officers, and 17 Cooperative Service officers. Within 27 months of the government's formation, 46,575 people have been inducted into government service through 17 job fairs. A first-of-its-kind age-specific Mental Health Guidebook for children and youth in Odisha, prepared jointly by four departments, was also unveiled at the fair.
Appointment letters:
1,101
Medical Officers:
814
Inducted through 17 job fairs:
46,575
Why it matters for exams: State recruitment drives and health-workforce numbers are typical state-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC