Background
Essential medicines are those that effectively and safely treat the priority health-care needs of populations, and should be available, affordable and of assured quality at all times.
WHO selects them on the basis of public health relevance, evidence of benefits and harms, and with consideration of costs, affordability and other relevant factors.
Every 2 years since 1977, WHO has published the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, also known as the Essential Medicines List or EML; the first list included about 200 medicines.
A separate Model List of Essential Medicines for Children (EMLc) was first published in 2007, in recognition of the unique needs of children.
Over 150 countries have national essential medicines lists based on the WHO Model List, and those lists are used for procurement, reimbursement, insurance schemes, medicine donations and local production.
Requests to add, remove or extend the listing of a medicine come through an open application process and are reviewed by the WHO Expert Committee on Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, whose members are appointed by the WHO Director-General.
The Model List carries the AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) classification of antibiotics, which guides the empiric use of essential antibiotics for more than 30 clinical infections in community and hospital settings.
First published:
1977, with about 200 medicines
Revision cycle:
Every 2 years
Children's list (EMLc):
First published 2007
Countries with lists based on it:
Over 150
Size of the 2025 edition:
Over 520 medicines, including 374 for children
Antibiotic classification:
AWaRe: Access, Watch, Reserve
Why it matters for exams: The revision cycle, the 1977 origin, the separate children's list and the AWaRe grouping of antibiotics are all standard one-mark facts about the Essential Medicines List.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
EML Essential Medicines List — WHO's Model List of medicines that meet the priority health-care needs of a population, published every 2 years.
AWaRe Access, Watch, Reserve — The Model List's grouping of antibiotics that guides which antibiotic to use first and which to hold back.
5 October 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission has recorded over 103 million registered voters, its chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said at a workshop with the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Abuja. New registrations across three phases of Continuous Voter Registration totalled 10,772,421, subject to verification through the commission's automated biometric identification system. Phase I, from 25 August to 10 December 2025, drew 2,611,266 registrations; Phase II, from 5 January to 17 April 2026, drew 4,121,835; and Phase III, from 11 May to 26 July 2026, drew 3,867,997. The chairman announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards would commence on Friday, 9 October 2026, with newly produced cards distributed to Local Government Area collection centres, and the commission has introduced printable PVC technology to shorten waiting times. The preliminary display of the register for claims and objections was set for 9 to 15 October 2026. The commission has completed eight of the 14 major statutory activities in its election timetable and has acquired 57,000 new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines.
Registered voters:
over 103 million
New registrations:
10,772,421
New BVAS machines acquired:
57,000
Statutory activities completed:
8 of 14
Why it matters for exams: The size of Nigeria's electorate is a favourite comparison figure with India's, and the BVAS machine and Continuous Voter Registration are named technical terms in such questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
BVAS Bimodal Voter Accreditation System — The device INEC uses to accredit a voter by fingerprint or facial recognition before the ballot is issued.
PVC Permanent Voter Card — The card a registered Nigerian voter must collect and present in order to vote.
5 October 2026
Intense fighting in Yemen has forced more than 184,000 people from their homes since the start of August, most of them since early September, the International Organization for Migration said on 5 October 2026. In the week to 3 October alone nearly 21,800 people were displaced, a 26 per cent rise on the previous week. IOM Director General Amy Pope called for humanitarian access. The WHO has recorded more than 5,100 casualties since 6 August, including 959 deaths, and says cholera cases have tripled in as many weeks. The World Food Programme welcomed the release of one detained staff member; 72 UN personnel remain detained.
People displaced since August:
more than 184,000
Displaced in week to 3 October:
nearly 21,800
Deaths since 6 August (WHO):
959
UN personnel still detained:
72
Why it matters for exams: Humanitarian crises: displacement figures and the roles of IOM, WHO and WFP.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IOM International Organization for Migration — The UN migration agency that tracks and assists displaced people.
5 October 2026
The National Statistics Office (NSO) under MoSPI released the key findings of the first-ever National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), conducted from July 2025 to June 2026.
The survey covered 14,274 villages and 10,377 urban blocks and collected data from 4,92,023 households and 20,34,371 persons.
Two-wheelers are the main mode for 42.6% of workers commuting to a fixed workplace; 87.6% of students reach school within 30 minutes.
The average monthly commuting cost is ₹785 per worker, with urban workers paying ₹1,044 against ₹612 for rural workers.
A trip is counted only if it covers more than 1 km.
Survey period:
July 2025 – June 2026
Households covered:
4,92,023
Workers by two-wheeler:
42.6%
Average monthly commute cost:
₹785
Why it matters for exams: New national surveys and their headline indicators are favourite statistics and reports questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NSO National Statistics Office — The agency under MoSPI that conducts national sample surveys and releases official statistics.
MoSPI Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — The Union ministry responsible for official statistics.
5 October 2026
An article published on 5 October 2026 in BMJ Public Health uses data from 28 Asia-Pacific countries on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) action plans.
Of the 28 countries, 27 had endorsed at least one multisectoral AMR action plan.
Second-generation plans were twice as likely to be costed as first plans (67% versus 33%).
Nearly half (49%) of the 27 countries with AMR plans are not costed at all; 44% of plans are fully costed and another 7% partially costed.
Only eight countries reported that AMR activities are funded entirely from domestic sources.
The findings are the first regional summary of progress against the 2024 UN General Assembly Political Declaration on AMR.
Countries with data:
28 Asia-Pacific countries
Countries with at least one AMR plan:
27
Plans not costed at all:
49%
Costed: second vs first plans:
67% versus 33%
Why it matters for exams: Antimicrobial resistance is a leading global health topic, and UN declarations and WHO findings on it feature in health and international-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
AMR Antimicrobial resistance — When bacteria and other organisms evolve to resist the medicines used to treat infections.
Background
The Union Territory Administration of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu sets out the 2011 Census figures separately for each of its three districts. The sex ratio is 774 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 534 in Daman and 1031 in Diu. Because a sex ratio is the number of women per thousand men, Diu, the island district, is the only one of the three where women outnumber men. The child sex ratios are 926 for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 897 for Daman and 929 for Diu. The recorded populations are 343709 for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 1,91,173 for Daman and 52,074 for Diu, with densities of 700, 2655 and 1302 persons per square kilometre. Literacy is 76.2% in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, 88.06% in Daman and 83.46% in Diu. Each district has its own municipal council: the Silvassa Municipal Council, the Daman Municipal Council and the Diu Municipal Council.
Sex ratio, Dadra and Nagar Haveli:
774
Sex ratio, Daman:
534
Sex ratio, Diu:
1031
Population density, Daman:
2655
Literacy, Daman:
88.06%
Population, Diu:
52,074
Why it matters for exams: Sex ratio and literacy figures for the smaller union territories are asked directly, and the distance between Daman's 534 and Diu's 1031 within one union territory is exactly the contrast an examiner builds a question on.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Sex ratio — The number of females per thousand males in a population.
Child sex ratio — The same ratio counted only among children in the youngest age group recorded by the Census.
Background
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistics Office in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, as one of the surveys conducted by NSS. It was launched in April 2017 to produce the key employment and unemployment indicators: the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), the Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and the Unemployment Rate (UR). LFPR is the percentage of persons in the labour force in the population; WPR is the percentage of employed persons in the population; and UR is the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force. A person's activity status is fixed under two frameworks: Usual Status (ps+ss), which uses a reference period of the last 365 days, and Current Weekly Status (CWS), which uses the last seven days preceding the date of survey. At the start the quarterly results covered urban areas only, in CWS, while the annual report covered rural and urban areas in both approaches, and the survey used a rotational panel sampling design in urban areas. The sampling design was revamped from January 2025: monthly estimates of LFPR, WPR and UR are now produced for the all-India level in CWS, the quarterly estimates extend to rural areas, and the annual results follow the calendar year.
Conducting agency:
National Statistics Office
Launched in:
April 2017
Usual Status reference period:
last 365 days
Current Weekly Status reference period:
last seven days
Sampling design revamped from:
January 2025
Why it matters for exams: Questions turn on who conducts the survey, what each of the three indicators measures, and the difference between the 365-day and seven-day reference periods, which is the commonest point of confusion.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
PLFS Periodic Labour Force Survey — India's regular household survey of employment and unemployment.
LFPR Labour Force Participation Rate — The share of the population that is working, or seeking or available for work.
WPR Worker Population Ratio — The share of the population that is actually employed.
CWS Current Weekly Status — Activity status judged over the seven days before the survey visit.
Labour force — Everyone who is working, or seeking or available for work; those outside it are not counted as unemployed.
4 October 2026
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Situation report for September 2026 on Friday, 2 October 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 29,000 in September 2026.
The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent, up by 0.1 percentage point from 4.1 percent the month before.
The bureau's own summary says that "Both nonfarm payroll employment (+29,000) and the unemployment rate (4.2 percent) changed little in September."
The Employment Situation is the monthly release that combines a survey of employers, which yields the payroll number, with a survey of households, which yields the unemployment rate.
Nonfarm payroll change:
+29,000
Unemployment rate:
4.2 percent (up from 4.1 percent)
Reference month:
September 2026
Released by:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Why it matters for exams: The monthly United States payroll and unemployment figures are the single most watched data point for global markets, and the two-survey method behind them is itself examinable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics — The statistical agency of the United States Department of Labor, which publishes the monthly Employment Situation report.
Nonfarm payroll Nonfarm payroll employment — A count of paid jobs outside farms, private households and the armed forces, taken from a survey of employers.
Background
The State's urban population is about 1.59 crore, or 47.7 per cent of the total, while the rural population is about 1.74 crore (52.3 per cent).
Kerala is among the most urbanised States of India and also leads in the pace of urbanisation.
Ernakulam has the highest share of urban population among the districts, about 68 per cent.
The Government of Kerala State Profile page carries these figures.
Urban population share:
47.7 per cent
Urban population:
about 1.59 crore
Most urbanised district:
Ernakulam (about 68 per cent)
Why it matters for exams: Urban-rural population shares and district rankings are frequent Kerala PSC demography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
4 October 2026
An in-depth historical study commissioned by King Willem-Alexander was presented on Friday, 2 October, and looks at the House of Orange-Nassau's colonial role.
The project was led by historian Gert Oostindie, and it was a three-year study covering the period from 1600 to the present.
The study concluded that the House of Orange 'shares responsibility for the survival over the centuries of the Dutch slave trade and slavery'.
Al Jazeera reports the king called it 'a painful and confronting conclusion'.
Presented to the king:
2 October
Lead researcher:
Gert Oostindie
Study length:
three years
Period covered:
1600 to the present
Why it matters for exams: Colonial history, slavery and reparations debates are recurring themes in world-history and current-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
House of Orange-Nassau — The Dutch royal family.
Reparations — Payments or other measures meant to make amends for historic harm.
4 October 2026
Reserve Bank of India Governor Sanjay Malhotra spoke at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, organised by the Finance Ministry.
He said the AI investment cycle has been a major support for global markets, but any slowdown in investment or earnings could trigger a sharp repricing of financial assets.
He named five major risks: stretched AI valuations, elevated global debt, leverage in non-bank finance, private credit and cyber threats.
A correction in AI-related valuations in advanced economies could have a positive spillover for emerging markets such as India through higher capital inflows, he said.
He also flagged that bond yields are hardening globally, which has implications for real interest rates in India.
Major global risks named:
5
Why it matters for exams: RBI's financial-stability assessments and global risk factors are regular banking and economy topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
In plain words
Repricing Repricing of assets — A sharp change in the market value of assets.
Bond yield Bond yield — The return an investor earns on a bond; it rises as bond prices fall.
Capital inflows Capital inflows — Foreign money entering a country's markets or economy.
Background
The World Bank's country overview for Peru records a central bank inflation target range of 1 to 3 percent. Peru's growth slowed from an average of 6.2 percent between 2005 and 2014 to 2.4 percent between 2015 and 2024. Poverty fell from 60 percent in 2002 to 24 percent in 2013. GDP per capita increased from approximately US$2,100 in 2003 to more than US$8,400 in 2024. The World Bank measures poverty in Peru against a line of US$8.30 a day in 2021 purchasing power parity terms. It attributes the earlier performance to prudent macroeconomic policies, low inflation, manageable public debt and a sound financial system. It names low productivity, informality, regional disparities, institutional weakening and citizen insecurity among the constraints on the country's potential. Peru's landscapes are described as ranging from the Andes to the Amazon.
Central bank inflation target range:
1 to 3 percent
Average growth, 2005 to 2014:
6.2 percent
Average growth, 2015 to 2024:
2.4 percent
GDP per capita in 2003:
US$2,100
GDP per capita in 2024:
US$8,400
World Bank poverty line used for Peru:
US$8.30
Why it matters for exams: A central bank's inflation target range is the standing fact asked about any economy, and the World Bank's overview records Peru's as a band of 1 to 3 percent.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Inflation target range Inflation target range — The band of price rise a central bank commits to keep inflation within when it sets its policy rate.
PPP Purchasing power parity — A way of converting currencies so that the same sum buys the same basket of goods in every country.
Background
Hook: Kerala's planned senior-citizen care law makes the State's age structure relevant.
The State portal records a population of 3,34,06,061, which is 2.76 per cent of India's total.
The sex ratio is 1084 females per 1,000 males, and density is 860 per km2 against 382 for India.
Literacy is 93.91 per cent: 96.02 per cent for males and 91.98 per cent for females.
Decadal growth is 4.91 against 17.64 for India.
Those aged 60 and above form 12.7 per cent of the population.
Population:
3,34,06,061
Sex ratio:
1084 females per 1,000 males
Density:
860 per km2 (India 382)
Literacy:
93.91 per cent
Decadal growth:
4.91 (India 17.64)
Why it matters for exams: Census population, sex ratio and literacy figures are core Kerala PSC and UPSC statistics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Sex ratio — Number of females per 1,000 males.
3 October 2026
The first joint review of the USMCA (T-MEC in Mexico) took place on 1 July 2026 under Article 34.7.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States did not agree to renew the pact in its current form.
Mexico and Canada each supported a 16-year extension.
The agreement stays in force until 1 July 2036 and now moves to annual reviews.
The United States is pursuing separate bilateral talks, and three US–Mexico rounds had been completed by late July 2026.
On 29 September 2026 President Sheinbaum said tariff negotiations with Washington were continuing, with Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard travelling there.
First joint review:
1 July 2026
Proposed extension:
16 years
Agreement in force until:
1 July 2036
Why it matters for exams: USMCA is Mexico's central trade framework; review mechanics and expiry dates are favoured exam facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
USMCA United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement — The North American trade pact that replaced NAFTA; called T-MEC in Mexico.
3 October 2026
Between April and September 2026, Kerala's GST revenue after IGST settlement rose 18.8% to Rs 19,583 crore, from Rs 16,482 crore a year earlier.
Across all states the increase was 16%, with combined collections of Rs 5.79 lakh crore.
Kerala's own SGST collections grew 13.8% to Rs 8,970 crore, against 5.8% nationally.
In September 2026, post-settlement revenue rose 9% to Rs 3,451 crore and own SGST rose 8% to Rs 1,481 crore.
April-September 2026 is the first April-September period fully under the revised GST rate structure introduced in September 2025, so it is compared with a year-earlier period wholly under the old structure; the figures are provisional.
Post-settlement GST revenue, April-September:
Rs 19,583 crore
Growth over a year earlier:
18.8%
Own SGST collections:
Rs 8,970 crore
September 2026 post-settlement revenue:
Rs 3,451 crore
Why it matters for exams: GST revenue sharing, SGST and IGST settlement and State finances are recurring topics in Kerala PSC and UPSC economy papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
IGST Integrated Goods and Services Tax — Tax on inter-State supplies and imports, apportioned to the State where the goods are consumed.
SGST State Goods and Services Tax — The State's share of GST on supplies made within the State.
2 October 2026
The latest World Bank Group Tanzania Economic Update projects economic growth of 6.1 per cent in 2026 and an average of 6.5 per cent over the medium term, driven by increased private sector activity. Inflation remains within the Bank of Tanzania's target range, public debt remains sustainable, and strong private sector credit growth points to expanding economic activity. The special theme of the edition, Making Jobs Work, finds that Tanzania does not face a shortage of jobs but a challenge in creating higher-quality jobs. While the country's employment rate is among the highest globally, most workers remain concentrated in low-productivity activities, particularly in agriculture and informal employment. Firas Raad, World Bank Division Director for Tanzania, said the country needs deliberate policy choices and continued investment in education, skills and health. The report highlights two priorities: building a stronger workforce through skills development, social protection and labour market systems, and expanding the number of productive firms capable of generating quality jobs.
Projected growth in 2026:
6.1%
Medium-term average growth:
6.5%
Special theme:
Making Jobs Work
Why it matters for exams: World Bank country economic updates and the distinction between job quantity and job quality recur in economy questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tanzania Economic Update Tanzania Economic Update — A periodic World Bank Group report on Tanzania's economy with a special theme in each edition.
2 October 2026
WHO released its latest Global Health Estimates on 2 October 2026, covering 2000 to 2023.
Global life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023, close to the 73.4 years recorded in 2019.
Healthy life expectancy reached 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below its 2019 level.
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for 74% of deaths in 2023, compared with 58% in 2000.
Ischaemic heart disease alone caused approximately 9.5 million deaths in 2023.
Dementia became the fifth leading cause of death globally in 2023, compared with 19th in 2000.
Life expectancy, 2023:
73.3 years
Healthy life expectancy, 2023:
62.8 years
NCD share of deaths, 2023:
74%
Ischaemic heart disease deaths, 2023:
approximately 9.5 million
Why it matters for exams: WHO health indicators such as life expectancy and the NCD share of deaths are favourite statistics in health and report-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NCDs Noncommunicable diseases — Diseases such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease that do not pass from person to person.
DALY Disability-adjusted life year — A measure of years of healthy life lost through premature death and disability.
2 October 2026
The World Health Organization released its Global Health Estimates covering the years 2000 to 2023.
Global life expectancy stood at 73.3 years in 2023, against 73.4 years in 2019.
Healthy life expectancy was 62.8 years in 2023, still 0.4 years below the 2019 figure.
Noncommunicable diseases caused 74 per cent of all deaths in 2023, up from 58 per cent in 2000, and eight of the ten leading causes of death were noncommunicable diseases.
Ischaemic heart disease remained the single largest killer with about 9.5 million deaths and 210 million disability-adjusted life years in 2023.
Dementia moved up to fifth place among causes of death from nineteenth in 2000.
The age-standardised burden of depressive disorders rose by about 20 per cent and of anxiety disorders by about 45 per cent between 2019 and 2023.
Life expectancy (2023):
73.3 years
Healthy life expectancy (2023):
62.8 years
Share of deaths from NCDs:
74 per cent
Deaths from ischaemic heart disease:
about 9.5 million
Why it matters for exams: Global health indicators and WHO datasets are a standing source of questions on health and human development.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
DALY Disability-Adjusted Life Year — One DALY is one year of healthy life lost, counting both early death and years lived in poor health.
NCD Noncommunicable disease — A disease that is not passed from person to person, such as heart disease, cancer or diabetes.
Background
The World Happiness Report is published by the University of Oxford's Wellbeing Research Centre, in partnership with Gallup, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network and an independent editorial board. Its global happiness ranking is based on a single question from the Gallup World Poll, derived from the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale. The report's first edition appeared in 2012. Since then it has published over 100 chapters and worked with over 150 authors from across the world, from a wide range of academic disciplines. The United Nations General Assembly, by resolution 66/281, proclaimed 20 March as the International Day of Happiness, and the report is released around that day each year. The report states that the views it expresses do not necessarily reflect those of its partners, of the University of Oxford, or of any organisation, agency or programme of the United Nations.
Publisher:
Wellbeing Research Centre, University of Oxford
Partners:
Gallup, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network
Survey basis:
A single Gallup World Poll question from the Cantril Self-Anchoring Striving Scale
General Assembly resolution:
66/281
Why it matters for exams: Who publishes the World Happiness Report, and the scale behind its single survey question, are the details usually asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
SDSN Sustainable Development Solutions Network — The UN network that partners in producing the report.
Background
The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in three key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, being knowledgeable, and having a decent standard of living. The HDI is the geometric mean of normalized indices for each of the three dimensions. The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth. The education dimension is measured by mean years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more, together with expected years of schooling for children of school-entering age. The standard of living dimension is measured by gross national income per capita; the HDI uses the logarithm of income, to reflect the diminishing importance of income with increasing gross national income. The HDI was created to emphasise that people and their capabilities, not economic growth alone, should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country. The Human Development Report Office notes that the HDI does not reflect inequalities, poverty, human security or empowerment, for which it publishes other composite indices.
Dimensions:
3
How dimensions are combined:
Geometric mean
Health indicator:
Life expectancy at birth
Income indicator:
Gross national income per capita
Why it matters for exams: That the HDI is a geometric mean, and which indicator measures each dimension, are the points most often asked about it.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
HDI Human Development Index — A summary measure of achievement in health, education and standard of living.
GNI Gross National Income — The income measure the HDI uses, taken per person and in logarithm form.