30 September 2026
WHO published the Report of the Regional Director on the work of WHO in the Western Pacific Region on 30 September 2026.
It covers the period 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and carries the reference WPR/RC77/2.
The region serves more than 2.2 billion people.
It supports the regional vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025-2029).
The report highlights strengthened primary health care, community and health system resilience, and progress toward universal health coverage.
Population served:
More than 2.2 billion
Reporting period:
1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026
Reference:
WPR/RC77/2
Why it matters for exams: WHO's regional structure and universal health coverage are standard questions on international organisations and health.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
UHC Universal health coverage — It means everyone can get needed health services without financial hardship.
Primary health care Primary health care — It is first-contact, community-based care close to where people live.
30 September 2026
A study by the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), formally released on 23 September 2026 at the 11th Ayurveda Day in Nagpur and publicised by the Ministry of AYUSH on 30 September 2026, estimates the AYUSH service sector at US$ 36.92 billion in FY 2024-25.
The sector has grown at 16.91% CAGR since FY 2022-23 and supports 1.76 million livelihoods.
Medical value travel brings in US$ 1.77 billion.
Ayurveda is the largest single system at US$ 17.73 billion, about 48% of the total.
Women make up 43% of the workforce overall.
The survey covered 15,914 institutions across all six AYUSH systems.
The sector could reach US$ 216-318 billion by 2047.
Sector size, FY 2024-25:
US$ 36.92 billion
Growth since FY 2022-23:
16.91% CAGR
Livelihoods supported:
1.76 million
Institutions surveyed:
15,914
Why it matters for exams: Sector-size figures from national studies and the role of AYUSH in the economy are asked in economy and health papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
29 September 2026
WHO's report on global trends in cholera, meningitis and plague covers 2025.
47 countries reported 451,499 cholera cases and 7,870 deaths to WHO, with deaths up 30 per cent on 2024.
Angola, Bangladesh, DRC, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen accounted for about 90 per cent of cases and deaths.
Oral cholera vaccine production more than doubled from about 30 million doses in 2022 to about 80 million in 2025.
In the African meningitis belt of 26 countries, 24 reported 21,526 suspected cases and 971 deaths in 2025.
For 2019 to 2025, 10 countries reported suspected plague, with DRC and Madagascar reporting most cases.
Cholera deaths in 2025:
7,870
Cholera cases in 2025:
451,499
Countries reporting:
47
Meningitis belt countries:
26
Why it matters for exams: WHO disease surveillance figures and vaccine facts are regular questions in health and current-affairs papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
A Memorandum of Understanding has been exchanged between the Ministry of MSME and the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
It institutionalises sharing of unit-wise Udyam Registration data through APIs for the National Statistical Business Register (NSBR).
It was signed by Dr. Rajneesh of the Ministry of MSME and Dr. Dalip Singh of MoSPI.
The Statistical Business Register is a regularly updated central database of statistical units engaged in economic activities.
It helps identify the target population for economic surveys and supports survey sample selection.
Parties to MoU:
Ministry of MSME and MoSPI
Data source:
Udyam Registration (via APIs)
Purpose:
National Statistical Business Register
Date of release:
29 September 2026
Why it matters for exams: Statistical infrastructure and MoSPI's role are frequent exam topics.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
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 Reserve Bank of India placed on its website on 29 September 2026 the report of the Advisory Committee on Ways and Means Advances to State Governments.
The Committee was chaired by Shri I S N Prasad, former Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka.
Its terms of reference included a review of State-wise WMA limits and other financial accommodation facilities available to the States.
The Reserve Bank said the Committee has made various recommendations which shall be examined by it.
Ways and Means Advances are short-term advances the Reserve Bank gives a State to bridge temporary mismatches between its receipts and payments.
Committee Chairman:
Shri I S N Prasad
Released on:
September 29, 2026
Why it matters for exams: Centre-State financial arrangements and RBI committees are standard ground for PSC, UPSC and bank examinations.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
The Sikkim Statistics page of the Government of Sikkim gives the State's area as 7096 Sq. Kms. The population for 2011 is 6,10,577, of whom 3,23,070 are male. The child sex ratio is 957. The rural population is 4,56,999. Literacy is 82.6 per cent. The Infant Mortality Rate per 1000 is 26, the Crude Birth Rate per 1000 is 17.6 and the Crude Death Rate per 1000 is 2.02.
Area:
7096 Sq. Kms
Population 2011:
6,10,577
Male population:
3,23,070
Child Sex Ratio:
957
Rural Population:
4,56,999
Literacy:
82.6
Infant Mortality Rate per 1000:
26
Why it matters for exams: A State's area, population, literacy and sex ratio are the figures a State Focus question is built on, and Sikkim is the least populated State of India.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The district administration of Ludhiana in Punjab publishes its demographic profile as per Provisional population figures of 2011 Census. The district covers an area of 3967 Sq Km. It is organised into 7 Sub Divisions, 7 Tehsils, 6 Sub-Tehsils, 44 Kanungo Circles and 13 Blocks. It contains 916 villages, of which 893 are inhabited and 23 un-habited, together with 11 towns and 941 Gram Panchayts. The population is 3498739, made up of 1867816 male and 1630923 female residents. Females per thousand stands at 873 and the literacy figure at 82.02. The district accounts for 1 Parliament seat and 14 Assembly seats, 1 Municipal Corporation, 9 Nagar Councils and 13 Market Committees.
Area:
3967 sq km
Population:
3498739
Females per thousand:
873
Literacy:
82.02
Blocks:
13
Why it matters for exams: District-level area, population, sex ratio and literacy figures from an official district profile are the standard form in which state geography questions are set.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) of the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MOSPI). PLFS was launched in 2017 essentially to address the requirement of generating estimate of the key employment and unemployment indicators quarterly for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS), and annually in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS for rural and urban areas. The key labour market indicators it yields are the Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR), Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR). Usual Status (ps+ss) and Current Weekly Status (CWS) refer to frameworks for determining activity status of the person surveyed based on reference periods of last 365 days and last seven days preceding the date of survey, respectively. The sampling design of PLFS has been revamped from January 2025, so that the key indicators are now released on a monthly basis at the all-India level, the quarterly results cover rural areas as well, and the annual results follow the calendar year. The revamped design is a multistage stratified design in which district has been made the primary geographical unit, called basic stratum, for selecting First Stage Units (FSUs). A total sample size of 22,692 FSUs is planned to be surveyed (12,504 FSUs in the rural areas and 10,188 in the urban areas), against 12,800 FSUs surveyed upto December, 2024. A total of 12 households will be surveyed from each of the selected FSUs, giving an overall sample size of around 2,72,304 households, and each selected household is visited four times in four consecutive months.
Conducting agency:
National Statistics Office (NSO), MOSPI
Launched:
2017
Current Weekly Status reference period:
last seven days preceding the date of survey
Usual status (ps+ss) reference period:
last 365 days
Revamped sample size:
22,692 FSUs and around 2,72,304 households
Indicators estimated:
Labour Force Participation Rate, Worker Population Ratio, Unemployment Rate
Why it matters for exams: The agency that produces India's unemployment rate, the difference between the usual status and Current Weekly Status reference periods, and the survey's sample size are recurring questions on official statistics.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
Kerala's sex ratio is 1084 females to 1000 males, higher than the national average.
The Census table on the page (2011, with 2001 for comparison) records an actual population of 33,406,061 and a child sex ratio of 964.
Literacy stands at 94.00 %, with male literacy of 96.11 % and female literacy of 92.07 %.
Density is 860 persons per sq. km.
47.7% of the population lives in urban areas, making Kerala the second-most urbanised major State in India.
The Total Fertility Rate, as per NFHS 2019-2021, is 1.8 children per woman.
Sex ratio:
1084
Child sex ratio:
964
Literacy:
94.00 %
Male literacy:
96.11 %
Female literacy:
92.07 %
Density:
860 persons per sq. km
Why it matters for exams: Census literacy and sex-ratio figures are frequently asked in Kerala PSC, SSC and UPSC papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
UN News reported on 28 September 2026 on the State of the World's Forests (SOFO) 2026 report.
It says 489 million hectares of forest were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2025.
More than 460 million hectares of forests worldwide are degraded.
Restoring more than one billion hectares of degraded land could generate $1.8 trillion per year in benefits.
One-third of the global population relies on forests for food and work.
Forest lost 1990-2025:
489 million hectares
Degraded forests:
over 460 million hectares
Restoration benefit:
$1.8 trillion per year
Why it matters for exams: Reports and indices with headline figures are staple exam material.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Netherlands is India's 10th largest merchandise trading partner and the 2nd largest in the European Union after Germany, according to the Indian Embassy in The Hague. Total merchandise trade stood at USD 23.287 billion in F.Y. 2025-2026. It is India's third largest merchandise export destination in the world, after the USA and the UAE, with Indian exports of USD 17.501 billion. On investment, the Netherlands is the fourth largest source of FDI into India, after Mauritius, Singapore and the USA, with a cumulative FDI equity inflow of USD 56.676 billion from April 2000 to March 2026, or 7% of the total. There are over 300 Dutch companies in India and over 300 Indian companies in the Netherlands.
Rank as India's merchandise trading partner:
10th
Total merchandise trade:
USD 23.287 billion
Cumulative FDI equity inflow into India:
USD 56.676 billion
Why it matters for exams: Trade ranks, partner countries and FDI sources are recurring questions in economy and international relations papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations.
Its seat is at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
It is the only one of the six principal UN organs not located in New York.
The Court has 15 judges who serve nine-year terms, elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council.
It was established in June 1945 by the UN Charter and began work in April 1946.
Seat:
Peace Palace, The Hague
Judges:
15
Term of office:
Nine years
Began work:
April 1946
Why it matters for exams: The ICJ's seat and composition are frequent UN-system questions, and it is the UN organ based in the Netherlands.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's May 2026 visit, India and the Netherlands elevated ties to a Strategic Partnership.
A Roadmap of the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership for 2026-2030 was adopted.
Diplomatic relations date from 1947; in FY 2024-2025 merchandise trade was USD 27.779 billion.
The Netherlands is India's 3rd largest export destination globally and the largest in Europe, and the fourth largest investor in India, with cumulative Dutch investment of about USD 55.6 billion since 2000.
Diplomatic relations since:
1947
Merchandise trade FY 2024-25:
USD 27.779 billion
Cumulative Dutch investment in India (2000 onwards):
approx. USD 55.6 billion
Netherlands as investor in India:
Fourth largest
Why it matters for exams: Bilateral relations with a major European trade and investment partner are a staple of international-affairs questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Alappuzha district administration gives its demography as per the provisional population figures of the 2011 Census.
The district's area is 1415 Sq Km.
Its total population is 2,127,789 - 1,013,142 males and 1,114,647 females.
The number of households is 534,994.
Density of population is 1504 persons per sq km and the sex ratio is 1,100 females per 1000 males.
Alappuzha has 2 revenue divisions, 6 taluks, 93 revenue villages, 12 block panchayats, 72 gram panchayats and 6 municipalities.
The district also has 33 census towns and 52 census villages.
Area:
1415 Sq Km
Total population:
2,127,789
Density of population:
1504
Sex ratio:
1,100
Households:
534,994
Why it matters for exams: Alappuzha's density and sex ratio are among the figures Kerala PSC uses to compare districts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The headquarters of Ernakulam district is Kakkanad and its geographical area is 2407 Sq.kms.
The district has a coastal line of 46 Kms, a water bodied area of 12,700 Hectares and forest land of 8,123 Hectares.
Its population is 32,82,388 - 16,19,557 male and 16,62,831 female.
The sex ratio is 1024 and per capita income is Rs.94392.
Ernakulam has 2 subdivisions, 7 taluks, 124 villages, 14 blocks and 84 panchayats.
It also has 1 corporation, 13 municipalities and 14 assembly segments.
Headquarters:
Kakkanad
Total population:
32,82,388
Geographical area:
2407 Sq.kms
Sex ratio:
1024
Per capita income:
Rs.94392
Why it matters for exams: Ernakulam's headquarters, population, sex ratio and administrative units are frequently asked in Kerala PSC district-based questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Kozhikode district administration's demography page gives the district's area as 2345 sq km.
The population of the district is listed as 30,86,293.
The literacy rate is given as 95.08%.
Kozhikode has 1 revenue division, 1 corporation and 7 municipalities.
The district is divided into 4 taluks, 12 blocks, 70 panchayats and 118 villages.
Area:
2345 sq km
Population:
30,86,293
Literacy rate:
95.08%
Panchayats:
70
Why it matters for exams: District area, population, literacy and administrative units are standard Kerala PSC recall questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Global Hunger Index report is prepared by 'Welthungerhilfe' and 'Concern Worldwide'.
The Global Hunger Index is based on four indicators - Undernourishment, Child Stunting, Child Wasting and Child Mortality.
In the Global Hunger Index 2021 report, India's score was 27.5 and India was ranked 101 among 116 countries.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is the data source agency for the indicator 'Prevalence of Undernourishment'.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, stated that out of the four indicators only one, undernourishment, is directly related to hunger, and that Stunting and Wasting are outcomes of complex interactions of various other factors like sanitation, genetics, environment and utilisation of food intake.
The reply also noted that as per the National Family Health Survey, Child Stunting fell from 38.4% (NFHS-4, 2015-16) to 35.5% (NFHS-5, 2019-21) and Child Wasting from 21.0% to 19.3% over the same surveys.
Published by:
'Welthungerhilfe' and 'Concern Worldwide'
Indicators:
Undernourishment, Child Stunting, Child Wasting and Child Mortality
India in GHI 2021:
score 27.5, ranked 101 among 116 countries
Undernourishment data source:
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Why it matters for exams: The publishers of the Global Hunger Index and its four indicators are among the most frequently asked index questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Malappuram district administration's demography page, citing the District Census Handbook 2011, gives the district's population as 3625471 in 2001 and 4112920 in 2011.
For the same period Kerala state's population rose from 31841374 to 33406061.
Among the six taluks listed in the census table, Tirur was the most populous in 2011 with 928672 people, followed by Ernad with 910978; Ponnani was the least populous with 379798.
The district's population density rose from 921 in 2001 to 1159 in 2011, against the state figures of 819 and 860.
Tirurangadi recorded the highest taluk density in 2011 at 2214, while Nilambur recorded the lowest at 427.
District population 2011:
4112920
District population 2001:
3625471
District density 2011:
1159
Most populous taluk 2011:
Tirur, 928672
Source:
District Census Handbook 2011
Why it matters for exams: Malappuram is Kerala's most populous district, and taluk-wise census figures are a common data-based question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
28 September 2026
The IMF Executive Board has concluded the 2026 Article IV consultation with Cambodia (Press Release No. 26/307). The IMF says growth is projected to slow to 3 percent in 2026. It cites higher energy costs, weaker tourism and remittances, slowing garment exports, subdued domestic demand and tighter financial conditions. The review covers fiscal stabilisation, inflation and energy prices.
Projected growth in 2026:
3 percent
IMF press release number:
26/307
Why it matters for exams: IMF surveillance and Article IV consultations are standard international-economy material.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Article IV consultation IMF bilateral surveillance of a member's economy — A regular review of a member country's economic and financial policies by IMF staff and the Executive Board.