Monday, 20 April 2026
Kerala PSC Current Affairs — 20 April 2026
Daily current affairs for Kerala PSC aspirants. Kerala + national + economy + important days.
Kerala News
1. Kerala Assembly Election 2026 — Counting Countdown
- Polling completed on 9 April 2026 with 78.27% turnout across 140 seats
- Counting date: 4 May 2026 — just 14 days away
- CM Pinarayi Vijayan expressed confidence that LDF would return with a larger mandate
- Multiple exit polls suggest a tight contest between LDF and UDF
2. Kerala PSC Recruitment — 6 New Categories (13/2026 to 18/2026)
- KPSC published 6 new recruitment notifications in April 2026
- Includes: Assistant Manager (Production), Assistant Professor, Security Guard, Salesman and other posts
- Assistant Manager at Travancore Titanium Products Ltd — requires Chemical Engineering degree, salary Rs 20,740-36,140
- Last date to apply: 29 April 2026 via keralapsc.gov.in
- Upper age limit: 40 years (General category)
3. Akshaya Tritiya — Gold Rush in Kerala
- Akshaya Tritiya celebrated on 19 April 2026 (Sunday)
- Kerala jewellery stores witnessed their busiest day of the year
- Gold purchases on this day are considered especially auspicious — believed to bring never-diminishing prosperity
- “Akshaya” means “that which never decreases” in Sanskrit
- Significance for PSC: Cultural and religious festivals of India (frequently asked in GK section)
National News
4. India Summons Iran Envoy Over Strait of Hormuz Incident
India summoned the Iranian ambassador after IRGC naval units fired on Indian-flagged merchant vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on 18 April 2026.
- An Indian-flagged supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil was forced back
- Foreign Secretary conveyed deep concern and urged Iran to resume facilitating India-bound ships
- India deployed 5+ warships under Operation Urja Suraksha (since 25 March) to escort Indian cargo ships in the Gulf of Oman
- Background: Iran has blocked Strait of Hormuz shipping since 28 February 2026 following the US-Israel air strikes on Iran
- Iran had earlier announced that ships from 5 nations (India, China, Russia, Iraq, Pakistan) would be allowed to transit — but incidents continue
5. World Bank Raises India’s FY27 GDP Growth Forecast to 6.6%
The World Bank raised India’s GDP growth forecast for FY2026-27 to 6.6% (from earlier 6.3%) in its latest South Asia Economic Update (published 9 April 2026).
- India remains the fastest-growing major economy globally
- FY26 growth estimated at 7.6% — FY27 slowdown attributed to Middle East conflict impact on energy prices
- Growth drivers: strong domestic demand, resilient services exports, high forex reserves
- Risk factor: Middle East conflict disrupting global energy markets and raising inflation
- FY28 growth also projected at 6.6%
Important Days
- 19 April — World Liver Day / Akshaya Tritiya (2026)
- 20 April — UN Chinese Language Day
- 21 April — National Civil Services Day
- 22 April — Earth Day
- 23 April — World Book and Copyright Day
- 25 April — World Malaria Day
Today’s MCQs
Q1. India launched which naval operation to escort Indian ships near the Strait of Hormuz? (A) Operation Samudra Setu (B) Operation Kaveri (C) Operation Urja Suraksha (correct) (D) Operation Sankalp
Q2. The World Bank projected India’s GDP growth for FY2026-27 at: (A) 5.8% (B) 6.3% (C) 6.6% (correct) (D) 7.2%
Q3. Akshaya Tritiya 2026 was celebrated on: (A) 17 April (B) 18 April (C) 19 April (correct) (D) 20 April
Q4. How many new recruitment categories did Kerala PSC notify in April 2026? (A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 6 (correct)
Q5. Which Indian company is recruiting an Assistant Manager (Production) through Kerala PSC? (A) Cochin Shipyard (B) BPCL Kochi Refinery (C) Travancore Titanium Products Ltd (correct) (D) Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd
Exam Relevance
- Strait of Hormuz crisis — International Relations + Geography (chokepoints frequently asked)
- Operation Urja Suraksha — Defence + Current Affairs (name-based questions)
- World Bank GDP forecast — Indian Economy (growth projections, international organisations)
- Akshaya Tritiya — Indian Culture + Important Days
- Kerala PSC notifications — Direct relevance for aspirants
Sources
- The Express Tribune — India summons Iran envoy over Hormuz shooting
- Iran International — IRGC fires at Indian vessel (second source)
- Al Jazeera — Strait of Hormuz closure
- World Bank Press Release — GDP forecast 6.6%
- Deccan Chronicle — World Bank GDP (second source)
- Seekinforms — Kerala PSC 6 new categories
- OneIndia — Akshaya Tritiya details
- Onmanorama — Kerala election 78.27% turnout
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