Kerala PSC Current Affairs — 27 April 2026

Daily current affairs for Kerala PSC aspirants. Today’s edition: a major Northeast development push, India’s defence diplomacy in Central Asia, Kerala social-justice mobilisation, and a state legislative session.

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Kerala News

1. Statewide Hartal Called for April 28 — Nithin Raj Case

• A coalition of 52 Dalit-Adivasi organisations (the Action Council) declared a statewide hartal in Kerala from 6 AM to 6 PM on 28 April 2026
• Trigger: death of Nithin Raj, a first-year BDS student at Anjarakkandy Dental College, Kannur, allegedly due to mental harassment and caste-based discrimination
• Demands include:
  • Murder case against college officials
  • Implementation of the Rohit Vemula Act (long-pending demand from Dalit student bodies for legal protection of SC/ST students in higher-education institutions)
  • ₹10 crore compensation to the family
  • Cancellation of college affiliation
  • Judicial probe
• Essential services (hospitals, milk, newspapers) exempted
• PSC relevance: Article 17 (abolition of untouchability), SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989, Higher Education Commission, Kerala social justice movements

2. Thrissur Pooram 2026 — Fireworks Crescendo

• Thrissur Pooram (held 26 April 2026 at Vadakkunnathan Temple) culminated with the spectacular pyrotechnics display at Thekkinkadu Maidan at 3 AM on 27 April
• “Pooram of Poorams” — temple festival featuring Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi Devaswoms with caparisoned elephants and kudamattam (parasol exchange)
• Thrissur Pooram (started 1796) was a creation of Sakthan Thampuran, ruler of erstwhile Cochin Kingdom
• PSC relevance: Kerala temple festivals, Sakthan Thampuran, Cochin princely state, intangible cultural heritage

3. Kerala Assembly Election — Counting Day in 7 Days

• Kerala Legislative Assembly election counting and results scheduled 4 May 2026 at 140 counting centres
• Polling held 9 April 2026; service-voter ballots and postal ballots to be opened first
• LDF (CPI(M)-led) seeks third consecutive term under CM Pinarayi Vijayan (contesting from Dharmadam, Kannur)
• ECI strongroom protocols in place; paramilitary deployment confirmed
• PSC relevance: Article 324, Conduct of Elections Rules 1961, RPA 1951, Electoral roll machinery

4. Kerala Weather — Pre-Monsoon Showers

• IMD forecast: rain or thundershowers at one or two places in Kerala on 27 April 2026; dry weather elsewhere
• Pre-monsoon transition; southwest monsoon normal onset over Kerala: 1 June
• Heat continues but moderated from previous week’s Orange Alert peaks
• PSC relevance: monsoon classification, IMD warning hierarchy, Kerala climate phases

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National News

5. PM Modi — 2-Day Sikkim Visit (27-28 April)

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a 2-day visit to Sikkim (27-28 April 2026)
• Occasion: Closing ceremony of Sikkim’s 50th year of Statehood (Sikkim became India’s 22nd state on 16 May 1975)
• Total project value to be unveiled: over ₹4,000 crore
• Major inaugurations on April 28:
  • Sikkim University — Permanent campus at Yangang
  • Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University of Excellence — Administrative Block at Chakung
  • Helen Lepcha Medical College at Socheygang, Gangtok
  • Dentam Professional College at Dentam, Gyalshing district
  • Sikkim IFFCO Processing Plant — agro-processing boost
  • Indoor cricket facilities at Mining, Rangpo, Pakyong district
• Foundation stones for two double-lane steel arch bridges over River Teesta at Sirwani and Lower Samdong
• IT-enabled educational infrastructure across 160 schools in Sikkim launched
• PSC relevance: Northeast development, Sikkim history (kingdom 1642, accession 1975), River Teesta geography, IFFCO

6. Defence Minister at SCO Meeting in Bishkek

• Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 28 April 2026
• Theme: “25 Years of the SCO — Place for Peace and Prosperity”
• Kyrgyzstan holds SCO Chairmanship in 2026 (4th rotation)
• Agenda: terrorism, extremism, regional security, geopolitical tensions across Eurasia
• SCO members: China, Russia, India (joined 2017), Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran (joined 2023), Belarus (joined 2024)
• PSC relevance: Multilateral defence groupings, SCO history (founded 2001 in Shanghai), India’s Eurasia outreach

7. Vice President Visits Andhra Pradesh

• Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan on a 2-day visit to Andhra Pradesh (27-28 April 2026)
• Engagements include public events and government interactions
• VP’s role per Article 63: Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Acting President when President’s office is vacant
• PSC relevance: VP’s constitutional role, Articles 63-71

8. Haryana — Special Assembly Session on 27 April

• Haryana Legislative Assembly convenes a special one-day session on 27 April 2026 under the leadership of CM Nayab Singh Saini
• Key bill: Haryana Clerical Services Recruitment and Conditions of Service Bill, 2026 — already approved by Cabinet
• Rationalisation of clerical-cadre recruitment in state services
• PSC relevance: State legislatures, special sessions (Article 174), state public service commissions

9. ISRO — Mission MITRA in Leh (Ongoing Context)

• Mission MITRA (Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Response Assessment) — analogue mission for Gaganyaan programme — was conducted by ISRO in Leh, Ladakh from 2-9 April 2026
• Purpose: evaluate crew safety and physiological response in extreme high-altitude (analogue space) conditions
• Gaganyaan: India’s first human spaceflight programme; first crewed mission targeted in 2027
• PSC relevance: ISRO, Gaganyaan, human space programme, analogue research

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International News

10. SCO at 25 — Bishkek Theme

• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation marks 25 years in 2026 (founded 15 June 2001 in Shanghai)
• Original 6 members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
• Now 10 full members; observer states include Mongolia, Afghanistan
• Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is the main institutional output
• 2026 chairmanship rotation: Kyrgyzstan
• PSC relevance: Global multilateralism, Eurasian security architecture, India’s SCO membership (2017)

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10 MCQs

Q1. The statewide hartal called in Kerala for April 28, 2026, follows the death of Nithin Raj — a student at which institution?

Options: A. Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram B. Anjarakkandy Dental College, Kannur C. Government Dental College, Kozhikode D. Pariyaram Medical College

Answer: B

Explanation: Nithin Raj was a first-year BDS student at Anjarakkandy Dental College, Kannur. The Action Council of 52 Dalit-Adivasi organisations called the hartal demanding implementation of the Rohit Vemula Act and a murder case against college officials.

Q2. PM Modi’s visit to Sikkim on 27-28 April 2026 marks how many years of Sikkim’s statehood?

Options: A. 25 years B. 40 years C. 50 years D. 60 years

Answer: C

Explanation: Sikkim became India’s 22nd state on 16 May 1975; April 2026 marks the closing year of 50th-year statehood celebrations.

Q3. Project value to be unveiled by PM Modi during the Sikkim visit:

Options: A. ₹1,000 crore B. ₹2,500 crore C. ₹4,000+ crore D. ₹10,000 crore

Answer: C

Explanation: PM Modi will unveil projects worth over ₹4,000 crore including Sikkim University permanent campus, IFFCO processing plant, two River Teesta bridges, and 160-school IT infrastructure.

Q4. The SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting that India’s Rajnath Singh will attend on 28 April 2026 is being hosted in which capital?

Options: A. Astana, Kazakhstan B. Tashkent, Uzbekistan C. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan D. Dushanbe, Tajikistan

Answer: C

Explanation: The SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting is being hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, which holds the SCO Chairmanship in 2026.

Q5. The 2026 SCO theme under Kyrgyzstan’s chairmanship is:

Options: A. “Eurasia for Peace and Sustainable Development” B. “25 Years of the SCO — Place for Peace and Prosperity” C. “SCO Plus — A Decade of Strength” D. “Beyond Boundaries”

Answer: B

Explanation: Kyrgyzstan’s 2026 chairmanship theme is “25 Years of the SCO — Place for Peace and Prosperity” — marking the SCO’s silver jubilee since its founding in Shanghai in June 2001.

Q6. India joined the SCO as a full member in which year?

Options: A. 2001 B. 2010 C. 2017 D. 2023

Answer: C

Explanation: India became a full member of the SCO in 2017 (along with Pakistan). Iran joined in 2023; Belarus joined in 2024.

Q7. ISRO’s analogue mission “MITRA” conducted in Leh in April 2026 is linked to which programme?

Options: A. Aditya-L1 B. Chandrayaan-4 C. Gaganyaan D. NISAR

Answer: C

Explanation: Mission MITRA (Mapping of Interoperable Traits and Response Assessment) is an analogue mission supporting the Gaganyaan crewed-spaceflight programme — testing crew physiology in extreme analogue conditions.

Q8. The two double-lane steel arch bridges PM Modi will lay foundation stones for in Sikkim are over which river?

Options: A. River Brahmaputra B. River Teesta C. River Subansiri D. River Manas

Answer: B

Explanation: The two hinged double-lane steel arch bridges at Sirwani and Lower Samdong are over the River Teesta, connecting Namchi and Gangtok districts.

Q9. Thrissur Pooram, whose 2026 fireworks crescendo took place at 3 AM on 27 April, was originally instituted by which ruler?

Options: A. Marthanda Varma B. Sakthan Thampuran C. Veerakerala Varma D. Swathi Thirunal

Answer: B

Explanation: Sakthan Thampuran (Rama Varma IX, 1751-1805) of erstwhile Kingdom of Cochin instituted Thrissur Pooram in 1796 to consolidate temple festivals at Vadakkunnathan Temple.

Q10. The Haryana Clerical Services Recruitment and Conditions of Service Bill, 2026 was being introduced in which special session?

Options: A. Rajya Sabha B. Lok Sabha C. Haryana Legislative Assembly D. Punjab and Haryana High Court

Answer: C

Explanation: A special one-day session of the Haryana Legislative Assembly was convened on 27 April 2026 under CM Nayab Singh Saini’s leadership to introduce the Clerical Services Bill, already approved by the state Cabinet.

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Quick Recap

#	Topic	One-line
1	Kerala hartal	Apr 28 statewide; Nithin Raj BDS case; Rohit Vemula Act demand
2	Thrissur Pooram	3 AM crescendo at Thekkinkadu Maidan
3	Kerala polls	Counting on 4 May; final week of campaign rest
4	Kerala weather	Pre-monsoon showers; SW monsoon onset 1 Jun
5	PM Sikkim visit	₹4,000+ Cr projects; 50th statehood closing
6	Rajnath Singh	SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting Bishkek 28 Apr
7	VP visit	C.P. Radhakrishnan in Andhra Pradesh 27-28 Apr
8	Haryana session	Special Assembly; Clerical Services Bill 2026
9	ISRO MITRA	Gaganyaan analogue mission in Leh (Apr 2-9)
10	SCO at 25	Founded 15 Jun 2001 Shanghai; theme “Peace and Prosperity”

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Sources: Press Information Bureau, PM Modi web archive, MEA & MoD releases, IMD bulletins, Kerala news outlets (Kaumudi, Manorama, Madhyamam). Cross-checked at time of publication.