Kerala Politics & Governance

Kerala freezes revised K-TET requirements pending review

3 January 2026

Kerala temporarily froze the General Education Department’s revised order making K-TET mandatory for teacher appointments and promotions in government and aided schools. Education Minister V. Sivankutty said the government would file a review petition against the Supreme Court ruling cited as the basis for the change.

Key Facts

• Article 137 empowers the Supreme Court to review its own decisions; Kerala said it would seek such a review of the ruling.

Antony Raju sentenced and disqualified as Kerala MLA

3 January 2026

A court in Nedumangad sentenced former Kerala MLA Antony Raju to three years in prison in an evidence-tampering case. The Legislative Assembly Secretariat later notified his disqualification, effective from the court’s order; the court granted bail after sentencing.

Key Facts

• The Representation of the People Act, 1951 governs elections and sets qualifications and disqualifications for membership of Parliament and state legislatures.

Low-priced banana arrivals deepen pressure on Kerala Nendran growers

3 January 2026

Kerala Nendran growers faced falling prices as bananas from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu arrived in markets at a reported ₹16 per kg. Growers had earlier received ₹24–25 per kg, but said buyers were no longer offering those prices, leaving mature bunches difficult to sell and returns below production costs.

Green coconut prices fall in Kerala

3 January 2026

Green coconut prices in Kerala fell to a reported ₹55 per kg from a cited record of ₹78. Traders attributed the decline to increased market arrivals, including higher harvests in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and said supply could rise further during the season.

Key Facts

• Copra is dried coconut flesh processed for oil, linking coconut prices to the coconut-oil value chain.

Kerala directs assistance for eligible citizens seeking electoral-roll inclusion

5 January 2026

Kerala directed district collectors to help eligible citizens obtain documents needed for electoral-roll inclusion without fees and to provide local help desks, hearing facilities and assistance with online forms. The directions also called for filling vacant Booth Level Officer posts and urged eligible people omitted from the draft roll to use the support facilities.

Key Facts

• An electoral roll lists citizens entitled to vote in a jurisdiction; registration is generally a prerequisite for voting.

Kerala rights commission orders ₹5 lakh compensation for patient trapped in hospital lift

5 January 2026

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission directed the government to pay ₹5 lakh to Ravindran Nair, who was trapped in a lift at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for about 42 hours in July 2025. It ordered payment within two months and directed the hospital to provide free treatment, including clinical psychological care if needed.

Key Facts

• Kerala’s State Human Rights Commission can investigate complaints alleging human-rights violations or public-servant negligence.

Kerala plans cooperative-led paddy procurement model

5 January 2026

Kerala plans to introduce a cooperative-led paddy procurement model in the coming season, with primary agricultural cooperatives purchasing directly from farmers. Supplyco will remain the nodal agency, while Kerala Bank is to provide working-capital loans to nodal cooperatives; the plan also includes digital monitoring of procurement and payments.

Key Facts

• Supplyco’s existing procurement role includes buying paddy directly from farmers at Kerala’s declared Minimum Support Price.

CIAL expands annual export-cargo handling capacity to 125,000 tonnes

6 January 2026

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) began operating its expanded export-cargo warehouse, raising annual handling capacity from 75,000 to 125,000 tonnes. The facility includes two cold rooms maintained at +2°C to +8°C, dedicated spaces for radioactive and valuable cargo, hazardous-cargo facilities and additional screening equipment.

Key Facts

• CIAL’s separate Centre for Perishable Cargo provides dedicated cold storage for perishable goods, with annual handling capacity of about 25,000 tonnes.

University of Kerala orders inquiry into mistaken speaker payment

7 January 2026

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kerala directed an inquiry into a payment of $20,000 to a foreign speaker’s consulting firm, instead of the stated lecture fee of ₹20,000. He also directed that the records be referred to the Director General of Police. The payment related to an online lecture organised by the university’s Centre for Latin American Studies several years earlier.

Kerala High Court orders ₹14 lakh compensation for wrongful imprisonment

8 January 2026

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