Kerala: Administration, Schemes and Current Affairs

1. How the Kerala Government Works

Kerala, now officially Keralam, has the same three organs as every Indian state: the executive, the legislature and the judiciary. Learn the numbers and the names of the present office holders.

The executive

• The Governor is the constitutional head of the state and is appointed by the President. Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar took office as Governor on 2 January 2025.
• On 12 October 2026 the President appointed Om Prakash Mathur, then Governor of Sikkim, as the next Governor of Keralam, and moved Arlekar to Tamil Nadu. Each appointment takes effect when the appointee assumes charge.
• The Chief Minister heads the Council of Ministers. V. D. Satheesan (Congress, UDF) was sworn in as Chief Minister on 18 May 2026. He also holds the Finance portfolio.
• The Government Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram is the seat of the state administration. The Chief Secretary is the senior-most civil servant.

The legislature

• Kerala has a unicameral (one-House) legislature, the Kerala Legislative Assembly or Niyamasabha.
• It has 140 elected members. 14 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 for Scheduled Tribes.
• The nominated Anglo-Indian seat ended in 2020, after the 104th Constitutional Amendment.
• The 16th Assembly was elected in April 2026. Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was elected Speaker on 22 May 2026. Pinarayi Vijayan is the Leader of the Opposition.
• Kerala sends 20 members to the Lok Sabha and 9 to the Rajya Sabha.

Judiciary and watchdogs

• The High Court of Kerala is at Ernakulam (Kochi). It also has jurisdiction over the Union Territory of Lakshadweep.
• The Kerala Lok Ayukta was set up under the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act, 1999. It inquires into complaints of corruption and maladministration against public servants.
• The Kerala Public Service Commission recruits for state government posts.
• The State Election Commission conducts elections to panchayats and municipalities.

💡 Remember '140-20-9': Assembly seats, Lok Sabha seats and Rajya Sabha seats of Kerala.

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2. Local Government, Kudumbashree and Welfare Schemes

Kerala is known across India for strong local self-government and for Kudumbashree, its women's network. This lesson also covers important public bodies and the main welfare schemes as of 2026.

Decentralisation and the People's Plan Campaign

• Kerala's local bodies work under the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 and the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994.
• The People's Plan Campaign was launched on 17 August 1996. About 35 to 40% of the state's plan funds were given to local bodies to plan and spend themselves.
• Kerala has 941 grama panchayats, 152 block panchayats and 14 district panchayats, along with municipalities and 6 municipal corporations.
• Half (50%) of the seats in Kerala's local bodies are reserved for women.
• Elections to local bodies were held in December 2025.

Kudumbashree and missions

• Kudumbashree, the State Poverty Eradication Mission, was launched on 17 May 1998. Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee inaugurated it at Malappuram.
• It has three tiers: Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs) of women, Area Development Societies (ADS) at ward level, and Community Development Societies (CDS) at local body level.
• Kudumbashree runs thrift and credit, small businesses, canteens and farming groups.
• LIFE Mission (Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment), started in 2016, builds houses for homeless and landless families.

Key public bodies

• KSEB (Kerala State Electricity Board): set up in 1957; supplies electricity across the state.
• KSRTC (Kerala State Road Transport Corporation): set up in 1965; runs state buses.
• KSFE (Kerala State Financial Enterprises): set up in 1969; headquarters in Thrissur; known for chitty (chit fund) schemes.
• Medisep is a health insurance scheme for state government employees and pensioners, started in 2022.

Welfare in the revised Budget 2026-27

• Social security pensions continue at Rs 2,000 a month. Budget presented by Chief Minister (and Finance Minister) V. D. Satheesan on 19 June 2026.
• Oommen Chandy Health Insurance Scheme: free health cover of up to Rs 25 lakh per family.
• Free travel in KSRTC buses for women and transgender persons, with Rs 600 crore allotted.
• Rs 1,000 a month in cash support for women working in the care economy.
• Scheme names and amounts can change. Check the latest government orders before the exam.

💡 Kudumbashree's three tiers go from small to big: NHG (neighbourhood), ADS (ward), CDS (panchayat or municipality).

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3. Kerala Current Affairs 2025–2026

2025 and 2026 brought a new government, a new official name for the state and many important events. This lesson gives the facts. Political positions are given only as the parties' own stated views.

2026 Assembly election and new government

• Polling for the 140-seat Assembly was held on 9 April 2026.
• The Congress-led UDF won 102 seats, the LDF 35 and the BJP-led NDA 3.
• Votes were counted on 4 May 2026. V. D. Satheesan was sworn in as Chief Minister on 18 May 2026 at the Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram.
• Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister from 2016 to 2026, became Leader of the Opposition.
• On 19 June 2026, Chief Minister Satheesan presented the revised Budget 2026-27, the new government's first. It announced Mission Samudra (Rs 400 crore) to link the coast, ports and inland waterways.

Kerala becomes Keralam

• The Kerala Legislative Assembly passed a resolution on 24 June 2024 asking the Centre to change the state's name to Keralam, its name in Malayalam.
• Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament passed the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026: the Lok Sabha on 11 August and the Rajya Sabha on 12 August 2026.
• After the President's assent, the Centre notified the change. The new name Keralam took effect on 25 August 2026.
• The Act changes the name in the First Schedule of the Constitution. In exams, 'Keralam' is the current official name; 'Kerala' is still seen in older names and historical questions.

Other events

• Local body elections were held on 9 and 11 December 2025. The UDF won four of the six corporations, the LDF won Kozhikode, and the NDA won the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.
• Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the state's highest literary honour: N. S. Madhavan (2024) and K. G. Sankara Pillai (2025).
• Cricket: Kerala reached the Ranji Trophy final for the first time in 2024-25. The final against Vidarbha was drawn, and Vidarbha won the title on first-innings lead.
• Disaster: the landslides of 30 July 2024 at Mundakkai and Chooralmala in Wayanad killed over 200 people. Rebuilding and a new township for survivors continued in 2025-26.
• On 12 October 2026 Om Prakash Mathur was appointed Governor of Keralam.

💡 Make a dated list for 2025-26: May 2025 Vizhinjam, Dec 2025 local polls, Apr 2026 Assembly poll, May 2026 new CM, Jun 2026 revised budget, Aug 2026 Keralam.

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