Maharashtra Current Affairs 2026 — Full notes
Published:
Maharashtra Current Affairs 2026 — October 2026 · September 2026
At a glance
the top events
The most important events of this page, and how many news items each topic holds.
Top events
- 4 May — Sunetra Pawar (NCP), wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won the Baramati bypoll in Maharashtra by the biggest margin ever seen in an assembly bypoll in India.
- 11 Jul — INS Mahendragiri, the sixth stealth frigate of Project 17A, joined the Navy's Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai, built it with over 75% indigenous content.
- 1 Oct — Maharashtra signed 67 MoUs worth Rs 8.57 lakh crore at the Invest Maharashtra summit in Mumbai on 1 October 2026, expected to create about 2.91 lakh jobs. Data centres, IT and semiconductors took the largest share.
- 3 Oct — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched Invest Maharashtra in Mumbai on 3 October 2026. It is the state's main investment promotion body, offering one-stop help on land, power and approvals, as Maharashtra aims for a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030.
- 6 Oct — Maharashtra's Cabinet approved the Chief Minister's Shaurya Medal for brave police personnel, with a cash award of Rs 50,000. Medals will be announced every year on the eve of Maharashtra Day.
- 12 Oct — Gadchiroli in Maharashtra topped NITI Aayog's overall Delta Ranking of the Aspirational Districts Programme for April to June 2026, ahead of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, and also ranked first in agriculture and water resources.
- 21 Oct — Maharashtra launched its first Annapurti Grain ATM at Nashik, with the UN World Food Programme, to give PDS foodgrains round the clock. Two more are planned, at Nagpur and Thane.
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra recorded its 50th deceased organ donation of 2026 at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai (22 October), and the 51st followed at Jupiter Hospital, Thane on 23 October, under state allocation guidelines of the ZTCC Mumbai.
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra Environment Minister Pankaja Munde announced a clean air action programme for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region; the department also plans a state-wide M-CAP with ₹200-300 crore from MPCB funds, modelled on the 2019 National Clean Air Programme.
- 24 Oct — The Bombay High Court upheld the legal validity of the Bhendi Bazaar cluster redevelopment scheme in Mumbai, an Urban Renewal Scheme of 66,264.72 sq m implemented by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust.
News by topic
- Government & States
- 22 one-liners
- International & Agreements
- 1 one-liners
- Economy & Banking
- 11 one-liners
- Science, Defence & Environment
- 14 one-liners
- Sports, Days & Culture
- 5 one-liners
- Awards, Appointments & Books
- 8 one-liners
Government & States
22 one-liners
Policy · laws · schemes · states.
National
16 one-liners
16 National — 4 May – 25 Oct.
- 4 May — Sunetra Pawar (NCP), wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won the Baramati bypoll in Maharashtra by the biggest margin ever seen in an assembly bypoll in India.
- The University of Bristol and the University of York (in Mumbai) and the University of New South Wales (in Bengaluru) received approval to open campuses in India.
- 1 Oct — A Shram Samvad awareness programme on the four Labour Codes was held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The Codes merge 29 labour laws, came into force on 21 November 2025, and their Central Rules were notified on 8 May 2026.
- 5 Oct — The Bombay High Court refused to stay voter-name deletions in Maharashtra under the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision, saying related matters are already pending before the Supreme Court.
- 6 Oct — Maharashtra's Cabinet approved the Chief Minister's Shaurya Medal for brave police personnel, with a cash award of Rs 50,000. Medals will be announced every year on the eve of Maharashtra Day.
- 6 Oct — Maharashtra approved a policy to give timely financial help to the legal heirs of people who die unnaturally in police custody. The state Cabinet cleared it at its meeting chaired by Fadnavis on 6 October.
- 6 Oct — The Cabinet raised pay for staff of about 2,388 grant-aided hostels and increased allowances under the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Swadhar Scheme for SC and Navbauddha students and the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Swayam Scheme for ST students.
- 11 Oct — Fadnavis launched the second phase of the Mukhyamantri Samruddha Panchayat Raj Abhiyan 2.0 at Nashik on 11 October 2026, focusing on water conservation. Adachiwadi village in Pune district ranked first among gram panchayats for 2025-26.
- 16 Oct — Maharashtra issued a government order on 16 October 2026 to close Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree after pending claims up to March 2027, and to replace it with the Lek Ladki Yojana for families with income up to Rs 1 lakh.
- 16 Oct — In its women and child welfare revamp, Maharashtra is moving the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Bal Sangopan Yojana to MahaDBT. It gives Rs 2,250 to eligible children needing alternative family care and Rs 250 to NGOs.
- 21 Oct — Maharashtra launched its first Annapurti Grain ATM at Nashik, with the UN World Food Programme, to give PDS foodgrains round the clock. Two more are planned, at Nagpur and Thane.
- 22 Oct — Chief Minister Fadnavis virtually inaugurated three flyovers in Mumbai on 22 October 2026: near Sion station, near Vidyavihar station, and on the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road.
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra's registration department linked its marriage-registration software to DigiLocker, so 1,08,870 digitally signed marriage certificates issued since 2023 can be downloaded; Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had ordered the move.
- 24 Oct — The Bombay High Court upheld the legal validity of the Bhendi Bazaar cluster redevelopment scheme in Mumbai, an Urban Renewal Scheme of 66,264.72 sq m implemented by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust.
- 25 Oct — Maharashtra's animal husbandry department launched Mission Murghas: under the Magel Tyala Murghas scheme, milk producers in 19 drought-hit districts of Marathwada and Vidarbha get ₹3 per kg of silage, for five kg per animal per day over 90 days.
- 25 Oct — Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was due to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on 25 October 2026 to discuss the height of the Tummidihatti barrage.
States & UTs
6 one-liners
6 States & UTs — 7 Apr – 23 Oct.
- 7 Apr — The Maharashtra Chief Minister laid the foundation of India's first driverless pod taxi in Mumbai on 7 April 2026. The battery-run system carries up to 6 passengers at 40 km/h and links Kurla and BKC over 8.85 km.
- 4 May — Other bypoll results: BJP's Akshay Shivajirao Kardile won the second Pune-district seat, and Congress won both Karnataka seats, Bagalkot (Umesh Hullappa Meti) and Davanagere South (Samarth Shamnur Mallikarjun).
- Maharashtra passed the Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, which recognises women as farmers even if the land is not in their name. Women hold only about 14% of operational land holdings.
- New cattle breeds recognised: Periyar dwarf (Kerala) and Umarda (Maharashtra).
- New sheep breeds recognised: Madgyal (Maharashtra and Karnataka) and Seemanchali (Bihar).
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis announced reservation for ex-Agniveers in government jobs; 282 Navy Agniveers from Maharashtra will be appointed police constables.
International & Agreements
1 one-liners
World · summits · MoUs · exercises.
Summits, Agreements & Exercises
- 13 Oct — The 21st Maritime State Development Council met in Mumbai under Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. It set March 2027 as the deadline for One Nation One Port reforms and Maritime Single Window integration in all ports.
Economy & Banking
11 one-liners
RBI · markets · trade · reports.
Economy & Banking
- The Centre approved a 30 km sea bridge over the Gulf of Khambhat linking Bhavnagar (Saurashtra) with Bharuch; it will be longer than Mumbai's Atal Setu (21.8 km) and India's longest sea bridge.
- 1 Oct — Maharashtra signed 67 MoUs worth Rs 8.57 lakh crore at the Invest Maharashtra summit in Mumbai on 1 October 2026, expected to create about 2.91 lakh jobs. Data centres, IT and semiconductors took the largest share.
- 3 Oct — Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched Invest Maharashtra in Mumbai on 3 October 2026. It is the state's main investment promotion body, offering one-stop help on land, power and approvals, as Maharashtra aims for a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030.
- 6 Oct — The Maharashtra Cabinet gave the Vadar community a royalty concession on minor minerals and raised the annual limit for their traditional stone excavation from 200 brass to 500 brass (brass is a unit of volume).
- 7 Oct — Tata Power and Norway's Ocean Sun signed an agreement on 7 October 2026 for a 300 kWp floating solar pilot at the Mulshi reservoir in Maharashtra, which is Ocean Sun's first installation in India.
- 13 Oct — Gujarat and Maharashtra, with Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, got permanent seats on the new 12-state GST Standing Committee. The other seven seats rotate every two years.
- 13 Oct — Two shipbuilding insurance policies were launched at the Mumbai meeting: SbPCP by ECGC for export projects and BCSPS by New India Assurance for domestic projects, under the National Shipbuilding Mission.
- 21 Oct — The PM-SETU steering committee approved ITI clusters in Pune (Rs 241 crore, partner BVG India) and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Rs 238.01 crore, partner Belrise Industries), each with one hub ITI and four spoke ITIs.
- 21 Oct — The cooperative BHARAT TAXI service was launched at Navi Mumbai International Airport on 21 October 2026 to widen passenger transport options.
- 22 Oct — Maharashtra plans a mega chemical park near Vadhvan Port and has asked the Centre to approve allotment of 2,500 to 5,000 acres of land for it.
- 22 Oct — Fadnavis praised the Avaada solar manufacturing facility in Nagpur, where 3 GW of N-type TOPCon solar cell capacity is operating, and said Nagpur can become a national hub for solar equipment manufacturing.
Science, Defence & Environment
14 one-liners
Space · tech · forces · ecology.
Science & Technology
- 6 Oct — The Cabinet approved the CM SRISTHI scheme to promote research, innovation and technology hubs in higher and technical education, covering public universities, government polytechnics, ICT Mumbai, COEP Pune and DBATU Lonere.
- 15 Oct — The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune hosted the APARC Early Career Researcher Workshop 2026, a curtain-raiser for the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2026).
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra recorded its 50th deceased organ donation of 2026 at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai (22 October), and the 51st followed at Jupiter Hospital, Thane on 23 October, under state allocation guidelines of the ZTCC Mumbai.
- 25 Oct — AIIMS Nagpur received a ₹30 crore sanction from the National Centre for Disease Control for a Biosafety Level-III laboratory, expected to start in about a year and reduce dependence on NIV Pune.
Defence & Security
- 21 Apr — The seventh edition of India-Uzbekistan exercise Dustlik was held from 21 to 25 April 2026 at Gurumsaray Field Training Area, Uzbekistan. It is annual and alternates between the two countries; the last edition was in Pune in April 2025.
- 11 Jul — INS Mahendragiri, the sixth stealth frigate of Project 17A, joined the Navy's Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai, built it with over 75% indigenous content.
- 22 Jul — INS Malvan is named after the coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, linked to the naval tradition of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
- Nagpur-based Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited (SDAL) delivered 450 Nagastra-1R loitering munitions, worth Rs 158 crore, to the Indian Army. The drone has over 80% indigenous components.
- 13 Oct — The Indian Coast Guard inducted the first indigenous ALH MK-III helicopter (CG 875) at Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, into Coast Guard Region (West). It is armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun.
- 23 Oct — DRDO ARDE (Pune) shortlisted SSS Defence and the Kalyani Group as development-cum-production partners for India's first indigenous 20 mm aviation gun and turret for HAL's ALH Mk-IV (Rudra) and LCH Prachand, with production split 60:40.
- 23 Oct — Solar Defence and Aerospace Ltd (Nagpur) delivered Nagastra loitering munitions to the Army; trials were held at Mahajan Field Firing Range, Rajasthan, in August 2026. Reports differ on the variant name and delivery date.
Environment & Ecology
- 2 Oct — The Mumbai Port Authority declared the Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal plastic-free on 2 October 2026, called India's first plastic-free oil terminal. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal led the Swachhata Abhiyan programme.
- 22 Oct — The Bombay High Court called Mumbai's air quality an emergency on 22 October 2026 and ordered civic bodies to submit an action plan on dust control and industrial emissions.
- 23 Oct — Maharashtra Environment Minister Pankaja Munde announced a clean air action programme for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region; the department also plans a state-wide M-CAP with ₹200-300 crore from MPCB funds, modelled on the 2019 National Clean Air Programme.
Sports, Days & Culture
5 one-liners
Results · important days · heritage.
Sports
- 24 Oct — A team of 11 youths from Mumbai's chawls and slums was reported to have won gold at the first Box Langdi World Cup in Nepal (23-25 October), beating Thailand 19-15 in the final.
Important Days
- 23 Sept — The 11th National Ayurveda Day was observed on 23 September 2026 with the theme "Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow". The main national event of the Ministry of AYUSH was held in Nagpur.
Art, Culture & Tourism
- Union MoS Prataprao Jadhav asked Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to hold Surya Kiran aerobatic air shows at Lonar, Ajanta and Ellora on 23 to 25 November 2026 to promote tourism in Maharashtra.
- 13 Oct — The fourth World Hindu Congress will be held in December 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai, with more than 4,000 delegates from over 60 countries expected.
- 22 Oct — The NFDC-National Film Archive of India held a four-day retrospective of filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak in Pune, showing films restored and digitised under the National Film Heritage Mission.
Awards, Appointments & Books
8 one-liners
Honours · new posts · books · obituaries.
Awards & Honours
| Date | Award | Winner / reason |
|---|---|---|
| · | Costliest city for the wealthy (Julius Baer report) | Singapore (4th year in a row); Mumbai 22nd |
| · | QS Best Student Cities 2027 | Seoul 1st; Indian cities: Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Pune |
| 12 Oct | NITI Aayog Aspirational Districts Delta Ranking (Apr-Jun 2026) | Gadchiroli, Maharashtra (first); Baramulla second |
| 22 Oct | 28th Charles Correa Gold Medal 2026 | Architecture student from Kochi, thesis "Energy Commons" |
| 22 Oct | Global Finance 2026: other winners | Santander (World's Best), DBS, BBVA, Ecobank |
Appointments
| Date | Name | Appointed as |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Aug | A. S. Rajeev | Acting Central Vigilance Commissioner |
| 22 Oct | Satish Waghole | Additional Chairperson, MPSC |
Obituaries
- 5 Oct — Padma Shri Kathak dancer Roshan Kumari of the Jaipur gharana died in Mumbai at 82. She founded the Nritya Kala Kendra in Bandra in 1971.
Quick quiz
test yourself
Practice questions on this period. Tap an option to check your answer.
Fill in the blank: one-liner flashcards
- _____ (NCP), wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, won the Baramati bypoll in Maharashtra by the biggest margin ever seen in an assembly bypoll in India.
- Sunetra Pawar
- _____, the sixth stealth frigate of Project 17A, joined the Navy's Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam on 11 July 2026. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai, built it with over 75% indigenous content.
- INS Mahendragiri
- Maharashtra signed _____ worth Rs 8.57 lakh crore at the Invest Maharashtra summit in Mumbai on 1 October 2026, expected to create about 2.91 lakh jobs. Data centres, IT and semiconductors took the largest share.
- 67 MoUs
- Chief Minister _____ launched Invest Maharashtra in Mumbai on 3 October 2026. It is the state's main investment promotion body, offering one-stop help on land, power and approvals, as Maharashtra aims for a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030.
- Devendra Fadnavis
- Maharashtra's Cabinet approved the _____ for brave police personnel, with a cash award of Rs 50,000. Medals will be announced every year on the eve of Maharashtra Day.
- Chief Minister's Shaurya Medal
- _____ in Maharashtra topped NITI Aayog's overall Delta Ranking of the Aspirational Districts Programme for April to June 2026, ahead of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, and also ranked first in agriculture and water resources.
- Gadchiroli
- Maharashtra launched its first _____ at Nashik, with the UN World Food Programme, to give PDS foodgrains round the clock. Two more are planned, at Nagpur and Thane.
- Annapurti Grain ATM
- Maharashtra recorded its _____ at Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai (22 October), and the 51st followed at Jupiter Hospital, Thane on 23 October, under state allocation guidelines of the ZTCC Mumbai.
- 50th deceased organ donation of 2026
- Maharashtra Environment Minister _____ announced a clean air action programme for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region; the department also plans a state-wide M-CAP with ₹200-300 crore from MPCB funds, modelled on the 2019 National Clean Air Programme.
- Pankaja Munde
- The _____ upheld the legal validity of the Bhendi Bazaar cluster redevelopment scheme in Mumbai, an Urban Renewal Scheme of 66,264.72 sq m implemented by the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust.
- Bombay High Court
MCQs
Which DRDO lab shortlisted partners for India's first indigenous 20 mm aviation gun?
- LRDE, Bengaluru
- DRDL, Hyderabad
- ADRDE, Agra
- ARDE, Pune
Show answer
Answer: ARDE, Pune — ARDE Pune picked SSS Defence and Kalyani Group, with a 60:40 production split.
The first Box Langdi World Cup in October 2026, won by a team from Mumbai, was held in which country?
- Bhutan
- Thailand
- Sri Lanka
- Nepal
Show answer
Answer: Nepal — The inaugural tournament was held in Nepal from 23 to 25 October 2026.
Under Maharashtra's Magel Tyala Murghas scheme, what subsidy per kg of silage is given to milk producers in Marathwada and Vidarbha?
- ₹1
- ₹2
- ₹3
- ₹5
Show answer
Answer: ₹3 — The scheme gives ₹3 per kg of silage, for five kg per animal per day over 90 days, in 19 drought-hit districts.
How much did the National Centre for Disease Control sanction to AIIMS Nagpur for a Biosafety Level-III laboratory?
- ₹10 crore
- ₹30 crore
- ₹50 crore
- ₹100 crore
Show answer
Answer: ₹30 crore — AIIMS Nagpur got ₹30 crore, and the lab should start in about a year.
At India Chem 2026 in Mumbai, Odisha signed its largest MoU, worth Rs 36,763.51 crore, with which company?
- NLC India Ltd
- Tata Power
- POSCO India
- JSW
Show answer
Answer: NLC India Ltd — The MoU with NLC India Ltd was in the chemicals and energy sectors.
What was the target of the Invest Maharashtra platform launched by CM Fadnavis on 3 October 2026?
- A USD 500 billion economy by 2028
- A USD 1 trillion economy by 2030
- A USD 2 trillion economy by 2035
- A USD 1 trillion economy by 2047
Show answer
Answer: A USD 1 trillion economy by 2030 — Maharashtra aims for a USD 1 trillion economy by 2030.
Which Maharashtra district topped NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts Delta Ranking for April to June 2026?
- Nandurbar
- Washim
- Hingoli
- Gadchiroli
Show answer
Answer: Gadchiroli — Gadchiroli topped the overall ranking and also ranked first in agriculture and water resources.
Which terminal of the Mumbai Port Authority was declared plastic-free on 2 October 2026?
- Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal
- Indira Dock Terminal
- Ballard Pier Terminal
- Pir Pau Terminal
Show answer
Answer: Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal — The Jawahar Dweep Marine Oil Terminal was declared plastic-free during Swachhata Abhiyan 2026.
Who was appointed additional chairperson of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission on 22 October 2026?
- Rajesh Aggarwal
- Satish Waghole
- Sadanand Date
- Praveer Ranjan
Show answer
Answer: Satish Waghole — Satish Waghole was appointed additional chairperson of the MPSC.
The first driverless pod taxi in India was announced for which pair of places in Mumbai?
- Colaba and Bandra
- Andheri and Powai
- Kurla and BKC
- Dadar and Thane
Show answer
Answer: Kurla and BKC — The 8.85 km pod taxi will connect Kurla and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC).
INS Mahendragiri is which stealth frigate of Project 17A?
- Third
- Sixth
- Fourth
- Seventh
Show answer
Answer: Sixth — INS Mahendragiri, the sixth Project 17A frigate, was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai.
What cash award goes with the Chief Minister's Shaurya Medal approved by the Maharashtra Cabinet?
- Rs 25,000
- Rs 50,000
- Rs 1 lakh
- Rs 2 lakh
Show answer
Answer: Rs 50,000 — Recipients get the medal, a certificate and Rs 50,000.