Maharashtra Current Affairs 2019 by AffairsCloud PDF

Current Affairs Statewise PDF
Maharashtra Current Affairs 2019

Download Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader for Mobile App
Contents
Maharashtra Current Affairs - January 2019 ..................................................................................................... 2
Maharashtra Current Affairs - February 2019 ................................................................................................... 9
Maharashtra Current Affairs - March 2019 ..................................................................................................... 15
Maharashtra Current Affairs - April 2019 ....................................................................................................... 18
Maharashtra Current Affairs - May 2019 ........................................................................................................ 19
Subscribe(Buy) Current Affairs PDF 2019 - Pocket, Study and

Q&A (English & Hindi)
1|Page
Follow Us - FB.com/AffairsCloudOfficialPage Copyright 2019 @ AffairsCloud.Com
Maharashtra Current Affairs - January 2019

Encouraging farmers to enrol farmers for the Atal Solar Krishi Pump Yojana: Maharashtra govt
On January 5, 2019, Maharashtra Government announced distribution of free sops to encourage farmers to
enrol in the Atal Solar Krishi Pump Yojana.
i. The things included: two LED bulbs, a DC fan and a mobile charging socket.
About Atal Solar Krishi Pump Yojana (ASKP):
• Launched in October 2018, it aims to reduce losses due to non-payment of electricity bills and also
promote solar energy.
• Farmers with less than five acres will have to pay 5 per cent of the cost of a 3 HP solar pump while
farmers with more than five acres will get a 5 HP solar pump and the sops.
• It would provide subsidy of upto 95% on solar agriculture pumpsets.
• Also around 1 lakh solar pumps were distributed to farmers to irrigate 14,000 Ha land.
• The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (Msedcl) is the implementing agency.
Maharashtra Government launched Special Scheme to Curb infant deaths

On 30th January 2019,A special scheme is launched by Maharashtra government with an aim to curb infant
deaths.Child development Minister Pankaja Munde distributed baby care kits to the children born in Primary
health centre and Government Hospitals.
Key Points
i. The baby care kit contains a blanket, a small mattress, a towel, a thermometer, baby oil, shampoo, toys, nail
cutter, gloves, socks, among other items. The kit costs around Rs.2000
ii. The scheme is applicable only for first child of the parents. It will be beneficial for around 4 lakh women
across Maharashtra.
iii. The government allocated Rs.20cr for the scheme. Similar scheme launched by Andhra Pradesh, Telangana
and Tamil Nadu were successful in bringing down the infant mortality.
iv. Infant mortality is the death of young children under one year. India is among the countries having highest
number of deaths among newborns.
PM Modi launches road, sewerage projects in Maharashtra

On January 9,2019,PM Modi, launched the four-laning of Solapur-Osmanabad section of NH-211,
underground sewerage system and three sewage treatment plants.It was launched in road and
underground sewerage system projects developed at an investment of Rs.1,100 crore.
KeyPoints:
i. Mr. Modi also laid the foundation stone for a Rs.1,811 crore housing project of 30,000 units under the
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.Mr. Modi commissioned the four-laned 98.717 km Solapur- Tuljapur-Osmanabad
section on NH-211 (New NH-52). The Rs.972.50-crore toll road project will improve connectivity between
Solapur and the Marathwada region.
ii. The housing project will benefit the homeless poor like rag pickers, rickshaw pullers, textile and beedi
workers.
iii. Mr. Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rs.244 crore water supply and sewerage system as part of area-
based development in the Solapur smart city area.This project, developed under the smart city mission, is
expected to bring about significant improvements in service delivery.
PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Country’s First National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai
On 19th January 2019,Prime Minister of India,Shri Narendra Modi launched the Country’s First National
Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai,Maharashtra, that seeks to portray over a century-old journey of
movies in India.
2|Page
Salient Features of the Museum:

i. The state-of-the-art museum has been built at a cost of Rs 140.61 crore and is housed in two buildings – the
New Museum Building and the 19th century historic palace Gulshan Mahal – in the Films Division campus in
Mumbai.
ii. The National Museum of Indian Cinema was build under the guidance by the Museum Advisory Committee
headed by noted film maker Shyam Benegal. An innovation Committee headed by lyricist Prasoon Joshi
was also constituted to provide an upgrade to NMIC.
iii. The building has four exhibition Halls.
• Mahatma Gandhi and his impact on Indian cinema
• Children’s Film Studio
• Technology creativity
• Vibrant cinematographic culture across India
iv. The objective of the Museum is to take its visitors through an absorbing journey of over a century of Indian
cinema in a story telling mode with the help of visuals, graphics, artifacts, interactive exhibits and multimedia
expositions.
Nagpur, the city of Oranges host the 4-day 2nd World Orange Festival for the first time
On January 18, 2019, the 4-day 2nd world Orange Festival commenced in Nagpur, the city of oranges, for
the first time.It will conclude on 21st January,2019.
i. The festival will also showcase and brand the exquisite fruit in order to boost its export.
ii. The festival is bring presented by UPL and hosted by Maharashtra Tourism.
For more information: Click Here
Eight-member Group of Ministers under Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar panel is
formed to study uniform tax rate on lottery
On 16th January 2019, the GST council has constituted an eight member Group of Ministers(GoM) headed
by Maharashtra State Finance Minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar to suggest whether a uniform tax rate should
be imposed on lotteries or the current differential tax rate system be continued.
The Complete list of Group of Ministers (GoM)
Name Designation with State
Sudhir Mungantiwar Maharashtra State Finance Minister
Thomas Isaac Kerala Finance Minister
Amit Mitra West Bengal Finance Minister
Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma
Manpreet Singh Badal Punjab Finance Minister
Mauvin Godinho Goa Panchayat Minister
Krishna Byre Gowda Karnataka Finance Minister
Jarkar Gamlin Arunachal Tax and Excise Minister
Key Points
i. Joint Secretary of CBIC, Shri Manish Sinha will be the Secretary of the Group of Ministers (GoM).
ii. GoM will be assisted by a Committee of Officers from the Centre and State on the issues relating to lottery.
iii. Currently a state authorized lottery attracts 28% tax while state organized lottery attracts 12% tax.
iv. The committee will also look whether private persons authorized by the states are misusing the lower rate
and getting enriched themselves at the cost of the state or not and suggest measures to curb it.
v. The GoM will submit its report on the issues relating to the lottery to GST Council in the next meeting of GST
Council.
About GST council
i. GST Council is the governing body of GST having 33 members
ii. The council is headed by the union finance minister Arun Jaitley assisted with the finance minister of all the
3|Page
states of India.
iii. At midnight of 1st July 2017 GST was launched by then President of India Shri.Pranab Mukherjee and
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
25th edition of Partnership Summit held in Mumbai

On 12th January 2019, the 25th edition of the CII Partnership Summit 2019, a global platform for dialogue,
debate, deliberation and engagement among Indian and global leaders on economic policy and growth trends in
India, kicked off in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event will be concluded on 13th January 2019.
Key Points:
i. The summit which was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu also saw the presence
of Chief Minister, Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, Governor of Maharashtra C. Vidyasagar Rao and Union
Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu besides other dignitaries.
ii. The summit will offer new partnerships and investment opportunities in sectors like Artificial Intelligence,
big data, agri and food processing, defence and aeronautics, renewable energy and tourism.
iii. The summit is being organised by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce
and Industry, Maharashtra Government and Confederation of Indian Industry.
iv. The inaugural session of the summit themed at `New India: Rising to Global Occasions‘ will be attended by
over 1000 delegates from 40 countries.
v. This edition of the summit will showcase India in the present landscape of an emerging “New India”, the
“New Global Economic Address”.
vi. On the side-lines of the Summit, Union Commerce Minister, Suresh Prabhu will also hold bilateral meetings
with various foreign dignitaries.
Suresh Prabhu inaugurates Global Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai

On 15th January 2019, the Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh
Prabhu inaugurated the 2 day Global Aviation Summit (GAS) 2019 with a theme:‘Flying for all-especially
the next 6 Billion’.It is being organised by Ministry of Civil Aviation in association with Airport Authority of
India (AAI) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Mumbai.The Summit
Concluded on 16th January 2019.
Key Points:
• Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the
Council ICAO, Jayant Sinha, MoS, Ministry of Civil Aviation, were present in the inaugural session of the
summit.
• The Vision 2040 for aviation sector and the Air Cargo Policy was launched during the summit.
• Civil Aviation secretary R N Choubey informed that India would be adding 1,000 aircraft over the next
7-8 years and one billion trips in the next 15 years.
• The domestic aviation market in India has been growing at 20 percent annually for the last four years
and this growth has been the highest in the world.
• Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the Navi Mumbai international
airport (NMIA) will be ready by the middle of 2020 and is expected to contribute 1% to the country’s
GDP.
• The event will also examine the future of drones, sustainable growth of aviation, cargo and logistics in
the aviation industry and all the factors behind building great aviation business.
• Around 13 transport and civil aviation ministers, 36 civil aviation authorities, 800 delegates, more than
35 exhibitors from over 80 countries across the world are participating in the summit.
Suresh Prabhu released the Vision 2040 document in the Global Aviation Summit 2019
On 15th January 2019, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Shri Suresh
Prabhu unveiled the Vision 2040 document for aviation sector in the Global Aviation Summit (GAS) 2019, in
Mumbai. The document is prepared by consultancy firm KPMG and industry body Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in consultation with the government.
4|Page
Key Points:
i.The Vision 2040 document aims to have 1.12 billion air passengers in 2040 from 187 million air passengers
in 2018. This comprises around 821 million domestic passengers and around 303 million international
passengers (to and from India).
ii.It further states that India will need 200 airports and an investment of $40-50 billion to handle at least 1.1
billion passengers flying to, from and within the country.
iii.India, which is currently the seventh-largest aviation market in 2017-18, is expected to become the third-
largest by 2022, inching closer to the U.S., which is projected number two. Besides the Indian commercial air
fleet is expected to be 2,359 by March 2040.
iv.India will establish its own aircraft leasing industry which may handle almost 90% of aircraft being ordered
in India by 2040. Besides India’s tax structure and repossession processes will be equally or more attractive
than those in leading global jurisdictions.
v.The incremental land requirement for airport expansion is expected to be around 150,000 acres.
vi.It further said that the government may consider establishing a Nabh Nirman Fund (NNF) with a starting
corpus of around $2 billion to support low traffic airports in their initial phases.
vii.The vision document says that aviation sector which employs around five million people in India currently
will create a total of 25 million jobs in the country.
viii.Air cargo will reach 17 million MT per annum by 2040, up from 3.35 million MT per annum in 2018.
Recommendations for Growth:
• The document suggested amendments to Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Restructuring Act, 2013
and adopting “land-pooling” techniques to develop newer airports.
• Lower Goods and Services Tax (GST) and inclusion of aviation turbine fuel (ATF)under GST at the
earliest.
• Airlines must try to reduce dependence on ATF by adopting biofuels and explore issuing masala bonds
to raise funds for themselves.
• Some other recommendations include automatic de-registration and repossession system, making
registrar repository public, incorporation of ratified CTC 2001 conventions, making taxation of aircraft
leasing more attractive and simplification of brown/green field airport agreements.
3-day 9th International Micro irrigation conference was inaugurated by Water Resource minister Nitin
Gadkari in Aurangabad, Maharashtra
On January 16, 2019, Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the three-day long 9th
International Micro irrigation conference at Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The conference would conclude on
January 18, 2019.
i. Aim of the conference was to share experiences the use of new technologies and best management practices
in drip, micro-sprinkler, and other localized irrigation systems.
ii. The Theme of the conference was: “Micro Irrigation and Modern Agriculture”.
iii. The conference was organized by Ministry of Water Resources and River Development.
iv. 740 delegates including 100 foreign delegates from 56 countries are participating in the conference.
Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 10th edition of the India Rubber Expo – 2019 in
Mumbai
On January 17, 2019, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the three-day
10th India Rubber Expo – 2019 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai.It concludes on 19th
January,2019.
i. He announced that a National Rubber Policy would soon be put to place to improve productivity of the
sector enabling India’s efforts to become a 5 trillion-dollar economy.
ii. The India Rubber Expo is Asia’s largest rubber expo. The event offers a unique opportunity for Indian
companies to meet and collaborate with overseas companies.
5|Page
2nd Regional Conference on “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)” held at Mumbai
On January 17, 2019, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities organized the 2nd regional conference at Nehru Centre, Mumbai, on a scheme
titled ‘Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)’.
i. The conference consisted of Programme Implementing Agencies (PIAs) from the Western Region of the
country which further would culminate in a National Conference in New Delhi.
ii. The Regional Conference was organized in order to disseminate the provisions of the revised scheme (2018)
and to create better linkages between the department, agencies and stakeholders associated with the scheme.
iii. The western states concerned were, namely, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Goa and two
Union Territories i.e., Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.
About the scheme DDRS:
i. DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India which is being implemented since 1999 for
providing financial assistance to NGOs working for education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities.
ii. The objective of the scheme is ensuring welfare of Divyangjan and the dignity they deserve.
iii. Under DDRS, Grant-in-Aid is released to about 600 NGOs every year.
iv. About 10% of total NGOs under DDRS, 10% of total grant and 10% of Special School for Children with
Intellectual Disabilities are from Western Indian States
v. Currently in 2018, it was revised and the revised scheme is being implemented since 1st April 2018.
vi. In the revised scheme, the following changes were made:
• increase in the cost norms by 2.5 times,
• streamlining the procedure of application,
• increasing the funding of projects from 75% to 90% of their total cost,
• extending special benefits to special areas such as Left Wing Affected Districts,
• removal of limit in increase of number of beneficiaries.
Three day 4th India Steel 2019 Exhibition and Conference inaugurated in Mumbai
On 22nd January 2019,Three day 4th International Exhibition & Conference on Steel Industry, India Steel 2019
Exhibition and Conference was organised by Ministry of Steel in association with Federation of Indian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) at NSE Complex Goregaon, Mumbai.It will conclude on 24th
January 2019.
Key Points:
i. The theme of the event is “Balancing Steel Demand & Supply Dynamics: Building a New India”.
ii. The three-day event provided an opportunity for all the stakeholders to deliberate and identify ways to
contribute towards building a robust roadmap for the further growth of the steel sector.
iii. The biennial event will see over 250 exhibiting companies from 15 countries, over 200 International buyers
and more than 10 thousand business visitors both from India and abroad.
iv. A Reverse Buyer Seller Meet (RBSM) is also planned during India Steel Expo 2019 where more than 300
Foreign Buyers from Africa, CIS, Middle East, Developing Asia including SAARC and other important regions
will be invited and hosted by the FICCI.
v. The India Steel-2019 is part of series of initiatives to develop a globally competitive steel industry in line
with National Steel Policy (NSP)-2107 which envisages production of 300 million tonnes of steels by 2030-
31.
vi. India has become the second largest producer of crude steel during 2018. Besides the country is also
the largest producer of sponge iron in the world and the 3rd largest steel consumer in the world after China
and USA.
JNPT becomes the only Indian port to be listed amongst the world’s top 30 container ports
On January 22, 2019,TheJawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India’s container port got listed in the top 30
container ports .
i.It managed to place itself 28th in the list,5 place up from the previous position.
6|Page
ii.JNPT also launched their App service to facilitate better tracking of consignment and ease the trade process
for their EXIM partners.
Albumin better indicator of diabetes: study by scientists of NCL, Pune

On January 14, 2019, scientists at the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune suggested that albumin can be a
better indicator of diabetes
i. This can be achieved based on measurements of levels of free albumin and albumin attached to glucose
molecules in the blood.
ii. Glycation is binding of glucose to protein or lipid molecules and glycated hemoglobin is the percentage of
glucose bound to hemoglobin.
iii. These albumin levels in blood influence glycation of haemoglobin which further helps in diagnosis of
diabetes.
Maharashtra armed with triple-drug therapy to fight elephantiasis

On January 21, 2019,Maharashtrain collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended
triple-drug therapy for lymphatic filariasis to speed up elimination of the disease in Nagpur.
Key points:
i. Actor Swapnil Joshi is assigned as brand ambassador for this project.
ii. This disease is transmitted through mosquitoes. The infection is usually acquired in childhood, causing
hidden damage to the lymphatic system.
Nashik in Maharashtra to be the site of the country’s second defence innovation hub after Coimatore,
TN: MoS Defence
On January 18, 2019, Union Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre announced that Nashik in
Maharashtra will be the site of the country’s second defence innovation hub after Coimbatore in Tamil
Nadu.
i. It was announced at a defence industry stakeholders meeting in Ojhar, Nashik.
ii. This is in line with the Defence Ministry’s target of making the country among the top five arms exporters
by 2025.
iii. By that timeline, India aims to achieve annual arms exports of Rs 35,000 crore.
India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) 2019 to be held in Pune

On 23rd January 2019, the final planning conference to work out the modalities for India Africa Field Training
Exercise (IAFTX) which is to be held from 18th to 27th March 2019 commenced in Pune, Maharashtra.
Key Points
i. India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) 2019 will boost strategic Cooperation, political and military ties
between the countries.
ii. Representatives from Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique,
Uganda, Niger, and Zambia are attending the conference.
iii. Field Training Exercise will be carried out at Aundh Military station and College of Military Engineering in
Pune.
iv. At present, the Chinese Military has spread its tentacles in Africa through military hardware cooperation.
The exercise will unify humanitarian action and joint peace operation.
v. As part of the exercise initial planning conference was held in December 2018. IAFTX will be the first ever
exercise with several armies from Africa although Indian armed forces had given training to some military
personnel from few African Nations.
ATP World Tour tennis tournament (Maharashtra Open 2019)

From 31st December 2018, 24th Edition of ATP World Tour Tennis tournament, Maharashtra Open – 2019 also
known as Tata Open Maharashtra organized by Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was held in Pune,
7|Page
Maharashtra. The event concludes on 5th January 2019.

Key Points:
i.The total Prize money was US $527,880.
ii.The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune,
Maharashtra.
World number six Kevin Anderson of South Africa defeated Ivo Karlovic in Men’s Singles at the
Maharashtra Open
On 5th January 2019, world number six Kevin Anderson of South Africa won the three-set finals against Ivo
Karlovic of Croatia to clinch the Tata Open Maharashtra singles title in Pune.
Key Points:
i. It was Anderson’s fourth victory in five meetings against Karlovic and sixth career title overall.
ii. Karlovic became the oldest player at 39 to play a tour-level final since 1977.
iii. In another record, Anderson at 6-foot-8 (2.03 meters), and Karlovic at 6-foot-11 (2.11 meters), combined to
make it the tallest final in the Open era.
iv. The Maharashtra Open is viewed as a key warm-up event for the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian
Open, which starts in Melbourne on 14 January.
Indian tennis pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan defeated the United Kingdom’s Luke Bambridge
and Jonny O’Mara and clinched the ATP tour title in men’s doubles event at the Maharashtra Open
On 5th January 2019, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, the Asian Games 2018 gold medallists, started the
2019 season by winning India’s only ATP 250 tournament, Tata Open Maharashtra in Pune after beating a
British pairing of Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara in straight sets by 6-4, 6-3.
Key Points:
i. This was two-time champion Bopanna’s 18th tour-level trophy, while for Sharan it was his fourth trophy from
five tour-level doubles finals.
ii. The winning pair will next participate in the Davis Cup, scheduled for February 1-2 at the South Club in
Kolkata.
Maharashtra to host Khelo India Youth Games 2019

From 9th January 2019, Maharashtra is going to host the second edition of the Khelo India Youth
Games which includes completions in 18 different disciplines at Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune. The event
will conclude on 20th January 2019.
Key Points
i. Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) is a part Khelo India which is the revamped national programme for
development of sports in India.
ii. Students from colleges and universities are participating in the event for the first time.
iii. Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for Youth affairs and
sports Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore will attend a virtual touch ceremony at Shree Shiv Chatrapati Sports
Complex.
iv. More than 6000 Under–17 and Under-21 athletes from all over the India are participating in the games.
v. There are 6 team sports in KIYG and agenda includes Kabaddi and Kho-Kho.
vi. Khelo India Youth Games 2018 was held at Delhi.
Khelo India Youth Games: Hosts Maharashtra finish top with 228 medals
On 20th January 2019, the Khelo India Youth Games concluded at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex,
Balewadi in Pune with the host Maharashtra leading the medals table by winning a mammoth 85 gold, 62
silver and 81 bronze for a total of 228 medals in the Games.
Key Points:
i. With a total of 228 medals, hosts Maharashtra also walked away with the Overall Trophy at the Khelo
India Youth Games.
ii. Union Minister for Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar and Maharashtra Sports
Minister Vinod Tawde presented the winning trophy at the closing ceremony in Pune.
8|Page
iii. Haryana, stood at second place with 62 gold, 56 silver and 60 bronze for a total of 178 medals.
iv. Delhi stood third with 48 gold, 37 silver and 51 bronze, a tally of 136 medals.
v. Individually, Karnataka swimmer Srihari Nataraj became the most medals winner by competing
in seven events in the U-21 category and winning all of them. The 16-year-old’s timing of 26.16 secs in 50m
backstroke was a senior national record.
vi. In the closing ceremony Maharashtra Government announced that there would be one hour of sports every
day for students in all schools in the State of Maharashtra.
vii. The theme of the Games revolved around ‘kheloge toh khiloge’ (if you play, you will prosper).
viii. About 10,000 participants, including about 6,000 athletes, from across the country participated in this
year’s Khelo India Youth Games.
Dronacharya awardee and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s coach Ramakant Achrekar Passed away in
mumbai
On January 3, 2019, 1990 Dronacharya awardee cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar, who coached Cricketer
Sachin Tendulkar passed away at 86 in Mumbai.
i. Besides Tendulkar, he also coached other prominent players like Vinod Kambli, Pravin Amre, Sameer Dighe
and Balwinder Singh Sandhu.
ii. Because of his contribution to the sport, he was honoured with Padma Shri in 2010.
iii. The Kamath Memorial Cricket Club in Dadar was founded by him.
Former banker and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Meera Sanyal passed away
On January 12, 2019, banker-turned-politician Meera Sanyal passed away at 57.
i. She was the country chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland when she quit and joined the Aam Aadmi Party.
ii. She also unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai twice, in 2009 and 2014.
iii. In 2018, she also wrote a book named: ‘The Big Reverse: How Demonetization Knocked India Out’.
Former Maharashtra Minister Shivajirao Deshmukh dies

On 14th January 2019, 83 year old Shivajirao Deshmukh, former chairman of the state legislative council and
senior Congress leader died follwing long illnesses while under treatment at Mumbai, Maharashtra.His last rites
to be performed at Shirala on 15th January.
Key points
i. He belongs to Shirala tehsil in Sangli district of western Maharashtra.
ii. Shivajirao Deshmukh served as revenue minister in the Vasantsada Patil government in 1976-85.
iii. He was also the former speaker of Maharashtra legislative assembly.
iv. He won the assembly polls four times from Shirala seat in 1978, 1980, 1985 and in 1990. In 2008 he was
elected as Chairman of the upper house and continued till 2015.
Maharashtra Current Affairs - February 2019

Suresh Prabhu initiated two schemes in Mumbai for women SHG
On February 9,2019,Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu launched two
schemes,the Hirkani Maharashtrachi and District Business Plan Competition in Mumbai.
About Scheme
i. Under Hirkani Maharashtrachi, women’s Self-help group(SHGs) will display their business plan at taluka
level. Ten groups will be selected from each taluka and Rs. 50,000 will be given to each SHG to implement their
idea.Five SHGs at district level will be selected and Rs. 2 lakh will be given to each SHG to take the idea forward.
ii. Under District Business Plan Competition, competitors at district level will display ideas, out of which five
9|Page
ideas will be selected from agriculture, social service, education and Work order worth Rs. 5 lakh will be given
to the 5 selected ideas to implement the same.
Kala ghoda festival 2019 was held in Mumbai

On 2nd February 2019, the Kala ghoda festival-KAGF, India’s largest multi-cultural street festival begins
in Mumbai to celebrate it’s 20 years of art and culture through cinema, theatre, dance,literature and sculpture.
Key points
i. The festival hosted the exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery to celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi and some rich history of Mumbai.
ii. Maneck Davar is Chairman of Kala Ghoda Association.
Words Count Festival 2019 was held in Pune

On February 4,2019, second edition of World Count festival 2019 was held in Pune, Maharashtra, with an aim
to bring together speakers from several socio-political spheres and share their insights on various issues.
Important Facts:
i. The Festival, was hosted by the award -winning screenwriter, author and columnist Advita Kala.
ii. Pavan Kumar Verma,A career diplomat and famous writer was honored with first Word Smith Award 2019
for his contribution in Indian Literature.
iii. During this festival,Ahmedabad Textile Industry Research Association (ATIRA)’s new composite carbon
fabric which is lightweight, durable, and high heat resistance and which is now replacing metal parts of
satellites and is of low cost was launched by Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani.
7th edition of Kolhapur International film festival inaugurated in Kolhapur,Maharashtra

The 7th edition of the film festival began on February 7 th of 2019 in Kolhapur, Maharastra.It is eight day
festival,in which Veteran actress Rohini Hattangadi is chief guest at the inaugural function.
Important points:
i. Veteran filmmaker Govind Nihalani was honoured with the Kalamaharshi Baburao Painter Award for his
contribution to the film industry.
ii. Focus country of the festival is the Hungarian cinema.
iii. Abhijit Deshpande, editor of Marathi films like ‘Deool’, ‘Bucket List’ and ‘Elizabeth Ekadashi’, will be
presented the Chitramaharshi Anandrao Painter Award at the closing ceremony of the festival.
Pune hosted the First State Level Awareness Programme on Agriculture Export Policy
On 2nd February 2019, First State Level Awareness Programme on Agriculture Export Policy to create
awareness among farmers and stakeholders was held in Pune,Maharashtra.
i. The Export Policy was created by the State Governments and the Policy will be implemented in the respective
State Agriculture and horticulture departments.
Key Information Discussed in the Programme:
i. India Produces 600 Million tones of Agriculture,Horticulture Products and in which 30 percent of the
Horticulture products are wasted.
ii. Saudi Arabia has vast interest in providing cold chain and warehousing facilities for importing agro and
processed food Products to Saudi Arabia,Oman,Kuwait and Qatar.
Important Facts to be known:
♦ Union cabinet approved the Agriculture Export Policy 2018 with an Objective of Doubling Farmers income by
2022.
Smriti Irani instigated India Size project in Mumbai

On February 7,2019, Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani launched the India Size project in Mumbai with a
aim to get a standard Indian Size for the ready-to-wear clothing industry, on the lines of the standardized
sizes available in countries such as the USA and the UK.
10 | P a g e
i. During this ceremony,Minister also launched a Study of Apparel Consumption in India. The report of this
study would released by July 2019.
UNICEF in Maharashtra joined hands with Goa WCD for addressing issues in child protection
In order to focus on the issues in the area of child protection in the state, the UNICEF in Maharashtra joined
hands with Goa Women and Child Development (WCD).
i. Discussion was held on “Key challenges around child protection in Goa” at a training programme on
Integrated Child Protection Scheme(ICPS), by WCD, which saw the participation of Ms. Rajeshwari
Chandrasekar, Chief Field Officer,UNICEF Maharashtra and Ms. Alpa Vora, Consultant, Child Protection, UNICEF.
ii. Issue of migrant children who face a whole lot of different problems linked with challenges of livelihood,
alcoholism, etc., of their poor parents, or the children themselves were brought to light, among other issues.
Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maharashtra

On 16th February 2019, The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi visited Yavatmal and
Dhule in Maharashtra to unveil various development projects.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s Visit to Yavatmal
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari were also present
with Prime Minister in Yavatmal. The Highlights of Prime Minister’s Yavatmal visit is given below:
A Foundation Stone of Road Project worth Rs 500 crore is laid by Prime Minister in Yavatmal
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Road Project worth Rs 500
crore funded by Central Road Fund in Yavatmal, Maharashtra.
• The project includes 10 road construction projects under which 176 km of roads will be constructed
in Yavatmal at a cost of Rs. 456 crore.
Eklavya Model Residential School of Nanded was inaugurated by Narendra Modi
• Prime Minister inaugurated the Ekalavya Model Residential School which has a capacity of 420 students
in Nanded, in order to improve the quality of education amongst tribal people.
• The School is spread in 16 acres and equipped with modern facilities including provision for food,
residential facility, playground and IT facilities.
Humsafar Express connecting Ajni (Nagpur) with Pune was flagged-off by Prime Minister
In order to boost connectivity in the Yavatmal and nearby areas, Prime Minister flagged off Humsafar Express
which will run between Ajni (Nagpur) and Pune.
Other Highlights
i. Narendra Modi announced that around 14500 houses are built at Yavatmal under Pradhan Mantri Awas
Yojana (PMAY) which aims at provide housing to all by 2022.
ii. Certificates and cheques were distributed to Self Help Groups (SHGs) under Maharashtra State Rural
Livelihoods Mission by Prime Minister.
iii. A research centre is being built at Chandrapur to tackle with the Sickle cell disease.
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s Visit to Dhule
On 16th February 2019, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi visited Dhule after Yavatmal to inaugurate various
development projects. The main highlights of his visit are given below:
Lower Panazara medium Project under PMKSY was inaugurated by Prime Minister
• Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated Lower Panazara Medium Project which has a total water
storage capacity of 109.31 Mcum and irrigation potential of 7585 hectares, under Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
• This Project will provide irrigation facility to 21 villages of Dhule District in Maharashtra.
A Foundation stone of Sulwade Jamphal Kanoli Lift Irrigation Scheme was laid by Mr. Modi
• A foundation stone of Sulwade Jamphal Kanoli Lift Irrigation Scheme which will lift 9.24 TMC of
flood water during the 124 days of monsoon season from river Tapi in Dhule, was laid by Prime
Minister, Narendra Modi
11 | P a g e
• The lifted water from the river Tapi during monsoon season will be used for irrigation purpose in
around 33,367 hectares land area of 100 villages in Dhule District.
Jalgaon-Udhana Railway line was inaugurated by Prime Minister
• Jalgaon-Udhana Railway line after Doubling and Electrification was inaugurated by Prime Minister,
Narendra Modi in Dhule district.
• The railway line will improve regional connectivity and increase the capacity of ferrying passengers and
goods. This is boost development opportunities in Nandurbar, Vyara, Dharangaon and other nearby
areas of Dhule district.
Bhusaval-Bandra Khandesh Express Train was flagged off by Prime Minister
Bhusaval-Bandra Khandesh Express Train which will run between Mumbai and Bhusaval in three days of
the week was flagged off by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi through video conference
RBI Lifted up the restrictions on BoI, Bank of Maharashtra, Oriental Bank of Commerce
On February 1,2019, The Reserve Bank of India eased out the operational curbs on three banks, Bank of
India (BoI),Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and also allowed them to
have a exit from the Prompt Corrective Action ( PCA) framework fully.
Points to be Noted:
i. These three banks were part of 11 government-owned banks that were put under the Prompt Corrective
Action framework in 2017 and 2018. And the government gave a capital infusion of Rs 10,000 crore for Bank
of India, Rs 5,500 crore for Oriental Bank of Commerce and Rs 4,500 crore for Bank of Maharashtra, which
helped the banks to come out of the framework.
ii. Based on the norms of minimum regulatory capital, net NPAs(Non-performing assets) and leverage ratio and
marked improvements in asset quality , RBI eased out the curbs and is allowed to open branches and extend
loans freely.
Government sets up committee to explore prepaid payments by discoms to generator companies

A committee containing chairmen of distribution companies of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, representatives
from Power Ministry and Power associations was set up under the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to
explore the prepaid payments by state electricity distribution companies to power plants.
Key Points
i. The aim of the committee is to study the working capital cycles of power distribution companies and
generation companies so as to identify the gaps which are contributing to the stress in the sector.
ii. The Committee will also suggest a mechanism for prepaid system of transactions after studying the
regulations with respect to payment mechanism and transaction across power sector value chain.
iii. In order to put in place a bill discounting mechanism ahead of General Elections, a Group of Ministers (GoM)
headed by Finance Mininster is also looking at the recommendation made by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha
simultaneously.
iv. P K Sinha committee had suggested that Financial institutions like REC (Rural Electrification Corporation)
and PFC (Power Finance Corp) may discount receivables from discoms and make payment to generators.
Maharashtra govt constituted a committee to review welfare schemes for tribals

The Maharashtra government has formed a 17-member committee, for the revision of various schemes,
implemented, for the welfare of tribal’s in the state.
i.The committee is headed by former MLA and Shramjeevi Sanghatna president Vivek Pandit.
ii.It will suggest measures to ensure that children in tribal regions were not deprived of education.
67th Annual Armed Forces Medical Conference is being organized by AFMC, Pune
On 5th February 2019, the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune organized the 67th Annual Armed
Forces Medical Conference which is the largest gathering and the only multi-specialty conference of its kind
in the country. The conference will conclude on 8th February 2019.
12 | P a g e
Key Points:
i. The 4 day conference which was organised under the supervision of Surg Vice Admiral Ravi Kalra was
inaugurated by Lt Gen Bipin Puri, Director General, Armed Forces Medical Services.
ii. The conference witnessed the marking of platinum jubilee year of the Medical Journal Armed Forces India
(MJAFI) which is the official quarterly Journal published by the Armed Forces Medical Services of India and
contains high quality biomedical multi-speciality research from doctor scientists across the world.
iii. The conference will also include the 57th Armed Forces Medical Research Committee Meeting to discuss
new research proposals. It is scheduled on February 6 and 7.
8th World CSR Congress 2019 in Mumbai

World Corporate Social Responsibility Congress (World CSR Congress 2019) is one of the admired
meetings which promote Entrepreneurship, Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Social Development.
i. 8th World CSR Congress held between Feb 17 and Feb 18 ,2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra.It was attended by
participants from 33 countries to encourage the efforts of individuals and organizations.
ii. Theme of the year 2019 is ‘Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)’ to focus on corporate
strategies,innovation, and strategic alliances.
Dr.Soumitro Chakraborty won ‘CEO of the year’ award
♦ CEO of Innovative Financial Advisors Pvt Ltd, (Fiinovation), Social Entrepreneur Dr.Soumitro Chakraborty
was awarded ‘CEO of the year’at the 8th World CSR Congress.
♦ He has been recognized for implemented various programmes in partnership with various corporations and
NGOs in the field of health, environment, education and livelihood.
International Vision Zero Conference’ to promote Occupational Safety and Health inaugurated in
Mumbai, Maharashtra
From 18th to 20th February, a 3 day ‘International Vision Zero Conference’ was inaugurated in Mumbai,
Maharashtra to promote occupational safety and health.
i. The Conference was organized by Directorate General Factory Advice and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI),
Ministry of Labour and Employment, German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), Germany along
with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay and International Social Security Association –
Manufacturing, Construction and Mining. It was inaugurated by Shri Heeralal Samariya,
Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment.
ii. ‘Vision Zero’ is based on four principles:
• Life is non-negotiable.
• Humans are fallible.
• Limits of tolerance defined by physical resistance of humans.
• People are entitled to safe transport and safe workplaces.
Key points:
i. It aims to help the government to enhance workplace security and reduce occupational hazards by controlling
risks, ensuring safety and health in machines, equipment and workplaces and skill upgradation of workforce.
ii. DGFASLI, Ministry of Labour and Employment has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) to enhance safety and health at work, to reduce the
occurrence of work related accidents and diseases and to promote social protection.
Regional Maritime Safety Conference 2019 held in Mumbai

The 2-day long Regional Maritime Safety Conference 2019 was held in Mumbai to discuss maritime safety
in the India-ASEAN sub-region, safeguarding our shores and promoting maritime trade.
i. It was organized by India for the first time, by the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), in coordination
with Ministry of Shipping and Ministry of External Affairs.
ii. It addressed a range of issues that affect regional maritime safety, including transport safety, maritime law,
ship building, transportation of hazardous goods, marine oil spill, pollution and environmental safety.
13 | P a g e
iii. UnionShipping and Water Resources Minister,Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an upgraded version of e-
commerce portal Port Community System (PCS) called ‘PCS1x’, developed in record time by the Indian Ports
Association, based on feedback from stakeholders using PCS.
AMRUT cities and Municipal Corporations of Raigarh, Ambikapurand Kumbakonam won the top
Swachhata Excellence Awards 2019
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) cities and municipal corporations
of Raigarh (1st prize), Ambikapur (2nd prize) and Kumbakonam (3rd prize) won the top Swachhata
Excellence Awards 2019. The prizes were awarded by Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at the Shehri Samridhi Utsav, an initiative organized by MoHUA
in New Delhi.
i. In the category of ‘Statutory Towns’, Nagar Palika Parishad Jashpur Nagar, Malappuram
Municipality and Nagar Palika Parishad Surajpur were declared winners.
ii. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation was awarded 1st prize for ‘Million Plus Cities’, and for
‘Aspirational Districts’, Chas Municipal Corporation has been awarded a consolation prize.
Boeing 747-200-Air India’s first ever Flight Simulator was exhibited in Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai
Air India’s First ever Flight Simulator named ‘Boeing 747-200’ was exhibited in Nehru Science Centre,Mumbai
during Innovation Festival.The Simulator was acquired by Air India in 1980,which is designed and
manufactured by the CAE(Canadian Aviation Electronics),Canada.
Keypoints:
i. After serving 21 years, it became obsolete, so donated to Nehru Science Centre, with a purpose to create
awareness about the significance in the field of aviation among the public in general and students in particular.
ii. During the occasion Airports Authority of India and National Council of Science Museums signed a
Memorandum of Agreement worth 2 crore rupees for development of Aviation Gallery – Hall of Aerospace,
Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai.
Indian Army carried out the annual exercise named ‘Exercise Topchi’
Indian army demonstrated its artillery firepower, aviation and surveillance capacity at the annual ‘Exercise
Topchi’ at Deolali Camp near Nashik.
i. The latest ultra-light Howitzer M-777, self-propelled gun K-9 Vajra and indigenous Swathi weapon-locating
radar was demonstrated.
ii. The aviation assets showcased were the indigenous advanced light helicopter, light combat helicopter,
Cheetah & Chetak helicopters.
Related points
♦ Chief of the Army Staff – General Bipin Rawat
Hum Aapke Hain Koun Producer Rajkumar Barjatya Passes Away

On 21st February 2019, popular Bollywood film producer Rajkumar Barjatya passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra.
i. He was the producer of popular films like Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo (2015), Hum Saath Saath
Hain (1999), Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994) and Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) etc. He owned a production
house- Rajshri Films.
ii. He was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
14 | P a g e
Maharashtra Current Affairs - March 2019

Creation of post of Technical Members in SAT, Mumbai approved by the Cabinet
Cabinet has approved the proposal for creation of the Post of Technical member in Securities Appellate
Tribunal (SAT), Mumbai which will facilitate creation of an additional bench in SAT for speedy disposal
of appeals.
Maharashtra government launches ‘Atal Aahar Yojna’ for construction workers

On 7th March 2019, Maharashtra government launched a special scheme ‘Atal Aahar Yojna’ for construction
workers in the state which will provide good quality food at a highly subsidised rate.
Key Point
i. The target is set to cover 20000 workers and provide them with good quality food at a nominal cost of
Rs.5 in the first phase of the scheme.
ii. The government is already providing a Subsidy of Rs.4.5 lakh to labourers for house construction and is
planning to provide help in education, income and health as well.
iii. Maharashtra government also launched Shramev Jayate Yojana under which a pension of Rs.3000 is
given to construction workers above the age of 60 years. If the worker died, the pension will be given to his
widow.
India’s first LGBTQ Clinic and HIV treatment centre inaugurated by Humsafar Trust in Mumbai
The first HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) treatment centre and holistic clinic for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) by Humsafar trust in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Key Points
i. The founder of Humsafar Trust, Ashok Row Kavi announced that the center will be open for all and it will
give provide counselling.
ii. The centre will also offer Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) which is a HIV medicine to treat infection.
India and Saudi Arabia plan to revive the USD 44 bn West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra
In a meeting between Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Saudi counterpart and the chairman
of Saudi Aramco,Khalid A Al-Falih, in New Delhi, it was decided that India and Saudi Arabia will revive and
expedite the implementation of USD 44 billion West Coast refinery project in Maharashtra, in which Saudi
Aramco will be holding a considerable stake.
i. The ministers reviewed various Saudi investment proposals in the Indian oil and gas sector, including the
urgent steps to be taken to expedite the implementation of the first joint venture West Coast
Refinery and Petrochemical Project in Maharashtra, estimated to cost the USD 44 billion, which will be the
largest greenfield refinery in the world.
ii. Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) had formed a joint venture with Indian
state-run oil marketing companies — Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation
(BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) — to hold 50% stake in Ratnagiri Refinery and
Petrochemicals (RRPCL).
iii. The progress of the project had faced issues after 42,000 notices for land survey and acquisition were
served to families in 17 villages of Ratnagiri district and were put on hold by the State Government.
iv. It is still not clear whether the government may be looking for alternate location, outside Ratnagiri for the
project.
Maharashtra’s interim budget for 2019-20 with Rs 19,784 cr estimated revenue deficit presented by FM
Sudhir Mungantiwar
Maharashtra Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar presented the interim budget for the fiscal 2019-20 with
an estimated deficit of Rs 19,784 crore and a provision of special fund for farm loan waiver at the State
15 | P a g e
Assembly in Mumbai.
i. The revenue receipts are expected at Rs 314,489 crore against an estimated revenue expenditure of Rs
334,273 crore.
ii. The state’s annual plan outlay has been fixed at Rs 99,000 crore for implementing various schemes and
the government would attempt to rein in deficits by scrapping unnecessary expenses and effectively
augmenting revenues.
iii. The Government has made maximum allocation of Rs 8733 crore for irrigation, with a focus
on Vidarbha and Marathwada.
iv. Some of the major provisions include Rs 90 crore for a skill development programme in the memory of
late Union Minister Pramod Mahajan, Rs 8,431 crore towards a tribal sub-plan and Rs 9,000
crore for district annual plans.
v. The Maharashtra Government will table the full budget after 4 months.
Nagpur hosted Heat Wave 2019 Workshop

Maharashtra government with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has conducted a two-day
national workshop on Preparedness, Mitigation and Management of Heat Wave in Nagpur.This was the third
annual workshop conducted by NDMA to build a momentum ahead of the start of the Heat Wave season.
Key Points
i. The main motive behind this workshop was to aim to sensitize state to the need of preparing and
implementing specific Heat Action Plans in line with NDMA’s national guidelines on Heat Wave.
ii. This workshop focused on mid and long-term mitigation solutions to identify new islands of heat wave and
to find local remedies for local problems.
Welfare Schemes for Dhangars was announced by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister

On 2nd March 2019, The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis announced various welfare
schemes for the Dhangar community including 10,000 houses, AshramShalas, Scholarships, admission seats
and Hostels for students belonging to this community.
i. AshramShalas will be constructed in the vulnerable areas which was identified by Tata Institute of Social
Sciences (TISS).
New 5 year industrial policy unveiled by Maharashtra CM

On 6th March 2019, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis unveiled the State’s new 5 year industrial
policy which will be effective from 1st April, 2019.
Key Points
i. The policy emphasizes on high technology and employment generating businesses which aims to attract
investments worth 10 lakh crore rupees.
ii. It will create nearly 40 lakh Jobs by 2023-24 and the goal is to turn Maharashtra into a trillion dollar (one
lakh crore) economy.
iii. In Maharashtra the rate of conversion of Memorandum of Understanding into actual investments after a
period of one year from the agreement is more than 45% in comparison to the national average of 30-35 per
cent.
Param Bir Singh appointed as DG of Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau

1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Param Bir Singh appointed Director General (DG) of
the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau.
i. He will replace Sanjay Barve who was appointed to the coveted post of Mumbai Police Commissioner.
ii. He has held posts like that of Thane Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in
several important zones in Mumbai, and also Superintendent of Police in districts
like Chandrapur and Bhandara
16 | P a g e
Mumbai become world’s 16th most costly prime residential market: Knight Frank Report
According to a “Knight Frank Prime International Residential Index (PIRI 100)” Report, Mumbai, the capital
of Maharashtra and the financial capital of India, has become the 16th most expensive prime residential
market in the world and is the only Indian city to feature in the global top 20 list of expensive prime residential
markets recorded in The Wealth Report 2019.
i. In terms of the growth in prices of prime residential properties globally, Mumbai ranked 67th with 0.3% rise
in prices in 2018.
ii. Delhi (55th) and Bengaluru (56th) did better than Mumbai with a 1.4% and 1.1% price appreciation,
respectively.
iii. The Philippines’ capital Manila topped the global list with the highest price appreciation of 11.1% last
year, followed by Edinburgh (Scotland) in second position with 10.6% rise.
iv. The German cities of Berlin and Munich took the third and fourth positions, respectively, followed by
the Argentine capital Buenos Aires in fifth rank.
v. Singapore was the only Asian city after Manila to feature in the top-ten list, with a price appreciation
of 9.1%.
Swati Shingade conferred with first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award

Swati Shingade of Pune, has bagged the first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award for 2018-19.
i. A Surya Prakash, the Chairman Prasar Bharati, gave this award to Ms Swati Shingade at a grand finale event
organized by DD Kisan Channel in New Delhi.
ii. The Kisan Channel has provided a platform to the women farmers and the main purpose of the channel is to
make aware the people about the various schemes of the government.
Mumbai social worker Gauri Sawant has been designated as first transgender election ambassador
On 20th March 2019, 38-year-old transgender activist ShreeGauri Sawantfrom Mumbai has been appointed
as first transgender election ambassador by The Election Commission of India.
Key Points:
i. There was no separate classification of transgenders as voters till 2014 but after that transgenders were first
enrolled as voters along with males and females.
ii.The highest enrolment of transgenders (324) is in Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency.
Hyper local connectivity app “Bhonga” initiated in Mumbai

A hyper-local connectivity app called “Bhonga” has been developed by Mumbai-based Company Linkus
Infratech, to connect users to their neighborhood people in the city even without an Internet connection.
i. “Bhonga” is a Marathi word which means megaphone or loudspeaker.
ii. This app automatically provides the lists the user living within the radius of one kilometre. The app
supports voice notes as well as photos.
iii. Anyone can open their phone and send a message that is delivered to other users in the neighbourhood,
wherever they are.
iv. The app is available for Android as well as iOS users and supports Hindi and English languages.
India–Africa Joint Field Training Exercise AFINDEX-19 started in Pune, Maharashtra

The 10 days long Africa-India Joint Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX-19) between the Indian Army and 16
African nations was commenced in Pune, Maharashtra on March 18, 2019 for training the participating
contingents in Humanitarian Mine Assistance (HMA) and Peace Keeping Operations (PKO) under the United
Nations Charter.
Key Points:
i.It will be held in two locations in Pune viz. Foreign Training Node at Aundh Military Station and College of
Military Engineering in Kirkee.
ii.The Indian army is represented by Maratha Light Infantry while African continent is comprised of 10
personnel, from each of the participating nations.
17 | P a g e
iii.The exercise is expected to facilitate sharing of Indian Armed Forces experiences in United Nations Peace
keeping operations with countries in Africa and shall remarkably boost relations with the African continent.
Bengaluru FC won their first ISL Title beating FC Goa by 1-0

Bengaluru Football Club (FC) won their first Indian Super League (ISL) title at the Mumbai Football Arena
defeating FC Goa by 1-0 in the final.
i. Both teams did not score any goals in the 90-minute time frame and the game went on for extra time.
ii. In the 118th minute, Rahul Bheke jumped up to shoot a header into the far corner and get Bengaluru their
winning goal.
Mumbai activist HS D’Lima passed away aged 84

On 26th March 2019, Mumbai activist HS D’Lima who fought against illegal constructions and slumification of
Mumbai’s gaothans passed away at the age of 84 years.
Key Points:
i. He was from Andheri Gaothan, Maharashtra.
ii. He was attacked with knives and stabbed in the back because of his activism against noise pollution.
Maharashtra Current Affairs - April 2019
India’s First Foreign Interactive Bird Park launched by EsselWorld in Mumbai

On 11th April 2019, India’s first exotic Bird Park ‘EsselWorld Bird Park’ was launched by EsselWorld Leisure
Pvt. Ltd., the family entertainment arm of the $6-billion Essel Group in Mumbai.
Key Points:
i.The Park is spread over 1.4 acres of land and surrounded by flora and fauna.
ii. It is home to over 500 exotic birds from more than 60 species of flying, terrestrial and aquatic birds and has
200 species of special plants and trees for the birds.
iii. The star attractions at the Bird Park are the African Grey Parrot, Blue Gold Macaw, Cockatiel, Rainbow
Lorikeet, Toucan, Black Lory, Violet Turaco and many other varieties of bird.
iv. EsselWorld is the largest amusement park in the country and Water Kingdom is one of the largest
Theme Water Parks in Asia.
Justice Pradeep Nandrajog appointed as the Chief justice of Bombay High Court
On 31st March 2019, Justice Pradeep Nandrajog was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Bombay high Court.
Priorly, he was serving as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.
i. His oath was administered by Maharashtra Governor CH Vidyasagarrao at Raj Bhavan,Mumbai.
ii. He succeeds Justice Naresh Patel, who retired from his services.
iii. Justice Nandrajog,61 , was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1981.
Renowned Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey passed away aged 70

On 12th April 2019, Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey passed away at the age of 70 in his home due to a cardiac
arrest.
Key Points:
i. He was born on August 26, 1949, in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district.
ii. He was also suffering from cancer.
iii. To pursue his passion for poetry, he quit his job at Dena Bank.
18 | P a g e
DD Director Kismat Sagar passes away at 47

Lucknow Door Darshan Kendra Director Ms.KismatSagar has passed away at the age of 47 during her treatment
in a hospital in Mumbai.
Key Points :
i. She was suffering from cancer.
ii. She was a 1998 Batch Indian Information Service Officer.
iii. She also worked in several media units like DAVP, DFP, PRO Defence in Lucknow under Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting.
Maharashtra Current Affairs - May 2019

The Maharashtra Cabinet provides approval for the promulgation of ordinance on Maratha quota
In order to provide reservation to Maratha students in postgraduate medical courses, the Maharashtra
Cabinet approved to circulate an ordinance to amend the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes
(SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018, and also approved to recompense the fees to the general category-
students, who will be affected after the promulgation of the ordinance.
Key Points:
i. Previously the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court did not grant 16% reservation to the Maratha
community students for admissions to post-graduate (PG) medical courses and dental courses because the
admission process had begun much earlier.
ii. After the Supreme Court’s decision, the Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell had
issued cancellation of admissions’ notice under the SEBC quota, which affected around 290 students from
Maharashtra.
Centre issued Drought Advisory to six states

Recently, centre has issued a “drought advisory” to six states named Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu due to water storage in dams dropped to a “critical level”. Centre has
asked these 6 six states to use water judiciously.
Key Highlights
i. Central Water Commission (CWC) always issues drought advisory whenever the water level in reservoirs is
20 percent less than the average of live water storage figures of the past 10 years.
ii. According to figures released by CWC, the total water storage available was 35.99 billion cubic metres, which
is 22 percent of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs.
About CWC :
It functions as an attached office of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation,
Government of India, and monitors total water storage available in 91 major reservoirs across the country.
Maharashtra Day is celebrated every year on 1st May to mark the Maratha speaking region that
attained statehood on 1st May 1960
Maharashtra Day is celebrated every year on 1st May to mark the Maratha speaking region that was founded on
1st May 1960.
i. This year, the state government of Maharashtra organized the main function in Mumbai and celebrated this
red-letter day at Shivaji Park, central Mumbai.
ii. Most educational institutions like schools, colleges, offices remain closed on this day.
How is Maharashtra Day Celebrated?
i. The day is celebrated by organizing exhibitions, ceremonies, and parades in the public areas of Maharashtra.
ii. Private celebrations also take place around the city, including traditional Lavani performances, narration of
poems written by Marathi saints and folk songs.
19 | P a g e
History of Maharashtra Day or Maharashtra Diwas

i. In 1956, the States Reorganisation Act was enacted that restricted Indian state boundaries according to
language.
ii. When this act was enacted, it created the State of Bombay which then had a different language being
spoken, namely, Kutchi, Konkani, Gujarati, and Marathi.
iii. The Sanyukta Maharashtra Samiti was then formed which strived for the division of the Bombay state in 2
halves. In 1 half would be the people who spoke Marathi and Konkani and in the other state would be the
people who spoke Gujarati and Kutchi. This resulted in the proposal of the Bombay Reorganization Act.
iv. The official effect took place on 1st May 1960 and this is how Maharashtra attained its statehood in India.
Basava Jayanti 2019 observed on May 7

On 7th May 2019, Basava Jayanthi was celebrated in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to
commemorate the birth of Basavanna, a Hindu Kannada poet of the 12th century. It was traditionally observed
by the Lingayats. He is believed to be the founding saint of the Lingayat section.
i. Basavanna was born Karnataka’s Ingaleshwar, Bagewadi town on 20th March 1134, the third day of Vaisakha
month of the Anandanama (Samvatsara) in the year 1134 A.D. According to believers, with the birth of the
prophet Basavanna, a new era began.
ii. In the Panchangas, Basava Era count from Basava birth onwards in 2012 Basava Shake is 879.
iii. People refer to the year as ‘Basava Era‘ or ‘Basaveshwar Era’.
v. His father’s name was Madaras and mother’s name was Madalambe.
Ajoy Mehta has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra

Ajoy Mehta (1984-batch I.A.S- Indian Administrative Officer), the municipal commissioner of Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC) also known as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has been
appointed as the new Chief Secretary (CS) of Maharashtra.
Key points:
i. He holds the distinction of being the longest-serving BMC commissioner.
ii. Mehta’s predecessor UPS Madan (1983 batch IAS officer), who has opted for voluntary retirement (under
V.R.S.- voluntary retirement scheme) after serving the post of CS for just 44 days makes him the shortest-
serving CS of Maharashtra. He still had five months of service left and for that period he has been appointed
as the chairman of SICOM (State Industrial Investment Corporation Of Maharashtra) and also as special
advisor to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis.
iii. 1985-batch I.A.S officer- Praveen Pardeshi (the additional chief secretary to chief minister Devendra
Fadnavis) has been appointed as the new municipal commissioner chief of Mumbai, succeeding Ajoy Mehta.
iv. Mehta will retire in September 2019.
v. One of the notable works of Mehta as the principal secretary, department of energy under Maharashtra
government include the transition of the state-owned Maharashtra State Electricity Board into 3
independent companies which were dedicated to generation, transmission, and distribution.
MMOPL tied-up with Instamojo for card payments

The Reliance Infrastructure promoted Mumbai Metro One Private Limited (MMOPL) has announced a tie-up
with Instamojo, a payment gateway. The purpose of this tie-up is to enable card payments aimed at boosting
cashless travel. The total 4.50 lakh commuters can now pay for all kinds of ticketing products by using debit or
credit cards.
i. To pay for their tickets, commuters can scan the static QR code or type the Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
at any Metro ticket counters and then enter the debit/credit card details and then make the payments.
Maharashtra proposed single-window registration of land titles

Maharashtra government has proposed to introduce the Maharashtra Land Titling Act which will be used for
a single-window mechanism for authenticating land titles. This initiative will be first implemented
20 | P a g e
in Mumbai as linking of various departments and digitising records.

Key Highlights
i. Under the Maharashtra Land Titling Act, the state government will first set up the Maharashtra Land Titling
Authority which will undertake the implementation.
ii. Under the same act, state government will also set up one or more tribunals for land titling and one or more
appellate tribunal and also appoint the title registration officer. The award provided by Appellate Tribunal can
be challenged in a special bench of High Court.
Maharashtra government introduced ordinance to bring medical admissions under SEBC quota
Maharashtra government has introduced an ordinance to provide quota to candidates seeking admissions to
medical courses under Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) Reservation Act, 2018.
i. Other than this ordinance, the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (Amendment and Validation)
Ordinance, 2019 will introduce reservation in appointments in public services and other posts in the state.
SWIFT India and South Asia Conference was held in Mumbai

The SWIFT India and South Asia Conference was held successfully on 9 May 2019 at the St Regis Mumbai. The
conference saw the participation of 500 delegates representing financial institutions, regulators, market
infrastructure experts, multinational corporations, and other industry professionals, to discuss the most
pertinent issues concerning the nation’s financial market.
i. It was organized and hosted by SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication).
ii. The theme of the conference was “Digitisation in transition: The future of innovation and cyber
security”.
iii. The objective of the conference was to discuss these key issues with a specific focus on innovation and our
preparedness to face challenges around cybersecurity.
iv. At the conference, BCG (Boston Consulting Group) also released a paper titled “Unlocking Success in
Corporate Banking Through Digital”.
About SWIFT India:
♦ It is the local unit of SWIFT global that facilitates international payments functions for banks.
♦ Chairman – Mrs Arundhati Bhattacharya
Mumbai tops the list of most vulnerable cities to cyberattacks in 2019

Recently, Quick Heal Security Labs in its report titled “The Annual Threat Report 2019” has disclosed that
Mumbai topped the list of 15-city which are more vulnerable to cyberattcks in 2019. The other two cities which
followed Mumbai are: Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune
i. The report has also revealed that Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal are the top three states which are
prone to cyber attacks.
Bajirao, the last captive white tiger at Mumbai’s national park, dies at 18
The last captive white tiger at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Borivali, Mumbai named Bajirao died
due to old age related problems at the age of 18. He was born at the SGNP
in 2001 to tigress Renukaand tiger Sidharth.
i. He suffered from chronic ankylosis on left shoulder and chronic senile generalised arthritis for the last four
years.
ii. The tiger’s autopsy was conducted by the pathology department of the Bombay Veterinary College(BVC),
Mumbai.
iii. The white tigress Renuka and white tiger Siddharth were brought from Aurangabad Zoo in 1999. Renuka
died in 2009 due to skin cancer at th age of 13 and Siddharth died on June 4, 2015, due to old age at the age of
20.
21 | P a g e
Former billiards player Derek Sippy Passed Away

On 6th May 2019, Former Indian Cue sports Player, Coach and administrator Derek Sippy, who was in his 60s,
died due to a massive heart attack in Mumbai, Maharashtra. His death was confirmed to Press Trust of India
(PTI) by Manav Panchal, Honorary Secretary of the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra
(BSAM).
i. He had served as secretary of BSAM for several years.
ii. He was the Indian team’s coach at recently concluded Asian Under-21 Boys Snooker and Asian Women
Snooker tournament in Chandigarh which was held from April 27th to May 3rd, 2019 at Community Centre,
Sector 19, Chandigarh.
Good Luck with Your Exams!!!
Suggestions & Feedback are welcomed -

https://www.affairscloud.com/subscriber-feedback/
AC Useful Links:
 Current Affairs
 Current Affairs 2019
 Current Affairs in Hindi
 Current Affairs Quiz
 Current Affairs Today
22 | P a g e

Maharashtra Current Affairs 2019 by AffairsCloud PDF

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Maharashtra Current Affairs 2019 by AffairsCloud PDF

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Current Affairs Statewise PDF

Maharashtra Current Affairs 2019

Subscribe(Buy) Current Affairs PDF 2019 - Pocket, Study and

Maharashtra Current Affairs - January 2019

Maharashtra Government launched Special Scheme to Curb infant deaths

PM Modi launches road, sewerage projects in Maharashtra

Salient Features of the Museum:

25th edition of Partnership Summit held in Mumbai

Suresh Prabhu inaugurates Global Aviation Summit 2019 in Mumbai

Albumin better indicator of diabetes: study by scientists of NCL, Pune

Maharashtra armed with triple-drug therapy to fight elephantiasis

India Africa Field Training Exercise (IAFTX) 2019 to be held in Pune

ATP World Tour tennis tournament (Maharashtra Open 2019)

Maharashtra. The event concludes on 5th January 2019.

Maharashtra to host Khelo India Youth Games 2019

Former Maharashtra Minister Shivajirao Deshmukh dies

Maharashtra Current Affairs - February 2019

Kala ghoda festival 2019 was held in Mumbai

Words Count Festival 2019 was held in Pune

7th edition of Kolhapur International film festival inaugurated in Kolhapur,Maharashtra

Smriti Irani instigated India Size project in Mumbai

Overview of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maharashtra

Government sets up committee to explore prepaid payments by discoms to generator companies

Maharashtra govt constituted a committee to review welfare schemes for tribals

8th World CSR Congress 2019 in Mumbai

Regional Maritime Safety Conference 2019 held in Mumbai

Hum Aapke Hain Koun Producer Rajkumar Barjatya Passes Away

Maharashtra Current Affairs - March 2019

Maharashtra government launches ‘Atal Aahar Yojna’ for construction workers

Nagpur hosted Heat Wave 2019 Workshop

Welfare Schemes for Dhangars was announced by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister

New 5 year industrial policy unveiled by Maharashtra CM

Param Bir Singh appointed as DG of Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau

Swati Shingade conferred with first prize of DD Mahila Kisan Award

Hyper local connectivity app “Bhonga” initiated in Mumbai

India–Africa Joint Field Training Exercise AFINDEX-19 started in Pune, Maharashtra

Bengaluru FC won their first ISL Title beating FC Goa by 1-0

Mumbai activist HS D’Lima passed away aged 84

Maharashtra Current Affairs - April 2019

India’s First Foreign Interactive Bird Park launched by EsselWorld in Mumbai

Renowned Hindi poet Pradeep Choubey passed away aged 70

DD Director Kismat Sagar passes away at 47

Maharashtra Current Affairs - May 2019

Centre issued Drought Advisory to six states

History of Maharashtra Day or Maharashtra Diwas

Basava Jayanti 2019 observed on May 7

Ajoy Mehta has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra

MMOPL tied-up with Instamojo for card payments

Maharashtra proposed single-window registration of land titles

in Mumbai as linking of various departments and digitising records.

SWIFT India and South Asia Conference was held in Mumbai

Mumbai tops the list of most vulnerable cities to cyberattacks in 2019

Former billiards player Derek Sippy Passed Away

Good Luck with Your Exams!!!

Suggestions & Feedback are welcomed -

Вам также может понравиться