21 October 2026
A division bench of Justices Girish S. Kulkarni and Neela K. Gokhale passed the order on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The matter is High Court on its own motion v. State of Maharashtra and Ors., a suo motu public interest litigation.
The bench clarified that its September 22 order banning the bursting of firecrackers on public streets, lanes and footpaths now applies year-round and across all festivals, including Navratri, Diwali and Christmas.
The Court recorded that it has not banned the manufacture or sale of firecrackers.
The State government, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board were directed to launch awareness campaigns in schools and public transit within one week.
They were also directed to issue public notices on health effects, promote low-emission green crackers and set up a complaint mechanism with the police.
Date of order:
October 15, 2026
Earlier order extended:
September 22 order
Deadline for awareness campaigns:
one week
Bodies directed:
State government, BMC and MPCB
Why it matters for exams: A suo motu environmental PIL that shows how a High Court can extend an order across festivals and fix duties on civic and pollution control bodies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Suo motu Suo motu — A court taking up a matter on its own, without a petition being filed.
MPCB Maharashtra Pollution Control Board — The State board that enforces pollution control laws in Maharashtra.
21 October 2026
The 6th National Steering Committee meeting approved around 1,194 crore rupees in investment plans.
The five ITI clusters are located in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jammu and Kashmir.
PM-SETU stands for Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs.
Cumulative approved investment under PM-SETU now stands at more than 3,687 crore rupees.
The scheme is run by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, whose Secretary Debashree Mukherjee spoke at the meeting.
The approvals are meant to strengthen ITIs, improve training quality and increase industry participation.
Approved at this meeting:
around 1,194 crore rupees
Cumulative approved investment:
more than 3,687 crore rupees
Number of clusters:
5
Ministry:
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Why it matters for exams: A central skilling scheme with a name, a ministry and cumulative outlay figures that recur in exam questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ITI Industrial Training Institute — An institute that gives vocational training in trades under the Craftsmen Training Scheme.
PM-SETU Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs — A central scheme to upgrade industrial training institutes into hub and spoke clusters.
21 October 2026
The 70th Dhammachakra Pravartan Day was observed at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Maharashtra, on October 20, 2026.
Millions of followers paid homage to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar at the site.
Venerable Wannasiri Mahathero from Myanmar addressed the main ceremony and said Dr. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism not out of hatred for anyone.
Bhadant Arya Nagarjuna Surai Sasai, President of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti, was on the dais with monks from India and abroad.
The Nagpur district and municipal administrations made extensive arrangements and the police put security in place.
Central Railway's Nagpur Division ran additional trains and Nagpur Metro operated services from early morning until late at night.
The day marks the conversion at Nagpur on October 14, 1956, which was Vijayadashami.
Edition:
70th
Place:
Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur
Original date:
October 14, 1956, Vijayadashami
Why it matters for exams: The 1956 conversion at Nagpur and the Deekshabhoomi memorial are standard modern history and culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Deekshabhoomi Deekshabhoomi, Nagpur — The memorial at Nagpur marking the place where Dr. B. R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism in 1956.
Background
Maharashtra's monuments are in view as the Bombay High Court tightens festival rules across the State; Ajanta is one of the State's World Heritage properties.
The Ajanta Caves were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983 under criteria (i), (ii), (iii) and (vi).
The property lies at Lenapur Village, Soyagon Taluka, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra, and covers 8,242 ha with a 78,676 ha buffer zone.
There are 30 rock-cut caves carved into a cliff above the Waghora River, five of them chaityagrihas and the rest viharas.
Excavation took place in two phases: the first under the Satavahana dynasty around the 2nd to 1st century BCE, and the second under the Vakataka dynasty in the 5th to 6th century CE.
The Archaeological Survey of India manages the property.
Year inscribed:
1983
Number of caves:
30
District:
Aurangabad District, Maharashtra
Property area:
8,242 ha
River:
Waghora River
Why it matters for exams: Inscription year, criteria, dynasty and district for Ajanta are standard one-mark facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Chaityagriha Chaityagriha — A Buddhist prayer hall built around a stupa.
Vihara Vihara — A Buddhist monastery with cells for monks.
Background
Ellora shares Aurangabad district with Ajanta, among the Maharashtra heritage properties in view as the Bombay High Court tightens festival rules across the State.
The Ellora Caves were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983 under criteria (i), (iii) and (vi).
The property lies at Verul Village, Khulatabad Taluk, Aurangabad District, Maharashtra.
There are 34 caves excavated in three phases from the 6th to the 12th century in the Charanandri hills, extending over more than 2 km.
Caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist, caves 13 to 29 are Brahmanical and caves 30 to 34 are Jain.
The Kailasa temple, Cave 16, is described by UNESCO as the largest monolithic temple, and the Archaeological Survey of India manages the property.
Year inscribed:
1983
Number of caves:
34
Buddhist caves:
Caves 1-12
Jain caves:
Caves 30-34
Kailasa temple:
Cave 16
Why it matters for exams: The cave numbering by faith and the Kailasa temple are frequently asked about Ellora.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Monolithic Monolithic — Carved from a single mass of rock rather than built from separate blocks.
Background
Elephanta sits in the waters off Mumbai, the city where the Bombay High Court has issued the festival and pollution directions now in force across Maharashtra.
The Elephanta Caves, on Elephanta Island also known as Gharapuri, were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 under criteria (i) and (iii).
UNESCO places the property in Kolaba District, Maharashtra State.
The rock-cut caves date to about the mid-5th to 6th centuries AD, with archaeological remains on the island from as early as the 2nd century BC.
Cave 1, the most important, measures 39 metres from the front entrance to the back.
A 7-metre-high sculpture called Sadashiva dominates the entrance and depicts three aspects of Shiva; the Archaeological Survey of India protects the property.
Year inscribed:
1987
Other name of the island:
Gharapuri
Height of Sadashiva:
7 metres
Length of Cave 1:
39 metres
Why it matters for exams: Island name, inscription year and the Sadashiva sculpture are the standard Elephanta facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Sadashiva Sadashiva — A three-faced form of Shiva, the central sculpture at Elephanta.
Background
The terminus stands in Mumbai, the city at the centre of the Bombay High Court's current directions to the State, the BMC and the pollution board.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly Victoria Terminus, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004 under criteria (ii) and (iv).
The property covers 2.85 hectares with a 90.21-hectare buffer zone.
Construction began in 1878 and was completed over roughly ten years, to a design by the British architect F. W. Stevens with Indian craftsmen contributing.
It blends Victorian Gothic Revival style with Indian palace architecture, including a stone dome, turrets and pointed arches.
It was the first terminus station on the subcontinent, is used by more than three million commuters daily, and is designated Heritage Grade I under Maharashtra State law.
Year inscribed:
2004
Architect:
F. W. Stevens
Construction begun:
1878
Property area:
2.85 hectares
Daily commuters:
more than three million
Why it matters for exams: Inscription year, architect and the Grade I designation are the standard CSMT facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Heritage Grade I Heritage Grade I — The highest level of heritage protection for a building under Maharashtra State law.
Background
Maharashtra's industrial and skilling plans are in the news as five upgraded industrial training institute clusters in the State clear a national steering committee; the State's own technology policy sits behind that push.
The Maharashtra government announced an Artificial Intelligence Policy at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai.
The policy aims to boost investment, innovation and employment in the State.
Investments exceeding Rs 10,000 crore are expected under it.
The creation of over 1.5 lakh jobs is expected.
The cabinet also approved six AI centres of excellence across Maharashtra and five AI innovation cities to promote research and industry collaboration.
Expected investment:
exceeding Rs 10,000 crore
Expected jobs:
over 1.5 lakh
AI centres of excellence:
6
AI innovation cities:
5
Why it matters for exams: State-level artificial intelligence policies, with their investment and employment targets, are a recurring economy and science and technology topic.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Centre of excellence Centre of excellence — An institution set up to concentrate research, training and expertise in one field.