State PCS - Maharashtra (MPSC)

• 10 Mar 2026

Maharashtra Signs MoU With Finnish Firms to Modernise Sassoon Dock

Why in News? 

The Government of Maharashtra has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three Finland‑based companies to modernise the historic Sassoon Dock in Mumbai, aiming to transform it into a technologically advanced and environmentally sustainable fishing harbour. 

Key Points: 

• Agreement: The MoU was signed with Finland‑based companies Helvar, Mirasis, and River Recycle to introduce advanced technology and sustainable practices at Sassoon Dock. 
• Objective: The partnership focuses on upgrading infrastructure, improving waste management, strengthening plastic recycling, and modernising net‑repair systems at the dock. 
  • The initiative will also include training and capacity building programmes for fishermen and dock workers to adopt modern and sustainable fishing harbour practices. 
• Significance: Sassoon Dock is one of India’s oldest and most important fishing harbours, hosting about 1,560 registered mechanised fishing boats and recording an annual fish production of 50,000–60,000 metric tonnes, supporting thousands involved in Mumbai’s seafood trade. 
  • The Maharashtra government has already undertaken infrastructure upgrades at the dock including net‑mending sheds, workshops, water tanks, pump houses, protective walls, and renovated public facilities for better working conditions. 
• Focus: The collaboration with Finnish firms aims to make the harbour more environmentally sustainable, leveraging improved waste management systems and recycling initiatives. 
• Government Vision: The project aligns with the state government’s vision to develop world‑class fisheries infrastructure, ensuring welfare of fishing communities and promoting sustainable coastal development in Maharashtra. 

Read More: Environmentally sustainable, Waste management systems 

Hurun Global Rich List 2026

Why in News? 

The Hurun Global Rich List 2026, released by Hurun Research Institute, highlights a significant rise in the number of billionaires in India.  

Key Points: 

• New Billionaires: The report shows that India added 57 new billionaires in 2025–26, taking the total number to 308, making the country one of the fastest-growing hubs of wealth creation globally. 
  • India remains the third-largest billionaire hub in the world, after the United States and China. 
• Total Wealth: The combined fortune of Indian billionaires rose 10% to approximately ₹112.6 trillion. 
• Average Wealth: Indian billionaires have an average wealth of ₹36,570 crore, which now surpasses the average wealth of billionaires in China. 
• Wealth Distribution: Out of the total, 199 individuals saw their wealth increase, while 109 experienced a decline or no change. 
• Mumbai’s Dominance: Billionaire’s capital Mumbai remains India’s top billionaire hub with 95 billionaires. 
  • Other major billionaire hubs in India include: 
    • New Delhi 
    • Bengaluru 
    • Hyderabad 
• Growth Pace: The city added 15 new billionaires this year, outpacing global financial centers like New York (14) and London (9). 
• Asian Ranking: While Mumbai leads in India, it lost its title as Asia's billionaire capital to Shenzhen, which now hosts 132 billionaires. 
• Top Indian Billionaires (Hurun Global Rich List 2026) 
  • Mukesh Ambani 
    • Chairman of Reliance Industries 
    • Remains the richest person in India. 
  • Gautam Adani 
    • Founder of Adani Group 
    • Among the top wealth creators globally. 
  • Shiv Nadar 
    • Founder of HCL Technologies. 
  • Cyrus Poonawalla 
    • Founder of Serum Institute of India. 
  • Radhakishan Damani 
    • Founder of Avenue Supermarts (DMart). 
• Economic Transformation: Over 80% of Indian billionaires on the 2026 list were not present a decade ago, indicating a shift from legacy businesses to new-age entrepreneurship. 
• Gender Gap: Women account for only 7% of India's billionaire population, highlighting a persistent gender gap in ultra-high-net-worth brackets. 

Mojtaba Khamenei Becomes Iran's New Supreme Leader

Why in News? 

Mojtaba Khamenei is an Iranian cleric and the third Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, appointed on 8 March 2026. He succeeded his father Ali Khamenei, who had ruled the country since 1989. 

Key Points: 

• Early Life: Mojtaba Khamenei was born in Mashhad in Iran. 
  • He studied Islamic theology in the seminaries of Qom, a major center of Shia scholarship. 
  • During the Iran–Iraq War, he reportedly served in volunteer forces. 
• Military Ties: He joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in 1987 and served during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War. He maintains deep, lifelong connections with high-ranking IRGC and intelligence officials. 
• Political Maneuvering: He was widely believed to be the architect behind the rise of hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 and 2009. 
• Suppression of Dissent: Critics and reformists have long accused him of orchestrating the violent crackdown on the 2009 Green Movement and subsequent anti-government protests. 
• Hereditary Succession: His selection is historic and controversial, as the 1979 Revolution rejected hereditary rule.  
  • This shift toward a "dynastic" system may deepen domestic public discontent. 
• Continuity of Hardline Policy: Experts view his leadership as a signal that Iran intends to maintain its confrontational stance.  
  • He is considered more supportive of developing nuclear weapons than his father was. 
• Geopolitical Friction: U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed him as a "lightweight" and called the choice "unacceptable," while Israel has suggested his successor remains a "target for elimination".  
  • Conversely, Russia and China have expressed support for his appointment based on the Iranian constitution.

Denmark Eliminates Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis

Why in News?

On 27 February 2026, the WHO certified Denmark as the first country in the European Union to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of both HIV and syphilis. 

Key Points: 

• Achievement: Denmark met the stringent international targets for EMTCT from 2021 to 2024, which include:  
  • Transmission Rate: Keeping new infant infections below 50 per 100,000 live births. 
  • Testing and Treatment: Ensuring that at least 95% of pregnant women receive testing and necessary treatment. 
  • Universal Care: Providing free or low-cost prenatal screening and care through its universal health system.  
• Global Standing: Denmark joins over 20 other countries and territories—including Botswana, Malaysia, and Cuba—that have achieved similar WHO validation. 
• Triple Elimination Goal: Denmark is now working toward "triple elimination" by adding Hepatitis B to its certified transmission-free list.  
• Public Health: Demonstrates the efficacy of Integrated Maternal and Child Health services and robust data tracking systems. 
• Human Rights: The achievement is underpinned by rights-based policies ensuring equal access to healthcare regardless of background. 
• SDG Targets: Directly contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by ending preventable deaths of newborns and children.  

Read More:SDG, HIV and syphilis