Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader K.P. Unnikrishnan passed away in the early hours of Tuesday (March 3, 2026). He was 89. Mr. Unnikrishnan had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments at a private hospital in the city for some time. He is survived by his wife Amrita, and two daughters.

Mr. Unnikrishnan has the rare distinction of representing one Lok Sabha Constituency for the longest period of time in Kerala's political history. He was the MP for Vadakara in Kozhikode from 1971 to 1996, representing three political parties. He first entered the Upper House of Parliament in 1971 on a Congress ticket. Mr. Unnikrishnan later continued his winning streak in the 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, and 1991 elections as well. However, he was part of the Congress (U) and the Congress (S) after 1977. Though Mr. Unnikrishnan returned to the Congress in 1995, he could not win another term in the 1996 polls when he was defeated by O. Bharathan of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

January 2026 marked a new monthly peak for deceased donor organ donations in Tamil Nadu, with 33 donors. More than half of them – 19 – were from government hospitals, the majority situated outside Chennai.

“This is the highest-ever number of donations in one month. This year, till today (February 12), 42 donations have taken place in 43 days – at a rate of one donation a day in Tamil Nadu. The 42nd donation is under way at the Government Kilpauk Medical College (KMC) Hospital,” N. Gopalakrishnan, member secretary, Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN), said.

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has introduced a deferred Customs Duty payment facility for Eligible Manufacturer Importers. CBIC today also notified the eligibility and guidelines for the scheme. Under this initiative, eligible manufacturer importers will be able to clear imported goods without paying Customs duty at the time of clearance. Instead, the applicable duty can be paid on a monthly basis, helping manufacturers better manage cash flows and working capital.

The facility will be available from the 1st of next month and will remain in force till 31st March, 2028.The Ministry of Finance said that applications under the scheme can be submitted online from 1st March at www.aeoindia.gov.in <http://www.aeoindia.gov.in/>. It added that the scheme is expected to improve ease of doing business, strengthening compliance culture, and boosting domestic manufacturing.

The 25th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Government of India, was celebrated today at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, in the presence of senior dignitaries, policymakers, partner organisations, and stakeholders from across the country.

Shri Manohar Lal, Cabinet Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Shri Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary (Power), delivered the keynote address. Senior officials from Central Ministries, State Governments, State Designated Agencies (SDAs), and partner institutions were also present.

Recalling the famous saying, “Prevention is better than cure,” Shri Manohar Lal remarked that the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) functions as a preventive institution for the power sector. Every unit of electricity conserved today directly contributes to reducing the need for additional generation capacity and lowering emissions. By adopting energy-efficient practices, we not only protect the environment but also secure a cleaner and more sustainable future for coming generations. He also lauded BEE for its significant contribution to advancing energy efficiency initiatives in the country.

The Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary is set to host the second edition of the two-day ‘Indian Bison Fest’ on March 8 at Zeropoint.

In the second edition of the festival, the Hirakud Wildlife Division will once again bring together students, volunteers, researchers and nature lovers to celebrate the Indian bison, locally known as ‘Gayala’ and its increasing presence in the Debrigarh-Hirakud landscape.

Hirakud divisional forest officer (DFO) Anshu Pragyan Das said this year, the event has been expanded with the introduction of night camping, making it a two-day immersive experience inside the sanctuary.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated three major inland waterways infrastructure projects on Friday in Dibrugarh on National Waterway-2 (River Brahmaputra). He described the projects as a balanced approach of “Vikas and Virasat” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

The projects include the Customs and Immigration Complex at Bogibeel, the Customs and Immigration Complex at Dhubri, and the renovated Heritage Building of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) at Dibrugarh.

Addressing the gathering, Sonowal said the projects reflect the dynamic governance model of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that seeks rapid development without losing cultural identity.

The University of Jammu is going to organise 3rd edition of its flagship multi-genre youth festival, Goonj 2026 from today. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinah, who is also the Chancellor of Jammu University, will inaugurate the festival, while the Valedictory Function will be graced by Professor Bechan Lal, former Vice-Chancellor of Cluster University and Advisor to the Governor of Assam.

The two-day festival will bring together students, faculty and teaching departments on a shared platform of creativity, collaboration and institutional pride. The journey of Goonj was started in 2024 and the initiative was conceived with a clear vision, to promote holistic development of students and to build a deeper sense of belongingness within the University community. Platforms like Goonj enable students to discover their potential through participation, interaction and collective engagement. Around 600 students from Teaching Departments, off-site campuses, Affiliated Colleges and neighboring Universities have registered for participation this year and the number is expected to increase further.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday launched the distribution of land pattas to over one lakh indigenous landless families and public institutions under Mission Basundhara 3.0, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to resolving long-pending land-related grievances through a structured and transparent process.

The Chief Minister formally inaugurated the state-level distribution programme at Deuri Beel in Dhemaji district, where digital land pattas and allotment letters were handed over to beneficiaries.

He also initiated land settlement in previously unsurveyed villages where surveys have been completed under the SVAMITVA scheme.

In addition, forest land rights were granted to 538 residents of the Subansiri and Jiadhal Reserved Forests under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Tripura’s first premier incubation and innovation hub, “T-Nest” (Tripura: Nurturing Entrepreneurship and Startups), has been inaugurated today in Hapania, Agartala. The initiative aims to strengthen the startup ecosystem and promote entrepreneurship across the State. Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha formally launched the hub under the Tripura State Innovation Mission in the presence of Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh.

Speaking at the event, Union Minister Dr. Singh said that the Northeastern region is rapidly emerging as one of the key drivers of India’s future growth. He noted that under the special initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rail, road, and air connectivity in the Northeast has significantly improved in recent years, contributing to increased trade and tourism.

T-Nest will serve as a central platform connecting government, educational institutions, industry, and investors to promote startups, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Tripura. On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed with T-Hub to provide national-level support and collaboration.

Airports Council International (ACI) World has named Mangaluru International Airport the winner of 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) award for the ‘Best Airport at Arrivals – Globally’.

A media statement said that the ASQ awards are regarded as the aviation industry’s most credible measure of customer satisfaction, based entirely on real-time passenger feedback collected through ACI’s independently administered survey programme.

The arrivals category evaluates the complete inbound journey, including immigration processes, baggage delivery, terminal ambience, cleanliness, way finding and overall comfort.