Telangana Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao has said that the upcoming Census-2027 will mark a historic milestone in the country as it will be the first-ever fully-digital census.

The entire exercise will be conducted through a dedicated mobile application for field data collection, ensuring real time data capture, enhanced accuracy, transparency and faster processing.

House Listing Operations from May 11
The House Listing Operations (HLO) for the Census 2027 will start from May 11 across the State, he said. The Chief Secretary, accompanied by State Census Operations Director Bharathi Holikeri, briefed the district collectors on the modalities and preparedness for the upcoming enumeration process on Tuesday (March 3, 2026). The meeting formed part of the day long district collectors conference that started in Hyderabad in the morning and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy is slated to explain the district collectors and senior officials about the 99-day action plan Praja Palana – Pragati Pranalika.

India has sought to formalise and strengthen commitments on the transfer of relevant and advanced technologies to developing and least developed countries ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from 26-29 March, by circulating a draft ministerial declaration that calls for institutionalising the technology transfer agenda within the multilateral trading system, according to a WTO document reviewed by Mint.

A federal judge has cleared the way for thousands of businesses to receive refunds for tariffs that the US Supreme Court struck down last month.

The US Court of International Trade on Wednesday ordered Customs and Border Protection to issue refunds for levies US President Donald Trump introduced last year under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

"All importers of record whose entries were subject to IEEPA duties are entitled to the benefit" from the high court's ruling, Judge Richard Eaton wrote.

The payment process remains murky. But the trade court decision marks a setback for Trump, who has sought to replace the import taxes and bemoaned the prospect of refunds.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said Karnataka will ban social media for young people under 16 years.

"Social media will be banned for children under the age of 16 to prevent the adverse effects of increasing mobile usage. The ban is aimed at preventing the negative impact on children caused by increasing mobile phone usage," Siddaramaiah said.

Recently, in a meeting with Vice Chancellors, the CM had sought their opinion on banning mobile phones for children under 16. Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao and IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge had also spoken along similar lines.

Japan has approved ground-breaking stem-cell treatments for Parkinson's and severe heart failure, one of the manufacturers and media reports said Friday, with the therapies expected to reach patients within months.

Pharmaceutical company Sumitomo Pharma said it received the green light for the manufacture and sale of Amchepry, its Parkinson's disease treatment that transplants stem cells into a patient's brain.

Japan's health ministry also gave the go-ahead to ReHeart, heart muscle sheets developed by medical startup Cuorips that can help form new blood vessels and restore heart function, media reports said.

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.