The Election Commission of India (ECI) recognized the services of Chief Secretary, J&K Atal Dulloo, for the successful holding of elections for the 18th Lok Sabha in Jammu and Kashmir. Akashvani Jammu Correspondent reports that the Chief Secretary was presented with a ‘Certificate of Exemplary Leadership’ signed by the Chief Election Commissioner and two of the Election Commissioners. 58.11 per cent polling was recorded for the first time for the general elections held since 1989 across the UT which was over 14 per cent more than that of the elections of 2019 during which the overall percentage of polling was just around 44 per cent. For this purpose, 11 thousand and 629 polling stations had been established and 80 thousand and 724 polling personnel had been trained and made available to ECI for holding elections across Jammu and Kashmir. These were the first general elections of the J&K after its reorganization in the year 2019.

Private space firm Firefly Aerospace on Sunday announced the successful landing of its Blue Ghost Mission 1 on the Moon’s surface. The achievement marks the first fully successful commercial Moon landing in history, furthering Nasa’s partnership with private industry to advance lunar exploration.

“We have confirmation #BlueGhost stuck the landing! Firefly just became the first commercial company in history to achieve a fully successful Moon landing. This small step on the Moon represents a giant leap in commercial exploration. Congratulations to the entire Firefly team, our mission partners, and our @NASA customers for this incredible feat that paves the way for future missions to the Moon and Mars,” the company announced on X.

Krishna Jayasankar currently studying in Texas, United States, sent happy tidings from the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championship held in Albuquerque, as she became the new record-holder in indoor shot put among the Indian women.

The 22-year-old Krishna tossed the iron sphere to a new distance of 16.03 metres that bettered the previous Indian indoor best of 15.54m by Maharashtra’s Poornarao Rane, another US residing student athlete.

Krishna ended with a bronze medal for her effort which came in the last round, pushing Colorado State’s Makayla Long to the fourth spot as she was holding a medal chance with 15.98m until the last round.

At a time when the impact of freebies on the national economy is being debated, Jharkhand's spending estimates on "freebies" for FY 2025-26 exceed the budget allocations for all other departments, including Health, Education, and Rural Development.

Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore on Monday tabled the annual Budget of Rs 1, 45,400 crore for FY 2025-26 in the Jharkhand Assembly, an up of about 13 per cent than last year.

The state government made a significant allocation in its annual state budget for the "Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojna" (JMMSY) and free electricity scheme.

Ahead of the State elections in October-November this year, the Bihar government on Monday (March 3, 2025) tabled estimated Budget of ₹3,16,895.02 crore in the Assembly for the financial year 2025-26. The Budget allocation has been higher by ₹38,169.30 crore than the previous Budget of ₹2,78,725.72 crore. The Bihar government announced several provisions for the projects like setting up a cancer hospital in Begusarai.

The Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary who also holds finance department said that the State government would spend ₹60,954 crores on education, ₹20,335 crores on health, ₹16,193 crores on rural development and ₹13,483 crores for energy sectors in the financial year 2025-26. “Under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ambitious seven nischay 2 of Aatmanirbhar Bihar (2020-2025) provision of ₹5,972.00 crore Budget was estimated in various departments,” the Budget copy said. “Besides, a provision of ₹13,368.47 crore for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC & ST), minority, Other Backward Classes (OBC), and Most Backward Classes (MBC), and social welfare has been made for the year 2025-26,” it added.

The government on Monday awarded 'Navratna' status to two railway public sector companies, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC).

With this, IRCTC has become the 25th Navratna among Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), while IRFC is now the 26th.

The new status gives these companies greater financial independence, allowing them to invest up to Rs 1,000 crore without needing approval from the government. This move is expected to help them make faster business decisions and improve efficiency.

The first population estimation of riverine dolphins in India has revealed the presence of 6,327 dolphins in the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Indus river systems, according to a government report published on Monday.

As part of 'Project Dolphin', a comprehensive survey was conducted for the first time to estimate the population of river dolphins across eight states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of dolphins at 2,397, followed by Bihar 2,220, West Bengal 815, Assam 635, Jharkhand 162, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh 95, and Punjab 3, the report said.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order making English the official language of the United States.

It means government agencies and organisations that receive federal funding can choose whether they want to offer documents and services in languages other than English.

It rescinds a policy that required such bodies to provide language assistance to non-English speakers signed by former president Bill Clinton in 2000.

"Establishing English as the official language will not only streamline communication but also reinforce shared national values, and create a more cohesive and efficient society," the order says.

Jay Shah, chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has been honoured with the prestigious Icon of Excellence award at the 14th edition of the Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA 2025). This award recognises his exceptional contributions to cricket administration and his role in driving innovation and inclusivity in the sport. Under his leadership, cricket has witnessed a remarkable transformation, making the game more accessible and globally competitive.

Youngest ICC chair, a trailblazer in the sport

At the age of 36, Jay Shah made history by becoming the youngest-ever chairman of the ICC. He has been instrumental in enhancing the sport’s global appeal, ensuring its financial sustainability, and introducing progressive reforms that benefit players, stakeholders, and fans alike. Through his strategic decision-making and futuristic approach, he continues to play a crucial role in elevating cricket to new heights.

The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Saturday announced that Manan Kumar Mishra, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), has been re-elected unopposed as the Chairman of the Bar Council of India for a historic seventh consecutive term.

A statement issued stated that the elected representatives of India's nearly 27 lakh vibrant legal fraternity have once again reaffirmed their trust in his distinguished leadership.

Soon after his re-election for a seventh term was announced, Mishra expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the entire legal fraternity for their continued trust and support. He reaffirmed his unshakable resolve to serve the legal community and emphasized his dedication to the welfare of advocates.