The Delhi Cantonment Board has launched Swachhata Monitoring and Automated Reporting Tool (SMART) for enhanced effectiveness and transparency in the monitoring of sanitation and civic services across the cantonment area.

Ministry of Defence said that this innovative digital solution addresses the challenges faced by the board due to manual reporting, delayed data collection, and fragmented monitoring. It added that to further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the SMART software, AI-enabled analytical capabilities are being integrated into the system as a pilot initiative. The Ministry added that these capabilities will enable SMART to minimise human intervention, analyse operational data, identify recurring issues and support proactive decision-making.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that NASA’s historic asteroid-deflection experiment did more than scientists initially realised. The agency’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) not only altered the motion of a small asteroid within its system but also slightly changed the orbit of the entire asteroid pair around the Sun.

The finding highlights the powerful potential of spacecraft impacts as a planetary defence strategy to protect Earth from hazardous asteroids.

The DART spacecraft was deliberately crashed into Dimorphos, a small asteroid that orbits the larger asteroid Didymos.

Dimorphos measures about 170 metres in diameter, while Didymos is about 805 metres wide. Together they form a binary asteroid system that orbits the Sun.

Mark Zuckerberg's tech giant Meta Platforms has acquired Moltbook. It is designed as a social network where AI agents can interact with each other, exchange information, and coordinate tasks.

"The Moltbook team joining MSL opens up new ways for AI agents to work for people and businesses," said a Meta spokesperson, as reported by Business Insider.

The platform was previously mocked and dismissed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Altman earlier made light of the idea while discussing AI agents and the acquisition of OpenClaw. "Moltbook may be (is a passing fad), but OpenClaw is not," he said at the time of acquiring OpenClaw.

US and Israeli strikes on Iran have damaged four cultural and historical sites, including palaces and an ancient mosque. Although the buildings have not been hit by missiles directly, the shock waves from blasts and missile debris have damaged glass, tiles and stonework.

Golestan Palace's archways are broken, windows blown out, and glass from its mirrored ceilings broken.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi blamed Israel for bombing Iranian historical monuments and wrote on X, "It's natural that a regime that won't last a century hates nations with ancient pasts."

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal today said that India has facilitated the export of 25 metric tonnes of Assam’s GI-tagged Joha Rice to the United Kingdom and Italy. In a social media post, sharing this information, he said that the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority enabled the shipment.

He said Joha Rice, known for its rich nutritional value and unique heritage, became a Geographical Indication product in 2017. Mr Goyal added that the export reflects the Modi Government’s continued efforts to significantly expand India’s agricultural exports, unlock new global markets and ensure better income opportunities for farmers.

Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered two new species of lichen moths in the eastern Himalayan region.

The newly identified species — Caulocera hollowayi S Singh, N Singh & Bhattacharya, 2026 and Asura buxa Bhattacharya, S Singh & N Singh, 2026 — have been described by an Indian research team and documented in the international taxonomic journal ‘Zootaxa’ on March 2, a ZSI spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Caulocera hollowayi was identified from specimens collected near Golitar in Sikkim, while Asura buxa was discovered from specimens collected in Panijhora in West Bengal.

India has displaced China as the largest supplier of cotton products such as apparel and home textiles to the United States during 2025, according to the USDA’s latest global market analysis.

Factors such as higher tariff and US firms’ reducing dependence on China helped other suppliers including India gain market share in the US.

The US cotton product imports were flat in calendar year 2025 at 3.3 million tonnes, equal to the 15 year average.

Imports from China reduced to about 0.5 million tonnes in 2025, while imports from India were around 0.6 million tonnes during the year.

NATO began its biennial drills in the Arctic on Monday, this ‌time placing more emphasis on the role of civilians in supporting the military, at a time of high tension over ⁠U.S. President Trump’s push to take over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark.

The drills, named Cold Response, focus on defending the alliance in the European Arctic, where ‌NATO-members Norway and Finland share a border with Russia, and will run March 9-19 this time. The exercise has now become part ‌of Arctic Sentry, the NATO mission to strengthen its presence in ‌the ⁠polar region that was launched to defuse tensions with Trump ⁠over Greenland.

Trump insists the U.S. needs Greenland to fend off threats from Russian and Chinese interests in the Arctic, and that Denmark cannot ensure its security. The governments of both Denmark and Greenland say the ‌island is not for sale.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) launched its first structured Bug Bounty Programme to further strengthen the security of the Aadhaar system. The Programme adds another layer of protection by inviting independent experts to help identify any hidden risks. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said that the programme allows cyber security experts to look for possible weaknesses in some of UIDAI’s key digital platforms.

The new initiative reaffirms UIDAI’s continuous efforts to further strengthen and ensure that its platforms remain secure for residents and stakeholders. The Ministry informed that a panel of 20 experienced security researchers and ethical hackers has been selected to take part in the initiative. It added they will examine UIDAI digital assets such as UIDAI official website, myAadhaar portal and the Secure QR Code application.

The Delhi Cantonment Board has launched Swachhata Monitoring and Automated Reporting Tool (SMART) for enhanced effectiveness and transparency in the monitoring of sanitation and civic services across the cantonment area.

Ministry of Defence said that this innovative digital solution addresses the challenges faced by the board due to manual reporting, delayed data collection, and fragmented monitoring. It added that to further enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the SMART software, AI-enabled analytical capabilities are being integrated into the system as a pilot initiative. The Ministry added that these capabilities will enable SMART to minimise human intervention, analyse operational data, identify recurring issues and support proactive decision-making.