News In Short 07-02-2026

Agni-3 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

Syllabus:GS3/Defence

In News

• India successfully test-fired the nuclear-capable Agni-3 ballistic missile from Chandipur, Odisha, with a strike range exceeding 3,000 km.

Agni-3 ballistic missile

• It is Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
• It is a two-stage, solid-fuelled ballistic missile with a strike range exceeding three thousand kilometres. 
• It is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
• The Agni-III has been inducted into the Strategic Forces Command since 2011.
• The successful test underscores India’s continued focus on strengthening its strategic deterrence and maintaining high levels of operational readiness.

Source :Air

 Jiyo Parsi Scheme

Syllabus:GS2/Social Justice 

In News

• The Jiyo Parsi Scheme has supported the birth of over 490 Parsi children and provided ₹35.05 crore in financial assistance to Parsi couples  

The Jiyo Parsi scheme

• It is a unique Central Sector Scheme for arresting the population decline of Parsi Community. The scheme was launched in 2013-14 under Ministry of Minority Affairs
• The objective of the scheme is to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, stabilize their population and to increase the population of Parsis in India..

Components

• Medical Component: To provide financial assistance for medical treatment under standard medical protocol.
• Health of the Community: To motivate Parsi Couples to have more children, financial assistance would be available to couples to take care of their dependent elderly family members and children.
• Advocacy: Enhancing support for Parsi couples with infertility and family related concerns involve counseling sessions, outreach programmes i.e seminars, medical camps, publicity brochures, advocacy films etc. The utilization of social media networks for publicity to effectively reach eligible Parsi couples, ensuring access to the benefits of the scheme.

Source :PIB

Global Teacher Prize 2026

Syllabus: Miscellaneous

Context

• Indian teacher Rouble Nagi has won the Global Teacher Prize 2026, receiving the one million dollar award at the World Government Summit in Dubai.

About the Global Teacher Prize

• It was Launched in 2014 and is often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Teaching”.
• It is Presented by GEMS Education and organised by the Varkey Foundation in collaboration with UNESCO.
• It recognises exceptional educators for their outstanding contributions to teaching and social transformation.

Do you know?

• Rouble Nagi, is a pioneering educator from India, dedicated to making learning accessible to the most marginalised communities. 
• Over the past two decades, she has established more than 800 learning centres across over 100 underserved communities and villages, reimagining abandoned walls as interactive educational murals that spark curiosity and engagement.

Source: AIR

Supreme Court Allows Abortion of 30-week Pregnancy of a Minor

Syllabus: GS2/ Polity and Governance; Social Justice

Context

• The Supreme Court has permitted the medical termination of a 30-week pregnancy of a minor, emphasising that no woman can be compelled to carry a pregnancy to full term against her will.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act, 2021

• The Act permits abortion up to 20 weeks in the opinion of one registered medical practitioner.
• Between 20–24 weeks, termination is allowed for specified categories of women (including minors, rape survivors, and differently-abled women) on the opinion of two doctors.
• Beyond 24 weeks, termination is permitted only in cases of substantial fetal abnormalities as diagnosed by a Medical Board.

Key Observations of the Supreme Court

• The Court reiterated that reproductive autonomy is an integral part of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
• The Court observed that the pregnancy of a minor is “ex facie illegitimate” because she lacks legal capacity to consent to sexual relations.

Source: TH

 Hakki-Pikki tribe

Syllabus:GS1/Society 

In News 

• The Embassy of India assisted Hakki-Pikki community members from Davangere, Shivamogga, and Chikkamagaluru districts, who were at risk of imprisonment in Chad.

The Hakki Pikki tribe

• It is a tribe that lives in several states in west and south India, especially near forest areas. 
• Hakki Pikkis (Hakki in Kannada means ‘bird’ and Pikki means ‘catchers’) are a semi-nomadic tribe, traditionally of bird catchers and hunters.
• Hakki Pikki people are believed to hail originally from the bordering districts of Gujarat and Rajasthan.
• Hakki Pikkis in Karnataka follow Hindu traditions and celebrate all Hindu festivals. They are non-vegetarians. The eldest son in a family is not supposed to cut his hair so that he can be identified easily.
• The tribe prefers cross-cousin marriages. The society is matriarchal, where the groom gives dowry to the bride’s family. Monogamy is the norm.

Source :DH

Greater Flamingos

Syllabus: GS3/Environment

Context

• Nearly 70 Greater Flamingos were recorded for the first time at Hope Island in the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, Kakinada Bay, Andhra Pradesh.

Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus)

• Description: The greater flamingo is the most widespread and largest species of the flamingo family, averaging 110–150 cm tall and weighing 2–4 kg.
• Distribution: They are found in Northern (coastal) and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian subcontinent (south of the Himalayas), the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe.
  • Greater flamingos usually migrate to India from Israel, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
• Diet and lifespan: Average lifespan is 30–40 years, and they feed on small fish and other aquatic organisms.
• Threats: The primary threats to flamingo populations are bacteria, toxins, and pollution in water supplies, which is usually run-off from manufacturing companies, and encroachment on their habitat.
• State Bird: The greater flamingo is the State bird of Gujarat.
• Types and IUCN status: The six flamingo species and their IUCN Red List status are
  • The greater flamingo             –      Least Concern 
  • Chilean flamingo                    –     Near Threatened 
  • American flamingo                –     Least Concern 
  • Lesser flamingo                      –     Near Threatened 
  • Andean flamingo                   –     Vulnerable 
  • James’s flamingo                    –     Near Threatened.   

Source: TH

Sickle Cell Disease

Syllabus: GS2/Health

Context

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to Desidustat for the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

About Orphan Drug Designation

• Orphan drugs are pharmaceutical agents developed specifically to treat rare (orphan) diseases.
• Once designated, orphan drugs receive several incentives to encourage their development, including market exclusivity, tax credits for research and development (R&D) expenses, and fee waivers for regulatory applications.

About Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

• SCD is a serious inherited blood disorder caused by a mutation in the HBB gene, which provides instructions for making haemoglobin.
  • Haemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells responsible for carrying oxygen.
• Due to this mutation, red blood cells become rigid and sickle-shaped instead of flexible and round. These abnormal cells can block blood flow, leading to pain, organ damage, and other serious health complications. 
• Types: The disease manifests in various forms, with sickle-cell anaemia being the most severe.
• Prevalence: SCD is most common in individuals of African, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian descent.
  • In India, a majority of patients are concentrated in the tribal belt spanning Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
• Symptoms: Anaemia, swelling in the hands and feet, delayed growth or puberty, and vision problems.
• Treatment and Cure: There is no single standard treatment for SCD, and management varies depending on symptoms. Currently, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) remains the only potential cure, though it is not suitable for all patients.
  • India aims to eliminate sickle cell anemia in India by 2047.

Source: TH

RBI Expands Credit Access for MSMEs and Opens Bank Funding to REITs

Syllabus: GS3/ Economy

Context

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) proposed allowing banks to extend finance to real estate investment trusts (Reits) and also doubled the limit for collateral-free loans to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from ₹10 lakh to ₹20 lakh.

Bank Lending to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

• REITs are investment vehicles that pool funds from investors to invest in income-generating real estate assets such as commercial offices and retail spaces.
• They enable retail and institutional participation in real estate markets without direct property ownership.
• RBI’s Proposal: The RBI has proposed permitting banks to lend to REITs. Such lending will be subject to specified prudential safeguards to limit systemic risks.
• Significance: Bank funding can enhance liquidity in the commercial real estate segment. It will also diversify banks’ lending portfolios.

Source: IE

Mountain Gorillas

Syllabus: GS3/ Species

Context

• Rare twin mountain gorillas were recently born in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

About Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei)

• They are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla, one of the two gorilla species found globally (eastern and western gorillas).
• In the wild, gorillas can live for over 40 years, and humans share nearly 98% DNA with them.
• Habitat and Distribution:   They live at elevations of about 8,000–13,000 feet and have thicker fur than other great apes to adapt to cold mountain climates.
  • They are typically found in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa.
• Diet mainly includes leaves, shoots, and stems, along with insects, roots, bark, and decaying wood as a source of minerals.
• Conservation Status and Population: Endangered (IUCN Red List); estimated population is around 1,063 individuals in the wild.

Source: The Guardian