SNIPPETS 20 FEBRUARY 2026

Khorramshahr‑4 Ballistic Missile: A medium-range ballistic missile+ Developed By: Iran’s state-owned Aerospace Industry Organisation (AIO)+ Can carry multiple warheads totalling 1,800 kg and strike up to 80 targets+ Fuel & Speed: Liquid-fuelled, travels 16 Mach outside the atmosphere & 8 Mach within the atmosphere.

UN Fellowship Training Programme on SALW: A 3-week capacity-building programme aimed at strengthening regional arms control, enhancing technical expertise, and promoting global peace cooperation+ Host: Indian Army+ Organising Institutions: Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Defence (MoD), UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia-Pacific (UNRCPD)+ Implementation of UN Programme of Action (PoA) and International Tracing Instrument (ITI) to prevent illicit trade and misuse of SALW.

Ol Chiki Script: The Ministry of Culture has organised the centenary celebrations of the Ol Chiki script in New Delhi+ The script was developed in 1925 by Pandit Raghunath Murmu, reverently known as Guru Gomke+ It comprises 30 letters (6 vowels and 24 consonants) and is written from left to right+ used across Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, as well as among Santhali speakers in Nepal and Bangladesh+ Santhali was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2003 (92nd Amendment), recognising Ol Chiki as its script

Alpheus madhusoodanai Shrimp: A new shrimp species in the Kochi backwaters of Kerala+ a snapping shrimp (also known as a pistol shrimp) of the Alpheidae family, known for producing high-velocity acoustic pressure to stun prey+ translucent body with reddish-brown bands and an asymmetrical, large claw used for hunting and defence+ endemic to the Kochi backwaters in Kerala.