Current Affairs : July 22, 2011

July 22, 2011

‘Prahaar’ missile successfully test-fired

India successfully conducted the first test-fire of its indigenously developed surface-to-surface guided short-range, solid fueled, quick-reaction, tactical missile, Prahaar (Sanskrit:प्रहार , Strike) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of Chandipur, off Odisha coast
The missile test fired from the Launch Complex-III of the ITR at 0810 hours
The uniqueness of the missile with a payload of 200 kgs is that “in one salvo, six missiles can be fired at multiple targets in all directions covering the entire azimuth plane.”
Capable of hitting both tactical and strategic targets

It is a road mobile system and can also be deployed in a few minutes time, without much preparation

Prahaar (Sanskrit:प्रहार , Strike)

INFORMATION

Type: Tactical ballistic missile

Place of origin: India

Used by: Indian Army, Indian Air Force

Manufacturer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Bharat

Dynamics Limited (BDL)

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 1280 kg

Length: 7.3 meters

Diameter: 0.42 meter

Warhead:200 kg

Propellant: Solid

Operational range: 150 km

Speed: Mach 2.03 (2160 km/h)

Launch platform: 8 x 8 Tatra Transporter Erector Launcher

Women’s football: Japan beat USA on penalties to win World Cup

Women’s Football World Cup Final at Frankfurt, Germany
Japan won the women’s World Cup for the first time, beating the United States 3-1 in a penalty shoot-out
Japan captain Homare Sawa won the tournament’s Golden Boot

PPL to expand its Sulphuric Acid, Phosphoric Acid and Fertiliser plant

Paradeep Phosphates Limited (PPL): Asia’s largest DAP (Diammonium Phosphate) Fertiliser plant
PPL has lined up an expansion plan of ` 600 Crore for the next 3 years in setting up an all-new Sulphuric Acid plant with 2000 tonnes per day capacity, enhancing capacity and efficiency of its existing Sulphuric Acid, Phosphoric Acid and Fertiliser plant at its project site at Paradeep in Odisha

Manku Thampuran dies

Noted Musician and the First Chairperson of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, Manku Thampuran, died in Mysore
She was 97
She was an A Grade artist of All India Radio, and a disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar
Senior most woman member (Valiyamma Thampuran) of the erstwhile Cochin royal family
A recipient of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi fellowship, Manku Thampuran was awarded Sangeetha Sampoorna by the Sreepoornathrayeesha Sangeetha Sabha

China issues stapled visas to sportspersons

China issued stapled visas to the sportspersons from the state, due to which three Karatekas were unable to represent India in the 11th Asian Karate-do Championship being held at Quanghou City in Fujian province of China
The Chinese Embassy in Delhi gave stapled visas to Karatekas Likha Lej, Tage Saa and Rei Yadi, with other two officials of Arunachal Karate Federation, which prevented them from flying to China
Indian authorities at New Delhi’s IGI Airport had to turn them away because of the stapled visas

Stapled Visa: When the visas for a visiting country are issued on a separate paper rather than on the passport it is called stapled visa. Often, the immigration officers won’t stamp a passport if it carries a stapled visa.

NAIS covers over 17 Crore Farmers

NAIS = National Agricultural Insurance Scheme
As per the Union Agriculture Ministry, over 17 Crore farmers with total area of more than 2 Lakh ha have been covered under National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS)
Claims of `
21,000 Crore are payable to over 4 Crore farmers
Currently NAIS is operational in 25 States and two Union Territories
Main objective of the scheme is to protect the farmers against the crop losses suffered on account of natural calamities and diseases. The Scheme is available to all the farmers irrespective of their land sizes