15 September 2013 Current Affairs
Sikkim Records Steepest Fall In Poverty Level
On 15 September According to the latest data released by the Planning Commission , Sikkim has recorded steepest fall in poverty level in the country on account of increase in per capita consumption and the proportion of the poor living below poverty line in the urban area is lowest among all states.In Sikkim, the proportion of people below the poverty line (BPL) came down from 30.9 per cent in 2004-05 to 8.19 per cent in 2011-12.States with the least proportion of poor living below poverty line are Goa (5.09 per cent), Kerala (7.05 per cent), Himachal Pradesh (8.06 per cent), Sikkim (8.19 per cent), Punjab (8.26 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (9.20 per cent).
India Successfully Test Fired Nuclear - Capable ' Agni V ' Long Range Missile
India’s most deterrent nuclear capable ballistic missile, Agni-5 was successfully test fired on 15 September from Chandipur Test Range in Balasore district off Odisha coast.Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Agni-5 can carry a single nuclear warhead of over 1000 kg and can strike with precision targets in China and Europe.The indigenously developed missile Agni-V is capable of striking a range of more than 5000 km. It is about 17 meter long and 2 metres wide with launch weight of around 50 tonnes.The first test flight of the Agni-5 on 19 April 2012 was a phenomenal success after which India joined the select club of the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China who have such capabilities.Agni-5 will give India the ability hit back or have second-strike capability even after a nuclear attack. The missile is India's fastest-travelling object and the first one to cross the Equator when launched from India.In the Agni series, India at present has Agni-1 with 700 km range, Agni-2 with 2000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with 2500 km to more than 3500 range.