Science & Technology Current Affairs May 2016

 K-4 Nuclear-capable Missile Launched

• India has reportedly conducted a secret test of the nuclear-capable undersea the Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile (SL.BM) code named K-4 on April 12, 2016. The series is named after former President and scientist APJ Abdul Kalam.
• It was test-fired from INS-Arihant at an undisclosed location in the Bay of Bengal. The K-4 missile, developed indigenously, was test-fired with a dummy payload in full operational configuration.

• It has the various features like K-4 SLBM, its range is 3500 km. It has 12 m in length and 1.3 m in width. It weighs 17 tonnes and can carry a nuclear payload of 2000 kg. Its engine is solid fuelled.

US Navy Led Largest Maritime Exercise in Middle-East

• The US Navy led 30-nation maritime exercise across Middle-East Waters. The International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) started with a conference in Bahrain on April 11, 2016.
• The exercise was designed to stop militants from causing disruption to shipping. It will help protect international trade routes against possible threats, including from Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda.
• The exercise, which is partly being held in the Gulf, comes as tensions run high between Gulf Arab countries and Iran over its role in the region, including its support for President Bashar al-Assad in Syria’s civil war, for the Houthis in the Yemen conflict and for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Pakistan and China Launched Joint Air Force Drill

• China and Pakistan have launched a joint bilateral air force exercise named Shaheen (Eagle) 5 in Pakistan, which took place from April 9 to 30, 2016. This is the 5th such drill between the two countries.
• The countries call each other ‘all-weather friends’ and share deep cooperation in the areas of defence related production. The joint military exercises and exchanges between Chinese and Pakistani air forces in recent years had effectively deepened cooperation between the two militaries.
• The first such drill was held in Pakistan in March, 2011, the second in China’s Western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in September, 2013 and the third was held in Punjab, Pakistan, in May, 2014.

Pakistan Successfully Test-fired Anti-ship Zarb Missile

• Pakistan Navy has successfully test-fired shore-based anti-ship missile ‘Zarb’ on April 9, 2016.

• The missile was launched from coastal site and successfully hit the surface target in the Arabian Sea. Zarb which means hit in Urdu language, is the Chinese C-602 missile.
• The C-602 is claimed to have a range of 280 km and weighs around 300 kg. It has semi-armour-piercing warhead and GPS guidance.

Health & Nutrition Current Affairs

National Summit on Family Planning Concluded

• The National Summit on Family Planning was concluded on April 5, 2016 in New Delhi. This summit had new logo for family planning media awareness campaign and new theme i.e., new choices, new horizons.
• Few initiatives like new packaging for contraceptive health, mobile app, guidelines etc. were announced Amitabh Bachchan will be the brand ambassador and anchor for new campaign.
• Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Himachal Pradesh were award for pasl-partum sterilisation PPICUD services, female sterilisation and male sterilisation respectively.

World’s First Dengue Programme Launched in Philippines

• The Philippines has launched the first public immunization programme for dengue fever on April 4, 2016. It launched the world’s first licensed vaccine Dengvaxia against the mosquito-borne disease, According to World Health Organisation Dengue Infects 390 million people per year globally.
• Dengvaxia is developed by the French pharmaceutical j company Sanofi Pasteur and has already been tested in Mexico.

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